bikerbillone
3000+ Posts
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
Nice conversion. Colostomy, now that's funny.
Nice conversion. Colostomy, now that's funny.
Making The Switch - Bike to Trike - Great Info!
- Thread starter Papa Zook
- Start date
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
I guess I could call my conversion kit a prosthesis for my bum knee. (can I get a tax write off and claim it as medical equipment ?) had it about 7 months . you guys with experience on this site have helped me a lot converting from 2 to 3. never would have thought it was a big deal.... whole new world! Thanks to all for your advise on lots of different topics. I have learned a lot more just from this thread.
I guess I could call my conversion kit a prosthesis for my bum knee. (can I get a tax write off and claim it as medical equipment ?) had it about 7 months . you guys with experience on this site have helped me a lot converting from 2 to 3. never would have thought it was a big deal.... whole new world! Thanks to all for your advise on lots of different topics. I have learned a lot more just from this thread.
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
your in for a new experience.
I rode 2 wheels for most of my adult life till 7 months ago. I rode my ultra 5 hours from home , had a conversion done and rode it back home. Never really rode a trike before. took a demo ride once.
The dealer could not believe I was riding that far on my maiden voyage. Think it made him a little nervous about his work. The ride went fine no problems other than in my head. best thing this newbee can say is RELAX . my knuckles were white for a week after getting home.
your in for a new experience.
I rode 2 wheels for most of my adult life till 7 months ago. I rode my ultra 5 hours from home , had a conversion done and rode it back home. Never really rode a trike before. took a demo ride once.
The dealer could not believe I was riding that far on my maiden voyage. Think it made him a little nervous about his work. The ride went fine no problems other than in my head. best thing this newbee can say is RELAX . my knuckles were white for a week after getting home.
Re: Riding
Out stop 2 wheelers? At 60mph a trike needs 150 plus feet to come to complete stop. just info
We rode hack's for over 2 years before going to a trike (TriCar). When group riding there is a reason that trikes should be at the back. They will outstop the 2 wheelers you are riding with. After you become more familiar with the trike and are riding with a group of 2 wheelers in the twisties take care that you do not run over them in the turns. Ride all you can and enjoy.
Out stop 2 wheelers? At 60mph a trike needs 150 plus feet to come to complete stop. just info
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
Add the little convex mirror to mirrors, you can see where the rear of your is riding
Add the little convex mirror to mirrors, you can see where the rear of your is riding
skuuter
One of the Origionals
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
Yep.....I run convex mirrors on EVERYTHING with Wheels.....ThumbUp
Yep.....I run convex mirrors on EVERYTHING with Wheels.....ThumbUp
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
Great thread, thanks to all the experienced riders and newbies sharing their experiences. I am planning on a trike conversion in the near future. Not really sure when but hopefully not too long from now. So reading this has been very helpful and informative.
Great thread, thanks to all the experienced riders and newbies sharing their experiences. I am planning on a trike conversion in the near future. Not really sure when but hopefully not too long from now. So reading this has been very helpful and informative.
skuuter
One of the Origionals
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
ALWAYS GREAT to hear...."proof" that TRIKE TALK.com works.....epper:epper:epper:
ALWAYS GREAT to hear...."proof" that TRIKE TALK.com works.....
epper:epper:epper:
it would seem to me that it doesnt matter if you have much experience on two wheelers or not.. in fact having a lot of 2 wheeled experience may even be a hinderance when it comes to controling that first ride. all my regular riding friends are highly experienced and skilled 2 wheel riders, and when i got the trike they all had a try, and all struggled a bit at first. sure they have the road skills, but not the handling skills, their expectation of what they expected was quite different from the reality. Paul, who is an ex GP racer, and the most skillfull rider i know, nearly hit the curb.
Im guessing a novice would have less expectation of how its going to be, and is therefor more likely to go easy till they get a feel for the trike. So my best advice is to take it easy, go somewhere quiet if possible. a large empty car park would be great, take your time. build up speed as you gain confidence. feel out your front and rear brakes, get an idea of how they work and how the trike reacts. the ability to stop is hugely important.. steering may feel a bit heavy, but point the front wheel where you want to go, and smile its all a learning curve and its going to be a fun one.
Im guessing a novice would have less expectation of how its going to be, and is therefor more likely to go easy till they get a feel for the trike. So my best advice is to take it easy, go somewhere quiet if possible. a large empty car park would be great, take your time. build up speed as you gain confidence. feel out your front and rear brakes, get an idea of how they work and how the trike reacts. the ability to stop is hugely important.. steering may feel a bit heavy, but point the front wheel where you want to go, and smile its all a learning curve and its going to be a fun one.
bikerbillone
3000+ Posts
Re: Experienced Trike Riders - Please post here.
Oh yes, you are so right. My first ride after 46 years on two wheels, I almost drove into the wrong lane of traffic, no kidding, that was a bad one, had to stop, obviously put my feet, yep, then started out again and got it turned the right way. After that it smooth sailing
Oh yes, you are so right. My first ride after 46 years on two wheels, I almost drove into the wrong lane of traffic, no kidding, that was a bad one, had to stop, obviously put my feet, yep, then started out again and got it turned the right way. After that it smooth sailing
What he said........
You did better than me,ran over foot in driveway,tried to turn the first corner by leaning.Wifey did better,didn't put feet down or lean.
Been on three since 73. Own an 1150 BMW but it's parked. The trike is the cats meow for sure
I started riding trikes back in 2009 when I first tried out a CanAm and decided to just go ahead and try building my own.
The first was a built to fit st1100 that was built piece by piece by just welding things together. Since then and some 80,000 miles later I reached a point where playing around lead to a the real deal. I have since created a patented design for a reverse trike conversion and have just returned from a 3400 mile trip to the hills of NC where we found the trike to be a real handler in the corners and can out run most cruisers and tour models.
Now to clarify this is after many miles of relearning how to ride as riding a trike is requires a new skill set over riding conventional motorcycles. I hear all the time where people "try" a trike for a mile or so and don't like it as it's not a real motorcycle. What they are really saying is they don't understand how to ride it and it scares them. Well once you learn you will find out tipping is not a real option - sliding the tires and squealing rubber is the real deal. At least this is the deal with a reverse trike. Along with the fact you always know where the wheels are as they are right in front of you and the steering is designed specifically for turning.
After over 100 motorcycles and 1.3 million miles on two wheels my ride of choice is a reverse trike and that's my story and I am sticking with it.
The first was a built to fit st1100 that was built piece by piece by just welding things together. Since then and some 80,000 miles later I reached a point where playing around lead to a the real deal. I have since created a patented design for a reverse trike conversion and have just returned from a 3400 mile trip to the hills of NC where we found the trike to be a real handler in the corners and can out run most cruisers and tour models.
Now to clarify this is after many miles of relearning how to ride as riding a trike is requires a new skill set over riding conventional motorcycles. I hear all the time where people "try" a trike for a mile or so and don't like it as it's not a real motorcycle. What they are really saying is they don't understand how to ride it and it scares them. Well once you learn you will find out tipping is not a real option - sliding the tires and squealing rubber is the real deal. At least this is the deal with a reverse trike. Along with the fact you always know where the wheels are as they are right in front of you and the steering is designed specifically for turning.
After over 100 motorcycles and 1.3 million miles on two wheels my ride of choice is a reverse trike and that's my story and I am sticking with it.
I recently did a Champion trike conversion on my wife's Sportster. We both "learned" to ride it by starting off slow and out of high traffic areas. This past week we did a 1,300 mile trip (her on the trike and me on my 2 wheeler), this was the first longer ride for her on the trike. You could see as the week went on, she got more used to it each day... by the end of the week, she was right a home on the bike... carving corners like a pro! As an added bonus, she was not sore or stiff at the end of the day... she made the comment numerous times that the trike is more relaxing to ride! She is a happy triker!
I read all the reply's and this is all good information.
I have never owned a traditional wheels back trike but have been building and developing a trike model for the last 5 years.
The tendency to follow road crown does exist slightly on my GL 1800 but not at all on other bikes. In fact I can pretty much ride on any road surface including gravel one handed or no handed on all but the GL1800.
While my trikes have the wheels up front there are some similarities. Tire pressure, type and tire size make noticeable changes to handling and ride. Air pressure has to be less than 20 and more than 15 so I find 17 a good average. If one is of a different pressure than the other you don't notice any pull unless the tire is totally flat. In general there is no tenancy to pull one way or the other unless it's quite windy.
Ride is extremely soft and it's more like riding a hovercraft that a motorcycle. Cornering is easy to get used to and in most cases I can out run a traditional cruiser in the corners. I have not been able to lift a wheel but have had some scrubbing and squealing when pushed to the max.
My last set of tire were 165x55x15 and the ride was a bit harsh along with the tenancy to follow road crown and irregularities. These were Federals and they were hard sidewall tires and a poor choice. I have switched to 165x60 Continental tires and now the ride is much improved and the drifting minimal (on the GL as the Valkyrie is less affected by road surface irregularities)
What I have discovered is a formula for width X length along with proper steering geometry that is a great baseline however each motorcycle has it's own handling quirks which need to be addressed so the geometry must be adjustable to fine tune. Mostly caster.
Example the Valkyrie is mostly unaffected by changes even the poor tire choice had little detrimental affect on ride and handling however the GL was greatly affected. Wind had no affect on the Valkyrie but the GL does drift a bit with wind especially going head on into wind.
The one thing all the prototypes have in common is the stability especially in hard cornering during deceleration. In a must stop situation these things become planted to the ground and tipping is not an option.
From what I have read it appears there are similarities in conventional / reverse trike designs and also great differences.
I have never owned a traditional wheels back trike but have been building and developing a trike model for the last 5 years.
The tendency to follow road crown does exist slightly on my GL 1800 but not at all on other bikes. In fact I can pretty much ride on any road surface including gravel one handed or no handed on all but the GL1800.
While my trikes have the wheels up front there are some similarities. Tire pressure, type and tire size make noticeable changes to handling and ride. Air pressure has to be less than 20 and more than 15 so I find 17 a good average. If one is of a different pressure than the other you don't notice any pull unless the tire is totally flat. In general there is no tenancy to pull one way or the other unless it's quite windy.
Ride is extremely soft and it's more like riding a hovercraft that a motorcycle. Cornering is easy to get used to and in most cases I can out run a traditional cruiser in the corners. I have not been able to lift a wheel but have had some scrubbing and squealing when pushed to the max.
My last set of tire were 165x55x15 and the ride was a bit harsh along with the tenancy to follow road crown and irregularities. These were Federals and they were hard sidewall tires and a poor choice. I have switched to 165x60 Continental tires and now the ride is much improved and the drifting minimal (on the GL as the Valkyrie is less affected by road surface irregularities)
What I have discovered is a formula for width X length along with proper steering geometry that is a great baseline however each motorcycle has it's own handling quirks which need to be addressed so the geometry must be adjustable to fine tune. Mostly caster.
Example the Valkyrie is mostly unaffected by changes even the poor tire choice had little detrimental affect on ride and handling however the GL was greatly affected. Wind had no affect on the Valkyrie but the GL does drift a bit with wind especially going head on into wind.
The one thing all the prototypes have in common is the stability especially in hard cornering during deceleration. In a must stop situation these things become planted to the ground and tipping is not an option.
From what I have read it appears there are similarities in conventional / reverse trike designs and also great differences.
+1 on not using reverse as a parking brake! It's like chewing ice, yea been doing it for years but one day, break or chip a tooth and then >> big problem and asking yourself why did I do that? Don't ask how I know………….. :NoJoke:
Just had my Tri Glide parking brake cable replaced. I went to use it on my inclined driveway and she was finished. I put her in gear obtained a 10 inch piece of double sided velcro strapped it around the front brake lever and what a surprise. It stays. There are those that disconnect the PB. Those that don't use it. And those of us who Paid for it why not use it. Use cautio wherever you park. QUOTE=Hocky;243388]+1 on not using reverse as a parking brake! It's like chewing ice, yea been doing it for years but one day, break or chip a tooth and then >> big problem and asking yourself why did I do that? Don't ask how I know………….. :NoJoke:[/QUOTE]
If this is not the right thread to make this post, my apologies.
I have a HD 2 wheeler and I pull a Bushtec trailer. With the weight I currently have, I lose speed on longer steeper grades
So, when I convert this bike to a trike, it seems reasonable that I will have to beef up the engine to accommodate the additional weight of the trike kit.
So, my question, did many / any of you do any engine work before you did your conversion?
thank you
I have a HD 2 wheeler and I pull a Bushtec trailer. With the weight I currently have, I lose speed on longer steeper grades
So, when I convert this bike to a trike, it seems reasonable that I will have to beef up the engine to accommodate the additional weight of the trike kit.
So, my question, did many / any of you do any engine work before you did your conversion?
thank you
This is what I did. All motor mods before converting.
My reasoning was to make absolutely sure I was happy with the motor mods before I spend a boat load of cash on the conversion.
If you're converting to three the motor upgrade you should use is the 110. The cam setup unless done by Screaming Eagle parts is not enough to haul the Bushtec. Youll be shifting forever. QUOTE=sportthedog;243659]If this is not the right thread to make this post, my apologies.
I have a HD 2 wheeler and I pull a Bushtec trailer. With the weight I currently have, I lose speed on longer steeper grades
So, when I convert this bike to a trike, it seems reasonable that I will have to beef up the engine to accommodate the additional weight of the trike kit.
So, my question, did many / any of you do any engine work before you did your conversion?
thank you[/QUOTE]
I have a HD 2 wheeler and I pull a Bushtec trailer. With the weight I currently have, I lose speed on longer steeper grades
So, when I convert this bike to a trike, it seems reasonable that I will have to beef up the engine to accommodate the additional weight of the trike kit.
So, my question, did many / any of you do any engine work before you did your conversion?
thank you[/QUOTE]
brianl
300+ Posts
I converted my Goldwing GL1500 last year. On my first test ride, I had the dealer as my passenger. (What a brave soul!) As I went on my first hill in 5th gear, I couldn't believe what little power I had. The dealer said "shift into a lower gear". DUH! That's what I do whenever I don't get a good running start up a hill. You'd be surprised how fast you can go in 4th gear. I would suggest get it triked first and then see if you have enough power. My guess is you will.
I have 3 trikes and never noticed any horsepower loss. We just went out to North Carolina and even pulling a trailer fully loaded our friends on a standard two wheeler (Ultra) were downshifting and couldn't keep up. I never downshifted in hills or to pass.
The kind of trike kit/brand is the key.
The kind of trike kit/brand is the key.
John Luciano
One Of The Origionals
I can drive pretty much in total 5th gear. I can drop to as low as 30 in 5th with out down shifting. As Brian said. You always have 4th. Good for up to 85 MPH. I pull a 500 lb trailer. If the road is relatively flat.( hilly but no steep,as trucks shift to low gear , hills. ) I can cruise at 45 / 50 all day in 5th.
bikerbillone
3000+ Posts
John, didn't you have a Spyder??
I cant testify about the 110 upgrade as my ultra had the 110 before the conversion. I did go back and ride a couple of two wheelers with both the 96 and 103.
not to knock either one but.........there is a big difference !.( there is No Replacement for Displacement.) I have no problems with pulling hills as long as I stay in an appropriate R.P.M. range.
if I could afford it I would do the 120R
not to knock either one but.........there is a big difference !.( there is No Replacement for Displacement.) I have no problems with pulling hills as long as I stay in an appropriate R.P.M. range.
if I could afford it I would do the 120R
Just finished reading the WHOLE thread. Lot's of great info that'll be a help once I get my trike. As I've never ridden a 2 wheeler, the learning curve shouldn't be as steep but, there will be one.
Thanks to all that have taken the time to contribute the preceding info. :clapping: I'll definitely be reading this thread more than once more before taking that first ride. :GL1800:
Thanks to all that have taken the time to contribute the preceding info. :clapping: I'll definitely be reading this thread more than once more before taking that first ride. :GL1800:
There is a major switch for your 1800. The power will create an unexpected for of excitement and the testosterone one really flows. Check your heart rate as it will really grab your attention. A trike is not steered. It's pushed the harder you push the greater your ride. Stay safe I'll see you on the road
one thing to remember when riding a trike is that were ever you point the front wheel the rears will follow. i have a habit of getting the trike sideways on sections of roads that i know i can do it safely which is mostly at roundabouts or turning at intersections. a roundabout in the wet is great for this and the first time you do loose traction in the wet on a roundabout or turning at an intersection it will frighten the shit out of you but once you understand that the rears will always follow the front tyre you will be comfitable with the rears sliding. i know alot of riders will think this is a dangerous thing to do which to a certain extent is right but remember this, if your in the twisties and you hit a oil patch or water and the rear goes then you wont panick because you know that the rears will eventually fall into line with the front tyre and you continue on the ride. if the first time ever the rears let go in the twisties or anywhere else your going to shit yourself because in your mind you have lost control and will most likely crash because you try to correct it like you do in a car by turning the opposite direction. years ago i aquaplaned in the wet and was being pushed into the path of a truck coming straight at me and the first thing i did was steer to the side of the road and when the front trye got traction again the trike speared straight off the road in the direction i had the front trye directed, this all happened at 65 mph. one thing to remember if you do practice this just be careful of the road surface as holes and bumps will spear you off the trike if not tip it over, yes it,s dangerous but sliding can also save your life.
one thing i would say when you first start to ride look for quiet roads that you know take your time .ride single try a lot turn ,stopping, and learn the size of your unit. curbs and post can damage rear fender,tires and rims.
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