Method of converting a two-wheel motorcycle to a three-wheel motocycle with reduced trail distance
AssigneeTrike Shop of Minnesota, Inc.
InventorDouglas A. Lindholm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A front fork for a motorcycle includes a bottom portion configured to engage an axle of a front wheel, the bottom portion having a center line at an angle relative to vertical. An angled middle portion extends from a top of the bottom portion at an angle relative to vertical that is larger than the bottom portion center line angle relative to vertical. A steering head attachment extends from a top of the angled middle portion.
Claims18
1-18. (canceled)
A method of converting a two-wheel motorcycle to a three-wheel motorcycle, the method comprising:
- providing the two-wheel motorcycle;
- replacing a single rear drive wheel located along a midplane of the two-wheel motorcycle with two spaced apart drive wheels each located substantially a same distance from the midplane;
- removing a first fork configured to carry a front wheel from the motorcycle, wherein the front fork has a steering axis and wherein when the front wheel is mounted to the first fork, the front wheel has a first trail distance;
- and
- installing a second fork with a bottom portion and an angled top portion, wherein the steering axis remains substantially the same relative to the first fork and the second fork has a fork axis in the bottom portion that intersects an axis of rotation of the front wheel, wherein the fork axis is spaced from and substantially parallel to the steering axis such that the front wheel has a second trail distance that is less than the first trail distance such that the steering of the three-wheel motorcycle is more responsive.
A method of converting a two-wheel motorcycle to a three-wheel motorcycle, the method comprising:
- providing the two-wheel motorcycle;
- replacing a single rear drive wheel located along a midplane of the two-wheel motorcycle with two spaced apart drive wheels each located substantially a same distance from the midplane;
- removing a first fork configured to carry a front wheel from the motorcycle, wherein the front fork has a steering axis and wherein when the front wheel is mounted to the first fork, the front wheel has a first rake;
- and
- installing a second fork with a bottom portion and an angled top portion, wherein the steering axis remains substantially the same relative to the first fork and the second fork has a fork axis in the bottom portion that intersects an axis of rotation of the front wheel, wherein the fork axis is spaced from and substantially parallel to the steering axis such that the front wheel has a second rake that is substantially the same as the first rake.
A method of increasing steering responsiveness when converting a two-wheeled motorcycle to a three wheel motorcycle, the method comprising:
- removing a first fork configured to carry a front wheel from the motorcycle, wherein the front fork has a steering axis and wherein when the front wheel is mounted to the first fork, the front wheel has a first trail distance;
- and
- installing a second fork with a bottom portion and an angled top portion to the motorcycle, wherein the steering axis remains substantially the same relative to the first fork and the second fork has a fork axis in the bottom portion that intersects an axis of rotation of the front wheel, wherein the fork axis is spaced from and substantially parallel to the steering axis such that the front wheel has a second trail distance that is less than the first trail distance such that the steering of the three-wheel motorcycle is more responsive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.