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Sorta New Guy from Northern Minnesota, USA
Turned 68 and made the switch to Trike July 30, 2021. I'm in northern Minnesota, so the riding season is relatively short, but after a long, cold winter and really long cold spring, just turned 7,000 miles on my little rocket. I call it that 'cause I opted to put the Screaming Eagle Torque cam, heavy lifters and breather & Kerker shorties on it, and it steps up very nicely when I ask for mid range grunt.
Those miles are all within a hundred miles of my home and I have to say it feels a lot safer and less tiring on the trike. Changeover to steering and feet up didn't offer a big challenge and I found that steering doesn't have to be tiring. Keeping speed reasonable in heavy turns helps ease effort and lane changes at speed can be done quickly with light pressure, even with one finger. I test rode several brands over the years in anticipation of the changeover, and I must say the Harley trike (Ultra version) is the most well-mannered of the lot.
That damper on the front wheel works like a charm even in pothole heaven. I even took it out in my (concrete) driveway in mid winter to test out the traction control on ice, and it responded well. On dry pavement, turning off traction control gives full torque, and the front wheel gets pretty light off the line. Make no mistake, this is not a motorcycle, but it definitely has it's own charms, especially when in neutral sitting back and enjoying restful red lights. The biggest get-used-to item for me was the difference in the road jiggles.
Two wheels are basically a bump rocking horse (fore and aft) but the trike is basically a butt side-ways wiggle on bumpy roads. I have a backrest, and sitting upright out of contact with it on rough areas eases the spinal stress. Another plus is wife rides more often with me now because she doesn't have to feel the extra topside weight is a stress on me when stopped.
I do miss the two wheel twisties every so often, but have no temptation to go back. It's safer this way, and I can look forward to several more years of riding and by next year, I should be able to qualify for my 300,000 mile Harley Mileage Pin. Ride Safe, The Ride IS the Destination!
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