Leaning on a reverse trike

[OldNick]

I have a "normal" trike, but I was speaking to a guy recently who had test-driven a Spider on a moderately curvy road and he said it scared the crap out of him. He had never driven a trike of either configuration before and did own a bike, so there is that....but he said the trike shop guy said that on the Spider (and I assume on all tadpoles) that you lean out of the turn, and not in.

This sounded uncomfortable to me. What is "the way" to lean on a reverse trike?

Thanks for any help and even input?

[rhino 2]

I have a "normal" trike, but I was speaking to a guy recently who had test-driven a Spider on a moderately curvy road and he said it scared the crap out of him. He had never driven a trike of either configuration before and did own a bike, so there is that....but he said the trike shop guy said that on the Spider (and I assume on all tadpoles) that you lean out of the turn, and not in.

This sounded uncomfortable to me. What is "the way" to lean on a reverse trike?

Thanks for any help and even input?

I put 35/40 thousand miles on a Spyder [08] And i just drove it like a snowmobile no counter streeing turn the bars where you want to go ....At this point i don't remember leaning in or out......One thing i can tell you that if you ride scared odds are you will have a death grip on the bars and then if so' The machine will drive you, And to some extent the same with a regular trike....

[cScjhb]

Your friend was given bad advice about leaning while in curves on a Spyder. The proper technique is to lean INTO the curve, place your inside knee firmly against the tank, plant your outside foot firmly on the floorboard and pull on the inside handlebar. You need to maintain a loose grip on the handlebars. Otherwise you will oversteer. Pushing down on the outside foot while keeping your inside knee firmly against the tank while pulling the inside handlebar will counteract the centrifugal forces while you corner. It is way different than 2 wheelers but most people get comfortable in a few hundred miles. The more you've been on just 2 wheels, the longer it takes to relearn technique. If you have good snow mobile and/or off road quad experience, the Spyder will feel natural from the get-go..... Jim

[hogcowboy]

Well, I'd say my wife leans into every curve she takes. It's to counteract the centrifugal force she encounters because the Spyder does not lean like you can on a bike. But as stated above, a death grip will have the Spyder riding you. She calls it her Spyder hands. Just enough grip to make a turn and no more. Almost no grip going straight. When I have to ride one of her 2 Spyders, I do have trouble to start with, then I do the Spyder hand thing. That is so unnatural to me it isn't funny. But it works. I don't lean nearly as much as she does but I do lean into the corners. You got to or do a lot of knee work. Which ever one works but leaning is easier for me.

[bikerbillone]

After riding two wheels, then three on the GW, for many years, now the 20 Spyder, it just comes natural to me, love the Spyder ride, the suspension. I never had a problem getting it to work for me. Do I have any regrets, nope.

[OldNick]

Thanks guys. I thought it was BS. Leaning out on a bend, or even sitting straight is most uncomfortable and unstable for me! So you steer just as you do on a single-fronter. What gets me is the guy who "advised" my acquaintance was either the salesman or the dealer in a Polaris dealership!

I lean in, enough to not quite lock the outer elbow, then gradually let my bodyweight up as needed to push. People reckon trikes are not as active as bikes, bit I find that my body dynamics alter enormously through a bend.

Anyhoo, thanks again for all the advise. Unfortunately I doubt I will meet the guy again to set him straight: it was a carpark yak about my trike that brought it up.

[tfdeputydawg]

I have a "normal" trike, but I was speaking to a guy recently who had test-driven a Spider on a moderately curvy road and he said it scared the crap out of him. He had never driven a trike of either configuration before and did own a bike, so there is that....but he said the trike shop guy said that on the Spider (and I assume on all tadpoles) that you lean out of the turn, and not in.

This sounded uncomfortable to me. What is "the way" to lean on a reverse trike?

Thanks for any help and even input?

He either misunderstood what was said or the trike shop guy knows absolutely nothing about riding a trike!

[OldNick]

He either misunderstood what was said or the trike shop guy knows absolutely nothing about riding a trike!

Yeah I was sort of arriving there I just wondered (against all my logic) if Spyders were somehow different.

I really hope the guy misheard, because otherwise some quite dangerous advice is being handed out from what should be a trusted source.

[Pooch]

I don't have a Spyder, but I have an Endeavor reverse triked Goldwing and all I do is sit up and push/pull to steer. I have 30,000 on it since triked.

[OldNick]

OK. Interesting. My biking instincts just don't let me do that. I had a trike riding mate who drove as you do.

[Big Juice]

Your friend was given bad advice about leaning while in curves on a Spyder. The proper technique is to lean INTO the curve, place your inside knee firmly against the tank, plant your outside foot firmly on the floorboard and pull on the inside handlebar. You need to maintain a loose grip on the handlebars. Otherwise you will oversteer. Pushing down on the outside foot while keeping your inside knee firmly against the tank while pulling the inside handlebar will counteract the centrifugal forces while you corner. It is way different than 2 wheelers but most people get comfortable in a few hundred miles. The more you've been on just 2 wheels, the longer it takes to relearn technique. If you have good snow mobile and/or off road quad experience, the Spyder will feel natural from the get-go..... Jim

These are words to live by.

I had a "conventional" and put 30,000 miles on it, then bought a Spyder and now have 35,000 miles on it. My take on it is this, my conventional trike I "rode", my Spyder I "drive", meaning that you must put more into what your doing because it will go exactly where you point it and you better be ready to go there! My conventional trike was my Cadillac, my Spyder is my Corvette........

[OldNick]

OK. Interesting. i reckon I need to score a ride on a Tadpole to see (feel) what all this is about.

Nick

[Big Juice]

Test riding a Spyder is highly recommended by me. The first time I test rode a Spyder was at a dealer in Austin and it scared the s**t out of me. Told them I would never, ever buy one..........well you should never, say never...... 6 yrs later, this is my first one and I've loved it for 35,000 miles. The day I bought it from a dealer in Springfield, Missouri (June 2017), I rode it home (250 miles) to Arkansas, in the dark and in the rain (sunshine and blue skies when I left the dealer!). My wife was in the car leading the way, constantly calling me one the phone (I have Bluetooth Sena in helmet) asking if I was OK. The onboard bike computer and ABS kept me going straight when I hit puddles and it made me a believer in the safety of these Spyders. I will recommend buying at least a 2014 or newer (have bigger engine and upgrades), get the semi-automatic (I love it, no clutch to work, no foot shift to work, just punch my thumb to shift!) and they come with ABS anti-lock brakes, so no front brake lever just one foot pedal handles all the braking! Takes some upper body strength to handle one, so be prepare for that. Point it where you want to go, crank the throttle and hold on (it is fast).....

[paws]

+1 What Juice said!

They have made some changes to the 2020 RT model...very comfortable and now has a decent rear trunk like a touring motorcycle instead of that wormhole they called a trunk.

if you test drive a Spyder be VERY mindful of that throttle..it takes a MERE little twist and you are gone!

[OldNick]

Sorry guys. I have to say that I would not buy another trike than the one I have, barring a write-off (I have bought new bikes twice after write-offs). I just wanted to try one out to see what the differences feel like. BTW. Here (I hope) is an image of what I brought home a while back. I did have to strap an item the the pillion seat.

HEHE! BTW the load did not include the dog!

[rhino 2]

Sorry guys. I have to say that I would not buy another trike than the one I have, barring a write-off (I have bought new bikes twice after write-offs). I just wanted to try one out to see what the differences feel like. BTW. Here (I hope) is an image of what I brought home a while back. I did have to strap an item the the pillion seat.

HEHE! BTW the load did not include the dog!

As long as the tennis ball stays still' So will the Collie ..........

[bikerbillone]

I agree with Juice and Paws, having ridden my Spyder RTL for almost 7 months, smooth baby, smooth. But ya gotta ride your preference.

[OldNick]

As long as the tennis ball stays still' So will the Collie ..........

HAHAHA! You ain't kidding.....and if you so much take step toward it, it's gone. Every now and again you are "permitted" to actually throw it.

[rhino 2]

HAHAHA! You ain't kidding.....and if you so much take step toward it, it's gone. Every now and again you are "permitted" to actually throw it.

I had a border collie for 14 years and he would Chase the ball till he wore me out 👌I sure do miss him 😢...

[OldNick]

I had a border collie for 14 years and he would Chase the ball till he wore me out ��I sure do miss him ��...

know that losing loved dog can do, so I am truly sorry to hear that...inevitable with dogs though.

Yeah they are great dogs. We had a BC cross (vet said probably Pitbull and yeah if someone started a fight she would not stop easily. But she never hurt another dog...all noise) a few years ago who lived to 16.5 years and we had to put her down, due to what looked like massive spinal cancer. I will never, ever forget her. And she is _still_ my best dog ever. But I have to give my newer guys the time it takes to fully bond. We had one that was BC crossed with French Bulldog (????). She was only with us for 6 months and get got snake-bit. In that short time she wrote us a magic tail

The guy in the picture is a PEST with the ball. When I am out working, I am always tripping over the ball, or I find it in my tool boxes, or whatever.