Hi gang,<br />
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Today, I went up to R & R Trikes in Jasper, GA to have a first-hand look at the Stallion. I thought I'd leave a little note about my experience.<br />
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First, I want to say that I have never been so well treated at any bike shop, ever! I spoke with Andrew. He essentially took the next hour just chatting with me about the Stallion and other trikes in the shop. No pressure. Just information. I could not have asked for a better customer service experience.<br />
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He also let me take an '08 model out for a test ride, followed by a test ride on an '01 GL1800 Motor-Trike Spyder conversion.<br />
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Both trikes were definitely a bit of a let down for me. I'm truly going to miss the feel of riding on two wheels. It was nice to be on the road with the wind in my face, again, but it's nothing at all close to the feeling of leaning into the corners. Bummer.<br />
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The GL1800 was mostly what I expected.
I had a little trouble shifting gears for two reasons. 1) The aqua-guards (running boards) on the conversion have a little "foot protector" part that I found getting in the way. 2) My left foot doesn't obey my commands as well as it used to, due to my MS. I think I would have been more at ease with it had the aqua-guard not been in the way, but still it was a bit of a struggle. All in all, though, the Motor-Trike Spyder conversion is very nice.<br />
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The Stallion was like nothing I've ever ridden (driven?) before. What a cool ride! I had just a little trouble getting in and out, but nothing that would be a serious impediment. Like the GL1800, I was let down by the "feel" of the ride, but again I reminded myself that this is not a motorcycle. I'm just going to have to get over that. My only hesitation with the Stallion came, again, at the "whims" of my left foot. Braking was awkward, at best. I managed it just fine, but it would take some getting used to.<br />
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I did enjoy the up-right seating position.
The engine appeared to have more than enough power, and the brakes were awesome despite my lack of left-foot coordination. Andrew led me up a high that heads into the mountains northeast of Jasper. We only went a few miles, but it was enough to get into a couple of decent corners. I felt a bit uneasy, but I think the machine was more than willing to handle them.<br />
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All in all, I see advantages and disadvantages in both solutions, for me. It's going to be a tough decision to make, but I feel like I need to get myself out on the road again. I think the Stallion is probably a slightly better choice for me, given that the only real obstacle to overcome is left-footed braking. That's just a matter of time, though. On the other hand, that solution is also significantly more expensive than converting my existing GL1800. I'm not going to rush into it, though.<br />
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If you happen to be in this area, keep R&R in mind. I get the feeling that they try to treat everyone like they did me!<br />
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Ride safe!<br />
Dave