My First Reverse Trike using a Burgman 650

[boozer]

Let me start by saying my name is Boozer and I'm from So Cal. A few weeks ago I decided to finally start on a project that I've have in my head for a few years now. It is a reverse trike powdered by a Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter. The reason I chose this powder plant is because I have had about 6-7 of these Burgmans now and one time I was on a turn around trip from California to Vegas to pick up my newly purchased motor home when I looked down and realized I was cruising at 110+ MPH (needless to say I quickly slowed down). Well that is when I realized that this was the power plant for me to use in my reverse trike for 2 reasons, first is it was fast enough to get me around and second is the wife can drive it because there are no gears to shift or clutch to push. Lets forward a few years now. About three weeks ago I pulled out the jig that I have been building 100's of sandrail/dune buggies on since 1996 and started building my trike. I have worked on it for about 6 or 7 days now on and off and between work and other customers projects and I usually get about 6-8 hours in on each of those days. Well I now have the frame design finished and tack welded together and this past weekend I got the front suspension and geometry set up along with getting my drive line pulled out of the damaged frame and installed in the frame I purchased from a member here on the forum named DaveJ (thanks Dave the frame was just as you describe it and worked out perfect for this project). My goal is to get this thing off the jig this weekend and set it on the ground so I can set up the ride height I want and get the Burgman installed into the trike. Well I hope you guys enjoy these pictures and I will keep you updated as I make progress.

[boozer]

more pix

[boozer]

more pix

[boozer]

more pix

[srx660]

It looks like the buggy building has really helped you build a trike quickly. Thank you for the pictures and please keep more coming. A detailed electrical system install would help a lot of people that come here maybe try to do one themselves.

SRX660

[2rike]

Great work,Boozer that looks really good!
I will look forward to more pictures and watching your build thread develop 

[DaveJ98092]

Jan 26, 2016 15:25:24 GMT -5 srx660 said:

It looks like the buggy building has really helped you build a trike quickly. Thank you for the pictures and please keep more coming. A detailed electrical system install would help a lot of people that come here maybe try to do one themselves.

SRX660

And I can answer about any electrical question as long as its not computer controls.

The tire I have run on my two wheel Burgman is a 165/65 14 Car Tire. I have a 185/60 HR 14 on my crashed 2008 currently but I had to grind down some of the casting flash in the swingarms pocket. It does not effect the strength of the swingarm as it is just a mold parting seam. I am running a 155/65 HR 14 car tire on my current 2003 650 and it handles like a dream. It is a bit hard to fit a car tire on a motorcycle rim but have a little patience, it can be done. You can research this over on BurgmanUSA

[boozer]

Thank you srx660. I have built / repaired 4 burgmans that had been wrecked (not by me) over the past 4-5 years and even had to do 1 wire harness swap so when it comes to the wiring my plan is to make extension cables that will simply just plug in to extend the dash, hand controls, E brake and any other necessary parts to the front of the trike. There are a few other things that I will have to deal with like the kick stand kill switch and the center stand switch that does not allow the scooter to shift out of 1 gear when placed on the center kick stand but these are simple modifications because they are just momentary switches that can be by passed or make mounting brackets that keep them pushed in at all times. One thing that I'm a little excited about is the fact that the Burgman 650 is automatic yet it has a manual mode with a finger operated up/down shift button so I plan to try to adapt paddle shift to my steering wheel ( if anyone has seen this done or has any ideas or leads on getting a paddle shifter please let me know). Well thanks again for the support and encouraging comments and I look forward to my next post and more comments from the members here at reverse trike forum. I will post a few pictures of some of the sandrails I have manufactured and /or worked on over the years.

[boozer]

In 2008 my brother and I decided to make an attempt at opening one of the first off road repair shops in Dubai so we design and built this new car and spent $16,000.00 to fly it on an airplane to Dubai for the launch and grand opening of the new Toys For Big Boys Dubai location. Unfortunately by 2009 the economy around the world forced us to close it down. But it was some fun time over there. Beautiful place to visit if you ever have the chance and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Check out some sandrail videos of Dubai on youtube to see how far they have come now. 

[boozer]

One cool thing was when we were out in the dunes having fun and you just run across camels roaming through the desert.

[DaveJ98092]

Just hung the phone with Boozer. Builds all look good.

I never made it to Dubai, wish I had. I did spend many days out on Bahrain's desert back in 1992 and loved it. The very short time I spent in Saudi Arabia I did not have time to play. I never went into Iraq or Kuwait.

[DaveJ98092]

I made a comment in a post above that was not needed in Boozers build so I moved it AND the 2 replies to a thread called "Comments to the editor". I removed the comment and am re-posting my first reply to Boozer here:

"DaveJ98002 wrote"

"Your account of coming back on a road trip and looking down to see you were cruising at 110 MPH is a real thing as they are that smooth. I have been (on that frame you bought from me) to 122 MPH on a 2003 Burgman 650 clocked on Radar by a Wyoming Stater. He was handing out "Unsafe" tickets and clocked the group of GoldWing riders I hitched up with doing 89 MPH in a 75 MPH zone and said "A SCOOTER SHOULD NOT BE DOING 89 MPH". He found out these only look like a scooter but are real (Automatic shifting) motorcycles with real motorcycle brakes and suspensions. He said that it looked like a snot nosed kid was trying to keep up with some Goldwings on a little 250 Chinese clone scooter.

I think you will like the manual shift or the power button for when you are in the mountains, not staying on the brakes on a long down hill run is one of the nice things about a Burgman 650.

I will be following your build and you can call on me anytime for questions. Between BurgmanUSA and the team of builders on here you can do anything."

Read more: reversetrike.proboards.com/thread/747/comments-editor?page=1#ixzz3ykf8GCov"

[srx660]

Something you might want to look into is the Toyota Camry steering column has paddle shift built into it. My wifes 2012 camry SE has this option on it. Perhaps a junkyard Camry may have them.

SRX660

[boozer]

Thanks srx660 for the info on the camry paddle shift, I will look into that for sure.

[boozer]

Well I got to work on my trike for 3 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday and this is what I got accomplished. I got the suspension all dialed in and installed the Fox shocks with 200 lbs coils(I might need to lighten them up later after I get all the weight on the trike to see how it rides). I also got the burgman 650 centered in the frame and semi mounted. I started mounting the speedo and handle bar hand controls. I then got it on the ground and set the ride height (for now) and I put some vise grips on the throttle cable and dove it forward a couple times (can't go backward yet). So I met all my weekend goals : got suspension done, got it on the ground and drove it ( kinda drove it). I wanted to take it for a slow spin around the back yard but we got something we never get in sunny so cal......A STORM). I used fox coil over shocks, mustang ll 2" dropped spindles, stock car upper adjustable arms, custom made lower arms and a set of 1999 corvette front 17" rims I had laying around (the rear 18" rims were just to deep to put on the front of the trike). Next weekends goal is to install the radiator and cooling system, maybe some brake lines, throttle cable and some other small details and them I can take it for a HOT LAP around the back yard.

[boozer]

last set of pix for today

[kolibri]

Hi Boozer,

as I can see you made a very good and fast job. Congrats. There is one thing I would like to say. Please think about the position of your stearing rack. In this position you will get different lengthen off steering tie rod . In my opinion you will get bumb steer. Maybe you think about that position Sorry but it is not my thing to discuss this special things in english, but I made my experience and hope to be helpful with an input.

Greetings Ralf

[boozer]

thanks kolibri, this rack and pinion is temporary just so i can move it around and get all my dimension so i can make the correct choice on the rack and pinion that will work best as the project comes along. I actually moved it to the center this weekend just to make my future measurements a little easier. Thanks again

[Liteway]

Feb 1, 2016 16:12:18 GMT -5 kolibri said:

Hi Boozer,

as I can see you made a very good and fast job. Congrats. There is one thing I would like to say. Please think about the position of your stearing rack. In this position you will get different lengthen off steering tie rod . In my opinion you will get bumb steer. Maybe you think about that position Sorry but it is not my thing to discuss this special things in english, but I made my experience and hope to be helpful with an input.

Greetings Ralf

I think he is right Boozer. Even if you could overcome the bump steer problem, cheap off-road racks are too sloppy for the street, if you expect to have any steering precision at all at 60 on the highway. Maybe a Mustang II rack? Being high production they are cheap and good quality. Maybe too narrow for your track, but will come much closer to working than what you are showing.

Otherwise, I like the look of the frame and front end. Just don't get it on the road with those tack welds. You probably know that.

[boozer]

The mustang ll is the R&P I plan to use but I want to get all my arm geometry set up first and the off road rack is something that was siting on the self. After everything is working correctly I plan to get a mustang ll rack if it measures out correctly for the application i'm using. I do like that everyone is checking the small details like that but there are many other temporary things being use on this trike for now, but they will all be upgraded to the correct parts as I go along. Thanks again.