You know what grinds my gears?

[Ghostv2]

I have been expanding my trike collection lately and i keep noticing something time and time again and im sure it pisses everyone here off and its not just me.
The neglect and stupidity of so many previous owners.
All the parts they weld, they modify, they destroy. The way they like to take the easy way out. It could easily be fixed cheaply and without little effort. But no, they break out the welder and some zip ties with a side of duck tape.

Ill take a moment and share with you what they have done to my last two trikes. More to be discovered i guarantee it.
Welded the shifter to the shaft
welded the hubs to the rim
took the air box and filter off and ran it with an open carb
put foam from a mattress soaked in oil on as a air filter (also forgot to take out the mice nest in there)
Completely neglect the fact bearings do need replaced and just weld parts together
Dont get me started on the wiring they chopped off
Left the hoses off the brake caliper and loosely bolted on destroying that and the disc
I can go on and on.
Also forgot what they can do with a angle grinder. Thats another story.

Feel free to share your stories. Please, stop destroying OEM parts and just spend an extra $20 or so and fix a part. Its not hard. Rant over.

Throw up some pictures too if you have them.

[tblumer]

My personal favorite is when they ram a standard thread bolt into a metric hole. I also found a sock jammed into the air filter housing of a 70 that I picked up.

[El Camexican]

I have been expanding my trike collection lately and i keep noticing something time and time again and im sure it pisses everyone here off and its not just me.
The neglect and stupidity of so many previous owners.
All the parts they weld, they modify, they destroy. The way they like to take the easy way out. It could easily be fixed cheaply and without little effort. But no, they break out the welder and some zip ties with a side of duck tape.


Ill take a moment and share with you what they have done to my last two trikes. More to be discovered i guarantee it.
Welded the shifter to the shaft
welded the hubs to the rim
took the air box and filter off and ran it with an open carb
put foam from a mattress soaked in oil on as a air filter (also forgot to take out the mice nest in there)
Completely neglect the fact bearings do need replaced and just weld parts together
Dont get me started on the wiring they chopped off
Left the hoses off the brake caliper and loosely bolted on destroying that and the disc
I can go on and on.
Also forgot what they can do with a angle grinder. Thats another story.

Feel free to share your stories. Please, stop destroying OEM parts and just spend an extra $20 or so and fix a part. Its not hard. Rant over.

Throw up some pictures too if you have them.

Just think how much more you'd have had to pay if they were all in perfect condition

[250r'en +TCB]

The zip ties and duck tape I don't mind as they do not cause permanent damage. But the welding really fries my arse! How could you be stupid enough to weld a shifter the she shaft?

[TecateDan]

Meh.. Grinder and a quick motor rebuild and it's all better. When I was a kid and Piss Poor and had the opportunity to "fix" a bike with a welder for free and kep riding that's how it went.. Also most people thought these were throw away machines back in the day.

The zip ties and duck tape I don't mind as they do not cause permanent damage. But the welding really fries my arse! How could you be stupid enough to weld a shifter the she shaft?

[dougspcs]

I personally love nothing more than to find a trike that has been neglected..sounds funny I know.

But what I mean by that is, left abandoned years before because the carb fouled or the kids outgrew it. But all it's original stuff intact..even if broken or worn out.

Kind of a little rusted and gnarly, but a least not monkeyed with.

If I see a machine that has been fooled with..I'm with you 'Ghost', walk away. Too much to chance..

[yamaha225dr]

The most recent one I saw was a for sale ad for a Honda 300ex. I guess the guys seat got chewed up by a dog and he just bolted a boat seat in its place! LOL

[Vealmonkey]

That's the part about this that I don't understand. Just don't buy it. And if you do, just fix it and spare us the drama. How many people on here have had to deal with the same thing??? Just deal. Did you buy something rare and have no chance to find the parts that fix it? Try buying a rare trike. Franks, Cagiva, or Tiger for starters. Or an aftermarket frame that has been "fixed" by a previous owner. Some people on here take YEARS to get the parts for their machine. How many times have you powdercoated the frame? Have you had UPS drop your bottle of powdercoat powder in one of their shipping centers and had to get new. Have you had to make fiberglass molds cause the fenders you need don't exist????? Have you ever had to buy parts from a foreign country yet? Face it, you are the only person on the planet to have ever had to deal with something unpleasant when it comes to trikes. ROTFLMAOAPMP!!!

[toki]

if that grinds your gears... get this.

I sold my beloved 200x last year. I still hate myself for selling it but i sold it to a family that had 4 other hondas (200's, 185's, yada yada) and i thought it would be in OK hands. I have not seen or heard from them or it since i sold it. I JUST saw it again today as i was doing a shakedown run on my 250r rebuild. OMG. plastics falling the eff off. rear axle/rim/hub something bent HORRIBLY. Smoking like a Cuban cigar and running like crap. it is toasted. i wanted to freakin cry.

[manbearpig]

That's the part about this that I don't understand. Just don't buy it. And if you do, just fix it and spare us the drama. How many people on here have had to deal with the same thing??? Just deal. Did you buy something rare and have no chance to find the parts that fix it? Try buying a rare trike. Franks, Cagiva, or Tiger for starters. Or an aftermarket frame that has been "fixed" by a previous owner. Some people on here take YEARS to get the parts for their machine. How many times have you powdercoated the frame? Have you had UPS drop your bottle of powdercoat powder in one of their shipping centers and had to get new. Have you had to make fiberglass molds cause the fenders you need don't exist????? Have you ever had to buy parts from a foreign country yet? Face it, you are the only person on the planet to have ever had to deal with something unpleasant when it comes to trikes. ROTFLMAOAPMP!!!

so what grinds your gears pat, is a guy bitching about what grinds his gears?

[Ghostv2]

That's the part about this that I don't understand. Just don't buy it. And if you do, just fix it and spare us the drama. How many people on here have had to deal with the same thing??? Just deal. Did you buy something rare and have no chance to find the parts that fix it? Try buying a rare trike. Franks, Cagiva, or Tiger for starters. Or an aftermarket frame that has been "fixed" by a previous owner. Some people on here take YEARS to get the parts for their machine. How many times have you powdercoated the frame? Have you had UPS drop your bottle of powdercoat powder in one of their shipping centers and had to get new. Have you had to make fiberglass molds cause the fenders you need don't exist????? Have you ever had to buy parts from a foreign country yet? Face it, you are the only person on the planet to have ever had to deal with something unpleasant when it comes to trikes. ROTFLMAOAPMP!!!

Well sorry i upsetted you, i just wanted to post my thoughts and get the input of others. Did not mean to piss you off. I understand its part of the game.
But chill, im not talking about some rare trike im trying to restore or rebuild. Im just trying to get my familys trikes running and performing good but looking decent still.

Just trying to stir up some entertaining stories guys, listen to your experiences, relate.

[threewheelin-feelin]

well i got to say i am guilty of welding a shifter to a shaft. i did it when i was very young and stupid and didnt have a job at the time and wanted to ride. now adays i wouldnt dream of doing this to anything. i have to cut the grab bar off my 350x now because it has been welded. i have had many bikes with socks in the air box. that always made me laugh haha

[ktmcrasher]

you wanna try living in the UK, all aftermarket parts generally come from the USA and the shipping and customs fees are massive.


example Maier front fender $103, shipping $77.20. and customs & handling fees at least another $30.

[El Camexican]

you wanna try living in the UK, all aftermarket parts generally come from the USA and the shipping and customs fees are massive.


example Maier front fender $103, shipping $77.20. and customs & handling fees at least another $30.

Sounds like you have it pretty good over there mate. In Mexico all fees get 16% added on top, brokerage is as much as $300 on a shippment and then it gets stolen by the carrier before it arrives.

[ktmcrasher]

Sounds like you have it pretty good over there mate. In Mexico all fees get 16% added on top, brokerage is as much as $300 on a shippment and then it gets stolen by the carrier before it arrives.

fackin el! what a nightmare how do you get your arts then? trip over the boarder?