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Post by pheenix42 on Aug 18, 2012 3:10:20 GMT -5
Since you don't steer a conventional trike by leaning to one side or the other, how long does it take to unlearn that when you drive one? I have memories of a friend's pedal power 3-wheeler that I couldn't guide to save my life; or a trike moped I was interested in that I only went 10 feet before I got off of it!  |
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Post by wiredgeorge on Aug 18, 2012 7:15:40 GMT -5
Great question. I have had a motorcycle endorsement for about 45 years now I guess. I am in the motorcycle business. I took my FIRST trike ride on a Can Am... two wheels in front. It was at a dealership and I did some country roads. For whatever reason, all my motorcycle ingrained habits made it almost impossible for me to drive the thing. The I bought a 150cc rear wheel trike for the missus. I was concerned about riding it because of my motorcycle habits. The missus picked up steering the thing almost immediately but had some issues with wanting to lean into turns. She has hundreds of thousands of miles in the saddle but learned very quickly. I piddled around the driveway and on our road some and got the hang of it quickly enough. The one thing that was hardest wasn't steering but fighting the bars. There isn't enough rake on the small trikes and they follow the road crown down to the side of the road unless you you put pressure on the bars and the bumpy back roads cause the bars to shake a lot more than a motorcycle. Once you get over the oddness of these feelings, you stop noticing that you are correcting with the bars and start having fun. I think the rear wheel trike is easier to get a hang of if you are coming off a motorcycle.
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Post by Parker2100 on Aug 27, 2012 18:58:01 GMT -5
Never had a 2-wheel endorsement and I have had my Trike for 1 month. I now have 380 miles on it. I can tell you that, even for me, the steering was very tricky. The thing wants to stay straight if you are making more than a 30 degrees turn above 7mph. You just really have to slow down for sharp turns. Once you get the hang of it, it is not as bad as it sounds.
I had my first, and only, mishap taking a 45 degree turn at about 7 MPH (less than 20 miles on it then). I ended up lying in the street and the Trike gingerly bumped up the curb and onto the sidewalk.
Parker
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Post by wiredgeorge on Aug 28, 2012 8:35:34 GMT -5
I think folks will forget they are riding a vehicle that provides no protection if it tips or crashes. I suspect a helmet and proper riding clothes would be a good idea, even with a little 150cc vehicle. Anyone doubting they need a helmet, keep and open mind and take the helmet test.
HELMET TEST:
1. Borrow a helmet
2. Find a brick building
3. Put helmet on and bash head against brick building
4. Take off helmet and bash head against brick building
5. If you can't tell the different in steps 3 and 4, then you DO NOT need a helmet.
6. If you noticed the blood and pain, then wear a helmet.
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Post by ibtrikin on Sept 1, 2012 9:24:27 GMT -5
30 minutes. When I brought mine home from the dealer(I rode it home), I kept leaning, lol. My wife and daughter had taken me to pick it up, so they followed me home. Every stop light I'd look back and they'd be rolling laughing  By the time we got home I was pro at it. |
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Post by olmanrivah on Sept 2, 2012 10:05:04 GMT -5
Not owning a Trike (but will get one soon) I would think that using it on the back roads where you can take the curves at a slow speed would be the wise thing. Practice raising your speed until you get the feel of taking the curves at higher speeds.
Only after mastering the back roads proceed to the highways.. . ..
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Post by wile on Sept 2, 2012 11:47:12 GMT -5
You drive it just like a car pretend the handlebar is a cars steering wheel same holds true when making a turn you slow down to make a turn in a car sameo sameo with a trike.
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Post by ibtrikin on Sept 2, 2012 17:40:10 GMT -5
It's actually a lot like riding a 4 wheeler I think, except you don't have to shift.
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Post by olmanrivah on Sept 3, 2012 13:26:00 GMT -5
The problem lies in the fact that in a curve, centrifugal force wants to throw you to the outside of the curve. Since the normal Trike doesn't lean to offset this, steering becomes an issue. And once the inside wheel leaves the ground, you're in trouble.
You can lean your body some to counter weight this, but will not offset like a 2-wheeler.
It just takes getting use to your Trike and what you're comfortable with....
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By the time we got home I was pro at it.
