Sandy and Brigitte Poglavec have both enjoyed riding their two-wheel machines for many years but through some extensive market research and conversing with a few motorcycle industry friends they discovered there is a large segment of the market who want their Harleys and V-twin machines mounted in a safe, stable, and speedy four-wheel setup. Luckily for those seeking a V-twin on four wheels, they already owned a custom motorcycle shop, Q-TEC Engineering in the lovely town of Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium, which gave them a background that fit perfectly in making a new machine from an existing product.

Sandy, Brigitte, and longtime-friend and partner Erick, decided they were going to hopefully be the first to provide the market with a four-wheeler-type, air-cooled V-twin powered vehicle while keeping the original motorcycle and specifically the frame intact as much as possible. But getting this project off the ground wasn’t easy, especially since the Belgium government recently changed the laws putting virtually every custom bike builder in the country out of business. I would imagine the new laws were welcoming news for companies like Harley-Davidson, Honda, and all the other original factory standard motorcycle dealerships as it basically made only dead stock bikes legal for sale by Belgians. The new laws were probably also well received by neighboring country custom bike builders in The Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg who knew their Belgium demands would increase.

Sandy is the type of custom-bike builder who lives and operates within the legal boundaries and he doesn’t take “no” for an answer. After a lengthy and clever battle with the Belgium Transportation Minister, the verdict was “NR” (this means no in Dutch). That little blip in the road didn’t stop him, though. Sandy and team took their case to the European Union (EU) where after another lengthy and clever battle, he finally got approval to build the Q-TEC custom machines with his own name and own line of VIN numbers. Take that Minjheer Belgian Transportation Minister and put it in your pipe and smoke it!

After receiving the approval to build the Q-TEC, Sandy and company were relieved and all of their long years of planning and development could finally be put into motion to produce a completely new style of custom vehicle. Something between a motorcycle and a convertible automobile, sort of a four-wheeled roadster with handlebars. “Under the name Q-TEC, a revolutionary concept and new dimension was born,” said Sandy. “This will give Harley-Davidson bike owners the possibility to transform their machines into a trike, or maybe even better, into a big quad.”

The Q-TEC concept distinguishes itself from the others by its patented independent suspension that is adjustable in three modes. Sandy claims his new suspension concept provides supreme stability and maneuverability, something that is lacking in many other quads and that the suspension system was derived from the classical Formula 1 racecar. I guess that is because it’s based on classical A-arms and not the latest rocker-style, but that’s a moot point. The benefit of this independent system compared with a rigid rear-axle is obvious to anyone with an ounce of mechanical understanding in their blood. The geometry of the front wheels is adjustable in several ways (caster and camber) as well as the static vehicle running height and the control of suspension movement (up and down) on the road. Thanks to a variable transfer bi-lever principle, the steering system is direct without any extreme force input required and gives the perfect feel and feedback back through the handlebars.

The patented differential is also a new concept and regarded as the heart of the overall system. The differential is particularly compact and can be used with either chain or belt final drive. “This unique differential set-up allows the bike to remain in its perfectly natural behavior. This innovative independent suspension and differential system ensures you that all four wheels on your new Q-TEC will stick to the road like no other quad, even in short curves and at high speeds. One thing that can’t hurt getting this thing to corner like crazy is the abundance of rubber. With a pair of 215/40 x17 Goodyear tires mounted on 8” wide rims in the front and 275/40×17 Goodyears on 10” rims out back, you’ve got a footprint a Bigfoot would be proud of. Traction should be pretty good when you unload the end result of the S&S 1600cc engine’s efforts, but to be frank, slamming on the four-wheel braking ought to be even more impressive.

The Q-TEC frame covers and fenders are handmade of high-quality fiberglass. Obviosuly exhausts will have to be played with, but Q-TEC can help you with any of that. Many options are available depending on which model Harley you might decide to modify, although I have to admit Q-Tec’s transformation of a Night Train (visit their website) into a quad is captivating to me. Nasty and loveable all at once. The best part of all of this is saved for last. None of this transformation requires any permanent modification to your frame. “The Q-TEC concept is a high quality product that can be considered the Rolls-Royce of quads,” said Sandy.  

Up Close: Ultima 6-speed LSD transmission

When it comes to naming a transmission company off the top of your head, this transmission is probably not the first one to jump out of your cake hole. Who isn’t in awe of those lovely no-expense-spared trannys we see and read about all the time? I know I’m always right there and in agreement with everything I know about them.  Well that’s all cool and stuff except for a lot of motorcyclists, the little numerals listed at the bottom of the transmission’s description kinda rules them out as a player. Too rich for my blood is probably what a lot of wishful riders might say.

Well it’s nice to know there are some alternatives out there like Midwest Motorcycle Supply’s Ultima 6-speed LSD transmissions. Available in both stocker-style left-side-drive (and custom-aimed right-side-drive units), these trannys come in a choice of finishes too. There’s the cast finish for you traditionalists, black for the tough guys, and polished for those that gotta shine all the time. Ultima says, “They’re the ultimate upgrade for bikers with 100+ horsepower engines and are packed with features found in much higher priced transmissions.” The nice part for you is that Ultima backs them with a 2-year/20,000 mile warranty.

All gears and shafts are made from forged 8620 steel with pro-cut lead-in ramps for positive shifting. Behind the billet trap door and encased in the reinforced transmission case machined from A356-T6 aluminum, aluminum-bronze shift forks provide durability and longevity and work a close ratio 2.94 low gear set. Every tranny is assembled and bench tested before shipping, making your move to six-speeds that much simpler.

 For more info, visit www.ultimaproducts.com or see your local Midwest dealer. 

Builder: Sandy Poglavec Q-Tec Engineering 

Sandy Poglavec of Q-TEC Engineering in Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium, has been a Harley-Davidson fan for more than 20 years. He and his wife, Brigitte, operate their very own bike shop in their charming eastern Belgium hometown. Sandy builds custom bikes from the ground up as well as making simple or extreme modifications on stock Harley models. In other words, you’ve got a Harley and want something changed, see Sandy.  Brigitte runs the office, taking care of all the necessary paperwork to keep all the bureaucrats happy, and handles most of the clients and the in-store sales department. Their shop also offers a variety of other services including routine and extensive maintenance on all Harley-Davidsons and other American-style V-twins as well as not being afraid to work on other brands of bikes too. Sandy is also known for his restoration work that is so thorough that his work can make one believe that the bikes just came out of their original crates.

Sandy’s partner Erick has an automotive background that not only shares lots of traits with the requirements of building custom motorcycles, but also provides additional knowledge that has been a definite benefit in their quest to build trikes and quads out of two-wheelers.

Right now you could build just a trike with their rear end and later convert that into a quad if you felt like it. Nothing on their website shows a trike made with just their two-wheel front end, but it sure would be interesting to see if that was possible and how well it worked. The quality of their work looks very high and it’s something that should pass SCCA scrutiny. Ordering and installing a trike setup is no big deal here in the USA, but you better check with your local DMV before quadding out your Softail. Visit www.qtec-engineering.com for more info.