Experiences Learning to Ride and Handle Your TG

[Hankster99]

Last year, at 72, I decided to sell my Road King and retire from riding (after 50+ years!). Now I have the itch for a new Tri Glide. I would love to hear your advice and experience learning to ride, especially practicing and using some of the defensive and evasive skills and techniques we all try to maintain to stay alive on the road.

 

[Firewrench22]

Take a trike& sidecar class. Best money you will spend. They will have you push a trike more than you ever would on your own. For instance, having the inside wheel off the ground in a big turn around the cones. Stuff like that.

 

[Fearless]

Motorcycle they are not!

TriGlides are more fun!!! they don't fall over, loose gravel, or wet roads, elevated intersections are not a pucker factors at all. Rent one for a day or so if you have not bought one by now. Trikes are upper body strength arms and back. I started riding ours at 62. We love old shiney and will not go back to two wheel machines.

 

[Casper]

Yep, rent one or at least find a dealer that has a demo program.

 

[rhino 2]

After 50 years of biking, You shouldn't have any problems riding a Trike, Just remember no counter steering, And you are on a much wider machine, so when you pull in for gas watch the rear tires don't run over something or into something... Also with 3 wheels tracking there isn't many bumps you can go around....So its not as smooth as a bike..
Oh yea no need to put a foot down at a stop...
You'll do ok its not Rocket Science... ThumbUp

 

[Zammy]

Hank, there's a great thread for newcomers to our 3 wheeled world right here, lots of reading and advice, just click the link:

Making The Switch - Bike to Trike

 

[Fredward]

My first month I was struggling at low speeds turning the damn thing. I was at a gun shop and struck up conversation with an old biker about modifications. He told me to skip the expensive mods and buy some damn dumb bells. I ride better and feel better too, and the weights were less than fifty bucks.

 

[desertclassic]

Get in a big empty parking lot and just start riding. I do like the idea of a class if there is one available. It will not take very long to get a feel for the way the trike handles. The best thing that I did to my trike was to install a DK Customs comfort lift. It sure makes the trike handle much easier. With as much riding time as you have, the only thing you will need to remember it is push and pull and leaning will not work. Jim

 

[Hankster99]

Thanks for all the input!

Next stop, finding a rental thru HOG. Thanks again and see you on the road! Hank

 

[prariepilot]

MSF Basic 3-wheel Handbook

Hank, there's a great thread for newcomers to our 3 wheeled world right here, lots of reading and advice, just click the link:
Making The Switch - Bike to Trike

You can also download the MSF Basic 3-Wheel Handbook at:

https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/3WBRC_Student_Handbook_2010.pdf

 

[DK Custom Products]

Last year, at 72, I decided to sell my Road King and retire from riding (after 50+ years!). Now I have the itch for a new Tri Glide. I would love to hear your advice and experience learning to ride, especially practicing and using some of the defensive and evasive skills and techniques we all try to maintain to stay alive on the road.

While steering & cornering are a bit different than a 2 wheel bike, the defensive and evasive skills are not much different at all.

One of the things I was surprised about, even trail-braking works on a Harley Trike, just like it does on 2 wheels.

If you have ridden an ATV/Quad/4 wheeler, then you will have virtually no learning curve on steering a Trike.

One thing that took me a while to get used to-

On two wheels I use the front brakes as my primary stopping power.

On the trike, the weight does not shift forward as much as it does on a 2 wheeler, so, in hard braking situations the rear brake is necessary, because the front brake locks up very easily.

A few really nice things about a trike:

Others on the road see you much more than when on 2 wheels

Sand, oil, wet leaves, other debris/irregularities on the road, do not put one in danger of low-siding/other problems like they do on a 2 wheeler.

A trike will tip over, just like a 2 wheeler will high-side or low-side. But it takes a really bad mistake/too much speed to make that happen.

Mary and I have had a blast on our Tri-Glides, making lots of great memories.

I hope, if you scratch that itch to get a Tri-Glide, that you have as much fun as we have.

Kevin

 

[Trikesyke]

Next stop, finding a rental thru HOG. Thanks again and see you on the road! Hank

Hey Hankster. Rental is a wise choice. Before I bought mine, I rented it on different occasions, each time putting on more miles under different riding conditions. Some will say I wasted $. But, I heard too many owners saying theirs sets in the garage because after they rode it a few times, they decided it wasn't for them. I love the thing! Even after 2 wheel riding since the mid 70's. And despite the negative comments from some current 2 wheelers.....