riding a trike after years of..

[Hank62]

man after riding 2 wheels all of my adult life it is a big change going to a trike, on two wheels going down the road straight you sit straight up in the seat, but on trike the road may be straight but it can lean left and right at angles. or a in the road only on 1 tire make it feel weird for me, I knew it would be different going around curves and it is, then throw in that the road also is not flat and its a different feeling, I also feel like I am closer to the front end of bike because back end is higher than it was when it was on two wheels .

but the one thing that it does, strange feeling or not, It puts me back in the wind where I belong, soon as I get the weave taken care off I will start with daily rides from 50-100 miles for a few weeks working up for the longer rides out west, two wheels or three wheels I belong on the back of a motorcycle

Hank

I could not load photos here but trike can be seen on facebook under hank kettler

 

[Gorilla]

man after riding 2 wheels all of my adult life it is a big change going to a trike, on two wheels going down the road straight you sit straight up in the seat, but on trike the road may be straight but it can lean left and right at angles. or a in the road only on 1 tire make it feel weird for me, I knew it would be different going around curves and it is, then throw in that the road also is not flat and its a different feeling, I also feel like I am closer to the front end of bike because back end is higher than it was when it was on two wheels .

but the one thing that it does, strange feeling or not, It puts me back in the wind where I belong, soon as I get the weave taken care off I will start with daily rides from 50-100 miles for a few weeks working up for the longer rides out west, two wheels or three wheels I belong on the back of a motorcycle

Hank

I could not load photos here but trike can be seen on facebook under hank kettler

Hank,

As you ride more and get accustom to three wheels all your concerns will disappear. A lot of us on here went through the same learning curve. I'm 70 and have been on 3 wheels since 2009. @ wheels prior all the way back to pre teens. I have well over 100k miles under my belt on 3 wheels and really do not miss 2 wheels at all. Ride to Live Live to ride. Ride safe.

 

[Hank62]

just a few more miles

I road to the little store again today check how front end handles, I have learned about pushing to steer, but it still feels weird, some of the curves are nerve racking thinking it was not going to make it, my top speed in curve was 45 mph and its all posted 55. I have not take my feet off of floor board even once as I would at stop sign with 2 wheels, making sure back tires don't eat my legs.

A friend rode over from indiana today and he followed me up to store on his 2 wheeler watching how the trike looks going down the road he said it looks like it tracks straight as a arrow front and back wheels all look good from all point from the back of trike.

Hank

 

[Sloride]

My advice is to take it to a large empty parking lot and set up some cones (pack of 20 off of Amazon for $30.00) set them up with some challenging 60-90-120 deg corners. Start slow doing the same 90 deg corner and increase your speed slowly. Once you begin to trust the trike you will find out that it will out corner a two wheeler through tight cornering. At first you think it feels like it's going to tip over, nothing is further from the truth. These things will corner like their on rails, you just have to crank that wheel around and believe. I got mine doing a 40' Center Line 180 deg radius turns at 20 MPH and never lifted a wheel...try that on a 2 wheel HD.

IMO...it's only through pushing your trike in a controlled environment (no traffic) that you will build the trust needed to get comfortable and not having to think and plan every corner you approach.

SLO

 

[kybigmac]

Main thing is you're in the wind! Now just go ride ride ride and before you know it it will be second nature! Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Hank62]

I have check all that you mentioned and I am the builder. its first trike build but I have done many from the ground up build on 2 wheeled harleys, i'm 62 have not been with out a running driveable harley since I was 19

 

[Hank62]

My advice is to take it to a large empty parking lot and set up some cones (pack of 20 off of Amazon for $30.00) set them up with some challenging 60-90-120 deg corners. Start slow doing the same 90 deg corner and increase your speed slowly. Once you begin to trust the trike you will find out that it will out corner a two wheeler through tight cornering. At first you think it feels like it's going to tip over, nothing is further from the truth. These things will corner like their on rails, you just have to crank that wheel around and believe. I got mine doing a 40' Center Line 180 deg radius turns at 20 MPH and never lifted a wheel...try that on a 2 wheel HD.

IMO...it's only through pushing your trike in a controlled environment (no traffic) that you will build the trust needed to get comfortable and not having to think and plan every corner you approach.

SLO

thanks for advice and suggestion i may just have to get some cones and see what happens

hank

 

[Gone2Three]

Main thing is you're in the wind! Now just go ride ride ride and before you know it it will be second nature! Good luck and enjoy.

Yeppers... :Agree: what they said, welcome and enjoy your new ride!

 

[GRR]

man after riding 2 wheels all of my adult life it is a big change going to a trike, on two wheels going down the road straight you sit straight up in the seat, but on trike the road may be straight but it can lean left and right at angles. or a in the road only on 1 tire make it feel weird for me, I knew it would be different going around curves and it is, then throw in that the road also is not flat and its a different feeling, I also feel like I am closer to the front end of bike because back end is higher than it was when it was on two wheels .

but the one thing that it does, strange feeling or not, It puts me back in the wind where I belong, soon as I get the weave taken care off I will start with daily rides from 50-100 miles for a few weeks working up for the longer rides out west, two wheels or three wheels I belong on the back of a motorcycle

Hank

I could not load photos here but trike can be seen on facebook under hank kettler

Hank,

I tried looking at your photos on facebook, but it doesn't look like they are public.

 

[pcombe]

Why is the back end higher than the front?

Does it have a raked triple tree on it?

The tree kit should come with fork extensions to level the bike?:Shrug:

 

[Hank62]

Why is the back end higher than the front?

Does it have a raked triple tree on it?

The tree kit should come with fork extensions to level the bike?:Shrug:

I'm not sure iback end is higher, it all looks level looking and bottom of frame, it just feels different, I have frankenstien triple tree installed and I did not get any kind of fork extensions,

Where would be best place to measure from to check if back is higher?

 

[Hank62]

Hank,

I tried looking at your photos on facebook, but it doesn't look like they are public.

I went and changed the settings on facebook so photos are open to public

 

[Burnerboy]

I'm on my first season, riding a trike, and rode two wheels for over 51 years, NOW THAT I'M USED TO MY TRIKE, i'll never go back to two :clapping:

Ronnie

 

[pcombe]

I'm not sure iback end is higher, it all looks level looking and bottom of frame, it just feels different, I have frankenstien triple tree installed and I did not get any kind of fork extensions,

Where would be best place to measure from to check if back is higher?

Looking should be about all that's required? Once you kick the front end out with the tree I would assume it would be obvious if extensions weren't added?

If you have Frankenstein triple tree I would assume extensions came with it.

 

[Hank62]

Looking should be about all that's required? Once you kick the front end out with the tree I would assume it would be obvious if extensions weren't added?

If you have Frankenstein triple tree I would assume extensions came with it.

like i said in previous post it is a frankenstien trike but no fork extensions came with it, on their web site it says extensions are not needed

 

[pcombe]

like i said in previous post it is a frankenstien trike but no fork extensions came with it, on their web site it says extensions are not needed

interesting, I will have to look at their design?

 

[Burnerboy]

I'm new to 3 wheels this season, BUT will never go back to two, once I got used to riding the trike, I couldn't even think of of riding two... (66 years old) been riding 2 for over 51 years.... "just can't get rid of this "sugar" eating grin off my face!

Ronnie

 

[Condor Spirit]

Glad you are able to be "back in the wind" I like many others rode 2 wheels for about 45 years. When we first got the trike I thought it was a huge mistake. It took me about 1K miles to get used to it. But now I love it and think you will too, once you get your muscle memory to accept the new way of riding. Wishing you many happy miles.

 

[Marc H]

As far as the weave goes try relaxing your grip a bit.Let the trike do the work.What happens to me is if I grip too tight or stiff arm it and I get a cross wind go over uneven pavement I shift a bit it gets transmitted to the bars and it doesn't take much to move the trike.

 

[Hank62]

interesting, I will have to look at their design?[/QUOTE

here is the email I received from frankenstein trikes:

Henry

You purchased the premium kit which includes the trike kit, the exhaust and the raked tree.

We do not sell fork tube extensions with our tree.

Some companies sell the fork tube extensions with their tree because of the way their trees are made.

I do not know if there are fork tube extensions available, if you were to find some and install them it would raise the front of the bike which would be lengthening the trail which could make the trike heavy to steer.



We only have one tree for the touring models.



I am not sure how the back of the trike could be higher than when it was a bike.

When our trike kit is installed the back of the bike is lowered less than ½”

When the trees are installed on the front, the front is lowered less than ½”

The height of the wheels and tires are very close to the height of the motorcycle wheel and tire.

 

[Hank62]

As far as the weave goes try relaxing your grip a bit.Let the trike do the work.What happens to me is if I grip too tight or stiff arm it and I get a cross wind go over uneven pavement I shift a bit it gets transmitted to the bars and it doesn't take much to move the trike.

I admit I have been holding on with a death grip that makes hands hurt by time I make it back home, I dont stiff arm if very much or at least I dont think I do, I will try your suggestion, It will be a few days before I can ride it again as I have put off to much work around here, I have a floor to replace in bath room plus total remodel of same , install chimney for wood furnace, rent back hoe to rebuild back stop for on site shooting range, plus a few jobs I need to get done asap on metal lathe, Lot of irons in fire that need dealt with before snow flies, but that's all normal for everyone, so much work for so little time,

Hank