hand brakes for trikes

[extreme10]

I recently asked Triking trikes if they had a hand brake on their trikes

Hi.

Does your goldwing 1800 trike kit have a hand brake (emergency brake)

The reply I got from Triking trikes

Ok there are 2 braking systems on your bike, Front on the handle bar and main brake off the brake peddle. So how many do you need in an emergency, and could you reach a lever somewhere on your trike. Is there an emergency brake on any trike??

Mike @ Triking Trikes

I was indeed quite surprised to receive this answer to a genuine enquiry Perhaps the reply was meant to be funny.

I would have thought a knowledgeable trike builder should already know what a hand brake was .It may just be useful for other trike buyers to know which trikes do have this very useful brake as leaving your Honda Goldwing in reverse can jam up it up permenently in reverse, of course you can always carry a wooden chock to jam under the wheel- ugh.

In Canada, United Kingdom, and all of the European Union, no trikes can be used on the road unless they have a seperate hand brake ( motor trike call this an emergency brake) The brake has to be completely seperated from the normal trike braking system and should operate on BOTH REAR WHEELS. As far as I know all these manufacturers (see below) have a hand brakes which is completely seperate from the trikes braking system

EML. Eurowing, Motortrike,Lehmans and Trikeshop There just may be others as I haven't reseached all manufacturers

Recently, I read in one of the forums, an idea that the centre stand switch could be linked into the handbrake. This would help to make sure one didn't ride off with the brake on. This can easily happen if there isn't a light indicator on the dash. It could also help in security as the trike I have also has a lock on the handbrake itself.

 

[rmrc51]

Roadsmith trike conversions (for the GL1800 at least) do come with the 'emergency/hand/parking' brake. (depends on what you like to call it, lol) :laugh:

To me, that was a very desirable addition to a trike conversion. I believe that Hannigan is also now offering an 'emergency/hand/parking' as well. ThumbUp

And regarding some how attaching the center-stand/kick-stand switch to the hand brake is a side project that I also intend to investigate.

 

[oahe]

Hand brake? Oh, you mean that velcro strap wrapped around the front brake. Works great! And cheap, mine was free. (I used an old Army blousing band.) The best part is that there's never any confusion or doubt that you left the brake on.

 

[saab9k]

I recently asked Triking trikes if they had a hand brake on their trikes

Hi.

Does your goldwing 1800 trike kit have a hand brake (emergency brake)

The reply I got from Triking trikes

Ok there are 2 braking systems on your bike, Front on the handle bar and main brake off the brake peddle. So how many do you need in an emergency, and could you reach a lever somewhere on your trike. Is there an emergency brake on any trike??

Mike @ Triking Trikes

I was indeed quite surprised to receive this answer to a genuine enquiry Perhaps the reply was meant to be funny.

I would have thought a knowledgeable trike builder should already know what a hand brake was .It may just be useful for other trike buyers to know which trikes do have this very useful brake as leaving your Honda Goldwing in reverse can jam up it up permenently in reverse, of course you can always carry a wooden chock to jam under the wheel- ugh.

In Canada, United Kingdom, and all of the European Union, no trikes can be used on the road unless they have a seperate hand brake ( motor trike call this an emergency brake) The brake has to be completely seperated from the normal trike braking system and should operate on BOTH REAR WHEELS. As far as I know all these manufacturers (see below) have a hand brakes which is completely seperate from the trikes braking system

EML. Eurowing, Motortrike,Lehmans and Trikeshop There just may be others as I haven't reseached all manufacturers

Recently, I read in one of the forums, an idea that the centre stand switch could be linked into the handbrake. This would help to make sure one didn't ride off with the brake on. This can easily happen if there isn't a light indicator on the dash. It could also help in security as the trike I have also has a lock on the handbrake itself.

I was indeed quite surprised to receive this answer to a genuine enquiry Perhaps the reply was meant to be funny.

""I was indeed quite surprised to receive this answer to a genuine enquiry Perhaps the reply was meant to be funny.""

We see that now, when someone with not much knowledge get a coat and tie job, tends to be very arrigand to cover their ignorence.

 

[americanbadass]

I just used a brick- you can get em at Home Depot for 79 cents, they come in red or all natural.pepper

 

[rmrc51]

I just used a brick- you can get em at Home Depot for 79 cents, they come in red or all natural.pepper

You guys are so bad, lol :laugh:

 

[Gorilla]

I'm guessing he did not know that parking brakes are required in other countries. At least I would give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Chumbly]

As I have posted in the past, I can't vouch for the rest of the country, (Canada's traffic laws are much like the U.S. in that every state or province is responsible for their own traffic laws, and enforcing them), but in Western Canada, a parking brake<b> is not</b> manditory. I don't have one on mine...just leave it in gear.

 

[extreme10]

I would hate to have to carry a brick or piece of wood to use as a wheel stop. If you have ever left your wing on a steep hill in gear don't be surprised if you find it at the bottom!

I stand corrected as to Canada requiring one but I had read previously in the forum that they did, perhaps its just the Province/state they lived in.

It's a bit of a pain having to have one for use in the EU etc as it does limit one to certain makes BUT I wouldn't be without one on my trike for sure

 

[bustedwing]

I have posted before about the mico lock that is an electric switch you mount wherever you choose and an inline valve that locks on the brake pressure when you flip the switch. Added benifit theft deterrent.

 

[leo3wheel]

Ontario requires a manual hand brake, separate from the hydraulic brakes. This was a concern of mine because I was considering triking there. Law applies to all trikes passing through Ontario. I had decided that it is probably cheaper to pay a fine than modify our trike.

 

[Chumbly]

Guess I won't be visiting Ontario for awhile. As far as not leaving it in gear to park, the truckers used to do that on their rigs before modern air brakes came along....I've been doing it all my life with standard transmissions, with never a problem...and I would never trust an emergency brake, (I had a cable actually snap on me once). If your trike engine is big enough and it's engine compression and clutch are in decent shape, I can't believe there would be any problem parking on any hill you can drive up... and I live very close to the "Rockies". But then, do as you like... I do like "Bustedwing" s solution though.

 

[gympy]

Emergency brakes are required on all trikes here in Canada after January 1st 2001. It is a Federal Law and is written in the Dederal Hwy. Taffic act. To be approved trike kit in Canada to sell one condition is you must have an emergency brake. When I bought my trike kit from Lehman in 2001 the emergency brake kit was included in the kit. If bought prior, you got grandfathered.

"NO" you do not need an emergency brake to come to Ontario if from out of province. There are only two trike Kits which areCanadian Federal Department of Transport approved here in Canada and that is the Lehman Kit and the Motor Trike KIt. This can be checked on the Federal webb site of the above name. In Ontario if your kit is not approved it is EXTREMELY HARD and very EXPENSIVE to purchase insurance for those other kits if you can get it at all.

GYMPY

 

[BladeRunner]

+1 what gympy says; I don't have a trike, but my friend ( who just signed up on here) just got an '03 wing with Lehman trike kit. It has the e-brake option. He did a lot of research before buying, you can not pass or get a safety certificate of road worthiness here WITHOUT a separate "parking brake"..or e-brake as some call it. It makes perfect sense to me, if for any reason your service brakes fail..you need SOME way to stop the thing:AGGHH:
In my mind..it's a needed option.ThumbUp

 

[rmrc51]

Ya know in all honesty, these things really should be called parking brakes, not emergency brakes due to where the handle is located. (Mine is under the right passenger floor board and the floor board has to be in the up position to set the brake). Even if you were riding with no passenger, there really wouldn't be any safe way to reach back and down that far with out compromising your steering control of the trike, at least in my opinion. And believe me, I wouldn't want to even try it at low speeds.

Now with all that said, I always though it was a great option to have and still think so, but as a parking brake only. And again with THAT being said,,,, guess how many times I've used it (as a parking brake) since I've had my trike? Only once, lol. :Shrug::laugh:

 

[Chumbly]

Emergency brakes are required on all trikes here in Canada after January 1st 2001. It is a Federal Law and is written in the Dederal Hwy. Taffic act. To be approved trike kit in Canada to sell one condition is you must have an emergency brake. When I bought my trike kit from Lehman in 2001 the emergency brake kit was included in the kit. If bought prior, you got grandfathered.

"NO" you do not need an emergency brake to come to Ontario if from out of province. There are only two trike Kits which areCanadian Federal Department of Transport approved here in Canada and that is the Lehman Kit and the Motor Trike KIt. This can be checked on the Federal webb site of the above name. In Ontario if your kit is not approved it is EXTREMELY HARD and very EXPENSIVE to purchase insurance for those other kits if you can get it at all.

GYMPY

Maybe in Ontario....not where I live.

There is no brake on mine (and it is a Motoirtrike bought in 2009), and I didn't have a problem registering or insuring it. Motortrike is sold in Canada and not all kits have emergency brakes. I also know that Champion, Roadsmith, Triwing, and perhaps more are also sold here. I think we've been over this before.

 

[Mgammon]

DITTO on what Rich said ...

Roadsmith has parking brake standard on their conversion .. I wish they
would have added a bright yellow LED in the group they put use for the aux
gas tank ,.. Would remind me to release it ...

 

[rmrc51]

DITTO on what Rich said ...

Roadsmith has parking brake standard on their conversion .. I wish they
would have added a bright yellow LED in the group they put use for the aux
gas tank ,.. Would remind me to release it ...

Yeah, that would be a good addition! ThumbUp

 

[thumperjb]

I have an older model Roadsmith kit, back when they were called Trike Shop. No parking brake. I was parked in gear on a slight incline once when my trike started rolling very slowly forward, luckly another rider saw it and pulled the front brake. Since that day when parked on any type of slope I use a velcro strap on the front brake lever. If I park on a hill I have a truckers rubber chock in the trunk that I can put on the back tire. I don't think I would use the parking brake even if I had one because most of them are mounted in bad locations and hard to reach.

 

[oldbear]

Ya know in all honesty, these things really should be called parking brakes, not emergency brakes due to where the handle is located. (Mine is under the right passenger floor board and the floor board has to be in the up position to set the brake). Even if you were riding with no passenger, there really wouldn't be any safe way to reach back and down that far with out compromising your steering control of the trike, at least in my opinion. And believe me, I wouldn't want to even try it at low speeds.

Now with all that said, I always though it was a great option to have and still think so, but as a parking brake only. And again with THAT being said,,,, guess how many times I've used it (as a parking brake) since I've had my trike? Only once, lol. :Shrug::laugh:

Exactly. It is a PARKING brake. I too have it and have only used it a couple times (parked on steep hills in the mountains).

I leave 'er in gear and then set the parking brake.

It may or may not be necessaary, but it gives me more confidence on STEEP grades. The rest of the time, I just leave it in gear.

 

[Chazzman]

I think most of the trike kits have it at least as an option. I opted to not have the parking brake since I figure I would never use it. I have ridden two wheels for the past 42 years and never had a parking brake and never parked on steep hills. Wouldn't think it would be any different riding a trike.

 

[dcryder]

parking brake or emergency brake or whatever you call it, at least here in the states. Many of them are now are requiring that they should be installed on a trike. and insurance companies are asking if you have one installed or not. At least where I live in NY we have to have one before we can put it on the road.

 

[bigbob]

No emergency brake needed in Sask. Canada.

 

[geol]

I have a parking brake on my Roadsmith conversion located under the passenger board on the right side. You have to lift the board and bend a bunch to actuate the brake but it is a great ideas out here in the Texas Hill Country for parking. It came with the conversion as far as I know and not an option.

 

[Konrad]

I have a parking brake on my Roadsmith conversion located under the passenger board on the right side. You have to lift the board and bend a bunch to actuate the brake but it is a great ideas out here in the Texas Hill Country for parking. It came with the conversion as far as I know and not an option.

You are right about that! Parking brake, trailer hitch and trunk carpeting are standard equipment with RoadSmith.

 

[rmrc51]

You are right about that! Parking brake, trailer hitch and trunk carpeting are standard equipment with RoadSmith.

And the trunk carpeting is pretty nice as well. ThumbUp

 

[BladeRunner]

In a past life I worked as a service writer for a national automotive chain. There are MANY people who can't be bothered with a "parking brake".

I'm talking about autos /trucks, but my point is this, I lost count of how many brake jobs I wrote and how many tow jobs I had to arrange because those people would park on an incline & use the seldom used parking brake.

Of course the cables become rusty without regular use and would seize up solid when applied! So, that vehicle was going nowhere till the cables were repaired.:AGGHH: A word to the wise..if you have one..USE it! Don't get caught with it stuck ON!ThumbUp

 

[TrikerAL]

Of course the cables become rusty without regular use and would seize up solid when applied! So, that vehicle was going now where till the cables were repaired.:AGGHH: A word to the wise..if you have one..USE it! Don't get caught with it stuck ON!ThumbUp

If trikes being laid up for the winter,best to leave handbrake off...Chock wheel if not level.Left mine on first winter lay up,rear brakes where froze on....took a few mile to loosen and not squeel when applying.....

 

[rmrc51]

In a past life I worked as a service writer for a national automotive chain. There are MANY people who can't be bothered with a "parking brake".

I'm talking about autos /trucks, but my point is this, I lost count of how many brake jobs I wrote and how many tow jobs I had to arrange because those people would park on an incline & use the seldom used parking brake.

Of course the cables become rusty without regular use and would seize up solid when applied! So, that vehicle was going nowhere till the cables were repaired.:AGGHH: A word to the wise..if you have one..USE it! Don't get caught with it stuck ON!ThumbUp

Your point is very well taken! (thinking back to my days working in a garage,,.) It might be a good practice to set and release the parking brake as part of your pre-check before you ride.

 

[Frank Castle]

Majic Band

Trike Parking Brake

by Common Sense Solutions[/LEFT]

Instructions

1. Hold Trike Parking Brake Majic Band by Common Sense Solutions Inc at opposite ends with left and right hands in close proximity to right throttle control grip (for explanation and further direction-consult Bike Owner Manual) and brake lever. (see figure A)

View attachment 6622

Figure A

2. Twist Trike Parking Brake Majic Band into “figure 8” and fold over forming double layered “Super Majic Band”. Continue to hold using both left and right hands. Keep in proximity to throttle control and brake lever as described above (see figure B)

View attachment 6623

Figure B

3. Using left hand, stretch left end of Majic Band over and around the throttle control grip and place left end of Majic Band onto grip by releasing left hand.

*Continue holding on right end of Majic band with your right hand. Not doing so could result in personal injury to yourself and others. (see figure C)

View attachment 6624

Figure C

4. Stretch Majic Band to right and over the brake lever.

Once right end of Majic Band is over the lever and forward of the lever end knob, release tension allowing majic Band to slide from finger and securely rest around lever.

By positioning Majic Band forward of the lever end knob the Trike Parking Brake by Common Sense Solutions Inc unit will be “locked on” and supervision free!

*Be sure to remove right hand/finger from between Majic Band and Lever when positioned in the “locked on” location. Not doing so could result in serious personal injury.

View attachment 6625

Figure D

5. When you are ready to disengage the Trike Parking Brake by Common Sense Solutions Inc, simply repeat the previous steps in reverse order and store in safe, theft-free, storage cavity.

It’s As Simple As That!

Majic Band Trike Parking Brake by Common Sense Solutions Inc. comes in a variety of colors to match any paint scheme.

Available from an Authorized Distributor near you for…

only $199.99 !

installation available. Ask your dealer

Be Safe, Be Assured, & Get Yours Today!​

*Common Sense Solutions Inc. is not responsible for any injuries or property damage inflicted to, or on, the Installer/Owner or any Bystanders/Riders.

Majic Band is a registered trademark of Common Sense Solutions of Poorsap, NJ and intended for the sole use of Common Sense Solutions Inc. Any unauthorized reproduction of the Majic Band Trike Parking Brake will be prosecuted.

YES* , this is Most Definitely posted and intended to make light of this "Issue" and point out the absolute absurdity of the false necessity.

*Our Honored and Esteemed Canadian Brothers & Sisters excluded from the above where such abject foolishness is mandated by Provincial Law.

Where this exclusion applies, please direct the intended disdain and ridicule toward the inane Laws themselves.​