Taking Turns

[Big Blue]

Hey gang, still relatively new to riding a trike. Just past 5k and the wife (She Who Must Be Obeyed) and I putt around the Delta and in the Sierras. What speed turn can a trike take when hittin' the twisties? What I mean is, if a turn is posted at say 20 mph, how much faster will the trike safely take it. I want to be able to stay up with my two wheeled brothers and sisters when riding in groups. Donkey (my ride) is a 2012 TG: no lift kit (yet) or mods to rake.

[willom]

Speed at which a trike can take a turn is pretty much limited to you being able to turn the handle bars and hang on to the trike without flying off. That being said, a trike will take corners at a lot more speed than most riders would like. Personally I slow just a bit going into a corner and accelerate near the apex coming out, not much different than you would with a car. It does help to shift your weight to the inside to make it easier for you to hold on and maintain control. Don't try to push yourself, only go as fast as you are comfortable.

[Woolie]

hmmm, hard to answer a question like that. I guess it depends on how serious the people were that posted the 20 mph speed limit on the curve but my goldwing handles curves like its on rails, most of the time. Give it a little time and practice and you will be able to keep up with those 2 wheelers.

[screwball]

Go as fast as you can. When you run off the road, slow down by 5 mph. "Keeping UP" is the fastest way to get yourself killed. Your trike, or mine for that matter can not keep up with 2 wheelers in tight twisties. If your friends are your friends, they will slow down. All those telling you that their trike is faster than their buddies 2 wheelers means 1 of 2 things. Their friends are very slow or they are full of crap.

Good Luck with your new scoot.

[zeman 1]

Go as fast as you can. When you run off the road, slow down by 5 mph. "Keeping UP" is the fastest way to get yourself killed. Your trike, or mine for that matter can not keep up with 2 wheelers in tight twisties. If your friends are your friends, they will slow down. All those telling you that their trike is faster than their buddies 2 wheelers means 1 of 2 things. Their friends are very slow or they are full of crap.

Good Luck with your new scoot.

Well said!

[msocko3]

Go as fast as you can. When you run off the road, slow down by 5 mph. "Keeping UP" is the fastest way to get yourself killed. Your trike, or mine for that matter can not keep up with 2 wheelers in tight twisties. If your friends are your friends, they will slow down. All those telling you that their trike is faster than their buddies 2 wheelers means 1 of 2 things. Their friends are very slow or they are full of crap.

Good Luck with your new scoot.

I have to disagree, I will say a lot depends on rider skill. The only 2 wheels I couldn't do anything with in the twisties are sport bikes and bikes with big lean angles, anything else I could own in the twisties.

The best advice for the OP is to take his time and learn how the trike handles and slowly work up to hitting the twisties, you don't want to jump into the deep end of the pool before you learn how to swim. There is a lot more about a corner than how much over the suggested limit you can run. I've run through some corners at double the posted limit with more to spare, they been through some corners that weren't that forgiving.

[trikermutha]

I have tried curves are all kinds of speeds..Alss depends on how tight the curve is..Some can be taken faster than others and weight distribution plays another key factor.. Just do what you are comfortable with and do it safely!!

[rmrc51]

Go as fast as you can. When you run off the road, slow down by 5 mph. "Keeping UP" is the fastest way to get yourself killed. Your trike, or mine for that matter can not keep up with 2 wheelers in tight twisties. If your friends are your friends, they will slow down. All those telling you that their trike is faster than their buddies 2 wheelers means 1 of 2 things. Their friends are very slow or they are full of crap.

Good Luck with your new scoot.

I'm with Screwball on this one. And yes, I am very cautious when riding and never try to push the envelope! That being said, give yourself time to get to know your trike. Don't over extend your present trike riding abilities just to keep up with the crowd!

[pcombe]

My friend, where i live if a sign says 25 M.P.H. they mean 15 half the time.

In the black Hills for instance it is not unknown to have a curve with a decreasing radius.
That is for the purpose of creating pucker marks on your seat that are not factory installed and give you something else to hang on to?

A couple of the guys on two wheelers i ride with always push the envelope.
I wouldn't want to keep up with them.

I am satisfied to carry a first aid kit and be able to throw them over the seat of my trike like a dead man over a horse, shake my head and and say "now ain't that a shame?"

There are OLD bikers and BOLD bikers, but there are NO OLD, BOLD bikers!

[slick rick]

Go as fast as you can. When you run off the road, slow down by 5 mph. "Keeping UP" is the fastest way to get yourself killed. Your trike, or mine for that matter can not keep up with 2 wheelers in tight twisties. If your friends are your friends, they will slow down. All those telling you that their trike is faster than their buddies 2 wheelers means 1 of 2 things. Their friends are very slow or they are full of crap.

Good Luck with your new scoot.

.......Couldn't have said that any better myself ,,your 100% right on all accounts .............besides I've got nothing to prove stopped that a long time ago !!

[Rev Ray]

I have used the term,(Ride your on ride)and let others do the same.We raised three children to ride this way & they all road safe on motercycles.Lost our daughter in a cage to a drunk driver who hit her head on.(26 years ago)

[BinIdaho]

I'm agreeing with Screwball.....no need to "keep up" with 2-wheelers...unless going to a fire sale, take it easy and come out of the corner accelerating....downshifting prior to a slow corner helps, no coasting like I see my fellow riders do.

[Strohkr]

Don't even THINK about trying to keep up with anybody until you are 100% sure of your triking skills - that's a good way to mess up a perfectly good riding day. Ride within your comfort zone and enjoy the day - who cares who can take the curves the fastest?? Get through your learning curve first!!!!!

With that said here's what I found out works the best for me in curves - squeeze the tank with your legs/knees and kinda ride it like a sport bike, slow down before the curve and power through it remembering all the while to turn, turn, turn.... and even though the trike won't lean - you can!! Once you get over the feeling that the trike is going to tip over or that you are going to be thrown off - you can do curves with the best of the 2-wheelers!

However in my experience - 5mph switchbacks in the Black Hills on Iron Mountain Road are just that - 5mph switchbacks.
Trike Safe and Have Fun!
It's a BLAST!!

[msocko3]

My friend, where i live if a sign says 25 M.P.H. they mean 15 half the time.

In the black Hills for instance it is not unknown to have a curve with a decreasing radius.
That is for the purpose of creating pucker marks on your seat that are not factory installed and give you something else to hang on to?

I love riding the Black Hills, the Needles is one of my favorite roads with the switch backs and ample corners. The only thing that can ruin a good time on that road is people in cars thinking they can use both lanes to go around a corner.

[pcombe]

I love riding the Black Hills, the Needles is one of my favorite roads with the switch backs and ample corners. The only thing that can ruin a good time on that road is people in cars thinking they can use both lanes to go around a corner.

I hear that about the cars in both lanes. There are no shortage of blind corners.
tourist Buses use that route also. Hence, Pucker marks in your bike seat!

Another of my favorites is Iron Mtn. road in Custer State Park (also known as the pigtail hwy. and route 16-A)

I usually come across Buffalo and always take along a few carrots for the wild donkeys.

I enjoy seeing mt. Rushmore out lined through the tunnels blasted through the rock for the highway..

I used to make it a point to stay at the Sylvan Lake hotel over new years and cross country ski the on the needles Hwy. as it is closed in the winter.

In the summer I would leave the hotel parking lot on the fourth of July and hike to the top of Harney peak, (highest point east of the Rockies) If was clear you make out fire works in many communities. It's kinda different to look down on firework displays.

It is said that you can see into three states from the old rock ranger station at the peak.

[msocko3]

I hear that about the cars in both lanes. There are no shortage of blind corners.
tourist Buses use that route also. Hence, Pucker marks in your bike seat!

Another of my favorites is Iron Mtn. road in Custer State Park (also known as the pigtail hwy. and route 16-A)

I usually come across Buffalo and always take along a few carrots for the wild donkeys.

I enjoy seeing mt. Rushmore out lined through the tunnels blasted through the rock for the highway..

I used to make it a point to stay at the Sylvan Lake hotel over new years and cross country ski the on the needles Hwy. as it is closed in the winter.

In the summer I would leave the hotel parking lot on the fourth of July and hike to the top of Harney peak, (highest point east of the Rockies) If was clear you make out fire works in many communities. It's kinda different to look down on firework displays.

It is said that you can see into three states from the old rock ranger station at the peak.

Been on Iron Mtn road, another nice road to ride. Heck I haven't ridden a bad road in the Black Hills, I know there are plenty I haven't ridden also.

[donjack]

When your better half slams her fist into the side of your head, decrease your speed 10mph, and don't say anything for the next 50 miles..

[RdKnB]

I used to ride my 2 wheeler in Pa mountians with some friends that lived there and knew the roads. I would tell them to go enjoy and I will met up for lunch. Plan on same with trike. I want to enjoy it and not stress,

[msocko3]

When your better half slams her fist into the side of your head, decrease your speed 10mph, and don't say anything for the next 50 miles..

And here all the time I thought she was trying to tell me to speed it up a bitpepper. A few years ago she did give me a little back slap when I picked the front end up a couple time on a freeway on ramp. She wasn't expecting that and when I had to set it down the 1st time to correct my corner she didn't appreciate the next kick in the shorts when I picked the front end up the 2nd time.

[screwball]

I'm very lucky, wife rides her own. Until a couple of years ago we didn't have any bike to bike intercom. Sometimes I gave her the finger, other times she fingered me....