David357
30500+ Posts
Trikes 101-Basic Rules
You will hear many riding instructors say, "It's easier to teach people who have never ridden motorcycles, to ride a trike, than to teach people who have ridden 30 or 40 years." This goes against everything we ever learned. Experience, we've been told, is always the best teacher. But not with riding a trike; here the experienced must be untrained from two-wheel thinking, to three-wheel riding.
First Rule
Never, ever, put your feet down. There are three wheels, so you won't tip over. But most certainly you can "mouse trap" your feet under the body or rear wheels - not an enjoyable experience.
Second Rule
All units have may have a hand brake, just like the one in your car, and you must release it before moving out. Without a kickstand, there's nothing but the hand brake to keep the trike from rolling into Grandma's Corvette.
Third Rule
The wheelbase of a trike is generally the same as that of the two-wheeler and may be a little longer depending on the manufacturer, but because of its bodywork, it's slightly longer and a whole lot wider. To determine just how wide, once seated, stretch out your arms -- that's the width you must allow for when cornering.
Fourth Rule
A trike involves "direct steering." Point into the direction of travel, lock your outside elbow into the turn, and then roll on the throttle through the turn - this differs from a two-wheeler where you counter steer and lean through a corner. Using the Point, Lock, and Roll system, it's easier to go into, and out of, every type of corner quicker than when riding any comparable two-wheeler. And what's more, with increased confidence from not having to brake or steer around light road debris, such as sand and gravel.
Fifth Rule
Look into and ahead of your direction of travel. Good advice, whether on two, three, or four wheels.
Sixth Rule
Use both front and rear brakes. On a two-wheeler, your rear brakes are 30 percent of your stopping power. On a trike, though, two rear wheels mean twice the stopping power, so you don't want to override your front wheel. Even in panic stops, the trike stops quickly and keeps straight. Proper braking is very important.
Seventh Rule
Practice, Practice, Practice and more Practice.
Even if you think you are a very skilled experienced rider, a little practice in an empty parking lot performing hard controlled stops and full lock slow speed turns can make the difference. Get to know how your trike performs and get comfortable with its operation.
Each of these rules are good topics of discussion in future threads.
Enjoy.ThumbUp
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