Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Liberty ACE 2.0 = a flat 6 mid-engine 3 Wheeler!

Andy, just a question, not disputing - are you saying that being classed as a motorcycle in the USA the headlights have to be even closer together?
On the ACE they are slightly wider apart than the above and that still seems to have meet the motorcycle requirements in (most?) US states.
In the UK and EU it would be different of course as it would have to meet UK DVSA MSVA rules.
Just a question, as I have some direct interest here. Cheers Peter.

I suspect, but cannot confirm, that the buyer needs to provide the Honda for the conversion. So, it would already be registered as a Honda Goldwing and is just modified.
I am pretty sure that judging by this state and the previous state in which we lived that once it is registered with platesnobody inspects anything on motorcycles.

I've read a couple online articles about motorcycle headlight rules here in the US and it does seem that a federal law states 8" from light to light as the max distance apart.

I have seen some of the early Slingshots and they had their main headlights over the front tires embedded into the body work. Since then they have relocated their main headlights to the center of the main body work and only have driving lights/turn signals outward mounted.

So if Polaris changed their lights to conform, it must be a thing. Now how well is it enforced, who knows. I have a buddy down at the Lake Of The Ozarks that I got interested in three wheelers and he built a from scratch Moto Guzzi powered three wheeler. When completed he took it to Springfield for the highway patrol safety and title application. He has his headlights similar to the M3W originals mounted outbound almost to the fenders. He got his approval and title from the MO State Highway Patrol Troop C. Again if it's a law and Polaris conformed to the narrow headlights, maybe it's just a law that doesn't get enforced or maybe as some I've found, just don't know about all the new laws of their state.

I was talking with a trooper at a swap meet last year and he didn't know that MO had passed a Cyclecar law allowing people without a M endorsement on their driver's license to drive "car type seating and steering" three wheelers without it. You do still have to wear the helmet, but some states with the Cyclecar law included the deletion of the helmet requirement in their state law.

Even with all the laws here in the US, one does not know what's what and usually not many of authority can help with the correct answers.

It is the federal import laws that trigger it and like Vanderhall the manufacture of NEW vehicles must conform to the federal law, but any cop on the beat knows where a head lamp works best. I bet if Vanderhall lovers made a cool looking head lamp addiction for outboard head lamps they would sell and find their way onto existing Vanderhalls.

enforcement can be an issue. In VA we have an annual inspection, but the guys are so thrilled just to look at my M3W that all they checked was whether the lights worked. Some states have no inspection at all. Also, like any laws, a vehicle only has to conform to the standards of when it was manufactured.

I have wondered where Pete might get his engines, and donor bikes are certainly an option. Although that usually means a vehicle that has been in an accident. The risk is you get an engine with unknown maintenance and miles. He might also get them from Honda.

Gold wing rear ends are a dime a dozen (like stock HD mufflers) from all the trike conversions.

He mentioned the customer would have to provide a donor bike.

Here we do not have annual inspections but when they do inspect for some other reason they check pollution emissions compliance and make sure you have working lighting.

that is it for us, the lights have to work. Although they also failed my wife's GL1200/sidecar as the rear brake pad was too wore out. dang you almost have to crawl under the bike to see that

Did they check with mirrors?

not sure, they may have. But the rear brake is on the top of the rotor, and the 1200 has a whole wrap around saddlebag on it.

What I have discovered when changing the pads is the pins that should allow the caliper to float do not.... weird how that can happen on a 33 year old vehicle.....

Sorry Peter, I'm not an expert in this field! It just sprang to mind when I saw the Ace 2.0 and compared it to what Morgan had to do to the M3W to enable continued importation into the USA. Added to that, the Slingshot & Vanderhall both have to do something similar. Somewhere in a thread on this forum is a link to the official (very reasonable) request that Morgan made to ask for an exemption which would have allowed them to continue with the outboard headlights. It was rejected by a bureaucratic pen-pusher, thus the silly USA headlamp setup had to be developed.