First trike experience

[Douglas44]

Hey All;

I'm going to test ride a trike next week and if all goes well I'll be riding it home. I am going to put out some questions hoping I can get some real honest help/direction from all you experienced trike folks.

The machine is a 2002 Honda G/W;

I understand that there is a lot of upper body strength involved riding a trike, I have been working on my upper body . How long do you suggest I ride before taking a break ?

What are the recommended tire pressures front and rear ( don't want to start any rants please)

My trip home according to Map Quest will take about 4 hrs ( 237) miles That's mostly freeway. I figure on adding at least another hour with breaks at each 100 miles , is that realistic ??

Being a life long rider ( but have not taken any long trips lately) I'm pretty sure I can do all the safety checks on the machine. It's my first trike so any ( and I mean ANY ) helpful tips are really appreciated

Thanks for any help, Doug

[Jack Klarich]

try 22-26 in rear tires, 36 in front

Check your rigs fluid levels and lights before heading out

Stay hydrated

Stop when your body tells you to, you are not in a race or are you?

Most important, relax and have fun

I carry snacks and bottled water in my trunk and use wayside rests to stop, snack and stretch out

[ROAD DOG]

If you have never ridden a trike, and your going to jump on the freeway for 250 miles ? I would go take some time to do some practice riding the area for awhile, or better yet rent a trailer & tow it home, then practice at home ? Thats a long first trip for never being on a trike and on the freeway , couple hundred dollars to rent a U haul , maybe a better way to start out. Just my stupid opinion

[rhino 2]

Hey All;

I'm going to test ride a trike next week and if all goes well I'll be riding it home. I am going to put out some questions hoping I can get some real honest help/direction from all you experienced trike folks.

The machine is a 2002 Honda G/W;

I understand that there is a lot of upper body strength involved riding a trike, I have been working on my upper body . How long do you suggest I ride before taking a break ?

What are the recommended tire pressures front and rear ( don't want to start any rants please)

My trip home according to Map Quest will take about 4 hrs ( 237) miles That's mostly freeway. I figure on adding at least another hour with breaks at each 100 miles , is that realistic ??

Being a life long rider ( but have not taken any long trips lately) I'm pretty sure I can do all the safety checks on the machine. It's my first trike so any ( and I mean ANY ) helpful tips are really appreciated

Thanks for any help, Doug

There’s isn’t any counter steering…..You turn the bars in the direction you want to turn like steering a ATV..

Don’t put your feet down at a stop…Remember your rear is wider than a bike don’t run over gas pump island's…

And most important ride your own ride didn’t let any other driver push you to go faster then you feel comfortable with…

[Olddog]

There’s isn’t any counter steering…..You turn the bars in the direction you want to turn like steering a ATV..

Don’t put your feet down at a stop…Remember your rear is wider than a bike don’t run over gas pump island's…

And most important ride your own ride didn’t let any other driver push you to go faster then you feel comfortable with…

Great advice. I recently made the switch to 3 wheels. I read all of the sage advice here, and didn’t have a problem with the transition.

[Douglas44]

Thanks for all the input and suggestions.

No direction or suggestions on tire pressure so far

I do not have a trailer hitch on the big car so that's no help on the towing idea.

There is a hitch on my Mustang , but it's for a bicycle carrier. No wires for tail lights etc. and the last time I towed with a truck the place trailer place would not let me leave until I had all lights working . Don't blame them liability issues I'm sure.

Wife is going along and she will be following me so we will err on the side caution and stop frequently .

We are hoping all goes well and it's just another fun trip and not an ordeal

[Jack Klarich]

Thanks for all the input and suggestions.

No direction or suggestions on tire pressure so far

I do not have a trailer hitch on the big car so that's no help on the towing idea.

There is a hitch on my Mustang , but it's for a bicycle carrier. No wires for tail lights etc. and the last time I towed with a truck the place trailer place would not let me leave until I had all lights working . Don't blame them liability issues I'm sure.

Wife is going along and she will be following me so we will err on the side caution and stop frequently .

We are hoping all goes well and it's just another fun trip and not an ordeal

See my post #2

22-26 in rears, 36 in front

[vwbug72501]

If you have never ridden a trike, and your going to jump on the freeway for 250 miles ? I would go take some time to do some practice riding the area for awhile, or better yet rent a trailer & tow it home, then practice at home ? Thats a long first trip for never being on a trike and on the freeway , couple hundred dollars to rent a U haul , maybe a better way to start out. Just my stupid opinion

I agree. And what happens if the new-to-you "used" trike develops a problem? They all "ran when parked". I'd get it home and take a bunch of local short rides to get used to it and wring out any quirks that might show up.

Also agree the Rhino2, THINK WIDE and KEEP YOUR FEET UP.

[alwrmcusn]

Just my two cents worth: (2008 GL1800, 2013 Motortrike Razer conversion)

I use 24psi rear, 38-40 front.

It does take a bit more effort to steer a trike but you do not need to be too concerned.

Do remember that from the drivers seat it looks exactly like any other Goldwing.

However what you don't see behind you is much wider so do pay attention when coming close to gas pumps, road drop offs etc.

You will probably notice a very slight braking distance increase, not really that much.

Take a break when you want to or when your passenger wants to. If you elect to schedule breaks, do it that way...it's all up to you.

[Burnerboy]

If the front end has had a rake kit installed (at least a 5.5% rake)[EZ steer] you shouldn't need any extra body strength ..

I'd go into a parking lot and at least practice, making some turns, [left and than right] over and over again, before heading out, on the highway, believe me riding a trike is 100% different than a two wheel'rrr................Once you get used to it, it will be second nature, and you won't even "think" about steering any more.................

My first time, riding, I did ride it off the road.........luckly, I was going slow and no damage occurred.......

Enjoy it! Once you get used to steering it, you will totally enjoy ride'n it............

Ronnie

6/17/22

[Eekjones]

I got my trike a month or so ago ant it was my fist time on a trike. Went for a 200 mile ride over mountains ,through winding canyons and so on. Yow will have no problems adjusting. You will notice that bumps with the rear wheels will be felt in the handlebars, Don't fight it just let it do its thing. You will find it more relaxing not having to hold it up when you stop. Just get on and enjoy the ride! And yes, do be mindful of the extra width.

[rhino 2]

I got my trike a month or so ago ant it was my fist time on a trike. Went for a 200 mile ride over mountains ,through winding canyons and so on. Yow will have no problems adjusting. You will notice that bumps with the rear wheels will be felt in the handlebars, Don't fight it just let it do its thing. You will find it more relaxing not having to hold it up when you stop. Just get on and enjoy the ride! And yes, do be mindful of the extra width.

—-👍👍__..

[cycle7447]

I wanted to echo something said earlier. It the bike has been properly raked, you will not have any difficulty steering it.

Up until 2004, my wife rode a 1990 Gold Wing with a MotorTrike kit - it had a 3 1/2 degree rake. She had absolutely no difficulty handling this.

Our new bike, a 2021 Harley with a CSC conversion has an 11 deg power track - absolutely as easy as can be.

Some thing I try to share with new riders.

Don't try to lean - push and pull. Going right, push the left handle bars, going left, push the right handle bars.

Ride in the middle of the road - the middle is your friend

Install a backrest - I think this helps when pushing, pulling - sort of keeps you in position.

If possible, install some highway pegs - and, keep them down. This was, when getting gas for example, when you pull in, you will see your pegs and are less likely to get to close.

Enjoy your new ride.

[Douglas44]

My plan is to take the trike to a parking lot and practice turns and stopping SOLO.

Then I'll put SWMBO on pillion and do the same. If she is happy then we buy it, if not we just chalk it up as a nice overnight trip and keep looking.

I'm hoping the seller is as straight up a guy as he sounds on the phone. He has answered every question I have had in timely manner .

He is at the moment storing two trikes , and say's he would have just kept the Honda but his wife prefers the HD Tri Glide they recently bought brand new.

I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions I have received. Make me feel better and less apprehensive about this purchase. I wish I were in the position to just buy a brand new trike , but am not. So I have to depend on you folks for all the info/tips etc.

[cScjhb]

I went from many years of Goldwing riding to a Can Am Spyder. My first ride on a Spyder was across Oklahoma, Texas Panhandle, New Mexico and on to Arizona. All in 50-60 MPH winds and dodging tornado activity. And I was pulling a cargo trailer. I then went to a traditional trike...... Goldwing/CSC.

My first ride on that trike was in circles in the dealers parking lot. That was a much more pleasant experience. Goldwing trikes are easy-peasy to ride. Just push/pull the handlebars in the direction you want to go. At first try to ride the trike imagining you are pulling a trailer. That will help you to stay away from things with the wider trike rear end.

As far as tire pressure, you should be 22 and no more than 24 PSI in the rear. Front needs to be the same as all GL1800s, 40 minimum. And you can go as high as 42 PSI. On my trike I run 22 rear and 41 front. Less than 40 in the front and you WILL experience reduced tire life and probably cupping. If you ride it home, go slow. Take a break every hour (about 50 miles). Bring some water with you and stay hydrated. Good luck..... Jim

[Peter A.]

My first ride , many years ago in the dealers parking lot, was almost a dieaster

after a few days I went back to try again…….taking advice from another triker I

went to a nearby parking lot and did numerous figure 8’s reversing direction

after several times. This helped me out tremendously……..that was back in 2010, still riding that same trike now (108 thou. + miles). Go For It!

Love my trike!

Pete

[Douglas44]

Back from a 10 hr day in the car. Drove up to see the 2002 model, seller is a nice guy but being he is a REAL GOOD old BOY ya gotta take what he says with a grain of salt .

The story of how he came to own the machine had a couple of different versions. I'm no spring chicken so I listen and file away what I think is important.

So we push the bike outside and not with standing it was a big heap dirty.

( never understand why sellers don't put as much lip stick on the pig as possible to make a good first impression)

I ask about maintenance and when the last oil service had been done. He begins to get a little vague .So I ask if he has the owners manual, he does so I thumb through looking at all the sparkling clean pages Come to the part where maintenance is recorded and to my surprise the last oil service was done in 2016 at less miles than currently shown. So a bit of a red flag , but I don't want to badger the dude . He assures me that he had an oil service done no more than 1500 miles ago . So I ask if I can pull the dip stick , just want to make sure something is there before we fire it up.

He say's sure go right ahead and he proceeds to bully some of the after market plastic chrome panels off. Unfortunately that's not where the stick is located. My wife shows him in the owners manual where it's located. He starts to tell me that he's no mechanic blablabla.

We talk a little more and I decide that no matter how much he is willing to drop the price , I'm just not feeling it and I'll pass.

I know the right one is out there and I'll keep looking . Interesting day to say the least.

[rhino 2]

Back from a 10 hr day in the car. Drove up to see the 2002 model, seller is a nice guy but being he is a REAL GOOD old BOY ya gotta take what he says with a grain of salt .

The story of how he came to own the machine had a couple of different versions. I'm no spring chicken so I listen and file away what I think is important.

So we push the bike outside and not with standing it was a big heap dirty.

( never understand why sellers don't put as much lip stick on the pig as possible to make a good first impression)

I ask about maintenance and when the last oil service had been done. He begins to get a little vague .So I ask if he has the owners manual, he does so I thumb through looking at all the sparkling clean pages Come to the part where maintenance is recorded and to my surprise the last oil service was done in 2016 at less miles than currently shown. So a bit of a red flag , but I don't want to badger the dude . He assures me that he had an oil service done no more than 1500 miles ago . So I ask if I can pull the dip stick , just want to make sure something is there before we fire it up.

He say's sure go right ahead and he proceeds to bully some of the after market plastic chrome panels off. Unfortunately that's not where the stick is located. My wife shows him in the owners manual where it's located. He starts to tell me that he's no mechanic blablabla.

We talk a little more and I decide that no matter how much he is willing to drop the price , I'm just not feeling it and I'll pass.

I know the right one is out there and I'll keep looking . Interesting day to say the least.

Lotta red flags 🚩 there Doug…You made the best move by moving on….

[cScjhb]

Lotta red flags 🚩 there Doug…You made the best move by moving on….

[trike lady]

I agree also