New trike and not sure I am happy.

[Ghost Rider 2]

I recently had my 2014 Goldwing converted to a Roadsmith Trike.. I had it done end of October family medical problems kept me off the trike most of the fall. I only have riden about 1500 miles. So far I don't like it. My wife has been on a trike for 15 plus years and thinks it great. She says I will get used to it and all will be OK. I dont think I should have to wait to get used to it. Never had to wait to get used to any other Goldwing and I have owned over 10 of them. I am seriously thinking of giving my trike to my wife and trading her older one in on something different for me. Anyone else regret going to a trike??

 

[cycle7447]

I recently had my 2014 Goldwing converted to a Roadsmith Trike.. I had it done end of October family medical problems kept me off the trike most of the fall. I only have riden about 1500 miles. So far I don't like it. My wife has been on a trike for 15 plus years and thinks it great. She says I will get used to it and all will be OK. I dont think I should have to wait to get used to it. Never had to wait to get used to any other Goldwing and I have owned over 10 of them. I am seriously thinking of giving my trike to my wife and trading her older one in on something different for me. Anyone else regret going to a trike??

My wife had a trike from 1996 - 2004. I was still on two wheels. In 2021, I converted my new bike to a trike - love it and never looked back.

Curious, what part of your not getting use to it are you referring? Still having said that - if it is not something you want, perhaps giving it to your wife and upgrading her's might be the way to go.

Curious, what year is her trike? I always seem to give my wife the better of our vehicles.

 

[ol' school]

When I triked our motorcycle it took me 600 or so miles to decide I did the right thing. Now with the many miles we have traveled as a trike we love it!

As has been ask, what don't you like?

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

My wife's Trike is a Roadsmith 2004. My problem is I just not comfortable. To me the trike handles terrible. I scraped pegs on it as a bike. Push hard in corners was great. Now I don't feel I have control of the bike. No lean I think is the most of it. Trying to steer the thing just seems totally wrong to me.

 

[rhino 2]

I recently had my 2014 Goldwing converted to a Roadsmith Trike.. I had it done end of October family medical problems kept me off the trike most of the fall. I only have riden about 1500 miles. So far I don't like it. My wife has been on a trike for 15 plus years and thinks it great. She says I will get used to it and all will be OK. I dont think I should have to wait to get used to it. Never had to wait to get used to any other Goldwing and I have owned over 10 of them. I am seriously thinking of giving my trike to my wife and trading her older one in on something different for me. Anyone else regret going to a trike??

I’ve never regretted it but from 2008 when I got my first trike, until about 2018 I would switch off to my two wheelers every now and then. Around 2018 I sold my last two wheelers. There aren’t any roads I have to worry about making a U-turn on to get into my camp. I have to drive over a mile and a half on a dirt gravel pothole Road and it’s so much easier on Trike..

But that said.. Follow your heart get another two wheeler. .

 

[ol' school]

My wife Trike is a Roadsmith 2004. My problem is I just not comfortable. To me the trike handles terrible. I scraped pegs on it as a bike. Push hard in corners was great. Now I don't feel I have control of the bike. No lean I think is the most of it. Trying to steer the think just seems totally wrong to me.

The no lean and scraping pegs is definitely something to get used to not doing. Steering takes time to get used to. Is your trike raked?

When I steer I still lean my body into the turn just as I get to the turn letting my outside arm straighten out then sit back up going into the turn to let my straight outside arm turn the handlebars instead doing the push/pull.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

I think I need to ask a question. Does anyone on this site believe they can take their trike and ride at the the same pace as Monk in Arkansas or Yellow Wolf in North Carolina? If I try to push a corner just a little I feel like I am out of control of the trike. Push, Pull, or shove the trike it just just don't feel right. I don't want to crash this thing. But I don't want to ride like I am in a parade.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

The no lean and scraping pegs is definitely something to get used to not doing. Steering takes time to get used to. Is your trike raked?

yes trike is raked

 

[ol' school]

I think I need to ask a question. Does anyone on this site believe they can take their trike and ride at the the same pace as Monk in Arkansas or Yellow Wolf in North Carolina? If I try to push a corner just a little I feel like I am out of control of the trike. Push, Pull, or shove the trike it just just don't feel right. I don't want to crash this thing. But I don't want to ride like I am in a parade.

I outride my two wheel friends in corners all the time... twisty roads are still my favorites.

Like stated before when I steer I still lean my body into the turn just as I get to the turn letting my outside arm straighten out then sit back up going into the turn to let my straight outside arm turn the handlebars instead doing the push/pull.

 

[ol' school]

yes trike is raked

Good!

 

[Sidecarbill]

So what pushed ya to riding a trike? If you can still ride two, do it. You'll never be happy on three. They're completely different animals. People tell you how great trikes are, they're good if you just want to stay in the wind, that's about it as far I can see. Nothing beats the freedom and eze of riding two.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

reason I went to 3 is bad knee. it was damaged in bike wreck few years back. I having trust issues with a close to 1000 pound bike. I thinking about going to something like an F6B they are in the 800 plus pound range. Thinking that could be better for a couple more years or longer.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

Try this, when going into a curve press down on the floorboard of the opposite direction you are turning. If going left press down on the right board or peg. The trike is like your car, it wants to throw you the opposite direction you are going. Lock the elbow of your pushing arm and use your upper body to help push. Give it time, it took me more than 2500 miles to get used to the trike.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

thanks I will try this.

 

[ol' school]

Try this, when going into a curve press down on the floorboard of the opposite direction you are turning. If going left press down on the right board or peg. The trike is like your car, it wants to throw you the opposite direction you are going. Lock the elbow of your pushing arm and use your upper body to help push. Give it time, it took me more than 2500 miles to get used to the trike.

Yup, what I was try to put into words!

 

[Eholli]

This is a hard question. My reason to go trike is muscles. I still wanted to ride.

I was having trouble even pushing my bike. I knew I was in trouble with two wheelers. I guess I could downsize to a scooter.

A gym membership is in my future I think.

 

[cycle7447]

Sir - I believe you have gotten a lot of good directions here. I loved my two wheeler - wife got it for my on my birthday, Jan 2021. A brand new 2021 Ultra. It sat in my garage all winter and I made so many plans for the spring and summer.

Then, I had carpal tunnel surgery. Rook me a while to heal. When ready to ride, I found it difficult to hold me right hand brake and balance the bike at the same time. This was especially difficult if going up a hill - and my bike has the RDRS which included hill assist.

To make matters worse, my wife loves the curves on two wheels. Still, I know there might be a problem. So, do I stop riding. What would I do with that beautiful bike my wife gave me for my birthday. She said, trike it and if you can't ride it, I will ride you on the back. Thats exactly wat we did - and I love it.

Just one more suggestion - do you have a backrest? If so, use it. Just sit back, use the push and pull method. Right hand curve, push the left handlebar, etc. You the backrest as a brace.

You mentioned a rake - mine is 11 deg - have a CSC kit. Trust me - worth every bit of it. Nothing is better for us that my wife and me together on the bike

 

[trike lady]

Maybe a 3 wheel scooter that leans, they do exist: https://www.piaggio.com/us_EN/models/mp3/ or a lighter motorcycle. When I had a stroke back in 2015 I lost balance and a bicycle is out of the question.

 

[CrystalPistol]

For 15 years I had a bike and a trike. I never once found myself on the trike wishing I was on the bike, but I recall quite a few times being on the bike and wishing I was on the trike.

Speaking of scraping pedals, etc ... I had a high speed "get off" in 1977 while on a Triumph, it was enough of that sillyness for me to last a lifetime.

 

[DOKK]

I think the transition is harder when going from 2 wheels immediately to 3. This seems to be the general consensus from everything I've seen. For me, fortunately or unfortunately, there were a few years (10) between my transition and I didn't have as many issues as others seem to have. It also helped me when I took the 3 wheel riding class on my Tri Glide. It helped me "unlearn" some of the habits I had issues with. Now, I enjoy my trike as much and sometimes more than I did my bikes. Don't give up and just stick with it. Maybe consider taking the 3 wheel class as well. I know I learned a lot even though I had been riding since I was a teen too many years ago.

 

[Phu Cat]

​Have owned a trike since 2012 and I miss leaning into the curves as does Ma. We've ridden it 40,000 miles but I ride it so little now I really should sell it.

 

[hardheaded]

Gotta say when i bought my tri-glide i didn't know if i liked it. My first ride i thought what did i buy here. But after a few hundred miles i was use to it and enjoy every mile. Didn't take me long as i was used to riding three and four wheelers in the dirt.

Switched to three wheels because i lost my left leg in a deer meets motorcycle incident in 2014.

I would give it some time and miles. And YES, I can out run and out brake most of my pals on their 2 wheelers in the corners.

 

[stratmarshall]

I still really miss my 2 wheeler. If could still comfortably ride one still I would. That being said the Tri-Glide handles really good in the twisties. Rode the Black Hills and Beartooth pass last year it was a blast. It's a different type of ride but its still riding.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

I have made some major changes on my trike Over the last few weeks. Completely rebuilt the front suspension. Talked to people ate Roadsmith and Progressive. after changes trike been sitting for couple weeks because of wether today I got it out.

I got to go out and test ride my trike today. Yes there is a big difference. The major change I made was the front suspension of the bike. As a bike the bike was to soft. I upgraded the front with Progressive mono tubes. Made major change to the bike. I told trike builder it had progressives in it. They said it would be fine. After bike was converted the trike to me it did not handle well. Also did not sit just right. I was told that the fork extentions that are normally installed can not be installed on Progressive front struts. I started doing research and looked at several trike forums. After talking with Roadsmith and Progressive I determend that the trike should have not been built with the Mono tubes. Also I was still running a Bridgestone G709 front tire. I am not sure how much the tire makes but I changed it out being I had the front all apart. Now have a BT46 on front. Before my changes I was frustrated with what I had done to the bike. It felt like I was going to get thrown over the handlebars when I went into a corner. Now with the front end changes it seems much better. I did not get a bunch of miles in, but enough to notice the difference. I am not an Interstate Highway rider. I dont go out and cruise for hundreds of miles. I like back roads and twistees. Maybe that is why some people get by with modified front end suspension. All my Progressive stuff is boxed up and a friend is getting it for his bike. I am now back to Honda forks. I have the 2' fork tube extensions. Only thing not stock on forks is a set of Progressive springs that were recomended by Roadsmith and Progressive. Maybe this will help someone else, maybe not. I hope to get several more miles and adjust myself to the trike. Our forcast is looking better but I know we can still see more snow.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

Well I now have a few thousand miles on the trike. The front end rebuild has made a big change. Been on the bike quite a bit. It handles pretty good. Made some tire pressure changes. My advice for anyone that is going to have a trike kit added to a Goldwing. If you have Traxxion or Progressive Strut front suspension. Convert it back to stock front before you have it built.

 

[cycle7447]

Well I now have a few thousand miles on the trike. The front end rebuild has made a big change. Been on the bike quite a bit. It handles pretty good. Made some tire pressure changes. My advice for anyone that is going to have a trike kit added to a Goldwing. If you have Traxxion or Progressive Strut front suspension. Convert it back to stock front before you have it built.

Glad to hear you feel more comfortable on your trike now.

Curious - since your wife also has a trike - dd you ride that one before converting? If so, how did you feel.

Also, if her ride is not as comfortable as yours with the changes - perhaps it is time to make some adjustments to her trike.

 

[Ghost Rider 2]

I rode her trike and all was good. I feel that the problem was the aftermarket struts in the front. They do not work properly they are to stiff and are not able to travel with the rake.

 

[Baldy_54]

I am glad you are feeling better about the trike. The one thing I tell those on two wheels, who laugh about my trike, I tell them:

"One Of These Days, You Will Be Old Enough To Want One".