Send in those Questions

Weld build up

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:00:28 -0700

Today I had a interesting fix.
Way who is an avid rider, yeh he rides 20 miles at a pop every time he takes his trikke out, had a clicking in the column. Well I always go right to the bearings in the steering head and give it a tug back and forth on the column. And usually I am right, hmm not this time. his column was tight as can be. So I then took it for a test spin and sure enough there was a small click. Now we have to really take a close look at things to start eliminating. First off the trailing arm was a tad loose when fully extended. the bolt were tight but it produced a squeaky noise like that of a floor. So we have to remove the trailing arm from the Cambering Mechanism so the we can remove that plunger in the arm lock.

Bent Disc

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:13:46 -0700

Hey Andy!
How's things... family...the crew, et al? I hope all is good.
As much as I'd rather bounce over to your pad and have an expert fix this... I'm currently back at home base in New Mexico, so - that option isn't going to work.
My PONE has a problem brake disc. I've taken it off and pounded a bit with a rubber mallet. I've tried to bend it into shape - but seemingly - to no avail! My dad is grabbing two metal plates so I can try pounding/pressing the disc.
The disc looks like it's 'bowled' ! Do you have any tricks - advice? I'll order some new ones soon - I have a feeling I'm going to need them! I finally POPPED my FIRST tire this morning on my T8 -- -- sssshhhhhhBANGPOP! It was actually very thrilling - I was wondering when I'd hit just the right pebble or glass shard - or over inflate one of the little darlings. My T12 has been giving me the most joy and amazing riding thrills since you tuned it and put these amazing grips on - so much better now that I'm really in touch with how the Trikke works!!!
(just to brag to you, because I know you'll appreciate this -- I think, so far - at least 10 people have purchased a Trikke due to my simply 'riding' around and showing off and showing them how to get moving. I've got to work on the business side of this somehow I think!)
I hope to catch up with you in the future and ride. That ride on the Ponies to the market was all it took for me to grab the balls on the Tribred and show this mountain town what the future looks like!!!
Cheers
steve j.

Bummer on the flat. The disc can be trued while mounted on the trikke. Its easier with the large T12 disc because of sheer size. You basically have to rotate the wheel looking for hi and lo spots, pushing and pulling as you rotate the wheel. A small crescent wrench closed down against the disc will act as a lever to motivate towards or away from the wheel. softly is the key. This should help until you get new discs.
Peace Brother
I had a great time riding with you as well.

Ekit cable Route

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:19:52 -0700

Take a minute to look this over. Lining your cable properly will save the cable from a potential pinch between the frame and fork. Brusing the sheath around the cable set can cause serious damage to the motor and may harm you. This will ensure that there is no contact. I also like to route this between the trailing arms just behind the yolk of the cambering mrchanism

Regular Maintenance Check List

Sun, 31 May 2009 13:42:48 -0700

Regular Maintenance Check list.
In order to keep you ride at it’s optimum performance we need to do a few things. Here is a review of the items to check on your Trikke at least every 3 rides. Remember that this carving vehicle needs to be checked so you can get the most out of it. Procedures will be available for all these topics, so fear not for the novice gear head.

1. Check Tire Pressure. (75-80psi) A drop in pressure of 20psi will create a larger contact patch on the ground. Kind of feels muddy.
2. Check Brake Adjustments. You want to make sure that when you squeeze you brake lever that there is sufficient resistance before the lever meets the bar, better yet it should not reach the bar.
3. Inspect Bushing. The bushing is the glue that makes it all work. This bushing will wear and tear after extended use. Replace when tearing is visible around yolk shaft. Trikke will feel loose with all bolts tight.
4. Check bolts. (Do Not tighten hex heads with the ball end of some hex/allen wrenchs) this will strip the bolt on the inner face of the tool and bolt mating surfaces. Be gentle but firm. Use the straight end for the stubborn bolts then use the speed end
5. a. Goose neck & bar asembly bracket
6. b. Cambering mechanism assembly
7. c. Wheel axle’s
8. d. Headset set bolt

T78air Deluxe gets a make over

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:41:05 -0700

FAQ

A loose T78air Deluxe with Ekit regains Posture

Corey is my 18 year old nephew and today he came by which gave us a chance to do an over haul on his Tribred free rien. This was one of the first kits available with the combination. There were no instructions, we figured the assembly by what was left over after install. Learning what effects the added weight would have on the Trikke be came a new issue to deal with. We have learned a few new ways to help a sagging posture and here they are.
Corey had recently change the cambering bushings which were already taking a hit due to his riding style. He really can throw this machine around. We knew we had to change them out. Trikke has a new heavy duty cambering bushing that is on the new Freereins and Pon-es from the factory. If you have a T12 ekit or a T8 with an ekit, get this bushing you will thank me later.

When working with these its a good idea to use a C clamp and a socket for the removal and install of the bushing. The best move is to fold the free rien up on the ground and remove the 2 bolts from the folding mechanism. Lay the trailing arms on the ground. You should be able to remove the cambering mechanism fairly easy. Loosen bolts from the yolk and front pivot axle, pull the CV halve from unit. Use a snap ring remover to remove the ring and washer spacer. You can either remove the bushing by pushing it out of the housing or use a large socket and C-clamp to press out. Replace with the new bushing. I like to apply a line layer of house hold grease on the outer edge of the bushing to ease of install. DO NOT apply in excess. We don’t want grease all over this unit, remember the bushings are made to wear. Once the bushing has seated in the housing use a socket and C-clamp to compress the bushing a bit so that the spacer and snap ring can easily slip back into place. This is also a good time to inspect the integrity of the part. Look at the welds for cracks or warpage.

Install an Ekit on a T78?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:27:45 -0700

FAQ

Can you install an Ekit on a T78air.

I recently received a request to install an ekit on a T78air. Yes we can install the e-kit on this trikke but we need to upgrade a few things to make it a good marriage. First off, the ekit itself weighs in at about 30 lbs which is a significant increase to the overall size of the T78air. The T78air Deluxe comes with the upgrades already in place. Lets review some of these changes and see how we can make our T78air a turbo trikke. In no particular order I will cover the necessary changes. A good place to start is to upgrade the cambering bushings to the latest heavy duty version. These come factory installed on the Pon-e and the Free rien. This will aid in the overall stance of our trikke with the additional weight. I would check or just replace the nylon spacers in the cambering mechanism all together. Wear may already be a factor so why not just replace these now. Get yourself some mid grade locktite and dab a bit on each bolt on the buck-knife folding system and tighten them fully. You are also going to need rubber spacers to mount the battery pack to the shaft of the steering column. Another neat add on is to install the new locking brake levers, these are a god send and help to keep the trikke standing tall when you walk away from it. It may go with out saying but we also need to ensure that the brakes are well adjusted to allow for the added power in braking distance.

Steering column clicks or seems loose

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:53:14 -0800

FAQ

Steering head clicks or seems loose.

Every now and then one slips by. You get your Trikke all set up and take it for a spin only to find it loose in the steering or a clicking noise. What the heck is going on? Well in the simplest terms the head locking clamp is not snug up to the back of the bearing set located at the bottom of the steering head. This is an easy fix. First off lower the bars to their lowest position and flip the Trikke upside down so that the front fork can be removed. Loosen the 2 bolts holding the fork assembly and remove the fork. Now the next clamp you see is the silver steering head clamp. You have a couple ways of doing this. First off make sure that the gooseneck is supported on something preferably not on the bars. Put a 4x4 or something like that to rest the neck end on so that the blunt force you apply will be solid. You may need a second set of hands to hold the Trikke as you complete these steps. Next loosen the clamp bolt a hair (not all the way loose) and then use a hammer and punch or screwdriver to work your way around the clamp tapping downward towards the steering head. Snug the bolt a little tighter and repeat pattern. Do it a third time and make sure the bolt is tight on the clamp when last attempt is complete. I actually use the end of a transmission yolk which slides over the steering end and proceed with the same routine as before. You may have a pipe piece or something of that nature to do this. Reinstall the fork assembly and tighten the 2 bolts.
Your steering should now be tight. The factory compresses these columns to 175lbs of pressure and then they secure the bolt. I have seen T12's on occasion missing the compression ring to center the bearing. At this point you need that compression ring. You can also purchase a Column Compression tool which we sell from Jeff over at MidWest Trikke. I really like this tool since you can gauge the force applied more easily.