Trikes are modified motorcycles  that have a single wheel in the front similar to a two wheeled motorcycle  and an axle in the rear  that is similar to that of an automobile.  And bikers are  going ape for them. If you want in on the fun, you can buy one that’s ready to ride, buy one of the good used trikes for sale  but you can also build your own trike so long as  you have the necessary tools and a moderate amount of mechanical skill .  

Before you start tearing down your motorcycle to convert it , you should know that many before you have learned the hard way that  building a trike can be more than they could handle  and ended up pulling the plug on the project  or taking the less difficult route of converting an old Volkswagon car into a trike.  This method has certain advantages  as far as performance is concerned as well as being a way  of recycling an old automobile  that would have otherwise wound up in a salvage yard .  You get a custom Volkswagon trike  and do a little something to save the environment at the same time!

TRIKE BUILDING PARTS, TOOLS and EQUIPMENT

To get started on your project , you have to have a motorcycle, tools, a welder and metal working machines  and there are times a mechanical minded buddy will come in handy.  Equipment common to a  welding and/or machine shop is essential  to the building process and once you have the trike put together ,  it’s going to need a paint job for it to look its best if you added fenders.  

Here is the short list  of tools, parts and equipment that you will need to build a trike in addition to the usual sets of wrenches and screwdrivers  found in most toolboxes.

A welder , welding supplies and welding equipment  

Two Floor Jacks

A metal lathe

Sheet metal and Sheet metal stock

A set of  trailer wheels and tires

If you want your trike to have  fenders you will need a paint booth, paint and painting supplies.

STEP 1.  

Secure  your the motorcycle  on the floor jacks , loosen the nuts on the sides of the rear axle.  Slide the rear tire forward  while sliding the chain off the  sprocket letting  you to pull  the wheel off the  swing arm.

Now’s the time to make a decision on how wide you want your trike .  You can make your axle as fat or as skinny  as you want it but standard width is approximately  38 ½ from drum to drum.  Although I’ve heard of widths up to  45 ½ and as narrow as 35 inches let’s assume that you want to build a trike that is half as wide as its total length. 

STEP 2.

Figure  how long the rear axle should be according to these measurements  and then subtract the length of the axle that is in place  from that number.  Divide this number  by two and you’ll have the measurement of the axle that you will be welding to each side of the original rear axle . 

Use the metal lathe to turn some of your metal  to make it the same  thickness as the  existing rear axle.  Weld your turned pieces  to each end of the existing axle being absolutely sure they are square . 

STEP 3.

You are now ready to start welding the wheel hubs onto  the ends of your modified axle and to put the new axle in place on the swing arm.  Snug up the nuts and replace the chain back  on the sprocket.  Mount your  trailer wheels and tires onto the ends of the extended axle and snug up the  lug nuts.   

At this point in the conversion process , you have the option of adding fenders (which will have to be painted to match the rest of the motorcycle ) or just taking your new baby out for a ride  and proving to your biker friends that you know a thing or two about how to build a trike motorcycle.

CAUTION

Motorcycle mechanic wanna be’s  might misread the title of this article as “How to Build a Trike in Three Easy Steps” because well…I condensed the instructions into three steps that may actually be easy to experienced motorcycle mechanics.  But the facts are that building a trike  takes more than a little welding and metal working skill.  For instance, if the axle is not welded together properly  your trike is going to shake like crazy on the road creating a very dangerous situation that could cause a horrible accident  with possible casualties and that’s just one of number of other things that can happen if you don’t do something right .   

If you have any doubts  that you possess the necessary skills, do yourself (and everybody on the road ) a favor and take a look in the motorcycle classifieds section of your local paper  for a good used trike for sale or ask an experienced friend to help you learn how to build a trike before you get in too deep .    

 

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