Independent suspension vs non

[bike-ezy]

I'm now in the process of looking for a goldwing trike. I have seen one advtetised that does have appeal to me for year/miles/price but in talking to the owner he said he opted to not go with independent suspension when ordering the conversion. Am I correct in believing that a trike rides/handles better with independent suspension? Thanks for any feedback.

[Gold Rush]

I'm now in the process of looking for a goldwing trike. I have seen one advtetised that does have appeal to me for year/miles/price but in talking to the owner he said he opted to not go with independent suspension when ordering the conversion. Am I correct in believing that a trike rides/handles better with independent suspension? Thanks for any feedback.

I'm not sure the handling is significantly better since I've only ridden a solid axle a couple times and that was a fairly low speed with a short run on the highway.

The low speed ride itself is better with the independent suspension. Especially if the street/road is a bit rough. Once you are up to highway speed I didn't notice that much improvement with my IRS over the solid axle but it was noticeable.

Hope that helps..

[Nana]

I've had both (both on Harleys, not Goldwings). I believe there is significantly more comfort with IRS for your passenger if she is riding for an extended time. However, if it is usually just you on the trike the difference is negligible, and really only noticeable at very low speeds. I ride solo, so the passenger comfort makes no difference in my choice.

Just my personal feeling/experience.......I give a slight edge toward IRS for smoothness of ride, but a slight edge for handling in corners and twisties toward the solid axle. Neither of these advantages is enough for me to say it is the only way I'd go.

[americanbadass]

I own both a solid and IRS currently. Most of my distance riding is on the solid axle, because it is a newer unit and it feels more stable at higher speeds and in the twisties. That being said the IRS is definitely the way to go if you want a cushioned ride. Some times I will ride both in the same day, and the difference in comfort is significant.

[captdanwh]

I have ridden both, mine is a solid axle and my buddy's is IRS and I agree with the fact that at slow speeds the IRS is smoother but at high speeds the solid axle is the way to go. I found I actually had to lean into curves with the IRS but do not with the solid axle. remember, opinions are like a-holes everybody has one.

[Ozarkryder]

Pretty much agree with the above, I have ridden Wings with IRS (Roadsmith 1800 and an older 1500 IRS when the kits still went by the Trike Shop "Ultimate" name). Our former GL1500 trike was a Motor Trike with the ladder bar set up, and we currently have a solid axle Champion GW1800. My guess is, in general, if you rode a trike you would be hard pressed to say what suspension was under you if you didn't know what was there to begin with unless you went right from one to another as ABA mentioned, and then a lot depends on the kit and setup of the trike itself.
Some folks say that the solid axle is more reliable, cheaper and easier to fix than IRS if (And that's IF - some had some problems with new IRS kits when the kit makers first came out with thieir version, but they pretty much have it worked out) something goes awry because the IRS has more parts and is more complex than solid axle. IRS conversions are usually more expensive up front for the same reasons.

[Tony T of I V E]

I've had both. I don't think there is an OMG OMG difference but I do like the IRS better... Just my humble opinion.

Tony T of I V E

[FRR]

Like was said above, if you have a passenger you will want to go with IRS for sure. She will thank you a thousand times over, which means there may be other benefits also. Lol

[bike-ezy]

Thanks guys, much appreciate the info. It's helpful as well as educational. Maybe someone should develop a dual system by the flip of a switch. The best of both worlds. Imagine the cost of that one

[skuuter]

I still prefer the IRS, and I rode my 2010 Gold Wing IRS Motor Trike aggressively pretty much all the time on some of the twistiest roads in the Country......"Different Strokes for Different Folks" and why there's "Chocolate and Vanilla".....

[SEABILL]

Thanks guys, much appreciate the info. It's helpful as well as educational. Maybe someone should develop a dual system by the flip of a switch. The best of both worlds. Imagine the cost of that one

Most of the IRS trikes now have an option that will allow you stiffen the suspension for better cornering and soften it for smoother ride.


I do like this thread. A lot of good information here.

[skuuter]

Most of the IRS trikes now have an option that will allow you stiffen the suspension for better cornering and soften it for smoother ride.


I do like this thread. A lot of good information here.

Yep, on my IRS, I ran it with nearly all of the side roll taken out unless I was on long stretches of bumpy straight highway.....

[kb9osl]

Well when we where looking at a gw trike. We rode several of them. Mostly it was with a motor trike kit single axle. We rode them on highways , country roads and anything that we could put it thru a series of test for us. Then we rode two that had irs on them . The wife really didn't like either one, and myself I didn't like none of them because not one had a rake kit on it. These where all motor trike kits, this dealer had a used trike in the back that we demoed. It was a csc gl1800 with a 4.5 rake kit and it was like night and day to me. We could not come to a buying price because it had the most Bling I'd ever seen , and I don't like too much chrome . But with that said it was the best ride for her and I liked the way the steering acted. Then at a different dealer they had a used one with a roadsmith kit ,3 degree rake kit and not much chrome. Well we took out ,down some country roads , then on a highway, before we got back the wife said this is what she liked. And two days later we bought it. I'd have my wife or SO with me and she how she like the ride. So far we put about 3,000 miles and she hasn't said anything bad and has been real happy with it. Planning on going to the Dragoon soon and northern Ga. in the next few weeks. Roadsmith , CSC , and Hannigan offer an extended frame ,about 10 longer I belive and that is for us a better smoother ride then a motor trike where the rider sits on top of the center of the axle. Buy whatever feels good to you and enjoy! Good luck!

[jfingalls]

One thing I have not heard discussed on this thread yet is safety. I have proof that IRS is much safer in an emergency like hitting an object on the highway or a curb on a corner. I have a friend who hit a curb stone exiting a highway and flipped the trike over completely. From an engineering standpoint, if you study the dynamics, that will not happen on a trike with IRS (the wheel will jump and absorbe most of the sudden upward movement not the axil) . Just saying....

[jackthemachinist]

Like was said above, if you have a passenger you will want to go with IRS for sure. She will thank you a thousand times over, which means there may be other benefits also. Lol

Absolutely! The difference between IRS and solid axle for the rider alone, especially at highway speeds, is not all that big a deal to me (based on very limited experience with the solid axle), but the difference to my wife is enormous. She finds the IRS vastly more comfortable. Since I built our trike especialy for 2-up riding, it was the right choice for us.

Hope that helps.

[captdanwh]

my wife and i own both and i still like the solid axle over the IRS. others say IRS is smoother on bumpy roads but i personally do not agree, they both are terrible. as far as the twisty roads are concerned I will lean a little more with the IRS than the solid axle, that's how I feel anyways. you will learn that in the end it's all about the fun of riding a trike not so much what kind of suspension it has because both have their plus's , no negatives

[FRR]

Its funny that you never here a single complaint of harsh ride out of one of the biggest selling trikes on the road...the Harley Tri Glide which are all solid axle.

I'm afraid you do hear complaints from Triglide riders about the harsh ride. My sister rides on the back on a Triglide and HATES the ride. Her husband said his next Trike will probably be a Wing with IRS kit.