Frank Pedersen and Steinar Bergby (“Frank and Stein”) decided the world needed more choices in trike rear ends and kits, so they launched Frankenstein Trikes in 2005. “We used to build choppers but don’t have the time anymore, although we still service our chop customers. We saw the market was moving in a different direction,” said Frank, a well-spoken Norwegian native. “Choppers come and go and we saw them going, at least for now. The demand was dying; I could see the writing on the wall. Choppers were getting so expensive and outlandish it was only a matter of time before the market reached a saturation point.”
Explaining his take on what’s going on even further, Frank said, “A chopper is a bike that a person uses to stand out from the crowd; it is an extension of their personality. When they started to become mass-produced, the appeal faded. The radical look became ordinary, even mainstream. The individuality was gone, so I looked around to see what I could do. I knew the baby boomers weren’t going to quit riding despite age or medical problems or whatever, but I wanted to offer something unique, fill a niche. I wanted to offer something that wasn’t out there. The trike market looked like it would take off.”
So Frank, who has flown, serviced, and painted airplanes, restored cars, and built bikes, then entered the trike arena, designing and manufacturing what he claims is the best looking, strongest, narrowest, and lightest trike rear ends on the market, “using only the best parts and materials,” all made in the Heartland. Prices start at $3,200 like the 34” Sport Std. rear end on this Harley-Davidson FXR-based trike he dubbed Hooligan. Asked how Hooligan got its name, Frank simply says, “It feels, and I feel, like a hooligan when I ride it.” This ruffian is a 1993 FXR with an 80” Evo motor and a two-into-one pipe, carrying a short muffler found at an auto parts store. Fuel is delivered via an S&S carb and “it probably has a cam in it,” said Frank, who is not the original owner. Body parts were scavenged: The wheels were plucked from a swap meet, the rear fenders were bobbed in-house, fender taillights installed, and the sissy bar in his shop from unearthed steel finished off the trike. “Our trike kit added only about 120 pounds to the bike,” he said.
Frank explained Frankenstein’s customer base attracts all kinds, not just the anticipated baby boomer, “Young people who want a cooler look have been drawn to our trikes.” The company built Hooligan to show people what could be done on a moderate budget, remain practical, but still stand out. In the wild world of motorcycling, coolness is always a factor
Frankenstein sells to a lot of women, as well as riders with medical conditions, and “people who want a safer ride.” Explaining what a “safer ride” is in his opinion, Frank said, “If you’re out riding in the country, doing say 50 or 60 mph and a rabbit crossed your path [or a deer, which you wouldn’t see any sooner] you could really get on both brakes without fear of going down. You can’t do that on two wheels. With a trike you stop quicker, and don’t have to worry about dumping the bike. Also, when you encounter bad road conditions, like pouring rain, your trike’s three wheels offer superior stability over two. Trikes also offer better protection against side impacts, the kind you might get if someone runs a red light at an intersection and broadsides you.”
The monster mantra behind Frankenstein Trikes is to make it simple, make it strong, make it affordable, and build it so that a guy with average mechanical skills could install it himself. All manufacturers should have this mandate pinned to their fat corporate heads in my opinion. “I wanted to achieve something that was priced right and had great value. I didn’t want to make something that looked like a grandpa bike, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but people want something cooler,” said Frank. “The first $11,000 offer can take Hooligan home.”
Up Close: Frankenstein Trikes Rear Ends
At Hooligan’s heart is Frankenstein Trikes’ $3,200 rear end. Prices vary due mostly to options, size of the rear end unit, and applicability of stock parts. “We always think in terms of quality and cost efficiency, and do what works best and costs the least for our customer,” said resident mad scientist, Frank Pedersen.
Frankenstein offers 11 different rear ends in widths from 30” to 42”. Their standard kits can accommodate 170 to 250 rear tires, and beyond for custom jobs. “The rear ends are modular,” said Pedersen. “We have produced all kinds of units, including a Hayabusa and a 300hp V-Rod. And, if the customer wants to go back to two wheels, he can disassemble the rear end and reattach the stock parts. Some units are transferable to other models too.” Complete kits start at $4,725 and include everything you need to convert bike to trike: rear end, wheels, tires, modified swingarm, fenders, and fender brackets.
Frankenstein utilizes a fixed-axle rear end, as opposed to independent suspension. “Independent suspension sounds good, but when you hit a bump the trike wants to lean in the opposite direction. A stabilizer bar is needed so it won’t lean too hard. Once you put the stabilizer bar on it feels like a fixed axle anyway,” said Frank. “Fixed-axle trikes stay upright when cornering, so one wheel doesn’t unload on the other. The ride is a little bit bumpier on rough roads, but on pavement there is virtually no difference. The independent suspension requires many more parts, costs more, is much heavier, and is more complex, which eliminates most people who might attempt to install the unit themselves.”
Find more info at www.frankensteintrikes.com or call 913-352-6788.
Builder: Frank Pedersen
Frank Pedersen came to the unlikely town of Pleasanton, Kansas, from Fredrikstad, Norway in 1984, reconnecting with his old friend and current business partner, Steinar Bergby. His first motorized vehicle was an HMV moped he found in an abandoned house. And so launched the then 10-year-old’s engineering career. “Like any other enterprising person, America is the place to be where the freedom to build something and get it titled and on the street is something we couldn’t do in Norway,” said Frank.
Through the years, Frank has built, restored, or painted motorcycles, trikes, boats, muscle cars, pro-street cars, drag cars, and airplanes. In 1995, he opened his motorcycle shop, specializing in radical chops. “And people said choppers would not come back! Choppers forever,” said Frank. But the chopper craze, like anything else, did not last forever.
The market savvy and innovative builder looked around, saw a market flush with baby boomers and others wanting something different, and rolled the dice on what is now a growing three-wheeler market. “I figured if I could sell 50 trike rear ends the first year, that would be a good start,” said Frank. He doubled the business the second year, and then doubled it again his third year. Frankenstein Trikes are up to 400 rear end sales and growing.
Frank credits the company’s success to good value for the dollar and customer service. “We stand behind our product, we talk to our customers, and you don’t get an answering machine when you call,” he said, adding, “I offer a product the way I would want one to be sold to me, something that is strong, problem free, and offers tech support. I try to treat people the way I want to be treated.”
Find more info at www.frankensteintrikes.com or call 913-352-6788.
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