Wandering round the trikes at the Calderdale Bike Show, my eye was taken by this neat Sportster looking hunched and muscular amongst the massed ranks of Vee-Dubs and weighty car-engined trikes. The more I looked around it the more impressed I became at the standard of workmanship and quality of finish. This is really a top class piece of work, and when I finally got to meet Viv and Chris, who own it, I was hard pressed to believe it was their first attempt at customising.

The project initially came about through nescessity after Viv was diagnosed with MS a few years back and began to find it increasingly difficult to clamber onto the back of a bike. The prospect of a trike had crossed their minds before, but the idea really came to fruition when Chris came across a tidy Electra Glide trike at the Harley Trading Post. Although the Glide was beyond their budget he was sold on the idea of adding a rear axle and third wheel to the 883 Sportster he was running. The result is before your eyes.

Now this is no rolling prototype; Chris and Viv both agreed that they needed reliability and functionality from the outset, so having scouted around the market they opted for an aftermarket Lehman Sports conversion to bolt straight into the back of the Sportster. This includes a complete swing-arm, LSD rear axle assembly, rear wheels, and the neat fibreglass bodywork incorporating the rear mudguards. Most of the work was carried out by the guys at Harley Trading Post, who produced a highly professional job. Some ingenuity was required to to solve some of the practical difficulties that had to be addressed. The passenger seat, for example, is based on an old dumper truck seat pan that has been cut and welded to get precisely the right shape that Viv needed. Likewise the passenger footboards, which evolved through several designs until they provided the support Viv needed to keep her feet secure when cornering.

In the power department, Chris opted for a 1200 big bore kit so the motor wouldn't struggle with the extra weight of the trike conversion. Big Twins at Southport took care of the engine work and also set up the stock carb with a modified Kuryakin Dynojet kit. A Screaming Eagle single fire ingition takes care of the sparks. After one of the guys at the Trading Post almost wrote off the trike taking it for it's first MOT test attention turned to the handling which has now been fully sorted by addition of an Arlen Ness billet fork brace and steering damper. The stock rear shocks were replaced with 1" longer Konis to firm up the rear end and keep the tyres clear of the bodywork.

That gorgeous finish is the work of Ken Stott who has produced a paint finish of such depth and lustre that the photos can never do it justice. The choice of deep black for the paint with the classy pinstripes was chosen in preference to murals which could look rather ostentatious on such a neat and tidy package. Ken also used his engineering skills in the details that make this trike so much more than just a bolt-on conversion. The footplates are his work, as are the passenger kick plates, the backrest, the rack and rear bumper and the wiring. A craftsman of many talents indeed. As a final finishing touch Viv bought Chris the registration number as a 40th birthday present. Although the trike looks pretty well finished to me, Chris has plans for further work over the winter. A wideglide front end with a 5.00x16 wheel and bigger bars is planned, and a bigger fuel tank will also give the trike a little more range.

In the meantime watch out for Road Hog at various shows and N.A.B.D. rallies up and down the country, and keep an eye out for the Hollywood Flairs, the glam rock revival band featuring Chris on drums. Viv and Chris would like to thank Bill Grady at the Harley Trading Post (now Indian Head Motorcycle Company), Ken Stott for engineering and paint and all the other unsung heroes who helped out and contributed along the way.

Dr.Rod