chris2

[chris2]

Hi, All, I have just got my trike on the road after 2 years, but am finding it hard getting round corners, has any one got any tips?.

 

[Bikerbozo]

It takes a couple hundred miles to get used to it. Do you have a rake kit on front? If not, that would make steering easier. I treat turns like a ride at Disneyworld. And just hold on for all I'm worth. With wife on, I take turns slow. That, or get smacked in the head.:qpnmt:
I do also tend to lean my body into turns. Don't forget, while pulling handlebars on one side, you can push bar on other side. That way, both arms working for you.

 

[Ohio Eddie]

Welcome to Trike Talk, from SW Ohio.

 

[M.A.T.]

Chris2,
First, let's turn that frown upside-down! :wave4:

Welcome to the club! If we can't help you no one can.

What part of turning a corner is giving you hard time? Have you ever been on a two wheeled motorcycle? What type of corner is it and at what speed are you going during the turn?

I know, silly questions but they can help us to help you.

I probably have less seat time than anyone I know or that knows me but when I do ride, I enjoy every minute as if it were the last day of my life. So I hope what I say can help you. If not, let me know and I am sure others will chime in and contribute. They may anyway. And I encourage everyone to do just that. I certainly am not the master at this.

Now you have probably already realized this but just in case, or for the sake of anyone that hasn't figured it out yet, I will tell you (and others) as it was told to me, and as I learned from various sources.

Besides keeping the rubber parts on the ground at all times and common safety measures, the next thing you have to do is forget everything you ever learned about making turns on a two wheeled motorbike.

The steering control dynamics of a trike are the opposite. You do not countersteer like you do on a two wheeled motorbike. If you are making a right hand turn, you actually pull the right hand side of the bar towards you, and push the left hand side away. Of course, making a left is the same thing only the opposite.

A trike is sort of like a car as far as gravity goes too. On a two wheeled motorcycle as you are about mid way through a turn and the motorbike is at full lean, the force of gravity would be at it's greatest working to keep the bike on the ground and you in the seat.

On a trike it is the opposite. As you begin to turn, and because the trike cannot lean, gravity is no longer going to be able to help force you down. Now, lateral or sideways inertia is essentially working against you, and forcing you off of the seat, and if you're not careful as you try to hold on and your weight shifts, it can and will turn the trike on it's side and put you under it or worse, in the lane of traffic alongside of you.

Yes, I am being scary for a reason. I want you to be cautious and learn how to turn so you can enjoy your rides and not get hurt in the process.

Ok, enough scary. And yes, go get a pint if you feel it's required to enjoy the rest.

So, what can you do? Well, for one, until you feel more comfortable, you need to slow down. Simple huh? Just go slower than you are. The best part about this, about a trike, if you are turning and go so slow you stall the engine and/or stop, the trike will not fall over!!! How great is that. So, slow down, for a while.

For instance, if I am stopped at a light and it is a simple intersection, I can accelerate slowly but constantly through the turn, and be ready to change gears by the time I have finished the turn and straightened out. If the turn is sharper, or tighter than 90 degrees as I am sure a lot of roads there are, I just keep it in first the entire time, and I take my time. The people behind me will have to be patient and wait.

Now, if you are on the open road, riding through the countryside and the roads are very curvy like that of a voluptuous woman, you just need to slow down and take your time in the tight spots. After a while as you gain more confidence you can go faster.

But the trike will still not lean in those curves at any speed so you will have to, and by that I mean, you may have to adjust your seating position so that more of your bum is off the seat to one side or the other at the same time you go through the curve. If the curves reverse so must your seating position, and as quickly. If you are like me and have more girth than height, and have proportionately shorter arms, as your bum shifts on the seat to one side or the other it will make pushing that handle bar farther away and as you pull the other side closer now it will really be close to you. So practice only shifting it (your bum) a tiny bit, or only as much as needed. It will come in handy if you do go into a turn a little too fast and inertia tries to force you outward by adjusting back to center on the saddle.

My best advice, go slow for as long as it takes you to feel comfortable. If you don't feel comfortable, simply go slower.

Also, try to go somewhere and practice very tight turns, and counter turns, in succession. These tight turn practices will help greatly in high volume traffic situations. Which also helps you because now you have the added width of two wheels behind you, not just one. Take some rubber traffic safety markers (cones) and make a sholom that you can practice on.

The more practice you get at turning going slow the better. As you confidence builds go faster and faster. There is a speed limit however. You will discover what it is one day and you will never try to achieve it again. I promise.

But honestly, It takes all of us a while. No one is an instant trike riding master. Some may claim to be but some of us know different. And sometimes, it's the two wheeled masters that have the hardest time adjusting.

So how long before you feel confident? Are you asking me? Like I know? I wont even put a number on how many kilometers you need to practice or a time on how long it should take because unless you are preparing for a major life change and have to accomplish this by tomorrow I do not want that number to be your goal. Or even in your mind. There is no time or distance limit, there, how's that for an answer!?

Your goals should be, always start every ride with #1 Safety #2 Safety #3 Safety then, and only then #4 At a leisurely pace, that suites you and no one else, learn to turn a trike successfully ......then of course #5 Have fun riding your trike and learning everything else there is to learn about riding one.

I know it's a common cliche' but the only thing that is true is, the more you do it the better at it you will be. I can only add, please do not give up. Life is too short not to enjoy it and of all the motorbikes I have owned/rode my trike has been the most enjoyable.

If you have a significant other then by all means get them involved in the learning process too. Not during the faster practices but by all means, if you go somewhere to practice at slower speeds I totally encourage taking them. They have to learn how to be a passenger on a trike too. And it's nice to be with the ones you love when you accomplish something.

Rob

 

[2002Trike]

Hi, All, I have just got my trike on the road after 2 years, but am finding it hard getting round corners, has any one got any tips?.

Welcome to Trike Talk from Middle Ga...

 

[M.A.T.]

It takes a couple hundred miles to get used to it. Do you have a rake kit on front? If not, that would make steering easier. I treat turns like a ride at Disneyworld. And just hold on for all I'm worth. With wife on, I take turns slow. That, or get smacked in the head.:qpnmt:
I do also tend to lean my body into turns. Don't forget, while pulling handlebars on one side, you can push bar on other side. That way, both arms working for you.

See, what did I say, I spend two hours composing my post, putting my heart and soul into it some damn clown comes along and in three lines says the same damn thing. Real nice!
Rob
(hehehehehe)