Trikes
When the Motor Company cut Buell many Buell owners and many who planned to own a Buell was extremely disappointed. Many Buell enthusiasts feel that Buell motorcycles are more competitive against the Japanese models than the water-cooled V-Rod models. I clearly remember when I studied Business 101, and hearing the professor saying, “The main objective for starting a business is to provide a service, and to make a profit.” It appears that in today’s business world their only objective is to make a profit, and providing a service depends on the profit margin. Buell motorcycles will live on, and continue being some of the most sought-after machines.
Phil Z of Syracuse, New York, has been riding motorcycles for over 30 years, and after becoming disabled he was determined to keep riding. About a month ago, I spoke to a lady who told me that her 74-year-old father owned two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and had ridden all of his adult life. About a year ago, he had eye surgery that left him almost blind, and he was unable to ride anymore, and his whole life changed for the worst. He still owns both motorcycles, and his son rides them, which give him a lot of pleasure just hearing the machines being fired up. Becoming disabled can change our lives in many ways, especially if it means becoming unable to continue a passion we love and have enjoyed for so many years of our lives.
Phil Z’s disabilities made it impossible for him to self-mount a two-wheel motorcycle, or hold it up when stopped at an intersection or traffic light. Before becoming disabled, he has purchased a used 1999 Buell X1 Lightning from Performance Harley-Davidson of Syracuse, New York. “I absolutely loved riding this machine. It handled better than any two-wheel machine I’d ever owned, and it was fun to ride,” said Phil Z.
Determined to stay on the motorcycle scene, Phil Z considered one of Harley-Davidson’s new trike models, but found it very difficult parting with his Buell. There were several companies out there building trike conversion kits, but none were producing kits for converting Buell motorcycles. Phil Z contacted Frankenstein Trikes and asked them if it was possible to convert his Buell into a trike. They had never done a conversion kit for a Buell, so they mocked up a trike rear end assembly to a Buell to see if it would work. The mock up rear end assembly for the Buell worked perfect, so they made the swingarm and the rear end assembly, and shipped it to Phil Z, and he completed the installation. Phil had the swingarm professionally painted, and he built the rest of the rear end by adding the tires, wheels, brake line, and spacers behind the driver pulley. It took Phil about two months to complete the installation, and turn his machine into the first Buell trike from Frankenstein Trikes.
“My favorite aspect of the conversion was the assistance of Frankenstein Trikes, and the courteous and helpful service, especially from Dan and Frank. I’m very pleased with the parts they made for me, and their efforts on their first Buell conversion. The unique appearance of the trike came out better than I expected as it draws a lot of attention everywhere I go,” Said Phil.
Phil rides his trike almost every day during the three-month riding season in northern New York. The bike had a total of 30,000 miles on the speedometer when it was a two-wheeler, and 10,000 miles since the trike conversion. Phil rides mostly with friends, and occasionally with the local HOG chapter. “My trike rides very good and handles well. It took a little while to get used to the different aspects of riding and handling a trike as opposed to a motorcycle,” said Phil Z. We’ll see you on the road!
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