Advice needed re. Honda CB400 Trike.

Greets, all!

I need to speak to someone (preferably a seasoned trike builder) who's more knowledgeable than I am about how a small, lightweight trike is (and is not) supposed to handle.

I've attached piccies of the beast in question. It was based on a 1992 Honda CB400 four, and belongs to a female friend who had it built because she's quite short and couldn't flat-foot the bike in two-wheeled configuration.

I test-rode the trike two nights ago. I'm a highly experienced rider, and I have serious doubts about its safety and handling qualities. I have detailed notes I can attach on the whats and hows, but I can sum up by saying it felt difficult and recalcitrant - even at 40 Km/h.

These are the (currently) known facts that might help in forming an initial judgement:

- I think the rear axle comes from a small pickup truck. The differential has been removed and the half-shafts welded together (so it's running pretty much the same rear axle setup as an offroad Quad.)
This sounded the biggest alarm bell for me. It means that the trike will be inherently unstable around turns. All two-wheels-rear trikes I've ever seen had a working differential at the back.

- The rear tyres are 205/60 R15, both set at 140 kPa.

- The front end is completely stock.

Please can someone help?
I've been riding motorcycles for 27 years, and tis trike was too much even for me. My friend is a riding novice, she had this trike built for her at fairly great expense, and I would sincerely like to keep her alive and upright.

With the half shafts welded together

Anyone riding it will shortly be attending their own funeral.
If you go onto sites where bike engines are put into cars, you will find quite a few options for some sort of differential to overcome the problem.
A car without a differential is lethal unless flung sideways at every corner.
Methinks a 400cc trike might just be a little underpowered for this style of riding.
Myke

Why the Hell would someone do that??

I would think this is the most URGENT thing to sort ASAP

Death Trap springs to mind after having ridden an original Pre having a Differential Honda ATC Trike

Hope its as simple as an axle swap

These are the (currently) known facts that might help in forming an initial judgement:

- I think the rear axle comes from a small pickup truck. The differential has been removed and the half-shafts welded together (so it's running pretty much the same rear axle setup as an offroad Quad.)
This sounded the biggest alarm bell for me. It means that the trike will be inherently unstable around turns. All two-wheels-rear trikes I've ever seen had a working differential at the back.

Click to expand...

Honda (back in the day ....1970's and early 80's) made trikes with fixed rear axles,
They were outlawed for road use due to safety issues
All are now only road legal if they have a differential.
I'm sure somebody with up to date mot knowledge and construction &use regs will be along to give chapter and verse soon
in short
don't let her ride it


Ahh just noticed your in SA.....
the world may be different there

I used to have one of the fixed axle Hondas ,used off road mainly, there is a definate technique to riding them, you have to shift your weight over the inside wheel,virtually getting the outside off the ground. Best get a diff fitted

Hi again all,

The news is not good, but it's pretty much what I was expecting.

What floors me is that someone could tout this as an 'accepted' way of building a trike. This conversion was not meant to be used off-road, and the builder knew full well that my friend is a riding novice.
I haven't looked at our equivalent of the relevant construction and usage regulations, but I'm pretty certain that for all road-going vehicles, wheels sharing the same axle are required by law to be capable of rotating independently.

I'm told that this guy has built several trikes for the disabled riders' community in greater Gauteng - mostly out of bigger bikes. I haven't ridden (or even seen) any other examples of his work, but from everything I gather, his previous customers seem to be more interested in 'Stylin'' than 'Chargin''.
...Or maybe, the ones who've survived this far have just been very lucky - and the ones who haven't were no longer around to give their side of the story.

Send a pm to mistacat on the forum,he builds some of the nicest trikes I have seen,all of the conversions I have seen at his workshop have some mods to alter the steering angles ,that aside
The bike HAS to have a differential,or it cannot turn a corner