Reason for trike

[irmagoo]

well I do have problems with my wheels - service connected stuff just got worse over the last 20 years or so,,, how-ever I have build, rode, and bought trikes and sidecars for 30 years no excuse just like them!! I even built a fuel burning pull trike back in the 80's for easyrider rodeo's- I did need to stop riding it for medical reasons - wife though I'd kill myself:xzqxz:

what I'm get'n at is trike are just cool and well so are sidecar and

all the folks that ride them both!!

 

[Zammy]

I've been riding for about 55 years now, everything from scooters to our present day Tri-Glide, however it was those early years that have finally caught up to me. Besides flat tracking, motocross, and a little road racing thrown in, along with some heart valve problems, it was time for a trike in order to keep the knees in the breeze. Wife has had shoulder surgery, knee replacement, and 2 foot surgeries, so keeping a 900# touring bike upright was presenting some problems with 2 up.

2 years ago after her knee replacement she wanted to ride but couldn't, so she treated us to a weekend on a Tri while we were visiting our daughter and hubby north of Chicago, we had a blast! It just took us another year to make the decision and we picked the new trike up 1st of May this year. Even though I really miss the 2 wheels, we are together for all the fun now.

 

[Warlock]

Mine is medical yet to come. Got to have both knees replaced and I figured the 1800 Goldwing might be a issue. Got a 92 Goldwing with a motortrike kit. Bike only has 32000 miles on it. Still getting use to the trike. Liking it more every time I ride it. I still have my little Suzuki M50 to ride solo. So far well pleased with my decision. Was going to trike the 1800, but run across this killer deal and couldn't pass it up. Now down to the 2 bikes.
David

 

[pisoiu]

For me, safety. I don't know how is it in your part of the world but here is crazy. Just one month ago a girl from my town, 29 yo, went 2 meters underground because of a crazy driver who forgot to look in the mirror and signal before turning left.. And there are so many more. For this reason I would never consider riding 2 wheels on public roads. Plus some minor problems with my back.
In my country is nearly impossible to register for use trikes built by custom shops or a converted bike to trike. So, a factory built rewaco rf1 is for me. I purchased it damaged in an accident (the only way I could afford it), now I am working hard to fix it and from next year, I'll hit the roads.

 

[1dn5up]

Welcome to TT from NY. I checked out those Rewaco's on their web site, very interesting. Good luck on the rebuild. We have our own share of "gota get there" drivers also. :Coffee:

 

[Gorilla]

For me, safety. I don't know how is it in your part of the world but here is crazy. Just one month ago a girl from my town, 29 yo, went 2 meters underground because of a crazy driver who forgot to look in the mirror and signal before turning left.. And there are so many more. For this reason I would never consider riding 2 wheels on public roads. Plus some minor problems with my back.
In my country is nearly impossible to register for use trikes built by custom shops or a converted bike to trike. So, a factory built rewaco rf1 is for me. I purchased it damaged in an accident (the only way I could afford it), now I am working hard to fix it and from next year, I'll hit the roads.

welcome aboard. Hope that rebuild goes well post up some pictures before during and after. We love pictures.

 

[pisoiu]

Thanks for warm welcome, it is good to be here.
I will write a story, with pictures, about this endeavour and post it here. But only when all will be finished. I have some reasons for that, will be included in the story.

 

[Fredward]

Texting

Well, I ride a trike cause it's much easier to text when riding one, as opposed to two wheels. OK, just kidding. I always wanted one since I was a kid and the "Hell's Angels" guys down the street built them in their garage. One of them took me for a spin once, I loved it. I like bikes fine, I just wanted a trike.

 

[Momma Cass]

I'm short and all but one of the the bikes I'd ridden were either a struggle or intimidating. (Honda , Sportster 1200, Fat Boy, ST Slim) The little Honda fit me but couldn't keep up on ANY long road trips or highway speeds. I don't make a very good passenger. Got tired of looking at hubbies head and watching the world go by as I looked left or right to catch a glimpse of scenery going past at 70 mph. I am a female who likes to feel the road and SEE the world. IRS Trike without a fairing gives me everything I wanted. Smooth ride with a view! Big bonus, a trunk so I can go shopping without trying to cram stuff in saddle bags. Best of all - it's sexy. LOL

 

[lgjhn]

I had no medical issues when I converted the Wing.
And I still ride a Yamaha FJR (probably sell it this spring).
We used the Wing on long tours and short 2-up trips. Converting to a trike lends itself to this type of riding a lot better, and it makes the ride more enjoyable and comfortable for my wife. I respect that a lot and I want her riding with me. I hated the trike at first, and bought the FJR to play with. But now, I wouldn't trade it for anything (thus the likely sale of the FJR in the spring).
I think a lot of riders believe in the stigma that trikes are for the disabled, crippled and/or the ancient. Yes. there is an element of truth to this. Therefore, they don't like, or would even consider, one. Then, there are those that do have medical issues that rule out riding on 2-wheels but are afraid that they will be stereo-typed and made fun of. I've personally experienced this myself one day when we were coming out of a restaurant that a lot of bikers frequent. A young punk on a Harley rolled up beside me and basically said: " What's the matter, Gramps, can't ride a real bike anymore?" Then, took off as fast as he could go leaving us in a cloud of dust and Harley fumes. I was so frickin' furious knowing that I had that Yamaha sport-tourer back in the shop that would literally smoke his young butt from any angle. My wife, God bless her heart, calmed me down and we enjoyed the scenic ride home. I've learned to no let what others think or say bother me anymore.
Let me just say this to those that might be lurking on here and fall into that category of fearing being stereo-typed: Just get the trike and enjoy it. There is nothing to fear. Who ta heck cares what someone else may think. Screw em. Life is short and you only get to go around once in this old world. Don't let someone else's opinon or words rob you. Get out and enjoy.

 

[DK Custom Products]

I was forced onto 3 wheels due to a cager.

While I'm not glad that they hit me...I am certainly happy to have discovered 3 wheels! It really is a whole different kind of fun, and had I known I would have been riding sooner!

To the OP, who asked- "Why do people wait for a medical issue to think about a Trike?" There is a stigma in the biking world about trikes, yes, it is lessening every year, but it is still there.

Kevin

 

[ymxbgnf]

Why do people wait for a medical issue to think about a Trike? Why do people refuse to think about a Trike if there is a medical issue? (" have to stop riding. Can't hold the bike up anymore") I think of my Trike as a Go-cart on steroids.epper:epper:epper:

only regret I have is I did not do it sooner

 

[hocnsoc]

Why Not

A few years ago, I saw the Rewaco trikes winding through the Alps and had a closer look at them at a rest area. The way they handled the serpentine roads was impressive. After that my interest in trikes grew. My wife of 50 years, likes to ride but I could see she was getting a bit nervous on the Heritage in slow situations. She has chronic leg problems and it was an easy decision to do the safe thing and switch to three wheels. We all know it is not cheap but consider all the additional years you can be in the wind and feeling young without the worry of dropping the machine or hurting your passenger. I am comfortable with my 9 year old granddaughter on the back of our Tri Glide and she absolutely loves riding with "Opa" ....Priceless!

 

[RTwing]

I got into trikes 6 years ago not for any reason other than I needed something to ride 100 miles on paved highways then another 30-50 miles on gravel on dirt. While a sport tour would have worked it was not exactly what I felt fit the bill. At the time no companies anywhere produced such a sport trike style machine so I just designed and built my own out of a used ST1100 and have been riding on trikes like it since 2009.
Over 135k and 5 of my own trikes so far and approx 30% of that on non-paved roads.
For me the sport trikes have lifted the boundaries and allowed me to fly fish and explore all roads everywhere.

 

[coolpoolken]

My wife had given up back-seating many years ago. She said if I turned my Goldwing into a trike she would ride with me again. That, and a bad left knee that mad me think about giving up riding cause me to go to the trike. LOVE it even more now!!!......Ken

 

[livelyjames]

I practically lived on bikes in my 20s and 30s but gave up riding when my job took me to Dallas, always planning to buy a Goldwing when I retired, which I did. I just never got completely comfortable on the Goldwing plus my wife said she would ride with me if I got it converted to a trike, best thing I ever did, I feel totally at home on the trike and my little woman can go with me now. My only regret, I should have done it 7 years ago. orag:

+1

 

[headheaded]

a deer forced me onto a threewheeler. i had ridden thembefore , but never owned one. couldn't wait to get back in the saddle after my accident.

 

[jim mccarty]

For me, it was age & ailments. Now 70 with even more ailments, knowing I won't be venturing far from the blacktop, it makes even more sense.
I totaled my 02 Goldwing, replaced it with an 04. Never felt comfortable though so sold it. All in my mind, I know. Then a friend who'd replaced his GL1500 with a trike called & told me how much safer he felt. He & I wanted to ride out west so I figured this would be a good time to pick up a good used trike. Ended up buying a 2000 Valkyrie Interstate with a Motortrike kit on it. No EZ Steer. An absolute bear in mountains.
Now many years & 5 trikes later I'm on a 99 Goldwing/CSC trike. Bought this one on a whim. We old fellows tend to do that. Hoping to recapture even a little taste of our youth. I'd got out of riding, but happened up on a chance to go to Alaska with some fellows. Thought it over. "Why not"? So I picked this one up about a year & a half ago. Then got me a Kwik Kamp camper. Ready for Alaska, trip of a lifetime, "bucket list" trip. Then one month before time to go I end up in hospital with Congestive Heart Failure.
Other fellows had a good time, I read about it online.
Still have it on my list.
So, that's my story. Going to a trike, for me was a no brainier. Keeps us old farts on the road long after we should stop.
So, watch for us. We're everywhere.

 

[AFChief]

Had my first 2 wheeler at 16 and 1 1/2 years later hit a telephone pole with it. Two broke legs and an arm ended my riding days till I entered the US Air Force. Bought another 2 wheeler and rode for 10 years till family and kids took priority so I sold it.

This June I bought a new 2015 TriGlide and me and my BoB love it. We've put over 9K miles on it in less than 8 months. Its been almost 30 years since I sold my last bike and I forgot how much I missed riding. My BoB and I are closing in on 60 and no medical issues thank the Lord. We will ride this trike till the wheels fall off! Stay save.

 

[DTR 11TG]

Thanks for warm welcome, it is good to be here.
I will write a story, with pictures, about this endeavour and post it here. But only when all will be finished. I have some reasons for that, will be included in the story.

I can't wait to see your finished trike & read the story. epper: I love to see & read stuff from Bikers of countries other than the U.S.A., it's always interesting to find out the differences AND the similarities. :wave4:

If you can, throw in some photos of the area/city where you live.

 

[pisoiu]

I will definetely do that, but it will take 1-2 months at least. The most important mechanical problems are solved, yesterday I went out with it for the first time but only with the frame+engine. The fibreglass body is not installed. Fortunately, I have at my home access to a piece of private road, so I can play a bit even if it not yet registered. Man, those horses from the engine are surely mad...
There is still a lot of work to do at those side protection bars, lights, fibreglass body, etc.

 

[pisoiu]

As I promised, the story is here: http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/32297-Rebuilding-a-Rewaco-RF1-GT

 

[TGCarol]

What a great story :clapping:. Congrats on your beautiful trike. I hope you enjoy it.

My my reason for choosing a trike is non-medical. I learned to ride 2 wheels a little over 2 years ago. I had been wanting to ride for a long time and finally took the beginner class at Harley. All of my research suggested that I should start on a very light bike to build confidence so I found the lightest bike I could. It's a replica of the Mustang bike of the 1940's. Here's a pic... It weighs only 250lbs. It's really nice.

Well built, no cheap plastic parts, 250 cc engine and it seemed like a good fit for me. To make a long story short, even though I really like the bike, there is something wrong with it and I've tried everything to find someone to work on it to no avail. The ride is so bad that it scared me and I lost confidence. My own fault for buying a bike sight unseen. (This is a really condensed version of the story). My husband knew how much I wanted to ride and took me to see a Spyder that he had seen for sale on his way home from work. The sales guy took me for a test ride on the back and I instantly felt I could do this. We brought it home and a few months later, while taking the Trike Safety course at Harley, I found that the Triglide was the one for me. The rest is history. Loving my trike.

Sorry for for the long post.

 

[consitter]

In the picture below, you'll see the reason I went to a trike. I have a special needs daughter that LOVES motorcycles. She can't talk, but holds her hands out in front of her like they are on handlebars, and moves them back and forth like she's blipping the throttle when she sees one. She has atonic epilepsy (drop seizures) and couldn't stay on a regular seat of a 2 wheeler. We have added extra safety precautions, like armrests that extend out, and a backrest that I keep all the way back against her when she's riding. It keeps her boxed in. And not just because of the seizures she may or may not have--when playing music she dances like crazy in her seat, and squeals with delight!

Trust me...it was worth every penny changing over to three wheels just so this little girl can ride. As an added bonus, my wife will now ride with me on the occasions that we can find a baby sitter. She never would ride a 2 wheeler with me because she said she 'didn't feel safe'.

Anyway, look at the look on my daughter's face the minute we got on that trike at the dealership. My other daughter took the pic.

I sent it to my wife, who was at work, and she immediately texted back, "She looks so happy. Do you think we can afford it?" I was like, wow...yes, we will make a way. The rest is history. My daughter's name is Raeden, and she loves her TG...and her daddy.

 

[1dn5up]

The smiles say it all. :clapping:

 

[TGCarol]

She's so beautiful! What a great smile and great reason to ride a trike ThumbUp

 

[tom w]

it was hard to change to a trike but it was a good choice for me. I could have stayed on 2 but the knees are bad and we were traveling more. after you pile all her stuff and my stuff and what ever you buy on the ultra, it was a little top heavy . branson ,mo is probley the worst for putting a stop light at the top of a 70 degree hill. very challenging to stop and wait 20 min for the light to change then turn right. Did it several times without dumping but this is not an issue on 3.

I use to like dirt bikes and found a great alternative for them too

 

[Texan]

Why do people wait for a medical issue to think about a Trike? Why do people refuse to think about a Trike if there is a medical issue? (" have to stop riding. Can't hold the bike up anymore") I think of my Trike as a Go-cart on steroids.

Rode 2 for 63+ years.....been to all 48, four corners, high and low on 2, ridden to Sturgis 30 times. Then 3 years started having a few balance issues. Parkinson's reared it's ugly head. So like you said "medical issue". Didn't want to stop riding so reverted to my early childhood and got me a tricycle.

Haven't put any Yogi Berra baseball cards in the spokes yet but it's a thought.

8~\o

 

[CrystalPistol]

Been on MCs since the early '70s, in 1995 we got our first GoldWing, a '85 Aspencade. In 1997 we got wind of a new chapter up the road an hour from us, soon met the charter members at a "Mall Show" and soon we were participating. In 1998 we saw that some of our new friends, CR & Dianne, had converted their new '97 GL1500SE into a trike with a Lehman kit. My "Wife Unit" and I fell in love with that trike and talked of getting a 1500 and doing us one. Many in the chapter started talking trikes, a few others did them from various manufacturers.

Year or two later we went to an open house at CSC and rode one, did not like it, rough as the devil. August 2004 the trike we loved became available, so recalling that experience at CSC, we knew we had better take a good "test ride". We found that we still loved it.

A couple weeks after we brought it home, I installed a Champion EZSteer 6 degree kit. We had it out Sunday, just "Wife Unit" and I, we still love it's ride, handling, & looks ....

and it's long ago paid for status.

I never did view trikes as something to have to someday accept, I thought .... like bikes .... that some were cool, some maybe not in my view. I like what I like and I've found a lot to like about trikes .... like they have wheels and take you places.

Real world, the bike has a smoother ride, jostles the body less or "none at all", is less tiring on a long day's ride, has a light feel, is easier to steer around and through pot holes without hitting any .... but trike handles a trailer easier, will make a U-turn anywhere there's not a cliff to fall off of, is easier to pull over roadside for that photo op, is preferred if caught in rain, and besides everything else .... when "Wife Unit" is happy, I'm happy.

If I'm alone, I prefer the bike usually .....

if two up, I know she usually prefers the trike .... and sometimes we prefer the GT or the FX4 or the Merc.

 

[waldo]

Great thread! New to TT My story. Like many of you grew up on 2 wheels. First MC a Bridgestone 50 at 13. Had some close calls when I was young and foolish but settled down when I met my sweetheart. Last 2 wheeler i had was full dress 1981 Honda 750. I rode that bike to work in July of 1985. While on the job (not the bike) i had an accident and became an instant paraplegic. Been in a wheelchair ever since. It was a sad day when I had to sell that Honda.

I resumed my life ran a business and was able to find ways to do what I needed to do. But it was always nagging me knowing or at least thinking i would never ride again. I researched it and read articles where people adapted bikes to ride from a chair or sidecar set up but that didn't appeal to me. Then I happened by a Trike shop 15 years after my accident. I asked the owner if he thought he could rig a hand shifter he jumped at the idea and set everything up no extra charge. i rode that 89 1500 with my sweetheart on the back for 14 years. I ran into a $ situation and decided to sell. Now only 2 years later with the big 60 coming I just put money down on a 95 Wing and will be back out there until I just can't do it. Trike people are good people and its been great reading your stories and now you know mine!