short video clip of icebear trike

[scootergrrrl]

I was going to go take a look at one of these today at a local scooter shop. Unfortunately, I'll have to do it next weekend (something came up work related this morning)

Please tell me its the lack of skills of the drive that makes the back wheel pop up....he really does look kinda clueless driving that thing.....

[xs650]

Dec 19, 2009 17:27:19 GMT -5 scootergrrrl said:

Please tell me its the lack of skills of the drive that makes the back wheel pop up....he really does look kinda clueless driving that thing.....

Narrow distance between the rear wheels and high CG with rider on it and well forward of the two side by side wheels. It's an unstable vehicle. As more of them get on the road you will hear about lots of accidents with them.

A moderate turn combined with moderate braking will be enough to put it on it's side. From a vehicle dynamics standpoint it's real bad.

They are still great looking scoots though.

[aileronjack]

Hey Scootergrrrl:
I have seen this video on youtube I think.
There's a part of what 650 is saying that is true. There is a high center of gravity with the rider being a part of the bike. The back wheel lifting off may or may not be the stupidty of this particular rider. If he has expereince with the bike he may be very familiar with the envelope and dances along the edge of disaster.
I have one of these bikes; and have a healthy respect for my good health with no plans to make the bike perform beyond it's capability or my own. As far as what 650 said about the future being bleak for these bikes, only time will tell. If an idiot kills himself because of his lack of a brain, we could see litigation by remaining family members wanting to pass the blame for his lunacy on to the manfactorer, by standers, the city who owns the tree he wrapped himself around, Superman cause he didn't save the whackjob, etc, etc, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Hopefully, this scenario will not be seen; with nothing but a bright future ahead for the Ice Bear products.

[JR]

I think their market value is going to be with folks who have trouble with the two wheel scooters just like the motorcycle market with their trikes! I myself with both knees replaced and the arthritis taking over year by year am looking at one of these myself but I'm hopng that they will son have a 250 water cooled version and maybe bigger back wheels for more stability!

I think it's a given that one will need to re-adress the driving of one of these compared to the two wheeled scooter and myself speed isn't the only thing I think about so slowing down for turning and the curves won't be an issue with me! It's kind of like me slowing down! JRR

[usfmarine]

Dec 19, 2009 21:01:12 GMT -5 JR said:

I think their market value is going to be with folks who have trouble with the two wheel scooters just like the motorcycle market with their trikes! I myself with both knees replaced and the arthritis taking over year by year am looking at one of these myself but I'm hopng that they will son have a 250 water cooled version and maybe bigger back wheels for more stability!

I think it's a given that one will need to re-adress the driving of one of these compared to the two wheeled scooter and myself speed isn't the only thing I think about so slowing down for turning and the curves won't be an issue with me! It's kind of like me slowing down! JRR

I might save up and buy one of these just to avoid the onerous military motorcycle rules and regulations.

[JR]

So they wouldn't give one as much trouble with all the regs with a trike Marine?

[scootergrrrl]

I'm also interested in a trike due to back problems and a complete lack of balance skills (no...really....can't even ride a kids pedal bike...I just bonk over! Roller skates, skis, anything but my two flat feet -- I bonk over!)

I've owned a sidecar rig in the past, and you can pop a really interesting "sideways wheelie" if you aren't paying attention So I do have an understanding of what vehicles are capable of. Even though 150 cc is freeway legal in Cali -- I don't know if I'd take it out on highway 101 though! Just nice easy scootin' around town

[als01seville]

Yes, with any three wheel trike you cannot take corners like you can with two wheelers. You have to learn the limitations when making turns. I remember in the old days the police used to have Motorcycle Trikes and they would be chasing someone and doing a two wheelie making a turn onto another street to follow the guy. But I have had mine now since the last week of June and you learn how to ride a Trike. I have no problems and either does my Brother-In law we have the same trikes same color we have the Ice Bear PST150H and we ride all over the Suburb of Chicago where we live. Have streets that are 35-45 mph and as you know 35 means 40 45 means 50 and so on and we keep up with traffic with the trikes. We are both disabled and we need the Trikes for stabilty and balance so we don't have to put our feet down at stop signs and lights. Just ride smart and know the limitation of the trike and you will be alright. They are not for HOT RODDING AROUND.
Alleyoop

[wolfhound]

I have the IB 150-8 Rucus clone and am 6'1" @ 190 lbs.Bryan Smith of MountainMoped has a PST150H. I have ridden both and have yet to have a wheel come up in turns.If you do a little
research before you ride one you quickly learn that you drive a trike, you dont 'ride' a trike.
You slow down for the turns, into side streets and drive ways. You ease up on steep curves on highways and you must remember that you dont lean into a turn. 20- minutes riding and you should have the hang of it. Like Alley Oop and others my knees are not the best and
an L4 disc problem, no pain just numbness in my feet, makes operating the gear shifts on
motorcycles difficult. Otherwise, being the perverse person that I am I would get a Ural side car unit and really make my life difficult!! I manage most curves at 45-50 mph without slowing down and here in the NGA mountains if the sign says 35mph curve I believe it. I have 4 bikes if I want to lean in curves and I will admit that i am not ready yet to say that Ice Bear is the ultimate answer but for the money spent it is OK. Oh, JR, that is going to be a 300cc watercooled trike. Sounds interesting but only if Ice Bear starts insisting on better quality control on the 2010 units!! For now I will stick with what I have. And remember you STEER
a trike just like you do a car. Sorry to be so long winded.

[wolfhound]

Scootergrrrrl, study what the rider is doing in the video. A very sharp turn at too fast a speed.
Lesson learned is simple: dont do sharp turns at high speeds!!!. Try that same turn with a bike and you might find yourself sliding across the concrete.Any bike or trike mishandled is going to result in spills.

[aileronjack]

Hey wolfhound. I posted this in another thread somewhere. It is rumored that the IB 300 will debut at the 2010 dealer expo. Here's a link to the website for that event.
www.dealerexpo.com/
I am really interested in that bike. I love my 150. I just think that the extra 150cc's will be a more enjoyable experience. I dont have the confidence in the longevitiy of the 150. For those of us who have one, no matter the model, we all seem to have a bike less than a year old. It is yet to be seen how long the life span will be. It may be 3 years, 5years, or 10 depending on ones ability to work on em. I am suspicious that the 300cc will handle load and torque for a longer period of time; particularly for guys like myself - being a little larger than the average "bear".

[wolfhound]

Supposedly the gy6 is the A model Ford motor of the scoot trade. Designed by Honda, made for the most part in China and the basic design is used by everybody. I would guess that
treated properly, serviced properly, it should give long time service. For example my first scoot is my 06 Tank touring 150. I have nearly 800 miles on it, not a lot by most standards, and it
was never given dealer type service, did not know that I needed to. Except for eating batteries it runs 50-55 as long as you want.
My concern with IceBear is that they are not paying enough attention to the manufacturers
assembly line. When we (Bryan Smith did the work- I passed the wrenches) We found a lot of poor quality things such as the cheap Chinese fuel and vacuum lines the terrible air filter,
poorly balanced tires, a cheap fuel pump, and some transmission issues that we are still working on--nothing major but stuff that should not be issues on a new scoot. I do like the
Ruckus clone and might be interested in it in the 300cc series which Bryan says they will offer it in. I will continue to break in the 150 and wait to see what problems arise with the 300
series before I make up my mind to buy. I do like the idea of more power, that is for sure.
If Ice Bear is not careful in their management they may end up being the next Tank scooter.
Tank did not demand better quality control, had major parts distribution problems(that from the dealer who dropped the line and sold me the last 250 Deluxe Touring he had) and grew
too fast. By the time they went broke they had trimmed 3 motorcycles, and 15 scooters from the line. But they were offering scoots, motorcycles, off road units, sand buggies The moral here is that to suceed you need to find something, do it well, and expand slowly and carefully.
Ice Bear came on the scene here 3 years ago(?) with the whole enchalada model wise. I think it is going to be a while longer before I will consider getting a bigger Ruckus trike.
And the fact that mine and Bryons were delivered with no Ice Bear logos on them raised a few
great big question mark in my mind too!!! I am not a mechanic but am starting to get my hands greasy as a necessity. As I learn it is kinda fun. However, most scooter sales are made to people who are riders not mechanics so the units should be well designed, decent parts in them and simple to fix when they break. And I am not high on radiators either but can live with them.I would love to get to this show but have not made plans to go at this time.

[ajaxdog]

I was hopeing someone would say, "the trikes are great, get one" but no such luck. I'll just get the 300cc and hope for the best. I need a fast scoot cause I live in the country; nearest town is 6.5miles and I hardly ever go to there. If the 300cc breaks, I'll just go back to my 08 YY250T. It has well over 5000miles on it without a hitch. Changed the belt on it the other day and am keeping the old one for a spare. If there is anyone out there that can give me a little encouragement on the chinese 300cc trike, I'm sure I will have one in my garage shortly.