Making The Switch - Bike to Trike - Great Info!

[Mr.Wizard]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Check this out Randy...

A guy with a TG came to me (local) said his trike just drove funny.

Front tire = 50 lbs
Rear tires = 65 lbs
Shocks = 5 lbs


Will let you be the judge on that one.

 

[Papa Zook]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Check this out Randy...

A guy with a TG came to me (local) said his trike just drove funny.

Front tire = 50 lbs
Rear tires = 65 lbs
Shocks = 5 lbs


Will let you be the judge on that one.

Thats what I run in my Dually! :AGGHH:

 

[Mr.Wizard]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Thought I would ride it to see what he was talking about... got about a mile down the road and turned around. Darn back end hunted like no body's business.. thought he had bad swing arm bushings. When I put it on the lift the tires sounded like a brick hitting the lift.

 

[Skeet7373]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Wiz...what was the digital tire guage you recommended with the swivel head? Putting one on my christmas list since mine is 2lbs off!

 

[Mr.Wizard]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Swivel head? Not sure but ill look around for you. The angle heads are nice.

 

[rivercityjack]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

The first experience with trikes was back in the late 60's and I rode a 65 Harley Servi Car for 3 years doing traffic and writing parking tickets to Farmall workers who parked on the side streets around the factory instead of the parking lots. (Took too much time to get to the tavern after work if you had to wait getting out of the parking lot and across the train tracks.)

The 2013 TriGlide is about the same handling, just has a lot more power, more gears, and an electric reverse instead of the 3 speed forward, 1 reverse and a 45 cube engine. It also had a pair of red lights up front and a siren which helped a lot getting through traffic. Of course when you hit the lever for the siren, speed dropped, the siren ran off the front tire and the battery went dead after ten minutes of red lights on the front, but it was a lot of fun back then. even when it was below zero, chains on the back tires, and they ran all day till they went back in the garage late afternoon. Thank goodness the radios didn't work that well on the cycles back then. Ah, memories.

 

[drumdoctor]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Some very basic things are sometimes overlooked...

Make sure that ALL items (Handlebars, shifters, air seats, windshield,etc...) are
adjusted for maximum comfort.

I have set on other people's trikes and felt very uncomfortable--even though we were similar in size.
The handlebars were at a strange angle, the shifter felt odd and I wondered how they could ride any distance over 25 miles.

Take your time and experiment with different positions for your controls.

 

[Shimpy]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

This post has been going on for so long that I've moved from 0 - 1 years to
1 - 2 years experience. Maybe we need to re-do the survey?

 

[Mr. Mac]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

I had my 2 wheeler converted to a Lehman Monarch II in 2006. I had put 30,000 miles on the 2 wheeler. I now have 175,000 on the trike. I guess you might consider Mary and me to be experienced riders. We are looking forward to spring and getting back on the road.

I am a newcomer to this board. I am generally a lurker, but may post once in a while.

 

[Nana]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

I had my 2 wheeler converted to a Lehman Monarch II in 2006. I had put 30,000 miles on the 2 wheeler. I now have 175,000 on the trike. I guess you might consider Mary and me to be experienced riders. We are looking forward to spring and getting back on the road.

I am a newcomer to this board. I am generally a lurker, but may post once in a while.

Welcome, Mr. Mac. So... with 175,000 miles under your belt, you surely have some riding wisdoms to add here to help our new riders! ThumbUp

 

[OldBay]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

John, what do you suggest instead?

 

[skuuter]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Check this out Randy...

A guy with a TG came to me (local) said his trike just drove funny.

Front tire = 50 lbs
Rear tires = 65 lbs
Shocks = 5 lbs


Will let you be the judge on that one.

..."WOW", just "WOW".....:AGGHH::Shrug:

 

[sirkitrider]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Just read this thread for the 2nd or 3rd time. Read it b4 I bought the bike and again today. VERY helpful. THANKS to all who gave their suggestions. After 1600 miles on my trike I find these tips very helpful before and after I started riding. {Also thanks whoever posted the MSF links}

First ride ... I thought "oh crap what have I done!" 200 or 300 miles a little better. Luckily, I blew a fork seal and had to replace it so I rebuilt the forks - seals, bushings, fluid, PS, etc. Made a HUGE difference in the handling of the rig.

Going from two wheels to three, or in my case four, wasn't that big a deal since I had a four year lay off.

The left turn is still the hardest to feel confident about.

What I like most about the trike thing is you don't have to sweat the small stuff ....... small critters, rocks, sand, hay, limbs, etc. in the road. Still have to be aware of course but feel much more secure when that barking dog chases along side. Still gotta watch the big stuff though, but I feel the size of the setup does make us more visible. Although I don't take that for granted either.

- Sirkitrider

 

[Ozarkryder]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

[QUOTE=sirkitrider;147912]

(snip a bunch of stuff)
The left turn is still the hardest to feel confident about.
(snip some more)
- Sirkitrider[/QUOTE]

Until there is a bit of experience, a lot of folks I know have had this same sentation. It is called "Edge Fear". Going right aorund a curve there is somewhere to go if you take it wide and into the other lane, take a left hander wide and you can run right off the road. See it a lot here in the Ozarks where it is very curvy, there are few guardrails and most roads have a dropoff into a holler. (ravine for you northerners) I see a lot of people take a different line through a left hander than a right hand curve even though they both have the same radius.
Nothing to worry about, it will come with experience.

 

[Smoken'JOE]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

The left turn is still the hardest to feel confident about.
- Sirkitrider

Try moving your head to the left when turning. Kinda like leaning.

 

[rayg5102]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

New to triking here. Picked up 2010 HD TG w/8600 miles. Tough here in Maryland with cold rain and snow. Can't wait for warmer days. Just nice enough for short 1/2 hr - 1 hr rides here and there. So far I've driven with the parking break on, had trouble with left turns and my face hurts from smiling. Other than that its a blast so far. Going out to find leathers so I can get out in the cold

Hope to see some of you out there
Ray

 

[skuuter]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

[QUOTE=sirkitrider;147912]
Until there is a bit of experience, a lot of folks I know have had this same sentation. It is called "Edge Fear". Going right aorund a curve there is somewhere to go if you take it wide and into the other lane, take a left hander wide and you can run right off the road. See it a lot here in the Ozarks where it is very curvy, there are few guardrails and most roads have a dropoff into a holler. (ravine for you northerners) I see a lot of people take a different line through a left hander than a right hand curve even though they both have the same radius.
Nothing to worry about, it will come with experience.

Yep, sight through the curve and concentrate......I've really enjoyed a lot of Your Roads there...not a lot different from where I live in Tennessee. Looking forward to the RALLY there.........ThumbUp:10:

 

[skuuter]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Something else I do, and have done for years....when approaching a side road or driveway that has a vehicle in it, I always roll out of the throttle (...or accelerate briskly if already at the road/driveway and a vehicle moves up to their stopsign to clear them before they can pull out) which generally drops about 2 to 7 mph instantly off my forward speed...Those few MPH and split second has saved me several times when the Other Driver pulled on out. I always ride with two fingers on the front brake lever and clutch also when doing back roads or in Town with intersecting roads...another "time saver" in a bad situation.....ThumbUp

 

[crackercap]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Many thanks for all the helpful hints, I have never riden a trike so I am a little apprenshive to take that first drive. I recently bought a 2007 Honda trike and everything is new to me, being a Harley rider for many years. Thanks Again

 

[Salty]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Getting reay to start riding my Victory CSC trike It will be fun, interesting and a learning experience . Especially since I will be still riding my Victory 2 wheeler also.

Thx for all the tips!

 

[dheaton]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

I just have two wheels right now but am thinking about going to three. The things I would like to know is now that you have 3 wheels do you go on dirt roads? I would like to.
There are many different trike options to consider and the first one is what kind of trike do I want. I would like a GL1800 but not sure of what conversion is best. I know everyone has there own opinions but I would like to hear them.
Next would be what must have's do you have on your trike and why is it important? Things like easy steer etc.
Any info would be helpful. I have been looking for about 2 years now but have never even had the chance to ride one. Looking forward to it one day.

 

[Ken45]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

I would not take my trike (Goldwing) on rough dirt roads. It doesn't have a lot of ground clearance and isn't built as a rough road machine. I definitely would not take it on "jeep roads", LOL. At least not IMO. We do, however, go on decent gravel roads without a second thought.

As for "which conversion?", well not many people have experience on all the designs. CSC was all our local dealer had so that's the way we went and we were happy with it.

 

[scribe5]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice. I am close to pulling the trigger on a sweet 2005 Goldwing with Champion conversion and 11,330 miles. I have test driven a few trikes in in my search and was having second thoughts when my 45-years of two wheel experience seemed to work against me on three wheels. If I buy the trike, I'm still going to have the guy ride it over to my house rather than temp fate by riding it on back-country roads, city streets and the Interstate. And I will practice, practice and practice before I put my wife on the back. Momma didn't raise a fool.

 

[bikerbillone]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Won't take you long to really get the fever. Riding it just sort of comes naturally.

 

[patriot]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice. I am close to pulling the trigger on a sweet 2005 Goldwing with Champion conversion and 11,330 miles. I have test driven a few trikes in in my search and was having second thoughts when my 45-years of two wheel experience seemed to work against me on three wheels. If I buy the trike, I'm still going to have the guy ride it over to my house rather than temp fate by riding it on back-country roads, city streets and the Interstate. And I will practice, practice and practice before I put my wife on the back. Momma didn't raise a fool.

Just remember, it doesn't lean, you steer it like a car, and be carefully at the gas pump. Many have taken fenders off with those concrete-filled poles. Enjoy!

 

[hank43]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

One last thingn the Champions with the retrograde rear fenders, (Like kawasaki, Harley, etc) when you back into a parking spot, those fenders MAY be a little lower than the rest of the bike, and can get scraped up on the raised concrete bump curb. Don't ask how I know, but it may help to place two little strips of door edging from your local auto supply house over the bottom of the fenders, rather scrape those than a $9,000.00 fiberglass body.

hank

 

[YgWiz]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

1st Tri-Glide Feb 2013. Love it, ride every chance I get. Took my 1st road trip in Mar. (Maryland to Florida and back 2900.miles). What a thrill.

 

[STG246]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Bought my first trike a 2012 Harley Triglide in October of 2012 after a near fatal accident in August 2012 (ate the back end of a Nissan Sentra at 85mph on a Harley Nighttrain) the doctors had doubts I'd ever be able to support the weight of a bike again, and I had long wanted to try a trike, so I jumped at it when I was still in a wheelchair and found a smoking deal on a 2012 leftover. Glad I did even though I could ride a bike again, I love it! At 37 I might be the youngest here LOL...Only advice I can add after 1500 miles is to adjust everything so its comfortable!

Ryan

 

[skuuter]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

Bought my first trike a 2012 Harley Triglide in October of 2012 after a near fatal accident in August 2012 (ate the back end of a Nissan Sentra at 85mph on a Harley Nighttrain) the doctors had doubts I'd ever be able to support the weight of a bike again, and I had long wanted to try a trike, so I jumped at it when I was still in a wheelchair and found a smoking deal on a 2012 leftover. Glad I did even though I could ride a bike again, I love it! At 37 I might be the youngest here LOL...Only advice I can add after 1500 miles is to adjust everything so its comfortable!

Ryan

"WHEW".....85 MPH into a Sentra....not a good prospect.....:xzqxz:

 

[STG246]

Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.

"WHEW".....85 MPH into a Sentra....not a good prospect.....:xzqxz:

Yeah it really wasn't fun, 85mph is best guess, the speed limit where we were is 70, but where it was early and little to no traffic, we were cruising around 75-80, it was a group of us in the middle of nowhere in Illinois early on a Saturday morning heading to Sturgis, as we came over a slight rise in the highway, this little red Nissan stopped in front of us, half in the fast lane, half in the left breakdown lane, I'm told I swerved hard to the right trying to avoid her, accelerating hard (maybe trying not to low side the bike?) as I was about 8 feet from her car she backed up to the right in order to take the cross-over through the median, she had missed her exit and was trying to turn around..My left foot/leg was the first thing that hit, followed by the left front fork leg hitting her right rear tire, snapping the fork leg above the axle, catapulting me and the bike end over end...End result, was leg and foot broken in 7 places including my femur coming out my inner thigh and my heel pad was severed...

Ryan