Maybe I'll call it 'Threenix' for a while ;)

[Fred Camper]

Yahoo, great progress. Sure would be a great solution to find a way to get those rear brakes adding stopping power. Need to get some expert advice on possible work around plans for the rear stoppers.

[gltriker]

I spoke with the welder up the road this afternoon re: modifying the heel-toe shifter contraption installed with the floorboards' installation years ago, to place my left boot toe contact with a newly fabricated shift lever forward and outboard from the points housing. With that revisement, I may have opened up a whole new approach to actuating a master cylinder dedicated, only, to the rear brake system.
I'd obsessed over and over-- justifiably so-- and lost a huge amount of focus of most other systems' requirements, on just solving the rear brakes actuation issues.

I'll ride the trike a bit before the winter closes in, and maybe I'll have a moment of divine intervention during those glorious moments.

[gltriker]

I knew the heel/toe shifter pedal wasn't going to work for me the first time I sat on the trike. My legs and ankles don't contort that much.
This is what the left side Triple A floorboard and shifter pedal set-up looks like, before "the poor man's process" gets busy altering it to suit my needs.

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The entire shift pedal assembly was re-purposed. Only the rubber pads' mounts were unused.
My welder thought he knew what I needed and was getting carried away with his concepts. nah....... thanks, just do it my way, Bob.These photos show the "new" shift lever just tacked together. The change worked just dandy!

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Bob finished welding the joints and cleaned up the beads yesterday after I confirmed the changes were exactly what I needed.

[gltriker]

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The bike was sold to me with hard cases, a Pacifico Shadow fairing, and a handsome chromed heavy duty rear rack. I bought a CB900C rear brake light/turn signals assembly several years. Hmmmmm.... how my gonna use them now?
Here's how I worked around that situation.

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[gltriker]

My youngest son rolled the project backwards, out of the shop this morning.
Yes, it runs.......but no reverse.

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If all continues to progress as well as it has the last 3 days, I may be posting a road test review soon. maybe tomorrow!!

[Fred Camper]

The new rear wheels do look good with that front Lester. Looks like great progress. Looking forward to hearing how she rides with that new axle.

[gltriker]

Sunday, the 11th was a beautiful, warm and sunny day (74 degrees, very little wind) in this neck of the woods.

Regrettably, by the time the trike was fully roadworthy late Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted and missed the window of opportunity to enjoy a road trip before dark.
Yesterday was a bit less warm, overcast, and a vigorous wind was present. BUT, I did take a ride and am thrilled to tell you folks, the transformation is an outstanding success! It was a strange sensation to be riding a motorcycle again after 9 1/2 years since the rude drunk took the dearly departed CB900 Custom trike away, forever.

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anyway...I headed up my less traffic congested road to test its roadworthiness before turning around and pulling out onto a busy 4 lane highway 400 ft. from my house. An Exhilarating experience, too be reported.!! Such a marvelous engine, in the end, after having sorted through all of the carburetion and ignition hurdles, which have categorically caused us/we/me so many frustrations.

In the 4 1/2 hours of daylight available before my wife's curfew of daylight riding only expired, I made 6 stops in a distance of 47 miles to show off my contraption, to people that had been actively involved with the project, and unannounced to several others that had known about the project, but were totally unaware of its completion.

After their first surprised reactions, guess where the conversation lead. Rear fenders.
Rear fenders? Next year...... maybe.

Then, where's the windshield?! Windshield?
I'll put the windshield on after my first ride with a fairing that blocks a large area of real estate in my field of forward vision. But.... it was sorely missed after strong headwinds were buffeting my helmet and tugging at my clear, and very unstreamlined, plastic safety glasses.

There we are now...... at the end of the riding season. One ride.

post maiden voyage reflections?

#1-The shifter still needs attention.
I'd originally thought downshifting with the "new" lever would be a problem; not upshifting, as was discovered yesterday. I wound up having to shift my entire torso away from the shifter lever and pulling it upwards with my entire leg, because the king/queen seating position had my hip and knee bent so far that my ankle had no effective range of motion left to actuate the shift lever! I briefly ground a few unsuccessful upshifts. (I'd been wondering if a Corbin Gunfighter seat places the rider any farther back, after my first ride on July, 29th)
I eventually realized that shifting the GL's transmission requires a more deliberate force and patience during the engagement period than the CB900 C had required. But, the CB900C had the stock footpegs to pivot my ankle from during the upshift and downshift activities. Maybe 9 1/2 years older and far less active factors in, as well?
(perhaps, an alternate shifter actuator system, as had been proposed by robin and several others in another thread will be the solution. )

#2- Rear brakes' actuation will be resolved, After the shifter lever's geometry and operation is sorted out.

#3- H-D Softail mufflers make a real nice exhaust sound.

#4- A GL1000 trike build was, indeed, worth all the trials and angst in the mix!

That's all folks!

And, again!, I appreciate all the positive support and valuable inputs I've received since March from so many of my fellow NGW Club members.

Ciao for now! Cliff

[Sagebrush]

Very glad you got a ride in before the snow and sleet settles in. Its fortunate you found the problem with the shifter otherwise it would most likely sit in the garage unattended until next spring when you would have discovered the problem. And

(I'd been wondering if a Corbin Gunfighter seat places the rider any farther back, after my first ride on July, 29th)

yes it does. In fact you may require a set back on the handlebars to compensate. Its a personal choice though. You might be better off cutting down the King & Queen to suit and then spend your money on an upholsterer. Check out my 1100 build thread link in my signature. In it you will find where I cut down a stock seat to make it fit my grandson. It could give you some ideas.

[Roady]

Cliff; that's great news! I'm so happy for you and wish many more rides for you in the coming years.

And Dean is right about the shifter, you'll now have time to contemplate a fix.

[Fred Camper]

Excellent news, so glad you got a ride in this season and now know just what that shift lever needs.

[gltriker]

Very glad you got a ride in before the snow and sleet settles in. Its fortunate you found the problem with the shifter otherwise it would most likely sit in the garage unattended until next spring when you would have discovered the problem. And

(I'd been wondering if a Corbin Gunfighter seat places the rider any farther back, after my first ride on July, 29th)

yes it does. In fact you may require a set back on the handlebars to compensate. Its a personal choice though. You might be better off cutting down the King & Queen to suit and then spend your money on an upholsterer. Check out my 1100 build thread link in my signature. In it you will find where I cut down a stock seat to make it fit my grandson. It could give you some ideas.

Thanks for directing me to the details of your seat modifications, Dean. Looks real good to me!
anyway.... Where would I source the handlebars' set back device you spoke of?

[gltriker]

Excellent news, so glad you got a ride in this season and now know just what that shift lever needs.

Thanks for your kind words..... as usual, I appreciate your thoughtful inputs, Jeff, Steve, Dean and everyone else.

I've not been back in my shop to visit the trike since Monday. But, there's been a lot of thinkin' and planning going on in my bone head.

In order to remove some free play in the shift linkage, I've asked my machinist buddy to bore and bush the shift lever pivot. I can eliminate some more lost motion with tightening up clearances in both clevises and their respective clevis pins on either end of the linking rod.
And, installing a torsion spring at the shift lever pivot to influence the lever to be lifted, such as the brake lever is returned to a parked position by the torsion spring on the pivot shaft, would also contribute to minimizing lost motion in the shifter.

I've also investigated the air shifter, and electric shifter systems robin had mentioned in another thread, VERY pricy! ( My legs are still sore from the workout on Monday. )

[Fred Camper]

Well, you have options and I would try the bushings first and see how that works out first.

[gltriker]

I just couldn't help myself, not to stop on my way in to see a guy's other treasures, and take a few more snaps of my ride....

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[Fred Camper]

Beautiful day you had there. Trike is looking good. I think I would shorten the pipes some.