Are Trikes Self-Correcting?

[IceBear]

Bike steering tends to be self-correcting. That's why they should be handled with a light touch, to allow the front wheel to naturally straighten itself from bumps and road surface irregularities.

Are trikes self-correcting in the same way?

I used to think not, because of the way steering a trike in a turn works. Countersteering to initiate turns doesn't work for trikes. And leaning a trike doesn't do a thing unless you turn its steering wheel.

I used to think that it is MORE important to steer your trike straight, because once it starts to drift it will rapidly increase its drift (tends to turn even more). Therefore, I have ridden my trike with a firmer grip than on my bike.

However, I wonder if my thinking has been wrong. On a straightaway, wouldn't the radial forces affecting the front wheel be the same on a trike as on a bike? Thoughts, anyone?

[rhino 2]

Bike steering tends to be self-correcting. That's why they should be handled with a light touch, to allow the front wheel to naturally straighten itself from bumps and road surface irregularities.

Are trikes self-correcting in the same way?

I used to think not, because of the way steering a trike in a turn works. Countersteering to initiate turns doesn't work for trikes. And leaning a trike doesn't do a thing unless you turn its steering wheel.

I used to think that it is MORE important to steer your trike straight, because once it starts to drift it will rapidly increase its drift (tends to turn even more). Therefore, I have ridden my trike with a firmer grip than on my bike.

However, I wonder if my thinking has been wrong. On a straightaway, wouldn't the radial forces affecting the front wheel be the same on a trike as on a bike? Thoughts, anyone?

You steer the trike the way you want to go. No such thing as self-correcting…All the correcting is done by the driver….

[cScjhb]

I don't know about "self-correcting". I do know my trike goes straight ahead and will do so all by itself. I can take my hands off the handlebars at any speed and not have the trike drift unless there is a road anomaly. For obvious reasons, I have not tried taking my hands off the handlebars while in a turn to test for self-correcting. I suspect the bike would not continue cornering without my input!

[Phu Cat]

Interesting question cuz I used to make small steering corrections riding our EGs with no hands and steering with the foot pegs. Never tried that with our Triglide. Usually rode the Tglide with just one hand once we were on more rural roads with way less traffic.

As stated above, without steering corrections, the front end of a trike will go where it wants.

[irondad01]

That's what trail does. Without an easy steer installed (raked triple clamp) the steering is harder because the trike is trying to go straight and you have to overcome that. With easy steer you shorten the trail but it still has some self centering. With zero trail you would have to hold onto the handlebars all the time because the front would do anything it wanted to.

[IceBear]

Thanks guys! I'll have to re-think the way I handle my trike: give it more "play" on straightaways and maintain a more focused steering on turns.