HELP! My Mom Wants A Trike

[mymomwantsatrike]

Semi serious thread here about a somewhat serious subject.

Well, my mother is 64 and getting a trike. She has never ridden before, but has loved being on the back of a motorcycle as long as I can remember. After recently falling off a motorcycle during a riding lesson she went to the emergency room. Expecting the E.R. doc to admonish her for being so foolish as to start riding a motorcycle at any age, much less 64.......he instead looked he straight in the eye and said "well don't let this stop you. Get back on the bike. When I'm your age, I am going to ride. It's a dream of mine."

Well I guess busy doctors just have to live vicariously through retirement age women lol. Then again, you would have to know my mother. Even a nurse and the ER receptionist told her to "get back on the motorcycle." But she is off two wheels for good, I'm afraid.

Enter the evil trike

They're automatic, hold themselves up, and nary go above 40-60mph, it would seem. Her motorcycle instructor told her to stay off a bike, but a trike would be ok. And so a trike it is. So as a concerned son whose heart is in the right place but time is just not enough, I have several simple questions. If you would entertain me, please.

I have read some of this forum and so I know many of you are very happy with your trikes. BUT, problems arise and they seem frequent. So, I am going to try to put this all is a nutshell:

1. Would you describe them as reliable and / or dependable?

2. I have read a thread called "Before You Get Your Scooter....." and it lists things to change before you even start the scooter for the first time. Are these things really NEEDED? New fuel lines, vacuum hoses, filters, etc? And if so, how much might it all cost her to tell the dealer "make this scooter top notch like allyoop describes at scooterdawg right out of the box. I want it tuned, new plug, filters, fuel lines, new muffler welded on..."

Guys, i am getting exhausted just thinking about it lol. But honestly, I hope all of you just LIKE doing what I have been reading about (12g sliders, slippers, whatever it is? werid parts that have fins and what not) and don't HAVE to do it.

3. Is this the sort of product my mom could just go out and enjoy without being Mrs. Mechanic? Don't get me wrong, she is learning about bikes, safety, and carrying and using a tool kit. For maintenance and adjustments, though. Not for ripping out the guts of the scooter and replacing a bunch of stuff. I'm pretty sure she wants to just hop on her scooter when she likes and travel around in it. Take it in when it needs service, learn to do her part, and have it start and go. Her average top cruising speed will be around 45mph, most likely. Will the engine "scream" like allyoops? I hope not!

I am prepared to do what I can, but I don't want her buying something she can't enjoy because it always needs to be fixed or runs like crap. Obviously I don't know much about all this, but I can learn a little for my mom. I just don't want her problem to become mine. My dad passed a few years ago, so this sort of thing is left to the kids. And rightfully so. And I want to help her make the right decision.

No one makes scooter trikes except the Chinese, it would seem. At least not inexpensive ones. The budget was a maximum $3500 for a small motorcycle, the same for a trike. If buying, the trike will be purchased locally either from Scooter Dynasty or Scooter Depot. I would also like to know what opinions you might have of those dealers and their service mechanics, technical knowledge, and customer service. If the scooter is bought, a full PDI and assembly will be done. BUT, what else should be done and how much would it cost?

Finally, are these at least good enough quality machines to ride "as is" without heavy duty welding and always making adjustments for maximum performance, or are they the temperamental dogs which they seem from some of these posts? I am hoping for the former.

For moms sake and mine


EDIT: oh and is this whole drivetrain ordeal taken care of now?

thanks guys glad to be here. i only ask a moderator delete this thread eventually, as if my mother gets the scooter i am going to direct here to this forum lol

[rapidjim]

I will try and help you out.

First off, I applaud your Mom for not giving up on riding after her ordeal. Some people a lot younger than her give up after their first "crash". She sounds a lot like my Mom was before she pasted, head strong and if she wanted to do something she would do it. Some of my customers are well into their 60s and above.

My experience so far with Ice Bear machines is that if they are PDIed correctly they are a sound machine. Now as far as all the stuff you listed that has been done by others during the PDI, a B&M dealer worth his salt will check everything during the PDI and replace what is questionable. To do it all, in my shop, would normally run around $200.00 parts and labor. The cost can vary due to the size of the machine and the labor rates in your area. My posted labor rate is $60 an hour, I usually don't charge that or should I say I don't charge for every minute I am working on a scoot.

As far as mods using Sliders, clutches, variators, big bore kits and the likes, it is not a necessary thing to do for the everyday rider that is not into performance. Look at it this way, this area is like driving a stock Chev or Ford, vrs a heavy modified Chev or Ford. Sure with the above mentioned mods you can go faster, but from what I am reading she is looking for something to just ride around on, not go racing or get the most out of the machine that she can.

In my opinion, if set up correctly for the beginning, these machines are realiable without heavy mods. They are "user friendly" as far as everyday maintenance is concerned, ie, changing oil and spark plug.

As far as reviews on the two shops you mentioned, here are some links decide for yourself, I am sure there are more but these are the ones I found.

scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=24378

scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=29985

scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=26497

scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=27488

scootdawg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=22878

Good luck to you and your Mom. If you need or want more advice or answer wuestions you may have fell free to call.

Jim/Owner
Rapid Repair

[mymomwantsatrike]

thanks for your great post, rapidjim

oh and yeah, my mother is pretty strong willed. she was actually looking at harley trikes when i called her the other day. but at $30,000, um, no lol

plus they have those pesky manual shifters

time is short right now so i don't have much to say atm. but i will be back later with more questions about trikes and what not. ice bear would seem the way to go and when this happens i want to be as prepared as possible

i did have time to look at those links a little, and i am now glad to be close to the L.A. area so all this can be done without having to uncrate the trike and put the pieces together. the way i would like it done is go to dealer and order one, pay extra money for top notch PDI, assembly, and whatever parts can be upgraded BEFORE delivery to insure a smooth running, reliable trike, and be on my way. spending a little extra money for the best "out of the box" trike possible is no problem

i did go by scooter dynasty at noon today and was fairly impressed. didn't have much time, but the questions i did ask were answered promptly and honestly. they have a storefront across from staples center, which also serves as a service spot. so thats good. i will post later and share my experience, and i also have MORE questions about trikes and ownership, maintenance, upgrades, parts....everything!

i also want to thank you for those links to scooter depot experiences. they are "local" so if a good deal can be had i MIGHT still consider them as purchasing option. but only if they can assure quality service after sale. which many internet customers can't even get before sale with the company, it would seem. so scooter dynasty has the lead right now

i also ran into some pesky C.A.R.B issues. dumb California

anyway i will be back later and i hope to hear from more of you! you will definitely be hearing from me in this thread for awhile

[rapidjim]

Glad I could help.

Jim/Owner
Rapid Repair

[als01seville]

mymonwantsatrike,
Hi, ok, the 150cc trikes out of the crate will do 50mph no sweat. But they usually come with 10-10.5 gram roller weights. With those weights the engine at 50mph is running 8000 rpms which is high.
I would have the mechanic put in heavier weights say 12 or 13s then it will run around 7000-7500 rpms at 50mph. Since your mother will be riding around under 50mph I think the 150cc Trike will do her. For joy riding around under 50 the 300cc would be overkill. Also the 150cc can be gotten for around $2,500.00 includeing the PDI. And you can tell them you want the rpms around 7000-7500 at wide open throttle and have them change the weights, or you can buy them yourself get a cheap electric 110 plug in impact wrench and you can change them yourself. With 12Gram weights it should run around 7100-7300 or so, with 13Gram weights it should run around 6800-7000rpms. For every gram up or down the rpms will change by 500-600.
Alleyoop

[piccola]

TO THE GUY WHOSE MOM WANTS A TRIKE,

I began riding at the age of 62. My husband and sons all nearly had a stroke. My first scoot was a 150, my second a 250 and my third a 600.

I had to have the Honda 600 Silverwing modified because my legs are way too short to ride it safely. I had training wheels installed on it, (called a trike kit by Tow-Pac). It is a very stable, safe and fast hwy vehicle. I don't use it on backroads, it doesn't handle like a regular scoot, more like a truck without power steering.

When I ride to work, I use the Honda Reflex 250. That is my around town and fun scoot. The Swing, (I have named it the Mod Quad because the original drive wheel is not removed), is for long trips. It will have its maiden voyage later this month when I will take it on a trip to NH.

So tell Mom to go ahead and buy herself a trike, but I recommend at least a 250. She will not be happy with the 150 for long.

[mymomwantsatrike]

HELLO

well this forum and board has been of great help and i thank you all. more needs to be learned of course, but its a great start and its nice to be able to go to dealers and ask good questions and be an informed buyer. the good news is....a TRIKE has been found and will be ordered and purchased the coming week. or the week after

we (mom and i) went to a local place today called High Style Motoring in Whittier CA and it was a great place. in business 23 years, its not an internet sales warehouse (although they do some internet sales) but a local business run by a local guy








www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtCGhc51Voo


i feel very fortunate to find such a shop. the owner is very knowledgeable about what he sells, and as you can see from the pics the service center is real, not what i saw at scooter depot yesterday. and what did i see at scooter depot? well, a giant warehouse in the middle of nowhere. the "showroom" was a warehouse of assembled scooters, some of which were being used for parts. the "service" department was a small poorly lit room in the corner of the warehouse with what looked to be a kid working there, and scooters lying around with "for parts only" signs on them. the sales staff were set up in cubicles so cluttered it looks like some lived in them.

none of this is a put down on scooterdepot. i'm sure its as good a place as any to buy a scooter over the internet, as they basically ship scoots out, as well as parts. the salesperson was nice and knowledgeable about the product. but you could most likely forget about any sort of personal service after purchase. i mean the place is all sales and warehouse, pretty much.

scooter dynasty was great. but its downtown and they were a little confused about the CARB rules. so wanting more info about CARB, the registration process, and trikes, we made our way to Whittier and i am glad we did!

the initial meeting went great. customers buying and looking at scoots, the owner working the business he obviously cares about. very honest about the scooters, trikes, shortcomings, and willing to upgrade parts and pieces with higher quality ones during routine maintenance and after break in. and thanks to the big alleyoop thread and his post in this one i was able to talk about weights, sliders, and top speed. and these guys know and understand all of it, top to bottom

anyway it looks like the trike has been chosen: it will be a red PST150-11. my mom liked the styling and storage, and i had read much of the "Super Trike" thread where alleyoop and that one guy with the blue -11 discuss the pros and cons of performance for their trikes right "out of the crate." the -11 seemed to have a bit "more leash" at cruising speed. so i guess its as good a choice as any. i also saw this guys vid on youtube of the -11. looks like it goes down the road well

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljhw-5sVzLM&feature=related

anyway i will keep posting in this thread and keep it updated as the days go on. the trike is CARB approved (i was shown a CARB document stating which scoots are approved, and the owner says it will come with a CARB sticker), will be given a top notch PDI and assembly, and service is something they take seriously for all their customers. the price OTD including all DMV paperwork, registration, PDI, etc, is just a bit over $2800. i think thats a fair shake considering the personal service

so, THANK YOU EVERYONE who posted in this thread. and please feel free to check in with any advice or comments. my mother is excited, and she gets to ride, which is great for her. i will sign her up here when time permits, and she can start to share in the joy of scootering on her new Chinese trike

regards and thanks once more!

[rapidjim]

Great write up and thank you for sharing. Good luck to you and your Mom.

Jim/Owner
Rapid Repair

[mymomwantsatrike]

thank you jim, you have been very helpful and its much appreciated

let me ask you, rapidjim. in your experience is this rear end problem the trikes seem to be having commonplace? i have now read about "problems" with trans cables, reverse gear, and differentials. so the whole thing is kind of confusing to me. would you consider trikes higher maintenance or more prone to need repair concerning the things which make a trike...a trike?

its hard feeling my way through all the opinions and experiences of these "wrenchers" on the board who customize things, weld, and tinker with the trikes. just how much trouble might i expect to have with the trike just because its a trike?

i think i am pretty clear on the other stuff. engine, maintenance, upgrades, higher quality parts as you go along, and the PDI. i am comfortable with all that.

but if maintaining a trike is like maintaining two scooters in one so to speak, and a back end some would say is defective, well, i'd have to give it a second and third thought. which is what i am doing.

one guy on here has a Rukus clone he can't wait to unload. trouble seems to be its a trike, and thats it.

what say you, rapidjim?

[als01seville]

mymonwantsatrike,
I do not believe Jim can help you with that question. He has only worked on the 300cc trikes and has not worked on any of the 150cc trikes. But here is the thing, the new 150cc trikes will no longer have Reverse only the 300cc trikes. But the 150cc trikes are very easy to push around UNLESS of course you are going up an pretty good incline:) So really the Reverse is really not needed(IMO) and I am disabled and do not use it.

Since your are going to buy from a Dealer that can and will work on the Trikes you should not be to concerned. Every scoot has problems some more than others. As for myself I happen to have ordered the trikes when they FIRST CAME OUT in March of 2009. Since then they have upgraded some of the parts and have tried to fix some of the problems. Heck they sent me a UPGRADED COMPLETE REAR AXLE, I had to wait 3 months for it but they did replace it.

The 150cc Trikes have what they call a Solid Axle with means it does not have a suspension that allows each rear wheel to go up and down when going over a bump. The First 300ccs also HAD a solid Axle and Just now they made changes and the Newer ones now have Independent suspensions which will be a much smoother rideing Trike. Each wheel will be able to go up and down independatley. But there again they just came out with the NEW CHANGES so noone knows how the CV JOINTS will hold out. They work just like in a Car with CV JOINTS each side of the Wheel has its own Axles with a suspension on each side.

I do my own work on it because nobody around here will work on the Trikes. But Just a couple of weeks ago I did find one dealer that will work on them. He is about 20miles from me and he does pick up and deliver it back to you. Which is good to know if I have a serious problem I do not want to tackle like taking the engine out and putting in a new one. But that is only due to my disability not that I don't know how to do it. Its pretty simple actually but I do not have the equipment to lift the trike.

Just one other thing, We and I think I speak for the Majority Trike owners, we really beat the HECK out of them. We are always cranking and modding them and what not. I do not think your mother will be beating the heck out of her ride:).

Hope this helps a little,
Alleyoop

[mymomwantsatrike]

thanks for your post, alley. that clears up a lot for me. you're an awesome poster, i would say. this is a very helpful board. i read your thread....and the poster with the blue trike (glad Ice Bear is standing behind the product there, and helping him fix it) and found them helpful in understanding the guts of the trike. i'm not a mechanic, but i can fix things. so i can fix this, too. i know computers ok, which is nothing next to a car or cycle. i mean, who can't slap together a motherboard and a chip? its simple. but i've never changed my own oil. ever.

it just doesn't strike me to. you know how when YOU work on something and some guys just hang around looking at what you are doing? like the guys who stare into the engine bay as YOU work on the engine? as if trying to figure out a puzzle? yup, i'm that guy!

i'm just not a tool person. i changed the battery in my car last week and had to borrow the wrench.

you get the picture lol. but no more "dumb" questions (or threads) from me. now i am just here to lurk and learn, and ask questions as needed. and my mother knows the responsibilities of taking care of here own bike, also. she takes all the MSF work very seriously. tool kits and all that

goodnight, and thanks all. my next questions will be about adjusting carburetors and what not

[scootergrandma]

Mymomwantsatrike,

I just gave ya a dawg bone for being a good son and watching out for your mom! My boys (both grown) are pretty ok with me riding my scoot. They think it's pretty cool actually. My grandson (who will be 2 in September) gets the biggest kick out of it when I come rolling up on my scooter & he realizes it's me!

You know, I'm surprised you yourself haven't decided to get one, too.

It's only a matter of time. Trust us.

[triker98304]

My wife wants to get her license and ride my trike. She's 5'2" and the Icebear Trike 150-9 seems to be good for both of us. I think your mom will really enjoy the trike. I am having a blast on mine even with the little problems.
Triker98304

[Hellraiser16]

I have the Trike kit brackets/frame for a Scarabeo 2008 and 2009 from Tow-pac if anyone is interested. Make an offer. It will not come with the wheels or the fenders. You will have to order them separately.


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