Seatbelts? WTH?

[emptymag]

I'm building a VW powered Mid engine trike. I have the drivetrain 95% done. I'm in process on the frame. A pretty simple frame with a rear bench seat that should be big enough for 2-3 butts. Here's the question of the day-Do I put seat belts on the bench seat? I don't want my passengers to go flying if I have to panic stop. No, there are no roll bars/cage to protect if I flip. What do you think? Thanks!

Here's a pic of the style trike I'm putting together. This is NOT my trike.Attachment 24090

[Ozarkryder]

I would say it's your trike, your design, your build. Do it the way you think is best. Though I do believe something to keep your passengers within the confines of the trike would be a good thing.

[Ol' Man Jeb]

How many of us trikers have seat belts for the butts that are perched behind us? I agree with Ozarkryder, your playground, your rules.

[emptymag]

How many of us trikers have seat belts for the butts that are perched behind us? I agree with Ozarkryder, your playground, your rules.

I understand that seatbelts have been deemed "DEADLY" by almost every triker riding today. The difference is most trikes have room for one passenger. That passenger CAN"T fly off even if they tried! On my trike I can seat three passengers on my bench seat. There is NOTHING to prevent those passengers from flying off in a true PANIC STOP! So?...

[Ozarkryder]

As above, something to keep folks on the rig is a good idea, and with a bench seat there isn't much to hang on to. I have seen seatbelts on trikes like the Renagade, Ecstasy and some homebuilts with bench seats.

[tom w]

maybe a lap bar like on a ride at the carnival ?

[Rsw]

Why not just build a safer trike?

[vw driver]

We have seatbelts on our trike. The State of Washington says if a trike has a steering wheel and seatbelts a person does not need a trike endorsement on their license. Is it safer? I don't know but apparently the State must think so. I have never heard what the reasoning is behind this law. It was enacted so the the ice cream vendors who drive the 3 wheel Cushman ice cream carts would not need a trike endorsement which requires a person attend trike riding school for two days and costs $125.00. I am too busy to attend trike riding school, hence the steering wheel and seatbelts. You might contact your state DMV and find out their take is on trike seatbelts.

[Ol' Man Jeb]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between the passenger on a trike (I have a '96 GL1500A/w motor trike conversion) and the passenger on a 2 wheel Yamaha Venture Royale, because I did have a passenger on the latter fly off right over my head from going down on loose gravel. I reckon had I had the trike at the time she wouldn't have been ejected?

I understand that seatbelts have been deemed "DEADLY" by almost every triker riding today. The difference is most trikes have room for one passenger. That passenger CAN"T fly off even if they tried! On my trike I can seat three passengers on my bench seat. There is NOTHING to prevent those passengers from flying off in a true PANIC STOP! So?...

[Bikerbozo]

maybe a lap bar like on a ride at the carnival ?

Damn. You beat me to the smart ass answer I had all ready. For some reason, my brain always jumps to carnivals and circus'. Or maybe its just carnal circus'. I get that mixed up.

Guess I will go with the serious answer. I've actually given this some thought for my next trike. If I get bench seats, I would go with lap belts. My wife doesn't pay much attention until I have to make a really fast maneuver ...Then I get smacked in the head!

[vw driver]

Seatbelts seem to be rare on trikes so I assume most people don't think they are necessary. The way I see it there are arguments both for and against. Say if you rear-ended a car, you and the passenger would not be launched into orbit which seems like a good thing. On the other hand if the trike went off the road and was tumbling down a hill you probably wouldn't want to be belted in. So I guess they are something that could save your life or kill you depending on the circumstances of the mishap.

[tfdeputydawg]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between the passenger on a trike (I have a '96 GL1500A/w motor trike conversion) and the passenger on a 2 wheel Yamaha Venture Royale, because I did have a passenger on the latter fly off right over my head from going down on loose gravel. I reckon had I had the trike at the time she wouldn't have been ejected?

First the obvious is one won't "go down" riding a trike.
Secondly the OP is talking about a bench seat behind him. That means, depending on the size of the seat, passengers will be ooutboard of the rider with nothing to hold them in place during a panic stop.
In this case, for the OP, seat belts is a YES!

[werewolf]

Considering she likes to nap
on the back once in a while,
Im not opposed to the idea of a rear seat belt.
Just havnt got it done yet.

[Loner]

Undoubtedly I will catch some flak from this, but the flow of this thread is based on seatbelts vs. no seatbelts on a trike with a seat that can hold "2-3 butts". To me the risk of a trike with that design is significant no matter seatbelts or not. Just the dynamics of that motorcycle lend risk upon risk, such as a high center of gravity (more weight on the top position of the cycle), more frontal exposure to passengers being 2-3 wide vs. 1 wide, increased weight to add to the forces that lend to instability in rollover dynamics. I do not mean to fault any of my brother or sister trikers if you choose to build that way, but as a seasoned trike designer, fabricator, and engineer I would always hold safety as the #1 criterion for any trike.

Basically, build a trike to hold the conventional two riders and keep all others safely back at home awaiting their turn to ride.

Truely, truely no offense meant, so please don't blaze me too badly. Remember I said you can build whatever you choose, but this subject has been opened on our forum and I think that I would be remise if I didn't speak up.

[vw driver]

Well I guess we have been admonished by a self proclaimed expert.

[irmagoo]

I would think that in ill. where I live that if you have belts you would have to use them,,
that's the way the law is now. my wife has been known to nap on all day rides so I make sure that where she rides, she is in a rather tight and secure seating arrangement... we will see if our trike build holds true to that ,,, I think it will and wont need belts... so until we need them or are required to use them by law I / we chose not to,,,,
vary interesting post lots to think about!!
magoo

[trizuka]

I am also in WA and wondered if trikes with handlebars - like my tow pac kit also have the same requirements?

I do have 2,3 & 4 wheel endorsements - just waiting for some over zealous officer to ask since I have "training wheels"

Lawmakers never seem to understand what they are passing laws to regulate and end up with a lot of unintended consequences.....

[vw driver]

I am also in WA and wondered if trikes with handlebars - like my tow pac kit also have the same requirements?

I do have 2,3 & 4 wheel endorsements - just waiting for some over zealous officer to ask since I have "training wheels"

Lawmakers never seem to understand what they are passing laws to regulate and end up with a lot of unintended consequences.....

As far as I know you don't need seat belts. I don't recall seeing any information about the Tow Pac on the state DOL website and I spent a good amount of time there. I did get the impression that they weren't fond of owner modifications, they seem to be in favor of everyone riding a factory built trike. That just won't work for us, my wife is severely disabled (CP) so I had to build a special rig so she could ride. We can't afford one of those factory trikes anyway.

[slick rick]

Small price to pay for my baby ,,,,can't help it I'm a romantic .

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I would think ... and this is just me, maybe put the seat belts on and design the mounting so that they could be hidden when the passenger doesn't want to use them, but be there if they did ... just my $0.02