Has Triking Changed Your Life?

[Mr.Wizard]

If so, how? :yes:

I used to be strictly a two wheel guy. Really don't want to talk about getting older and stuff like that but it is a reason why I change to triking. The Ultra was getting heavy and tough to do a two up ride. Long trips we used a trailer and hauled our bikes. Just didn't seem to make the grade.

After converting the Ultra to a trike I seem to ride it more and actually enjoy riding more than I did. I can take more time to look around and enjoy the scenery, smell the roses or should I say road kill more so than on two wheels.

I still have two wheels to ride and swap back and forth often but only ride two solo. So, if this changed my life it was a positive change and a stress reliever that I wouldn't drop the Ultra if my legs gave out or Wifey was on the back moving around just before a stop sign.

How about you guys? Is there a story you want to share?

 

[katfish16]

Mine is about the same as the other 2 except I am on a Goldwing... When we moved back to Alabama 99% of our riding is by ourselves... With all the sand dirt and gravel on the road it got harder and harder to have a good ride.. We sold the 2 wheeler and went 9 months without a bike. We really missed it so I started looking at trikes.. We found what we wanted and have ridden more and enjoyed it more. With Cathy's medical problems we will not be riding any distance for quiet some time if ever.. So we make the best of it with the toyhauler...

 

[Nana]

Well, obviously you guys are old! LOL. I have a feeling I'm not far behind though!
Being so small I NEVER would take passengers when on 2 wheels. I was sure of my own balance, but not at all sure I could cope with the wiggles and movement of someone on the back and I did not ever want to take that risk. With the trike I can take the kids behind me whenever they want to come, and that is a joy and delight added to the joy I've always taken in riding!

 

[robandlyn]

Has Triking Changed Your Life?

Yes .... Even tho the Trike is Lynn's (she traded in her 07 SG) it has changed BOTH our lives ALOT !
For me (and Lynn) .... No more ...
1.) Backing up her 2007 Street Glide for her.
2.) Worrying about the condition of the roads (dirt, loose gravel, steel plates or chewed up hot top that will be paved) we may have to ride on.
3.) Worrying about looking for a place to pull off the side of the road so we can take a break because basiclly she can ride over anything now.
4.) Worrying about pulling into a small or packed parking lot and her not being able to manuver her 07 SG.
5.) Worring about Lynn getting too tired near the end of a long ride and thinking she may drop her 07 SG.
6.) Worrying about riding in slow traffic and it being to much for Lynn.
7.) Worrying about riding on a ride and having to stop on a hill.
8.) Riding in the rain and Lynn worrying about slipping (we avoid riding in rain as much as possible anyway).
9.) Worrying about when we stop at a light or stop sign about how uneven the road may be under her feet.
And other PLUS'es
1.) Lynn's bad arm with get a rest more because she will not have to hold up the extra weight of a tourer.
2.) Lynn will feel much more comfortable riding it by herself or with one of our friends without me there to help out.
3.) Lynn can take Callie (our Pommerianian) with her.
4.) Lynn can look around more at the senery as we ride and not have to concentrate so much on controlling a 2 wheeled bike.
5.) Lynn can take a passenger if she wants.
and lastly ...
6.) Lynn needs a new helmet so her big grin can fit in it when she rides ;-)

Rob ....

 

[The Wolf]

Yes triking has changed my life and my wifes. We have now triked to many countries in europe we would never have thought of doing. We have met some fantastic folk along the way and some really awful people. Worst police in the world THE FRENCH. They hide and sneak up on you and give you a hard time. Best police for a laugh are the Caribineri (Italian Police). They just like to chat. Worst border guards, the SWISS think they own the place. I have many travel and lots of funny stories especially my early days in Canada & The USA

 

[John Luciano]

I could just put " marks in the box. . The Goldwing that I love was ok for Solo but Honey felt uneasy on it . Even after the Voyager conversion she would never ask to ride. Now with the Trike she is on before I ask and that pleases me no end. 3,000 + miles from only 75 to 100 pre trike. . YES looking around is no longer just an option . Trike riding is like 2 wheel riding . When you tell someone that has never ridden what freedom there is and therapy of riding a bike they don't understand. And unless you have ridden a trike you don't understand the difference from a 2 wheeler,\. I also have a 2wheeler for solo and commute

 

[Lunchbox1983]

My wife will drive her trike where she had stopped riding her Bike, so the Trike changed my life because my wife now goes with me and we have a true family outings which are great.

 

[Gorilla]

I am somewhat like lunchbox. MJ would not get on 2 wheels for the last 35 years. She had her own in her 20's. In 2006 she saw a prototype of the Stallion in Daytona. So for the first time in a long time we both love the same hobby instead of enjoying each other company doing their hobby. She mostly did mine except the bike. Now we plan and take multi-week vacations that we never would of before.

 

[Puff]

It's all been said in the previous posts... I loved throwing the Valkyrie around the
twisties, but in 2006 had a problem with an illness that had me bedridden for
6 months, and on walking sticks for the next 18. Even though I took the Valk
on rides (with my walking stick in back) All of a sudden there were days when
I just didn't 'feel at one' with the bike... that's when I made the decision to go
to 3 wheels.

Haven't looked back, have done nearly 10000 Kms on the trike since the conversion,
love the fact that road-surface changes, gravel, sand etc., are no longer an issue,
the other plus is that people who would never ride behind me on the 2 wheeled version,
have no hesitation jumping on the back for a putt... All good

 

[sprt220]

I just started riding 2 years ago and at age 58 thought it would be crazy to learn to ride a big bike and a co-worker said "why don't you trike the bike"?Well pear pressure to get a bike and then trike it and I learned to ride in about a week.I live in the country and staying on country roads it was easy to not worry about putting the bike down and just enjoying the ride.I've been smiling ever since. Never thought I would own a bike.Now I can't stay off.
Took a ride yesterday in the mountains near Yosemite.It was 67 and nobody on the rode.Keep smiling!! Ken

 

[Ironhorsepilot]

Plain and simple, no bones about it, Triking saved my marriage!!! Whether I was riding on the back or riding my own two wheels, I was not good at it!!

The story goes....when I met George he had his 66 FLH Police special...his buddy from his motor cop days.(Yup, he managed to get his old retired patrol bike). Of course he changed some things, but long story.....it just was not comfy on the back! I hated it, but would ride out of obligation. He wouldn't give it up for a touring bike, so I decided to try riding my own. I was OK at it, but he was too critical and pressured me alot! Eventually, as he is getting older, he bought an Ultra Classic. It was great! So I ended up on the back again and although I was comfy, I still didn't like not having control.
When Harley came out with the trikes, he reluctantly agreed to get me one.
In hindsight, he really was trying to make me happy, as he had bought me two bikes and finally the TG. Thank goodness the TG was the ticket to happy rides, fun conversation and new places to go and explore, with both of us in control of our own wheels. It's amazing what that will do for a relationship!
You guys will see what I am talking about with George when you meet him this summer! He's a pistol!

 

[Trikectr]

We alternate every year from Sturgis to Daytone but when we did our last two trips on two wheels, it took my back a week to recover from the trip. So we started looking at alternatives, we looked at many different trikes but we fell in love with the Rewaco trikes, in fact we loved it so much that I became the Canadian importer and US distributor for Rewaco. Now...That's what I call a life changing experience!

 

[SEAlaskan]

The trike gives me freedom to ride without back pain (past injuries). My back is to the point that when I wash the trike I have to sit down and scoot around on plastic bucket with a lid on it. To detail the lower chrome (exhaust, primary cove etc.) I have to put the trike on the Lift. On two wheels I would last about an hour or two and I wouldn't be able to walk very well, it would be time for injections in the spine. But with the trike I haven't had any problems (Freedom) accept for when I get in a hurry and forget the seat when washing. "But" I can't complain live is still good to me. After all, I'm still a spring chicken at the age of 63 ... :yay:

"Freedon to Three" or "Three is Freedom" :yes:

 

[Smoken'JOE]

Soon to find out if it will...........thinkin it definitely will. No more tense moments in parking lots riding 2 up.

 

[ricle41]

I wish I could say it had changed my life somehow, but since I've only owned it a month or so, and have only ridden 8 miles, the only change I've noticed is the size of the payments!

 

[jlb]

absolutely...I've had two 2 wheelers & had fun riding them. But i've also been down a couple times (i hate gravel!) And got to the point where I didn't want to ride because i had to negotiate a gravel driveway & alley just to get out of my house. Thankfully Joan pointed out to me that I should try triking. One day I saw a spyder in a parking lot. A few months of research & searching for the right bike finally led me to my current ride & in the month I had to ride before the weather turned last fall I put more miles on the spyder than I had on my two wheeler in the past year.

I just wish i'd realized how much I was going to love triking. Then I would have traded in the 250 on the spyder instead of hanging onto it in case I felt the need to ride on two wheels again.

janetb

 

[5thwheel]

It sure has. I head out on three wheels as soon as the snow clears and the road grit is not a problem (other than at wash time ).
We do family rides with one of my sons riding with me on the trike, no way would I do that on 2 wheels.
I'm way to short to ride a Goldwing without it being a trike and it just can't be beat for a travelling machine.
I'm going to be pulling a trailer this summer, another thing that I will not do on 2 wheels.
I've met lots of nice folks who ask about riding a trike and they've shared lots of great motorcycling stories with me.

 

[alienhunter]

it sure has being i cant do what i use to, makes me happy again and give me something to do :yes:

 

[Comanche]

Went down on from 2 wheels after hitting a deer going 70 MPH three days before my 71st birthday. Got hurt, but was thinking about going to three wheels before then. Like most that have replied legs are not as strong as before.

Shoulders and neck are filled with arthritus so turning a trike is hard work. Just ordered a 5.5 degree rake kit and will have this installed this Friday. Then like will improve substantially. Wife would not go with me on 2 wheels as she has some med problems. Really going to work on getting her to ride now that we have more stability.