Curves

[Happy Triker]

This month's HOG Magazine has an article in Trike safety that has me confused. Their advice is to slightly shift your weight to the "inside" of a turn. So my question is "where is the INSIDE of a turn"? If I'm negotiating a curve to the right is the "inside" to my right or to my left? I think of the "inside" of a right-hand curve as being to my right.

[Mr Orange]

You are correct. Shifting your weight toward the inside of a right turn is moving or leaning to the right.

[Keystone]

You are correct. Shifting your weight toward the inside of a right turn is moving or leaning to the right.

[rwhgme]

I just hang on for dear life and scream!

[americanbadass]

I just hang on for dear life and scream!

True that! This is a very confusing dynamic...logic tells me by going to the outside of the radius would anchor the trike to the ground more than the inside. Perhaps this dynamic is too abstract for me to conceptualize

[GoSlo]

By leaning into a curve, you're just trying to counteract the centrifugal force that's trying to throw your butt off the left side of the trike on a right hand turn. I try to lean a little into the curve and keep my feet on the highway pegs. This helps a lot in getting rid of the feeling of being thrown off.

As far as where the bike is supposed to be positioned going into, through and out of the curve, that's where I'm still learning. Start on the outside of the curve, get to the apex, and then go into the inside to make the curve straighter???? I think that's what I've read. It makes sense I guess, I just don't remember it when I'm riding. Hell, I still find myself pulling more than pushing the handlebars.



But I'm having a blast learning.

[rwhgme]

Actually, I ride my trike like I shoot a weapon...point...and SHOOT!

[trikermutha]

I like to push the curves at times and yes you have lean to the inside of the curve while pushing the handle bars..

[Lunchbox1983]

GoSlo got it right and the bigger person you are the more you need to lean to counter act the butt removal forces.

[GARYD]

GoSlo
Same concept as a race car or any vehicle for that matter.

I like rwhgme's answer the best. ROTFLMAO

[Rick Kay]

This month's HOG Magazine has an article in Trike safety that has me confused. Their advice is to slightly shift your weight to the "inside" of a turn. So my question is "where is the INSIDE of a turn"? If I'm negotiating a curve to the right is the "inside" to my right or to my left? I think of the "inside" of a right-hand curve as being to my right.

This was the hardest lesson for me, but luckily, I have a good friend that rides a side hack, and he helped me through my centrifugal force learning curve. Now, a year later, I don't even think about what to do through curves. Once you feel like you're not going to fly off the trike, you'll find your confidence and fun factor will climb accordingly.

[rwhgme]

GoSlo
Same concept as a race car or any vehicle for that matter.

I like rwhgme's answer the best. ROTFLMAO

Thank you...thank you very much...I am here all week! And don't forget to tip your server!

[Skeet7373]

You might also add this, someone on here told me to push with my opposite foot on the floorboard. So, if in a right hand turn, lean that way but push your left foot on the floorboard, then do the opposite on a left side curve. I'm big for a girl but that helps me stay in the saddle.

[Rod69]

Maybe I am not realizing it but as far I know I don't lean into the corners. Left hand curve, start on the outside and at the apex move to the inside give her gas and out of the curve you come. Just the opposite on right handers. As far as steering goes, left hand curves push with your right arm and lock your elbow.You dont have to pull so much with your left arm. Less stress on your arms and shoulders.

[Dragonrider]

You might also add this, someone on here told me to push with my opposite foot on the floorboard. So, if in a right hand turn, lean that way but push your left foot on the floorboard, then do the opposite on a left side curve. I'm big for a girl but that helps me stay in the saddle.

This is what I've always heard from other trikers. Helps a lot.

[JJHog]

Proper technique for going through a turn is to enter from outside, turn to inside at apex and then excellerate while drifting back to the outside upon exit.

Now, if you're riding with a group of 2 wheelers and you are all staggered then you can't hog up the road. Try to stay in the middle or on your half of the lane. Nothing makes a rider more nervous that someone directly in front of them cutting into their half of the lane while going through a turn.

[delta]

Nothing makes a rider more nervous that someone directly in front of them cutting into their half of the lane while going through a turn.

I tell all the 2 wheelers that ride in back of me that I own the whole lane. On some of the crappy back roads with frost heaves we have up here, I'm not beating myself up on the bumps. As it is, we have 3 chances to hit obstacles in the road, the 2 wheelers only have 1. They understand completely.

[GARYD]

JJHog and Delta are both right. For years I got upset with my sister-n-law because she would always drift in front of me on curves and it made me nervous, but that's why you should ride staggered, and doing so, you DO own that whole patch of roadway in order to avoid a hazard in the road.

I don't ride in the center of the lane on group rides, I ride as if I'm still on a 2 wheeler only a little closer to the center.

[Aussie Annie]

Maybe I am not realizing it but as far I know I don't lean into the corners. Left hand curve, start on the outside and at the apex move to the inside give her gas and out of the curve you come. Just the opposite on right handers. As far as steering goes, left hand curves push with your right arm and lock your elbow.You dont have to pull so much with your left arm. Less stress on your arms and shoulders.

you got it

[rmrc51]

Everyone has given very factual and accurate information regarding the proper technique of entering and handling curves. I couldn't agree more!

Now on the lighter side,,, for some reason while reading these responses, it brought me back in time to when I was a little kid in Brooklyn. I use to ride my tricycle around the block and always tried to take the turns as fast as possible without tipping over! For me, a good turn was when I'd get my inside rear wheel off the ground while I was leaning as far over as possible to prevent tipping over. Now mind you,, there was an incentive to not tipping over as all of the corners had a light post. So if you did go over, you'd slam right into the base of the post or wind up in the gutter, lol. I think back to what I use to do and wonder how I ever survived childhood in the city.