RSV Trike reviews

[Red Ryder]

Hey all, bit ago I bought a RSV/Hannigan Trike.

Thank You all again for which one to buy.

 

The bike had sat for a few years and needed various repairs. Replaced rear head gasket, rubber boots and hoses, air filters, plugs, coolant, oil twice, replaced turn signals and passing lights Wirering, replaced headlight & passing lights to LED. Re-synked the carbs with the Carb Tune a few times, now dialed in. Still have a cruise issues, but getting closer to completeing all the little repairs.

 

We are currently on our out west bike trip to Wyoming. As far as power, it has plenty. Going 70-80 mpr, no problem in 5th gear on most straight roads and little hills. Use 4th gear up and down hills, and 3rd gear when needing to pass up hill. Gas milage been between 25-29 mpg, but has been a windy ride the last few days.

 

Over all, Very Happy we purchased this RSV/Hannigan Trike. It has made our bike trip a much more pleasurable ride.

Later-

[Woody]

Thanks for the report with others looking at trikes I am sure this will help. glad you are enjoying your trip

[cecdoo]

Glad to hear you are enjoying the trike, the more you ride it the more you will like it!

 

Craig

[cowpuc]

Hey all, bit ago I bought a RSV/Hannigan Trike.

Thank You all again for which one to buy.

 

The bike had sat for a few years and needed various repairs. Replaced rear head gasket, rubber boots and hoses, air filters, plugs, coolant, oil twice, replaced turn signals and passing lights Wirering, replaced headlight & passing lights to LED. Re-synked the carbs with the Carb Tune a few times, now dialed in. Still have a cruise issues, but getting closer to completeing all the little repairs.

 

We are currently on our out west bike trip to Wyoming. As far as power, it has plenty. Going 70-80 mpr, no problem in 5th gear on most straight roads and little hills. Use 4th gear up and down hills, and 3rd gear when needing to pass up hill. Gas milage been between 25-29 mpg, but has been a windy ride the last few days.

 

Over all, Very Happy we purchased this RSV/Hannigan Trike. It has made our bike trip a much more pleasurable ride.

Later-

 

OUTSTANDING RYDER!!!! Glad to hear you got er done and are out CTFW!! Where ya at and how's the weather, roads, people, sites and sounds? ,,, ,,easier to answer with a few pic's

Ride safe brother and have fun!!

Puc

[Red Ryder]

OUTSTANDING RYDER!!!! Glad to hear you got er done and are out CTFW!! Where ya at and how's the weather, roads, people, sites and sounds? ,,, ,,easier to answer with a few pic's

Ride safe brother and have fun!!

Puc

 

Right now in Hill City, and listening to a country band.

Today, went to Sturis, Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer.

Been a good day, and great ride.

[cowpuc]

100% totally awesome brother!!! Soooo much to see/do/smell/taste and experience out in that area,,, endless amazement and you lucky lop eared CTFW varmint are right in the heart of it all = GOOD ON YA!!

 

If your CTFW finds you back in the Wall Drug/Badlands direction and you have time and happened to have missed em,,, take a second and pull off at exit 116 going east on 90 just past Wall S.D. (Wall Drug tourist trap),, hook a right at the bottom of the ramp and follow the gravel road (in GREAT shape = we recently camped on the praire there) back to the Minute Man Missle Silo. Includes a REAL Minute Man Ballistic Missle still in the silo..

Pipestone Minnisota is another life changer if ya have time,, not far North of 90 just inside the Minnisota line.. Native Americans have been coming to this spot to dig up pipe stone to make peace pipes - both FACINATING places if your into U.S. history stuff!!

GREAT to hear all is well! ENJOY my friend!!

Puc

[Red Ryder]

100% totally awesome brother!!! Soooo much to see/do/smell/taste and experience out in that area,,, endless amazement and you lucky lop eared CTFW varmint are right in the heart of it all = GOOD ON YA!!

 

If your CTFW finds you back in the Wall Drug/Badlands direction and you have time and happened to have missed em,,, take a second and pull off at exit 116 going east on 90 just past Wall S.D. (Wall Drug tourist trap),, hook a right at the bottom of the ramp and follow the gravel road (in GREAT shape = we recently camped on the praire there) back to the Minute Man Missle Silo. Includes a REAL Minute Man Ballistic Missle still in the silo..

Pipestone Minnisota is another life changer if ya have time,, not far North of 90 just inside the Minnisota line.. Native Americans have been coming to this spot to dig up pipe stone to make peace pipes - both FACINATING places if your into U.S. history stuff!!

GREAT to hear all is well! ENJOY my friend!!

Puc

 

Thank You Scott, was a busy day, would have been nice to see the MM ballistic missile. Just never enough time to spend time seeing everything. That would be cool to to get one of those peace pipes, my brothers are 1/4 Choctaw.

Tomorrow ride to Cody, Wyoming.

Try to post pictures when back home from trip, but wife took the best ones on the camera, not my phone.

Later-

[Red Ryder]

Made it home safely, what Awsome Vacation. Kept the gas receipts and figured out the fully loaded RSV-Hannigan Trike averaged 27.64 mpg.

Not bad miles per gallon, considering on the way home had winds between 20-40 mpr with gusts up to 50 mpr.

 

Going thru the Badlands and mountains the RSV-HT handled Great, even on those very winding 20 mpr curves I kept up with my bud Dave & Maria on there Harley Ultra.

 

Other than cruise not working, the only other annoying thing is the constant downshifting into 4th on hills or windy conditions.

Anyone know if V-Max Cams & Springs would have helped???

 

Over all, the RSV-Hannigan Trike is a Great Bike.

Later-

[Sylvester]

Put the v-max rear gears in it and you will love it.

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

Put the v-max rear gears in it and you will love it.

 

I don't think they will fit in a ford rear end.

[cowpuc]

Made it home safely, what Awsome Vacation. Kept the gas receipts and figured out the fully loaded RSV-Hannigan Trike averaged 27.64 mpg.

Not bad miles per gallon, considering on the way home had winds between 20-40 mpr with gusts up to 50 mpr.

 

Going thru the Badlands and mountains the RSV-HT handled Great, even on those very winding 20 mpr curves I kept up with my bud Dave & Maria on there Harley Ultra.

 

Other than cruise not working, the only other annoying thing is the constant downshifting into 4th on hills or windy conditions.

Anyone know if V-Max Cams & Springs would have helped???

 

Over all, the RSV-Hannigan Trike is a Great Bike.

Later-

 

Put the v-max rear gears in it and you will love it.

 

 

I don't think they will fit in a ford rear end.

 

Just got in from a month of CTFW(S) ourselves here RR and getting caught up on some reading,, thought I would check in here and see how you made out on your end - sounds like you folks had a BALL = !!

IMHO, you would be headed in the wrong direction thinking V-Max top end parts and pieces as it sounds like what you are looking for is more torque, not horsepower = the V-Max components (cam/heads/valve timing grind/higher compression ratio ect are all designed to work with the "V-Boost" that doesnt even open till 6 grand or so = horse power).. Also IMHO, Sly was on the right track but unfortunately not applicable with the trike rear end:crying: as mentioned.. It would be possible to design and have ground a new cam with torque in mind and all that but I am guessing REAL pricey...

Thinking out loud here (gets me in trouble so take this with a grain of back yard mechanican salt), seems I remember the RSV having an over drive tranny in it,, help me out folks in the know?? Also seems like my good friend and brother VenturousRandy did a TON of figuring out the perfect tranny for the 1st Gen MK1's that included using the RSV gear sets in combo with the V-Max rear end to produce a really user friendly 1st gear for us rock crawlers while maintaining the top gears at almost a matching gear ratio to original for good touring charachtor.. Now thinking this thru backwards in your case cause you cant use the V-Max rear end but wanting to gear the top side down (adding torque),,, ,,,, I wonder if replacing your over drive tranny with a stock one (minus the 2nd gear issues of course) out of MK1 may not prove worthy for your application. I have ridden quite a few miles cross country on the MK1's loaded to the gills in two up style and have always been impressed with the dynamic delivery of the V-4 - and not just talking hp either.. 5th gear crawling at speeds below 50 mph they are awesome,, 2500 rpm endless crawls type of stuff..

I would even consider looking at a V-max tranny ratio's if I were you.. I have owned a couple V-Max's and they are good diggers too BUT they do have a different final drive ratio and smaller rear wheel = no idea if their tranny gear sets are different than the MK1's..

Of course,, the simplest cure would be low profile tires just to get you headed in the right direction but that can produce issues of its own (ground clearance?)..

Sounds like you have crossed into the zone of majorly changed HP to Weight ratio's where that old saying of "there is no replacement for displacement" dominates. A basic law of physics to consider therein is to always remember that at 5250 RPM's is where HP crosses the dyno line above torque. Torque always thrives and peaks below that line and that is the area where that iconic old statement is proven.. Off the cuff, I doubt that the spacing between the jugs would allow for over boring to a point that you could actually tell a difference in displacement torque. Most of the metric engines I have rebuilt thru the years have a 3 or 4 times over size with pistons available for the rebuild.. The 86 Honda TRX 250R's did have a 6 sizes over bore available but even that was not much of a displacement improvement.. Certainly not like popping a set of 1200cc jugs on an 883 HD or dropping an 806 kit on an old 750 SOHC Honda's = those you FEEL the torque (and HP if you dare to spin up the pistons to fast and accept the risk of KABOOM if/when the pistons/rods come unglued. Also,, I have never been inside a Yam V-4 (I just rode em till they dropped and bought another - a GREAT break from spinning wrenches) and have no idea if the jugs are not Iron bore = boreable any way,,, guess I shoulda thought of that before I started :doh:...

Oh well,, it was fun anyway,, gotta love yakkin this stuff...

Hey brother,, GOOD to hear you folks made it back ok and had a GREAT trip!!

Puc

[Red Ryder]

Just got in from a month of CTFW(S) ourselves here RR and getting caught up on some reading,, thought I would check in here and see how you made out on your end - sounds like you folks had a BALL = !!

IMHO, you would be headed in the wrong direction thinking V-Max top end parts and pieces as it sounds like what you are looking for is more torque, not horsepower = the V-Max components (cam/heads/valve timing grind/higher compression ratio ect are all designed to work with the "V-Boost" that doesnt even open till 6 grand or so = horse power).. Also IMHO, Sly was on the right track but unfortunately not applicable with the trike rear end:crying: as mentioned.. It would be possible to design and have ground a new cam with torque in mind and all that but I am guessing REAL pricey...

Thinking out loud here (gets me in trouble so take this with a grain of back yard mechanican salt), seems I remember the RSV having an over drive tranny in it,, help me out folks in the know?? Also seems like my good friend and brother VenturousRandy did a TON of figuring out the perfect tranny for the 1st Gen MK1's that included using the RSV gear sets in combo with the V-Max rear end to produce a really user friendly 1st gear for us rock crawlers while maintaining the top gears at almost a matching gear ratio to original for good touring charachtor.. Now thinking this thru backwards in your case cause you cant use the V-Max rear end but wanting to gear the top side down (adding torque),,, ,,,, I wonder if replacing your over drive tranny with a stock one (minus the 2nd gear issues of course) out of MK1 may not prove worthy for your application. I have ridden quite a few miles cross country on the MK1's loaded to the gills in two up style and have always been impressed with the dynamic delivery of the V-4 - and not just talking hp either.. 5th gear crawling at speeds below 50 mph they are awesome,, 2500 rpm endless crawls type of stuff..

I would even consider looking at a V-max tranny ratio's if I were you.. I have owned a couple V-Max's and they are good diggers too BUT they do have a different final drive ratio and smaller rear wheel = no idea if their tranny gear sets are different than the MK1's..

Of course,, the simplest cure would be low profile tires just to get you headed in the right direction but that can produce issues of its own (ground clearance?)..

Sounds like you have crossed into the zone of majorly changed HP to Weight ratio's where that old saying of "there is no replacement for displacement" dominates. A basic law of physics to consider therein is to always remember that at 5250 RPM's is where HP crosses the dyno line above torque. Torque always thrives and peaks below that line and that is the area where that iconic old statement is proven.. Off the cuff, I doubt that the spacing between the jugs would allow for over boring to a point that you could actually tell a difference in displacement torque. Most of the metric engines I have rebuilt thru the years have a 3 or 4 times over size with pistons available for the rebuild.. The 86 Honda TRX 250R's did have a 6 sizes over bore available but even that was not much of a displacement improvement.. Certainly not like popping a set of 1200cc jugs on an 883 HD or dropping an 806 kit on an old 750 SOHC Honda's = those you FEEL the torque (and HP if you dare to spin up the pistons to fast and accept the risk of KABOOM if/when the pistons/rods come unglued. Also,, I have never been inside a Yam V-4 (I just rode em till they dropped and bought another - a GREAT break from spinning wrenches) and have no idea if the jugs are not Iron bore = boreable any way,,, guess I shoulda thought of that before I started :doh:...

Oh well,, it was fun anyway,, gotta love yakkin this stuff...

Hey brother,, GOOD to hear you folks made it back ok and had a GREAT trip!!

Puc

 

Thank You Puc (Steve), very good write up, and now understanding the Vmax a little better. More top end is always nice, especially on two wheels, but as you mentioned it is rear end torque this RSV-Trike really needs, and it was more of a inconvenience than a issue.

 

But at the same time riding with friends being two up with a lead foot on his hoped up engine wasn't a fair comparison to the loaded RSV.

Dave & Maria seen how much fun Charlene and I had on a trike they traded in there 07 ultra for a 2019 harley tri-glide with the 114 engine. Hope they can keep up, lol.

 

Now that our trip is a great memory and back to riding Michigan roads, not mountains, I will see how the RSV-T performs for 90+% of our riding. However, I will contact Hannigan to see what they think about which rear end upgrade.

Thanks again Puc for your thoughts, most appreciated, Later-