# Please explain the motortrike to me **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224 "2009-08-21T18:31:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/1 "2009-08-21T18:31:57Z")
In a recent thread I appreciated hearing folks’ experiences with and opinons about the Ford Explorer. I hope folk would be as helpful about another type of vehicle - the 3-wheeled motorcycle. I passed 2 of them yesterday on the road - a Harley and a Gold Wing. I can imagine they would be stable and comfortable for long distance touring. MAybe would be good for pulling a trailer. But ISTM that if you add an extra wheel you would take away much of the feel and handling that makes riding a bike what it is. Basically what you’d have left is the wind, noise and bugs! 😉 Plus, IMO they look kinda dorky. So what say you? What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/2 "2009-08-21T18:34:14Z")
Actually now you can buy a model with 2 wheels in the front and 1 in the back. Those look really odd. I think they are for people who want more stability but still like the feeling of not being cooped up in a car. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/3 "2009-08-21T19:00:48Z")
Wind, noise, bugs = some of the **positive** experiences. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/4 "2009-08-21T19:36:23Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Actually now you can buy a model with 2 wheels in the front and 1 in the back. Those look really odd. > > I think they are for people who want more stability but still like the feeling of not being cooped up in a car. Actually, when cornering, the three-wheeler is much easier to spill than the standard two-wheels. I haven’t ridden a full sized three-wheeler, but there is a reason that many manufacturers have discontinued 3-wheel ATVs. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/5 "2009-08-21T19:37:12Z")
The guy I know who owns one had polio as a kid and his legs don’t work right. The trike allows him to have the fun of a bike, despite that problem. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/6 "2009-08-21T19:39:17Z")
About 20 years ago 3 wheel ATVs were banned in the US because they led to a bunch of kids getting killed. So they started making the 4 wheel ATVs instead. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/7 "2009-08-21T20:06:04Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > The guy I know who owns one had polio as a kid and his legs don’t work right. The trike allows him to have the fun of a bike, despite that problem. Yeah, I had always sorta thought of it for “differently abled” folks like that. I’ve known a couple of guys like that. But then I wondered if I was wrong for thinking eveyone on a trike has some physical problem. It seems I have seen more of these this summer than I remember before. And for whatever reason I didn’t get any “disabled” vibe off of this man/woman pair. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/8 "2009-08-21T20:08:15Z")
I don’t know about other states, but in California, you do not need a motorcycle endorsement on your license to drive a 3-wheeled motorcycle - just a regular car license is enough, whether it’s a regular motorcycle with a side car, or one of the newer designs like the Bombardier Can-Am Spyder. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/9 "2009-08-21T20:24:03Z")
Are all the trikes made by after market companies (not Harley or Honda?) I think they are , we have a local company that makes them and I’m sure other companies make them too. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/10 "2009-08-21T20:40:43Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Are all the trikes made by after market companies (not Harley or Honda?) I think they are , we have a local company that makes them and I’m sure other companies make them too. This kinda surprised me a bit as well with these last 2 I saw. I am not a motorcyle guy, but I had always assumed trikes were heavily modified. I even know a couple of guys who have made them with Corvair engines. But these really tried to carry the theme of their makes throughout. The Harley even had some little retro-looking hard-shelled case emblazoned “Harley-Davidson” attached to the back. Similrly, the Gold Wing was very identifiable as such. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/11 "2009-08-21T20:45:59Z")
Harley is offering a trike in their standard line-up for 2010. Bombardier’s Spyder is also a ground-up build, not a third-party conversion. A lot of riders that are older will switch to them for the stability, also those who are losing control in their legs & feet. Yes, they are tippier (than four wheels), the triangle formed by the wheels wants to tip across the long-lines between the front tire and the rear pair. I’d think that stopping in a straight line is important to keep that from happening. Still - it’s a lot less tippy than a two-wheeler. The discussion came up on the Kawasaki board I frequent. Some riders said that, without the lean, it’s not a motorcycle - they’d never buy one. One guy said he’d just get a convertible car when he’s no longer able to ride on two wheels. Others said that they’d go to three wheels if necessary. Different strokes on that answer. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/12 "2009-08-21T21:02:41Z")
> [@Belrix](#): > > Still - it’s a lot less tippy than a two-wheeler. I should qualify… Less tippy when at a stop light or in slow speed maneuvering. Through high-speed corners, of course, the lean of two wheels works in your favor. I knew one guy with a sidecar that said it steers like a tractor - big, wide handlebar moves. I assume a trike would be the same. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/13 "2009-08-21T21:23:10Z")
> [@Belrix](#): > > Some riders said that, without the lean, it’s not a motorcycle - they’d never buy one. One guy said he’d just get a convertible car when he’s no longer able to ride on two wheels. Yeah - that pretty much sums up my thoughts. But as you say, different strokes . . . ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/14 "2009-08-21T23:16:38Z")
I think the tadpole (two wheels in front) is more stable than the delta (two wheels in back) arrangement I recently saw a tadpole motorcycle, not sure which model (it most resembled the spyder [Features Of Working In The Factory](http://reversetrike.com/canam-spyder.html) ) but I can’t say for sure that was it. There is S&S cycle in town, but it doesn’t seem like something they would do. Brian ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/15 "2009-08-21T23:34:04Z")
> [@Belrix](#): > > I should qualify… > > Less tippy when at a stop light or in slow speed maneuvering. Through high-speed corners, of course, the lean of two wheels works in your favor. > > . Of course that requires two things. That you do the lean correctly. And that one of the wheels doesnt momentarily loose traction. Then all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/16 "2009-08-22T00:31:46Z")
How about a [57 Chevy trike](http://www.californiabosshoss.com/images/cbh_48/index.html)? V-8, automatic with reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/17 "2009-08-22T05:56:32Z")
[T-Rex](http://www.campagnamotors.com/T-REX/specs.html) The engine is a 1400cc Kawasaki. It will do 0-60 in just under 4s. It pulls 1.3Gs, I don’t think motorcycles can typically match that. I’m not sure if these qualify as a motorcycle, though. Why would I want one? It is almost as fast a motorcycle and less likely to result in road rash. And few others have one. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/18 "2009-08-22T10:12:03Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I think the tadpole (two wheels in front) is more stable than the delta (two wheels in back) arrangement That would make for more stability under braking and less stability under acceleration. Which way is better would depend on the braking/accelerating characteristics of the trike as well as the weight distribution. (On second thought it seems to me that stability under braking is more important because correcting an impending “tip” under braking would involve either releasing the brakes or straightening up, both of those options would be bad under many braking scenarios.) The best ones I’ve seen have a suspension setup that allows you to lean like on a bike while moving but also remain upright when stationary. BTW, I see this one around town a bit, [http://www.broometriketours.com.au/Limo.htm](http://www.broometriketours.com.au/Limo.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/19 "2009-08-22T18:43:25Z")
Was talking to a bike owner over cards last night (he had recently totalled his Gold Wing running into a peacock in upstate NY - but that’s another - and very entertaining - story!) He said trikes are incredibly expensive - adding as much as $15-20K to the price of a bike. :eek: His explanation for their popularity was simple demographics - the greying of the baby boomers. Said they even sell _training wheels_ for motorcycles! :rolleyes: Hard to believe anyone would be willing to be seen in public with such things . . . ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/20 "2009-08-22T20:31:46Z")
I’ve seen training wheels for small bikes that a kid age 5 would ride, not for an adult bike. I saw the Harley trike has a list price around $30k which is about what I expected. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224.md?page=2)