How well does a Tri-Glide handle the curves and Twistys?

[DK Custom Products]

Here's a vid of our 2014 Tri-Glide on The Dragon earlier this month.

Because of the wide angle lens it does not seem like we are going as fast as we are, but we were moving pretty good.

Only performance mods done to the TG are a DK Stage 1 Kit, the Comfort Lift Kit, and some wider handlebars (which give more leverage for easier steering).





Kevin

 

[Rick Kay]

Such a cool video! Thanks for sharing! ThumbUp

 

[Peter A.]

Great video - how were you able to get all that filmed with vitually NO traffic, ha?
:xzqxz:

 

[DTR 11TG]

WOW, what a great video, I hope I can do that ride some day, looked like a blast. epper:

That was done 2up, right Kevin, did you guys have as much as it seems in the vid and did you ever feel that you went in a little too hot. :wave4:

 

[DK Custom Products]

Such a cool video! Thanks for sharing! ThumbUp

Glad you liked it!

Great video - how were you able to get all that filmed with vitually NO traffic, ha?
:xzqxz:

Thank you. We were there late on a weekday, and it was raining a good part of the way up to it...but not at the Dragon. The entire way there were only 2 trucks going the same way we were, until the very end where you see the bagger in front of us.

WOW, what a great video, I hope I can do that ride some day, looked like a blast. epper:

That was done 2up, right Kevin, did you guys have as much as it seems in the vid and did you ever feel that you went in a little too hot. :wave4:

Yes, we were about 1/2 loaded in the TP and trunk, we were 2 up and, yeah, it was a lot of fun.

We did not hit anything too hot. Never lifted a tire. This was pretty fast, but no where near as fast as could be done safely on a TG. I was planning on doing another run even faster, but that ended up not happening...see the Ride Report link (post #68) below for why.

http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/23015-Ride-Report-Fall-Colors-Trip-2014-Pic-Heavy/page6

Kevin

 

[DocnLou]

nicely done, Kevin! the way it should be. did it on my tri a couple yrs ago, love to do it on my Freewheeler!:clapping:ThumbUp

 

[GARYD]

Great video. I wish I had my camera on when I kept up with some rice rockets on the Cherohala Skyway for 7 miles (very invigorating)last summer.
Members on another forum said I was lying or the rice rockets were not riding fast because a trike can't do that. Of course when I confronted those posters if they had ever ridden a trike they all said yes they did ride. They indicated they either rode one on demo days or they rode one after wrenching on one at their shop.
WOW!!! all of maybe 10 minutes???? and they're the expert? HaHaHa - ya right.

I know what I did so I don't care what they think. And now you have some proof of what can be done. Thank you. I bet those critics would probably say you speeded up the video. :laugh:


I'll go to my grave saying I can make a tight turn (not a sweeping curve) faster then any 2 wheeler and stay within the nearest lane. ThumbUp

 

[DTR 11TG]

Great video. I wish I had my camera on when I kept up with some rice rockets on the Cherohala Skyway for 7 miles (very invigorating)last summer.
Members on another forum said I was lying or the rice rockets were not riding fast because a trike can't do that. Of course when I confronted those posters if they had ever ridden a trike they all said yes they did ride. They indicated they either rode one on demo days or they rode one after wrenching on one at their shop.
WOW!!! all of maybe 10 minutes???? and they're the expert? HaHaHa - ya right.

I know what I did so I don't care what they think. And now you have some proof of what can be done. Thank you. I bet those critics would probably say you speeded up the video. :laugh:


I'll go to my grave saying I can make a tight turn (not a sweeping curve) faster then any 2 wheeler and stay within the nearest lane. ThumbUp

Gary if the truth was known those guys on the other forum were already shown up by a trike or 2 and they were striking back in the only safe place they had, the streets were no longer safe for them!epper:
I know the first time I had to prove my TG's handling to a guy that kept yapping how well his new bike handled & how a trike couldn't keep up, by the time we stopped for lunch he was so mad that he would not sit at the same table as the rest of us!:qpnmt: I heard that some of the group started calling him 'Trike Killer' followed by laughter.:clapping:

 

[DK Custom Products]

I don't know much about crotch rockets. Last one I rode was really a pre-cursor to the crotch rockets.... a Yamaha 1100 XS in 1979.

I do know that lean angle is the most important bike factor in the twistys (beside rider skill), and that is why the TG can whup up on 2 wheel stock HD's in the twistys.

After my first pass on the Dragon (the one in the video) we rode back to Deals Gap at a leisurely pace. About half way thru a crotch rocket came up behind us, I waved at him and took off. I was going as fast as I could, and he kept right on my tail for about a minute. I then waved him around me, and he took off. I spent another minute trying to keep up with him, but by the end of less than 60 seconds he was completely out of sight.

- - - Updated - - -

nicely done, Kevin! the way it should be. did it on my tri a couple yrs ago, love to do it on my Freewheeler!:clapping:ThumbUp

Yeah, bet that would be fun. Less weight, little bit lower COG, the Freewheeler would do well!

Kevin

 

[ride3]

That was great, thanks for sharing. I def. want to do that ride!!!:clapping:

 

[GARYD]

I don't know much about crotch rockets. Last one I rode was really a pre-cursor to the crotch rockets.... a Yamaha 1100 XS in 1979.

I do know that lean angle is the most important bike factor in the twistys (beside rider skill), and that is why the TG can whup up on 2 wheel stock HD's in the twistys.

After my first pass on the Dragon (the one in the video) we rode back to Deals Gap at a leisurely pace. About half way thru a crotch rocket came up behind us, I waved at him and took off. I was going as fast as I could, and he kept right on my tail for about a minute. I then waved him around me, and he took off. I spent another minute trying to keep up with him, but by the end of less than 60 seconds he was completely out of sight.

The only time I fell back a little with the rice rockets was on the straighter sections of the road - I closed the gap in the tight and hairpin turns.

As I said, it was invigoration and I was worn out afterwards. :laugh:

I wouldn't have tried it right after just getting a trike though.

 

[thunderond]

I really like mine rode with my brothers and kept telling them they where going to slow this was in Sturgis on the Iron Mountain road they finally let me get in front and by the time we got to the end I was far enough out front I was having a pop and a smoke when they came rolling in, only lift the inside tire once can't take a 10mph at 23 mph but had to know when she would lift.
I have a little experience having rode a servy car for years and always lifting a tire in the corner was fun on that, but not on a TG can you say pucker factor.

 

[DK Custom Products]

I really like mine rode with my brothers and kept telling them they where going to slow this was in Sturgis on the Iron Mountain road they finally let me get in front and by the time we got to the end I was far enough out front I was having a pop and a smoke when they came rolling in, only lift the inside tire once can't take a 10mph at 23 mph but had to know when she would lift.
I have a little experience having rode a servy car for years and always lifting a tire in the corner was fun on that, but not on a TG can you say pucker factor.

Definitely fun to see the faces of HD 2 wheelers watching a TG take the twistys faster than they can.

I do NOT recommend anyone lift one of the rear wheels on a TG or FW.

I do it on a regular basis (yeah, I find it fun) and, for me, I find it goes so far (about a foot off the ground) then it really does not want to go any further. It seems like it will go so far, then the panhard rod (what I would call an anti-sway bar) provides a significant amount of resistance to it lifting any further. Of course it could get past that point and flip/roll over, but I have never gone that far, and it seems it would take being WAY TOO HOT before that would happen.

It really is quite amazing how stable these are.

Kevin

 

[Moe55]

Few weeks ago we went on a charity ride only 2 trikes one in front and us in the rear. After the half way point stop when we headed out some how ended up with several 2 wheeler's behind us. Main group was moving pretty good and we were stuck behind someone that slowed down on curves or rode the brake though the curve. The main group got farther away with each curve. I did not know where the end point was finally got an open space and passed the slower bike. Did not take long and we were up with the main group. At the end a woman came up to us and said thank you. I said you are welcome but what for? She wants to get a trike but her husband said they can't go around a curve or keep up with a group. Her husband could not keep up with us on the curves after we passed the slower bike she laughed and said he can't use that excuse any more!

 

[RickDeVon]

I am faster around them than I ever did on two wheels...

 

[Gorilla]

Yea I love hearing those type comments. They usually come from someone who has never ridden a trike, or one a long time ago like the service car.

 

[RickDeVon]

Yea I love hearing those type comments. They usually come from someone who has never ridden a trike, or one a long time ago like the service car.

I have an S curve on my way to church that I could only take at 55-60 on the Road King...I have worked up to 65-70 on the trike...trying to find the slip point of the front tire...what I don't like is how I have to shift my body and hang on... and I don't ride like that all the time...I do know this is the best Harley I have ever owned...I will always say the Freewheeler is even more fun to ride...