Curves & Curves

[Marv1]

Have had the trike now for about three weeks now and have took it out the best I can weather permitting. Very happy so far ! Still cautious around curves. Any tips on taking curves on the new tri glide and proper tire pressure ? Probably in my head in may tip.

[TheBobs]

Marv, time in the saddle is the best thing. Also mind the yellow signs. If the curves says 35, go 35. Best technique (and I read it here somewhere) is to pull and push at the same time on the handlebars. Say for example you are going to the left: pull on the left grip, push on the right and lock your elbow. Locking the elbow on the outside of the turn helps you keep your body straight. As I'm sure you've figured out, leaning your body does nothing except put you in a position that removes ANY leverage you may have had. Some else here said that they put pressure on the outside floorboard. I have to admit I find myself doing that myself as it also helps keep your upper body straight.
Again, do what the yellow signs say until you have mastered your own technique and learn what YOUR limits are.

[screwball]

My wife took to trike like a fish in water. She 'forgot' 15 years of 2 wheel riding in a weekend. Me on the other hand had to think really hard for the first month. Hardest was the leaning thing. Second is that you can't split lanes, gutter run, or hit the sidewalk like I used to do on the Dyna and E-Glide. I've looped the Grand Canyon from California, toured most of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California. There is just no comparison on the trike. Biggest problem you will have is the crowds that always seem to gather around your trike when you park it. Ride it in good health, ride it like you stole it, ride the hell out of it!

[Bikerbozo]

I now like seeing how fast I can take curves. That said, if road is tilted out or bumpy, I slow down (or if wife on trike). You'll get a feel for it with practice.
Below is a pic I took when passing though your neck of the woods in Nov.

[FLTR2008TRIKE]

I found that if your going into a turn or curve that I hug the gas tank with the inside of my inner leg to help with the control of my trike

[Trent]

Hey Marv...It will come to you..Took me about 500 miles..the break in period..to get the hang of it...Then another 500 to really figure it out...I push my 2 wheeled ridin' Buds thru the curves now,, unless they are behind me trying to keep up!!
Like Bozo, I am not as umm,, aggressive?..crazy?...dumb?..or whatever, when I have my sweet BOB {Babe On Back} with me. Consider getting the rear lift kit from our friend Dennis on this forum. It will greatly improve the handling and the grip on the road thru the curves. Have fun on that new Trike!!

[Memnoch451]

I too took a little time to get use to it from two wheels. I got some pointers from a "sidecar" guy and I think the first post pretty much hit the nail on the head. I was told to keep your back straight, push with one arm and pull with the other. For I while I had to think about it but, now I just steer into turns and have fun.

[Trent]

Last week my HD dealer let a guy that had been ridin' a two wheeler for 50 years take a new TG for a little test ride.They knew him very well and figured he would be just fine...Bada$$ old school Harley guy his whole life. It was almost very ugly. He could not turn it!!. Almost slammed into a row of used bikes sittin' out front..then almost drove it up over an island and curb. Kept puttin' his feet down to try and stop like he became brain dead about how to use the brake. The sales guy had to run to him and shut off the motor before something worse happened. He was very embarassed as a lot of people including his Buds were watching. They wish they had taped it to put on Youtube but then were glad they didn't cuz they didn't want to embarrass him further. It made for some interesting discussion about switching from 2 to tripod. Not very easy for a lot of people.

[Skeet7373]

Last week my HD dealer let a guy that had been ridin' a two wheeler for 50 years take a new TG for a little test ride.They knew him very well and figured he would be just fine...Bada$$ old school Harley guy his whole life. It was almost very ugly. He could not turn it!!. Almost slammed into a row of used bikes sittin' out front..then almost drove it up over an island and curb. Kept puttin' his feet down to try and stop like he became brain dead about how to use the brake. The sales guy had to run to him and shut off the motor before something worse happened. He was very embarassed as a lot of people including his Buds were watching. They wish they had taped it to put on Youtube but then were glad they didn't cuz they didn't want to embarrass him further. It made for some interesting discussion about switching from 2 to tripod. Not very easy for a lot of people.

LOL, I went yesterday to practice at the dealer. They brought out a trike and drove it to the back parking lot. Wouldn't you know it, there was a 18-20 foot englosed trailer parked right in the middle of the parking lot. Oh, this lot is closed off just for their storage. Yes, I aimed right for that trailer after I said "I'm not going to hit that trailer". So, yes its embarrassing to find out you can't ride 3 wheels. I have to have alot of practice! Karen

[trikertroy]

I suggest finding a smooth grassy field or some such place and do some burn outs.. panic stops and then maybe a few side slide drifts.. By practicing in a safe place you will know what your trike is going to do when something unexpected happens..

You will develop a "feel" for your top heavy machine...It aint like leaning a bike.. you gotta steer these things..

I, personally, love to blast thru corners and other performance activities.(safely) Trikes can be VERY easy to drive and corner, even for first timers,,,IF it is designed to do so..
There are OTHER types of very decent and often superior trikes then the common conversion styles.

There is NO logical reason for anyone to have to be white knuckled when going around corners..or any other time.. There are cures and fixes (and replacements) for any trikeing problem.. Perhaps your trike just needs to be adjusted and "set up" by someone knowledgable.

[Bikerbozo]

Hell, when I was looking, my dealer said they couldn't let me test ride a TG because it would drop the value of a new one. He did let me try their 1970 Servicar with the 3-speed suicide shift (and foot clutch). I got it up to 3rd gear in the parking lot and kept going in a snake pattern just to get the feel of 3-wheel steering. Then I got a proper TG test ride a month later at an open house a couple of hours away.

[Marv1]

Thanks for all the tips on the twisties !

[Seavon]

Marv, I have been riding my trike now for about 4 months and do not think I would want to go back to 2 wheels. I love the safety and curves hold no fear to me now. I will admit I do get whisful at time when going in a sweeping curve and the 2 wheeler just leans and goes and I am actively steering my 1 ton battlestar the whole way.

[adaptolife]

Love my Ghost Wheels!

[Burnerboy]

This is wonderful reading for me, cause, as of yet I have not gotten my new triked out bike, back from the shop, I'm getting excited about learning how to ride again, never rode a trike, but decided I wanted to "go for it" and just sent bike in to be triked out.........
trike shop says maybe one more week and I'll have a new motorcycle with three wheels in my garage.............. let the new adventure (learning to ride) begin!

Ronnie

[Fearless]

A quote from Steve. Find a empty parking lot and test out the curves brakes etc. remember push and pull with your arms on turns. Watch fuel Islands you will be surprised how fast it becomes second nature Welcome to our world we love our Triglide ride safely fearless

[Texan]

It will come to you with practice. One thing I learned several years ago pushing a side car down the road, which is the same as riding a trike, is like most have said "learn to pull and push at the same time". Also, when you go to make a left turn power into the turn and let off the throttle when making the turn. Making a right hand turn coast into the turn and throttle thru it.

You'll learn that you can out corner and out turn any of your 2 wheeled buddies. I've proven it to all the guys I ride with. Since I've started riding my trike 3 yrs ago (I have Parkinson's) none of my buddies can out do me on Needles Hwy or Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills.

As Paul Hornung use to say, Practice, practice, PRACTICE !!!!

8~\o

[Capt.Bob]

LOL, I went yesterday to practice at the dealer. They brought out a trike and drove it to the back parking lot. Wouldn't you know it, there was a 18-20 foot englosed trailer parked right in the middle of the parking lot. Oh, this lot is closed off just for their storage. Yes, I aimed right for that trailer after I said "I'm not going to hit that trailer". So, yes its embarrassing to find out you can't ride 3 wheels. I have to have alot of practice! Karen

Like any motorized bike/trike, your vehicle will go where you are looking. In a curve, remember to look where you want to go!

[J.T.M.]

At first I thought I had ruined a good bike by triking it. After several miles I now feel it was the best think I have done in a long time. The curves scared the heck out of me but now I will corner with the best of them. I was told to accelerate through the turn. This sounded dumb because more speed just didn't seem to be the right answer. After trying it a time or two I found the trike takes a set and corners great this way and does not seem to lean to the outside. Try just a LITTLE throttle in each curve and you will see what I am talking about.

[2234ME]

I don't know what was harder adjusting to riding the trike or adjusting to riding a trike. The more I rode of course the more comfortable I felt handling the trike. Adjusting to the fact I was on a trike took a lot longer. I slayed the dragon last week, My 03 Road king / Motortrike with newly added Rush pipes Ness Big sSucker, a P.C.-V from Fuel Moto and Andrews 26 cams and a Zook rake kit tore up the rode. My friends on two wheelers couldn't keep up I passed two bikes that pulled over for me. Needless to say my additute got some serious adjusting. I highly recommend the road to anyone in need of a smile