Curves & Curves

[HDB0B]

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.

Just like any 2 wheeler .... brake before the turn ... accelerate out of the turn. Remember that you can brake in a turn with a trike ...

which is something you do not want to do with 2 wheels.

Experience builds confidence.

Ride behind other trikers.

Bob

[GARYD]

I'm glad to see others that know what I know. I've been telling everyone that I can take a turn way faster then any 2 wheeler, but they don't believe me and won't take me up on the offer to test it. All mouth.

A couple years ago I hooked up with a bunch of rice rockets on the BRP. I stayed with them for 7 miles until they turned off on overlook. They gave me the thumbs up as I rode past - they were believers.

Last year I caught up with 3 Ultra Classics on the Dragon. I think they tried to get away from me, but I wasn't having any of that. I accompanied them to the finish - just to see if I could.

I wouldn't try that if I had just bought a trike, but after a few thousand miles, not a problem.



I do get a lot of comments on how fast I can change lanes.

Depending on the curve/turn, I usually power all the way through it.
Sometimes, just for fun, I freak out the riders behind me by "leaning way over" in a tight curve.

[Moe55]

Couple years ago we did a charity run for a friend. Half way there was a rest stop, one women asked us about the trike and how we like it. We all headed back and some how a car got in the group. Finally got a straight way and passed the car everyone followed me. We had lost the main group so kind of acceded the speed limit to catch up. Did not know where the end was and not from the area. Any way at the end the women that had talked to us came up and said thank you. Your welcome but what did we do? She said she wants a trike but her husband said they can't go around a curve or keep up with a group. She said when you passed the car he could not keep up with you so he can't use those excuses anymore.

We all laughed!

[Lizzardo]

It is definately different. You have to unlearn a few things from your 2-wheeler days. Other posters hit it well - push/pull on the bar to aid in turning and adjust your speed accordingly. Because you don't have the benefit of leaning in to the turn, it is a bit more manhandling in curves and speed is your biggest control factor. I have noticed I still do have a tendency to lean in sharper curves but I've adjust my lean to opposite - if hard turn left, I tend to shift my weight to the right (in my mind, logically, I'm keeping the outside wheel from lifting). One unique trait I've found with the trike is that under load (passenger and/or gear) it does haven a tendency to want to plow straight ahead so again, speed is your primary control factor.

I can relate to the poster about the 2-wheel trial - I sometimes take the demo's out for the local dealer and what i see a lot of is remembering you have a wide load back there so you don't have 3 sections of lane to work with - you have 1. You can slide slightly inside or slightly outside, but you will start crossing the center line or hitting the shoulder with the back wheels. I also notice that people tend to hug medians in the curves and they get VERY close to riding that rear tire up onto the median. But everyone I've ever taken out on a trike has come back wanting one.



And yes, it certainly is a crowd pleaser.

I get the same thing when I park mine. Come back out and there's a bunch of people looking it over and taking pictures. Then i grab my helmet out and put that on and the crowd goes wild... My friends call them my paparazzi squad now. Just as long as they don't touch, all is good.

[Hogdoc]

WOW! All great information for a new trike owner. Thanks, because curves are my biggest hurdle at this point.

[Bo and Doc]

It's like driving my vintage Porsche 911 at the racetrack,
"Squeeze the gas, save your A$$"

[Jack Klarich]

Look thru the curve and throttle thru it I do not lean
Stay off the brakes un less u dont feel comfortable JMO

[DK Custom Products]

It's like driving my vintage Porsche 911 at the racetrack,
"Squeeze the gas, save your A$$"

"When in doubt, throttle it out."

The first time I test rode a Tri-Glide I commented that it handled like a Porsche or a go-cart.

I have a blast on my Tri-Glide. Love the way it handles.


As far as how to ride a Trike, while there are many similarities between a 2 wheel motorcycle and a Trike....a Trike is Much More like an ATV or 4-wheeler when it comes to How to ride it, than it is a motorcycle.

I ride both, a Trike and 2 Wheelers...about the same # of miles each year. Many times both on the same day.

I don't consciously countersteer on a 2 wheel bike and I don't consciously push/pull on the Trike. Both or instinctive from so much riding, and my body knows, on an unconscious level, which one I am on and acts accordingly.

If one has not ridden an ATV 4-wheeler to get that type of riding into their muscle memory, then practicing in a big empty parking lot would be a good way to build muscle memory, PLUS I would not be thinking consciously about how it is the same or different than a motorcycle, I would just practice with it for what it is. That will probably lessen the possibility of confusion.

Hope that makes sense.

Kevin

- - - Updated - - -

WOW! All great information for a new trike owner. Thanks, because curves are my biggest hurdle at this point.

Practice...and then you can do this...If you want.






or this!







Kevin

[Gone2Three]

"When in doubt, throttle it out."

The first time I test rode a Tri-Glide I commented that it handled like a Porsche or a go-cart.

I have a blast on my Tri-Glide. Love the way it handles.


As far as how to ride a Trike, while there are many similarities between a 2 wheel motorcycle and a Trike....a Trike is Much More like an ATV or 4-wheeler when it comes to How to ride it, than it is a motorcycle.

I ride both, a Trike and 2 Wheelers...about the same # of miles each year. Many times both on the same day.

I don't consciously countersteer on a 2 wheel bike and I don't consciously push/pull on the Trike. Both or instinctive from so much riding, and my body knows, on an unconscious level, which one I am on and acts accordingly.

If one has not ridden an ATV 4-wheeler to get that type of riding into their muscle memory, then practicing in a big empty parking lot would be a good way to build muscle memory, PLUS I would not be thinking consciously about how it is the same or different than a motorcycle, I would just practice with it for what it is.


Kevin

Kevin you are such an inspiration to me! I can only hope to ride with such confidence on those twisties at that kind of speed. For now I'll continue to work on it...maybe one day

[GARYD]

Kevin, that's the best description I've heard lately. I'm like you, I ride the trike and 2 wheelers and I don't even think about what to do on each. Just years of riding does it for me. Everyone kids me, when I ride a 2 wheeler, about forgetting to put my feet down.

[hogcowboy]

Kevin, that's the best description I've heard lately. I'm like you, I ride the trike and 2 wheelers and I don't even think about what to do on each. Just years of riding does it for me. Everyone kids me, when I ride a 2 wheeler, about forgetting to put my feet down.

Before I ever got around a trike I had my 2 wheeler fall over because I forgot to put the kickstand down. I just got off and started to walk away. Just in time to watch it fall as I turned. Been a great day of riding with no issues with idiots on my new Harley Electra Glide. Right there in my drive. Was going to open the door since I didn't have a remote. I just stopped thinking about what I was doing.

So forgetting to put your feet down truly does sound like something I might do in that completely relaxed mode one gets into at times.

I've since tried to have a never ever EVER get in relax mode but in all honesty it still happens when away from all the OTHER idiots.

I now have to put myself in their category.

[GARYD]

I've had similar brain farts with my disk locks once in a while. Luckily I put the lock as close to the fork so I don't get up too much speed. That's an eye opener too.

[rhino 2]

Before I ever got around a trike I had my 2 wheeler fall over because I forgot to put the kickstand down. I just Harley Electra Glide. Right there in my drive. Was going to open the door since I didn't have a remote. I just stopped thinking about what I was doing. So forgetting to put your feet down truly does sound like something I might do in that completely relaxed mode one gets into at times. I've since tried to have a never ever EVER get in relax mode but in all honesty it still happens when away from all the OTHER idiots. I now have to put myself in their category.

Twice i dropped a bike by forgetting to put the kickstand down, The first time was before i had a trike... Around 2006 with my VTX 1800.
I parked in my garage and i didn't pull up far enough.. So i put the kickstand up started the bike and move up a few feet, Forgot to drop the kickstand...

Down it went with me under it...The worst part i was pined down i managed to slid out my cell phone and i called my wife to come down to help get the bike off of me, I thought i'll never live that down...Now fast forward to 2015, Parked my Victory on my driveway.


And the victory has a very sensitive kickstand, Put the kickstand down with the engine still running as i got off the bike it moved a hair forward, And again it pinned me down..

But this time the engine was still running [Harley's and Victory's don't shut off with the kickstand down]
I was albe to reach up and hit the kill switch.. Then call my wife to help me again.. That last one i can't live down..... If i ever do it again I'm just gonna set me and the bike on fire and then blame it on a rouge Comet ........

[DK Custom Products]

Knock on wood, I've never forgot to put my feet down, or put my kickstand down.

However, more than a few times I have forgotten to put my kickstand Up before riding off.

I did this a few times before having and trike, but I have done it quite a bit more since having a trike. That could go very wrong, but fortunately it has not.

Kevin