Change to a trike?

[nemo333]

Hi there. I’m new to the forum and hoping to get some advice. I’m in my 40s and returning to riding after a 20 year break. I took the MSF course a year ago and purchased a little Honda CBR 250R sport bike about two months ago. I thought this would be a good “starter” bike. I’ve put about 1200 miles on it so far. My problem is this. The more I ride the worse I’ve become at counter steering. If I had the “sense” of counter steering, it is about gone. I am almost afraid to get on the bike now. Lately, while riding, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to go through a corner. The higher the speed, the worse it feels. I know it is not the bike. This is my problem. I know you can’t ride scared either. I have considered going to a cruiser for a different riding position. The thing is, from what I can tell, my riding past is different from most on this forum. I didn’t grow up riding motorcycles; it was 3 wheelers and high performance quads. No counter steering. I think I’m referencing my past as how to handle the bike. I understand counter steering. I’ve got 1200 miles on the bike, but it is not intuitive at all. I thought it should be by now. Has anyone out there had this problem? I have not tried a road trike yet, but I think it would be a good idea at this point. I’m thinking about completely skipping over the 2 wheeler, counter steering, and going 3 wheels. Am I not giving myself enough time on the 2 wheeler? Any advice would be appreciated.

[rhino 2]

If you had ATC/ATV and Quads, A Trike will fit you perfect.
Take a rental Trike out for a week end, You might find that's the ride for you.

[gwguz05]

I would go back and take the MSF again and tell your instructor your having problems with counter steering so he/she can work with you.
Converting to a trike is expensive as I payed $13k plus this summer to convert my Wing.
Good luck on your decision. Guz

[Shocker]

It sounds to me like you may be "over thinking" the counter steering. Try to relax and "feel" your way through the turn. It takes time.
I rode 2 wheels for over 40 years and it was great. I went to a 2012 Harley Tri Glide last year and I love it. By all means, be happy and comfortable on your choice.

[John Luciano]

Remember look.,Lean , roll. Come into the turn tap the brake to drop 5 mph then look through the turn , press down on the inside bar and gas it .more gas more lean , more lean more gas .

[Livin2Ride]

If you had ATC/ATV and Quads, A Trike will fit you perfect.
Take a rental Trike out for a week end, You might find that's the ride for you.

Good advice, take it. You will likely find yourself on a trike to stay.

Sam

[Nana]

You sound like you'd be a natural with a trike, Nemo! Renting one for a day is an excellent plan! Welcome to TrikeTalk

[Lunchbox1983]

Remember look.,Lean , roll. Come into the turn tap the brake to drop 5 mph then look through the turn , press down on the inside bar and gas it .more gas more lean , more lean more gas .

What John Said and point with your chin through the curve, do not look down. You hit what you look at, by poiint with your chin you are forcing your eyes up and down the road. Silly but it works. Find 2 good Bikers and put on in front of you and one behind, then go to a lonely road and pratice. Your friends will be the blockers to keep cars off of you.

No matter what know your limits, I was a good bike driver, I switched to a trike at age 50 cause I was tired of holding the bike up, or thinking about the curves instead of enjoying the country side.

[nemo333]

Thanks for your advice. I think the trike would be a good fit for me, but I don’t want to give up so quickly on the 2 wheeler. I’m just frustrated with my yellow belly behavior. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I was doing well and then I guess I got “spooked”. Slow speed (0-35mph) doesn’t bother me. It’s going through corners at speed (55+mph). The bike just seems to fight me, but I know it is the other way around. I have lots to think about. Thanks again.

[americanbadass]

First off`Welcome to the trike show!After reading your post, I think you owe it to yourself to try a nice road bike-be it a HD, yamaha or honda etc. They represent a whole different dynamic in comfort, balance, and steering. It sounds like you are young (40 is a teenager on this forum), and if you are in good health-give this alternative a try. I actually rode a CBR about 5 years ago, and I don't know how anybody countersteers them bastids!

[Gorilla]

welcome aboard Nemo. Take all the above advise. If after a few more miles you still feel uneasy at high speed, its time to check out the trike. Safety is important.

[Ozarkryder]

If you are really uncomfortable on 2 wheels it may be that going directly to a trike is the right choice for you. If that is your choice, there are more choices ahead. What kind of trike? VW based, motorcycle conversion, Stallion, purpose designed V8. Lots of choices, none are wrong, just what is right for you. Talk to folks, ride as many trikes as you can in the type that interests you, then ride some alternatives, you might be surprised what strikes you. You can spend anything from 5 or 6 grand at the lower end for an older VW trike up to the national debt of some small countries. Again, your choice, and there isn't any wrong choice as long as your're satisfied with it. The research can be very interesting - Have fun!

[nemo333]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to give myself some more time on the 2 wheeler. If I can't seem to get it, a trike will be the direction I go. Options are good.

[seahawkfan1765]

Nemo333...I am only 5'1" and shrinking. I was a scared rider on a 2004 Sportster 1200. I dropped the bike twice and didn't enjoy riding because of that fear. A scared rider is a danger to himself/herself and everyone around them. Realizing this and the fact that I was not going to get any taller, I sold the bike and started researching trikes. I looked and read and asked a lot of questions of the great folks here on Trike Talk. I kept looking until I found a trike that fit my budget. I love my trike. I am more confident and enjoy riding so much more because I don't have worry about dropping the bike.

Never let nagging doubt or worry ruin your ride. Get the bike that best fits all of you..physically and mentally. There is no shame in that. The best bike for you will make you a better, safer rider. If you are safer, so is everyone around you including the folks in the car behind you.
I belong to Motor Maids, Inc and we have a great way of thinking about riding. We call it Riding Your Own Ride. You make the decisions about how/when/what you ride. We don't judge you for your choices. We try to be as supportative as possible.
The folks here at Trike Talk are that way too. They are some of the most helpful and supportative that I have never met.
Give yourself a break...take your time....ride your own ride, but most importantly BE SAFE!

[WalterM817]

A Trike will be another flavor of riding to get used to. Whether it's got 2 wheels or 3 you are going to get it to go where you want to.
Over thinking the counter steering stuff has messed up a lot of folks. Just take your time and feel your way through it. Some good advice from a lot of posters here. 2 wheelers are just like a faster bicycle if you really think about it.
Worry more about picking your line through a turn and looking where you want to come out of the turn helps me. If you look too closely in front of you you will "ratchet" your way through the entire curve. This is scary and hardly ever smooth.
Find an old bicycle and a big parking lot and do big circles for a while. This will help you figure the counter steering junk you are worrying about. I rode motorcycles for decades before I ever heard of counter steering so I wouldn't put a lot of thought into this stuff.You'll see the leaning of the bicycle to steer right turns the handlebars left at the same time and vice-versa for a left turn.
If you're trying to force this you mess up your balance and get shaky in curves.

Trikes are different as you have to actively steer them all the way through a turn without the leaning. That scared the hell out of me for a while. If you let off of them you straighten out.
Do whatever you think is best and good luck but you already have a bike and are relearning all this anyway. Remember you have to go slow before you go fast. Find a big lot and practice slowly. I'm sure it will come to you.

[saab9k]

Triked my Yamaha road star 1700 ( 2007) this past winter.
Bought the kit with fork conversion. Paid $8000.00 even / by check.
Install in my shop, own a shop there do machine shop, mechanic and painting ( have pain booth )

[John Luciano]

I had a friend that bought a Harley Duce. He went riding with his friends right after getting it. They told him that could not ride with him because he scared him. He was so depressed he wanted give up
I said to him , unlike your so called friends I am going for a ride with you and see what is wrong. His problem turned out to be he was going into the corner too hot, 1/2 way through he scared himself and pulled in the clutch and applied brake to slow down.
My cure was , I told him when he saw the corner coming brake hard, drop 10 miles an hour . Enter the corner look as far a head as you can , lean the bike and crank it up( accelerate hard all the way through the turn) in time you will be able to enter the turn with out the heavy brake and be able to scream through the turn. 3 weeks later he was back with his friends and leading the rides. He is now one of the best riders I know.

[Ol' Grey]

Lots of good advice from folks here..........

SAFETY is the name of the game, whether on 2 wheels or 3. Please don't obsess about it as that's the last thing one wants to do. Try to relax and practice, practice, practice.

Same as "WalterM817", we didn't have MSF courses when I started riding and I'd never heard of counter steering until people who'd taken the MSF courses mentioned it. Started experimenting with it and have learned to really enjoy the feel and the bike's response to it. Admittedly, counter steering is also "counter intuitive". One wants to SUBTLY shift their body weight/lean in the direction opposite of the direction one wants to go while negotiating a curve. This changes the contact patch position of the tire on the road and allows for that subtle leaning ability. Once you gain the "feel" for it, you're golden!

Wouldn't give up on 2 wheels just yet, but I would respectfully suggest that you practice more in safe areas such as parking lots, roads with little traffic, etc. until you start building up your confidence again. You said it right: It's not the bike's fault, you're the master of your bike and you simply need to break thru the anxiety-producing mental block. Again....relax and keep practicing to regain your confidence level.

I'd start out slow and work your way up, avoiding any excessive hard braking or hard acceleration until you start getting the hang of it. What you're ultimately trying to do is reach a level of confidence while learning to casually "go with the flow" of the ride.

Good luck and Ride Safe........

[saab9k]

I have been riding since i was 18. When i turned 67, decided it would be nice with 1 more wheel. My daughters liked it too.
Have talked to people there have trikes, so i did it. Like it too.

Still working, own a business, made it all the years without a scratch, is trying to keep it that way.

[Tom Trike]

Hi there. I’m new to the forum and hoping to get some advice. I’m in my 40s and returning to riding after a 20 year break. I took the MSF course a year ago and purchased a little Honda CBR 250R sport bike about two months ago. I thought this would be a good “starter” bike. I’ve put about 1200 miles on it so far. My problem is this. The more I ride the worse I’ve become at counter steering. If I had the “sense” of counter steering, it is about gone. I am almost afraid to get on the bike now. Lately, while riding, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to go through a corner. The higher the speed, the worse it feels. I know it is not the bike. This is my problem. I know you can’t ride scared either. I have considered going to a cruiser for a different riding position. The thing is, from what I can tell, my riding past is different from most on this forum. I didn’t grow up riding motorcycles; it was 3 wheelers and high performance quads. No counter steering. I think I’m referencing my past as how to handle the bike. I understand counter steering. I’ve got 1200 miles on the bike, but it is not intuitive at all. I thought it should be by now. Has anyone out there had this problem? I have not tried a road trike yet, but I think it would be a good idea at this point. I’m thinking about completely skipping over the 2 wheeler, counter steering, and going 3 wheels. Am I not giving myself enough time on the 2 wheeler? Any advice would be appreciated.

I think you or anyone is much wiser going to 3 wheels. When you test-ride a Cheetah, you experience the power, performance, cornering, handling, smooth automatic transmission with reverse and very easy steering that you only get riding a Cheetah. The hot air that is drawn through the Cheetah's rear-mounted radiator, exits behind the trike and the riders get none of it.
Watch our Cheetah video and call 812-256-9199 to schedule and come test-ride a Cheetah.
Whatever you choose, I hope you get what ultimately suits you.

Praise God and be happy in the life God has given you.
Tom and Chilita Walters
Cheetah Trikes, Inc