First tri-glide test ride

[riden2low]

I am looking into purchasing a 2014 thri-glide. I have asked questions on the tri-glides and reading a lot about pro's and con's. Well the dealer made me an appointment to take a test ride today. I was little nervous. Went thru the buttons and E brake and etc. First I noticed as we were taking off was a little wooble in the front. Now this tri-glide was taking off of the show room floor with 10 miles on it. Is that nomal? I thought "ok it has been sitting so maybe the tires had to warm up".

So we made into the highway."ok" We got into some side roads with a few twistys and then I was out of my environment. I am a two wheeler and boy I was really fighting it. I realized I had to slow down and take it easy. Just told my self that I am not 25 anymore. Enjoy the ride. But still it is a beast that you have to get use to I guess. We went thru some areas that had bumps and I notice the rear of the bike sort of rocked back and forth from side to side.

I thought ok this is the way 3 wheelers handle. Pretty harsh ride. I keep reading here on the posts that once you start riding a tri-glide you will ride it more than a two wheel. I am thinking 'what? really' So maybe I am not giving it a half of a chance. I need all of the support I can get lol lol Oh I asked the salesman that maybe the rear shocks have to much air that makes it a harsh ride, he told me that the tri-glide has no air shocks. Is this true?

 

[rhino 2]

Most salesman just know how to sell, And that's about it.. The Tri-Glide does have air shocks . As far as the ride yes it is rough, With 3 wheels there aren't many bumps you can avoid like a two wheeler..Also Unlike a two wheeler there is No counter steering, So you might be fighting it, You have to turn the bars in the direction you want to go..
Hang in there you'll figure it out...

 

[HDB0B]

Yes it has air shocks. I set mine at 30 psi which works for my wife and I ... and also for myself solo. There should be NO WOBBLE. My 2014 Tri has a great steering damper. Tell that sales person to get you out on a nice road. YES ... the side to side shake over ruts is something you will have to get used to .... as that motion never occurs with 2 wheels. Hitting a bump ONLY ONCE with the front wheel is another difference. I've got 1500 miles on mine and I am very comfortable with her. Their is a learning curve .... and now I can follow any 2 wheel Ultra Glide through a corner with confidence. I can make a sharp slow corner even better than them (IMO). If you are in doubt, find a dealer to rent one for a day or two and give it a good chance. I'm a believer .... especially love riding two up with my wife!

Bob orag:

 

[Sloufoot]

If the salesman didn't know it had air shocks I wouldn't bet the Trike has been set up correctly, showroom or not !
Shocks around 20#-25# for a single rider, rear tires 24#-26#, front tire 36#.
If you get into a bit of bumps that do the front wheel along with the rear wheels you will probably get some wobble from the front end. Trikes are prone to a slight bit of wobble at low speeds, & rough surfaces. Shouldn't notice it otherwise.. That is what the steering damper is there for.
You had the right idea about slowing down & not fighting things. Once you forget most of the things it takes to ride 2 wheels the trike becomes natural. Don't pull hard to steer, do more push than pull.
Keep the feet up, & quit trying yo make that thing lean...... It won't ! LOL !
Have another go of it !Relax & ride safe !
:Trike1:

 

[Gorilla]

First you need to think that you are riding an ATV or maybe a snowmobile. That will put you in a better frame of mind of what to expect. The first time on a trike is so foreign that you don't get a chance to enjoy the ride. The Tri-Glide has what is known as a straight axle suspension. Just like the rear suspension in lots of the basic small trucks out there like the Ford Ranger. So yes the rear will rock back and forth. The suspension needs to be adjusted for the load. The air shocks (and yes all Tri-Glides came with them just like a Road King or Ultra) needs to be adjusted for the load. To much air and it will ride rough. Also the tire pressure has to be adjusted also. Most start out at 24 lbs rear tires and 10 to 15 lbs in the shocks. Thats for someone of about 200 lbs and no passenger. Most people take up to 400 to 500 hours of riding to get comfortable if they do not have any past experience. I hate it when a sales person makes dumb statements like that.

 

[GARYD]

It does TAKE TIME to get comfortable on a trike. I've gone through 2 trikes and 20K miles.
I find speed and handling very good. I stayed up with rice rockets on the Cherohala Skyway for 7 miles with no problem. Yes it did take a little more exertion in the hairpin turns but very doable - AFTER YOU GET A FEW THOUSAND MILES UNDER YOUR BELT.

I volunteered for my dealers demo days and was in charge of all the TG test riders. EVERY SINGLE rider kept putting their feed down - even after watching the demo movie(required for all TG testers) and me telling them "DON'T PUT YOU FEET DOWN" over and over again. It's just an inherited habit and very hard to break. It will eventually go away.

I can't believe a Harley salesman told you the TG didn't have air shocks. Stay away from him at all costs.

 

[Alan Oakley]

I made some assumptions when I took delivery of my 14 Triglide regarding the dealer set up. It rode really rough and found every little bump and transferred the resulting roughness to the seat and handlebars. I was a little discouraged at the roughness. I got on this forum and found lots of good info, especially on front and read tire air pressure and shock air pressure....my dumb assumption was that the dealer would set it up for a smooth ride. I checked the front tire and it was at 40lb.....I checked the rear tires and they were set at 30lb....I checked the rear shocks and they were set at 40 lb. After reading the forum info on this subject, I set the front tire at 36, the rear tires at 24, and the shocks (for solo) at 15.

The difference in the ride, handling, and smile factor was amazing....I just competed a 3,000 mile trip at the above settings (again solo) and I was extremely pleased. The Triglide is not forgiving on a really rough roads (county roads in the south) regardless of your settings, you simply will feel the bumps on a really rough road. The decent to good roads are really fun and after a while you don't even notice the effect really rough roads have on the pleasure factor. I did install a lift kit and really like it as well.

I can't think of anything that will have a more profound effect on the ride than those critical tire and shock pressures. Even loaded up on my solo ride I kept those pressures and it was a great trip....everyone that owns a trike will tell you to give it at least 500 miles....I agree and really got much more comfortable after 1,000....safe riding

 

[riden2low]

Thanks guys. Makes me feel better about my experience. The salesman I am sure came from a used car lot. lol lol The wobble I experienced was at low speed maybe around 10 mph or less. At higher speeds, it was fine. And you say, more riding time will get me more comfortable. That was my first time on a tri-gilde. The harsh ride I am sure it will always be there to a point until a guy gets use to it but too once I am a new owner I can set it up the way it should be. Oh yes, keeping the feet up was on my mine at stops and I thought "I can get use to this real easy" lol Thinking too that I noticed was the upper body movement getting the bike thru corners and at low speed, turning the bike around. At that moment it became a workout but as you guys say it will become more natural as I get more riding time. Here in Oregon, we have a lot of hills and mountains and stopping at a stop sign on a hill will be at piece of cake on a triglide.

 

[GARYD]

I made some assumptions when I took delivery of my 14 Triglide regarding the dealer set up. It rode really rough and found every little bump and transferred the resulting roughness to the seat and handlebars. I was a little discouraged at the roughness. I got on the forum and found lots of good info, especially on front and read tire air pressure and shock air pressure....my dumb assumption was that the dealer would set it up for a smooth ride. I checked the front tire and it was at 40lb.....I checked the rear tires and they were set at 30lb....I checked the rear shocks and they were set at 40 lb. After reading the forum info on this subject, I set the front tire at 36, the rear tires at 24, and the shocks (for solo) at 15.

The difference in the ride, handling, and smile factor was amazing....I just competed a 3,000 mile trip at the above settings (again solo) and I was extremely pleased. The Triglide is not forgiving on a really rough roads (county roads in the south) regardless of your settings, you simply will feel the bumps on a really rough road. The decent to good roads are really fun and after a while you don't even notice the effect really rough roads have on the pleasure factor. I did install a lift kit and really like it as well.

I can't think of anything that will have a more profound effect on the ride than those critical tire and shock pressures. Even loaded up on my solo ride I kept those pressures and it was a great trip....everyone that owns a trike will tell you to give it at least 500 miles....I agree and really got much more comfortable after 1,000....safe riding

Every fricken time I get my TG back from the dealer after one of the services (1K, 5K, 10K) the tires are also filled to 40psi front and back. I think all the Harley dealers only have one psi setting on their compressors = 40psi. :AGGHH: ........ and they tighten the oil filter with an air wrench set at 60 ft/lb.

 

[Skeet7373]

The first two times I tried to ride a TG, I never left the parking lot. Many of us on this forum will agree they too had a hard time riding the trike the first few times. If they have a large parking lot, then do things like pulling the handlebars to the right or left, do circles, do a weave, get used to how to turn it. and remember a death grip on the handlebars will only give you numb hands....we all did it....be patient, you will get it, and you will enjoy it when you do.

 

[GARYD]

The first two times I tried to ride a TG, I never left the parking lot. Many of us on this forum will agree they too had a hard time riding the trike the first few times. If they have a large parking lot, then do things like pulling the handlebars to the right or left, do circles, do a weave, get used to how to turn it. and remember a death grip on the handlebars will only give you numb hands....we all did it....be patient, you will get it, and you will enjoy it when you do.

Absolutely correct. Even I did the unthinkable. Before buying a trike, someone invited me to try his bike that had a Tow-Pac kit on it. The guy told me to keep my feet up. Well, the first thing I did when I got to the end of his driveway.....was.................yep..............I put my foot down and as it rolled to the side of the street, my foot got caught under the floorboard. Thankfully nothing bad happened except making me look foolish. I didn't make that mistake again.

 

[Strohkr]

The absolute best advice I can give you is find an empty parking lot and have fun!! Do lots of figure 8's, u-turns, back up, power turns, slow riding, etc., etc. Yes, it takes a while but as soon as you get over the feeling that the trike is going to tip over or throw you off - you're well on your way. I've been riding 2-wheelers since the 60's - and this is by far the most fun I've had - they're an absolute blast to ride once you get use to 'em! No lie!!

 

[GARYD]

The absolute best advice I can give you is find an empty parking lot and have fun!! Do lots of figure 8's, u-turns, back up, power turns, slow riding, etc., etc. Yes, it takes a while but as soon as you get over the feeling that the trike is going to tip over or throw you off - you're well on your way. I've been riding 2-wheelers since the 60's - and this is by far the most fun I've had - they're an absolute blast to ride once you get use to 'em! No lie!![/QUOTE


That's exactly what I tell people. This is the second time in my life that I really enjoy riding. the first was my first motorcycle and the second was my first TriGlide. All the bikes I had between the first and the TG were all the same = 2 wheels/lean in turns/put feet down etc etc - nothing new, but oh boy that first TG....what a difference.

I still would like to be able to afford both.
Since I'm 70 this will probably be my last bike because I have a job now and probably won't in the near future so I bought a TG so no matter how old I get I will still be able to ride and not worry about not being able to keep it up.

 

[Jerry/MD]

Lots of good responses here. I will give you my experiences since I switched from 2 to 3 wheels last September.

1. Yes, the ride is a bit harsh compared to a 2 wheeler. It takes some time to adjust. You will find an air shock setting that helps but it will not be the same.

2. The skills required for a trike are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I can't stress this enough. When I took delivery of mine I immediately rode on some twisty roads. Yeah, not one of my smarter decisions. I found out pretty quickly that a trike steers completely different than a 2 wheeler.

3. I do most of my riding with my wife. I can't tell you how much I enjoy trips and day rides now that I have 3 wheels. No more stressing over gravel parking lots, un-even road surfaces, etc.

I now have 6600+ miles on my `14 Tri Glide. I would say in the past 2 months I have really begun to master turns on the highway. It takes time and you really need to be patient.

Good Luck with whatever decision you make and by all means, ride safe.

Jerry

 

[GARYD]

The one thing I tell those that ride 2 wheels when they brag that they have a better chance of missing a pothole then we do, yes you do , but we only hit it ONCE.

 

[sandrooney]

The absolute best advice I can give you is find an empty parking lot and have fun!! Do lots of figure 8's, u-turns, back up, power turns, slow riding, etc., etc. Yes, it takes a while but as soon as you get over the feeling that the trike is going to tip over or throw you off - you're well on your way. I've been riding 2-wheelers since the 60's - and this is by far the most fun I've had - they're an absolute blast to ride once you get use to 'em! No lie!![/QUOTE


That's exactly what I tell people. This is the second time in my life that I really enjoy riding. the first was my first motorcycle and the second was my first TriGlide. All the bikes I had between the first and the TG were all the same = 2 wheels/lean in turns/put feet down etc etc - nothing new, but oh boy that first TG....what a difference.

I still would like to be able to afford both.
Since I'm 70 this will probably be my last bike because I have a job now and probably won't in the near future so I bought a TG so no matter how old I get I will still be able to ride and not worry about not being able to keep it up.

Exactly the way I feel. Been riding 2 wheels since I was 12 (now 62) and the Trike brought back the enjoyment. It's just different.

 

[KindaOldTriker]

It took me about 100 miles to get over waqnting to put a foot down and lean at corners :>)
Glad you didn't run over your foot on the test drive.
I WAS worried that after I got used to it that it might affect my 2-wheel riding. Didn't cause any problem with 2-wheel handling change up, EXCEPT now I have to consciously tell my self "Put your foot down at stops" :>)
That could be embarrassing!

 

[KRUZR]

Soon even Tri Glides will have a independent suspension? And having an independent suspension does make a much more comfortable ride. Take a ride to Sturgis for the Rally Aug 4th, you will be able to ride the Tri Glide again and Trike Conversion mfg like Motor Trke, California Side car, RoadSmith, Champion to name a few. My wife and I did and that's when we decided on a independent suspension Trike Conversion kit. Then pick one that you think looks the best to you, because I think they are all pretty good! There is also a lot of info on this forum on riding a Trike. a little practice in a parking lot and like has been said, 300 to500 miles and you'll be set. Ride Safe!

 

[GARYD]

KRUZR, before I bought the TriGlide, one of the dealers here had a "Trike" day where all the trikes were available to test ride. I road the TG and DFT's IRS. The only difference between the two - in my opinion - was on a bad washboard road. Yes the IRS worked great, but how many of those type roads do I ride on??? = almost none! And for $5K+ in additional cost, I'll keep the solid axle. 90% of the roads I travel on are fine and IRS didn't ride any better then the TG.
I'm glad that the IRS is available for people that want it and I'm glad Harley decided to stay with the lower cost, less complicated solid axle - absolutely nothing wrong with it. A lot less problematic.
If there was a choice between the two and for the same cost - I would go for the IRS.....not a penny more.

 

[John Luciano]

14 years now with my DFT and I have not had one single problem. The roads up north, unlike the South get beat up in the winter 70% of our roads are twisty and bumpy.

 

[GARYD]

14 years now with my DFT and I have not had one single problem. The roads up north, unlike the South get beat up in the winter 70% of our roads are twisty and bumpy.

You got that right. I thought Chicago had bad roads, but traveling out NE is pretty bad.
I think Washington DC has THE worst streets I've ever traveled on - and they have all our money - you'd think their streets would be paved in gold - unfortunately not so.
I have not been on a road that I would be willing to spend $5K+ to improve (bike not the road) - I stay away from them as much as possible. On the few I have been on - no big deal.
If I traveled on bad roads all the time - or the majority of the time, then yes I probably would splurge on IRS......or give up riding. ThumbUp Thankfully I don't have to do either one.

 

[woodyt74]

Ridden2low,

Unlike most of the responders here, I don't have a trike but I was considering one for health reasons. I rented a 2014 Tri Glide for a few days and put nearly 600 miles on it. I went through many of the 2 to 3 wheel differences here but I got comfortable with it within a couple of hundred miles. Then I went on one of my favorite rides with plenty of twisties and I decided then and there that I will not own a trike until I have no choice. Everyone is different but I've been riding for 45 years and I'm fairly competent so I picked up the trike difference pretty quickly and thought I was doing well until then. While I never felt out of control in the twisties it was NOT fun and that is the main reason I ride. All I trying to say is follow the advice here and rent one for a few days, put lots of miles on it and do so on the types of rides you like to do. Not all of us like trikes but many do.

 

[roadking2]

I went from 47 years of 2 wheels to 3 and it took a while to figure it out. Before going to 3 I test rode several conversions and a tri. What my test ride experience showed me was that a straight axle is harsher than a IRS. I converted my Roadking with a Champion IRS kit. To get the hang of riding a trike my best advice is to try and forget about the leaning and rocking a trike does and simply concentrate on keeping the front wheel in the center of the lane. What was hardest for me to get used to was trying to correct the rocking because my 2 wheel reflexes wanted to adjust for it and it's unnecessary with a trike. Thats where the forget about the rocking and leaning and concentrate on the front wheel came into play. Once I did that, the entire experience became exponentially more enjoyable and less, for a better word, frightening and panic inducing. My first trike ride I was sure I was going to end up in the ditch and it was all because of my trying to correct for the side to side motion the trike gives you. At the end of the day its the difference between bungee jumping and sky diving. Both thrilling and enjoyable, but in a different way and I wish I had gone to 3 sooner.

 

[DK Custom Products]

As has been stated, there are many things you can do to soften up the ride on a Tri-Glide.

As far as getting used to it...it is completely different in how it is ridden. As Gorilla said, if you have ridden a 4 wheeler (ATV), ride it just like you would that.

Having spent thousands of hours on ATV's, I was immediately at home on the Tri-Glide.

I still ride 2 wheels bikes in addition to riding the TG. They are a different kind of fun, but they are still a lot of fun to ride.

One big thing about the TG is, while you still need to look out for cages, it is a much more relaxed ride since there is little worry about sand, road debris, oil, etc.

My wife has logged well over 150,000 miles riding passenger with me on 2 wheels, and around 45,000 riding passenger on a Tri-Glide. She is much more comfortable on the Tri-Glide, and at 58 she can easily ride 8-10 hours, where on 2 wheels, at 5-6 hours riding she has had enough.

You can check out the link below to see hundreds of pictures in our ride report on our trip up to Alaska last summer on the TG. They are a lot of fun, and surprisingly stable/good handling.

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/16991-Ride-Report-Mississippi-to-Alaska-amp-Back-Pic-Heavy

Kevin

 

[GARYD]

I went from 47 years of 2 wheels to 3 and it took a while to figure it out. Before going to 3 I test rode several conversions and a tri. What my test ride experience showed me was that a straight axle is harsher than a IRS. I converted my Roadking with a Champion IRS kit. To get the hang of riding a trike my best advice is to try and forget about the leaning and rocking a trike does and simply concentrate on keeping the front wheel in the center of the lane. What was hardest for me to get used to was trying to correct the rocking because my 2 wheel reflexes wanted to adjust for it and it's unnecessary with a trike. Thats where the forget about the rocking and leaning and concentrate on the front wheel came into play. Once I did that, the entire experience became exponentially more enjoyable and less, for a better word, frightening and panic inducing. My first trike ride I was sure I was going to end up in the ditch and it was all because of my trying to correct for the side to side motion the trike gives you. At the end of the day its the difference between bungee jumping and sky diving. Both thrilling and enjoyable, but in a different way and I wish I had gone to 3 sooner.

Please explain this "rocking" to me. I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you talking about the once in a while very very slight left to right motion of the TG? If so, I thoroughly enjoy it. It keeps my hands from falling asleep and helps keep ME awake on very long rides. It is a very subtle motion. Is this on a IRS or a solid axle trike? What year? When I test rode both, I didn't feel any rocking on either.

 

[Strohkr]

Ridden2low,

Unlike most of the responders here, I don't have a trike but I was considering one for health reasons. I rented a 2014 Tri Glide for a few days and put nearly 600 miles on it. I went through many of the 2 to 3 wheel differences here but I got comfortable with it within a couple of hundred miles. Then I went on one of my favorite rides with plenty of twisties and I decided then and there that I will not own a trike until I have no choice. Everyone is different but I've been riding for 45 years and I'm fairly competent so I picked up the trike difference pretty quickly and thought I was doing well until then. While I never felt out of control in the twisties it was NOT fun and that is the main reason I ride. All I trying to say is follow the advice here and rent one for a few days, put lots of miles on it and do so on the types of rides you like to do. Not all of us like trikes but many do.

Each to their own I guess but that's one reason I LOVE my Tri-Glide - the twisties and switchbacks!! They're a BLAST to take on a Tri-Glide!! Once you get use to it you can take them a lot faster than most 2-wheelers (remember I said most). Most had a hard time staying with me riding Beartooth last summer. Yes, it's different - you don't lean - you turn (although I still lean in the seat just for the fun of it). Like I said - each to their own - but for me the twisties are a hell of a lot of FUN!!!!

 

[GARYD]

Each to their own I guess but that's one reason I LOVE my Tri-Glide - the twisties and switchbacks!! They're a BLAST to take on a Tri-Glide!! Once you get use to it you can take them a lot faster than most 2-wheelers (remember I said most). Most had a hard time staying with me riding Beartooth last summer. Yes, it's different - you don't lean - you turn (although I still lean in the seat just for the fun of it). Like I said - each to their own - but for me the twisties are a hell of a lot of FUN!!!!

I agree with that 1000% ThumbUp ThumbUp ThumbUp
2 wheelers may pull away from me in the straights, but I'll leave them in the dust in the turns. epper: