# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/21 "2009-08-22T22:14:18Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I’ve seen training wheels for small bikes that a kid age 5 would ride, not for an adult bike. I wish I could find an image of what I’ve seen but my Google-fu is not very good. I have seen a few examples where a bigger bike has what appears to be hard saddlebags but really they are covers for full size training wheels. This site has something kind of similar but the ones I’ve seen in person are much more subtle. [http://burgmanriders.com/burgman-product-reviews/875/guest-product-review-tow-pac-mini-trike-conversion-kit/](http://burgmanriders.com/burgman-product-reviews/875/guest-product-review-tow-pac-mini-trike-conversion-kit/) ---
**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 23, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/22 "2009-08-23T08:58:32Z")
> [@justrob](#): > > I wish I could find an image of what I’ve seen but my Google-fu is not very good. I have seen a few examples where a bigger bike has what appears to be hard saddlebags but really they are covers for full size training wheels. That is just wrong. If only because training wheels on a bike do nothing to train you to ride a bike, and fuck me, if you can’t stay upright, then you have absolutely no business having 1000cc engine sitting between your legs! Looking at your link, a trike conversion kit is different, it’s the idea of using actual training wheels to somehow get you ready for riding on two wheels that gets me. The same goes for bicycles, how can you learn to ride a bicycle if you can’t lean into a turn? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/23 "2009-08-23T18:50:31Z")
Are they really “training” wheels for when you’re in motion? Or are they wheels to ensure the bike doesn’t fall over at 3mph in a parking lot or when stopped at a light. Unless you are very tall, or the bike has a very low saddle, the width of a large motorcycle is such that you can’t sit on the bike and have both feet flat on the ground. So if the bike is just a bit too big for you, you end up leaning a few degrees one way or the other when stopped so that one foot is flat on the ground. That can’t go very far before the bike is lying on its side with your leg under it. Even if you don’t get hurt when that happens, a typical middle aged guy or gal is not going to lift their 500 lb bike back to upright without a crane. A set of wheels which prevented that scenario while not interfering with normal riding would be a sensible, if terminally dorky, addition to big bikes. Unlike racers, touring bike rarely lean more than 10 degrees when cornering on winding roads; folks just don’t ride them that hard. And for teh much mmore common interstate highway riding, curves have such a huge radius that the lean is near zero. So grounding wheels are mechanically feasible. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/24 "2009-08-23T20:45:38Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Are they really “training” wheels for when you’re in motion? Man, I don’t really know. I accused the guy of putting me on, but he maintained he was not. Said there were 2 different kinds, 1 that stayed down, and another that powered up and down. Haven’t tried out my google-fu yet, tho. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/25 "2009-08-24T03:09:57Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Man, I don’t really know. I accused the guy of putting me on, but he maintained he was not. Said there were 2 different kinds, 1 that stayed down, and another that powered up and down. Haven’t tried out my google-fu yet, tho. I still want to find a pic of ones like I saw here but this site seemed to have both types you are talking about. > **[trikealternative.com](http://www.trikealternative.com/)** > > This domain may be for sale! The intro video is kind of interesting. If I can’t hold the bike up I either have too large a motorcycle or I need to stop riding. The acceptable alternative is to get a sidecar rig. I think and old WWII vintage bike with sidecar would be awesome. [QUOTE=LSLGuy] Even if you don’t get hurt when that happens, a typical middle aged guy or gal is not going to lift their 500 lb bike back to upright without a crane. [/QUOTE] I saw this video on Youtube quite a while ago. At a bike show Harley was showing how even smaller women can right a fallen motorcycle. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ng1KT5bTG50/hqdefault.jpg "girl lifting motorcycle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng1KT5bTG50) ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/26 "2009-09-01T16:29:25Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > So what say you? What am I missing? If you simply Google “trike”, you’ll see many companies and their offerings in the genre. Trikes have been around since the 50’s and 60’s where gearheads would take a VW bug rear end (with motor) and marry it to a [motorcycle front](http://www.p3psales.com/equip_pics/1226504375.jpg). Those were generally just to be different, but today’s trikes are mainly aimed at the “baby boomers” as stated above, and those who are “differently abled” as well. Small bikes don’t make as good a cruiser as a big bike; bigger seats, bigger motor, bigger luggage-hauling - a small bike just doesn’t always cut it. But as folks age, it can be tough to hold up a big bike while stopped, and other people simply have some infirmity that prevents it as well. The trike and sidecar offer the biking experience to those who aren’t quite ready to stop riding. There’s still a world of difference between riding a trike or sidecar rig and driving a convertible. I have a couple of [Ducatis](http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Ducati%20S4RS%2006%20%204.jpg)that I routinely lay down to about 40-50 degrees in turns, but I know I won’t always be able to do that. I also have a [Ural](http://stylecrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ural-gear-up-sahara-2.jpg)with a sidecar for having [fun](http://www.imz-ural.com/company/storypics/3.jpg). (I’m not old enough for a trike!) I also have dirt bikes and [scooters](http://www.dewit2wielers.nl/scooters/malaguti/Malaguti_F12_R_TRIBAL001.jpg)to round out the pack. Depending on where you live, you’ll probably see more and more scooters with “older folks” on them. They’re light, low, no-shifting machines that are attractive to those who may lack the hand strength to pull a clutch lever for whatever reason. Geezers are bikers, too! ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/27 "2009-09-02T13:59:14Z")
Hi **ducati** , nice stable you have there. I’m hoping to get a sidecar rig someday but I have somewhat limited space and money right now. Someday though. 🙂 > [@ducati](#): > > If you simply Google “trike”, you’ll see many companies and their offerings in the genre. Trikes have been around since the 50’s and 60’s where gearheads would take a VW bug rear end (with motor) and marry it to a [motorcycle front](http://www.p3psales.com/equip_pics/1226504375.jpg). I’m sure H-D wasn’t the first one to come up with it but they definitely had a trike before the 50’s. According to the Wikipedia article the [Servi-Car](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson_Servi-Car) goes back to 1932. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/28 "2009-09-02T14:49:19Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > 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. If I ever get a ride it’ll be a trike. AC won’t let me on two wheels because she’s afraid my leg(s) would get crushed. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/29 "2009-09-02T15:52:27Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Geezers are bikers, too! Yeah, I guess. But personally, as I’ve gotten older and more infirm, my preference is to no longer do some things I used to enjoy, rather than participate in a - um - significantly more limited manner than I used to. Different strokes . . . 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224/30 "2009-09-03T15:20:18Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > AC won’t let me on two wheels because she’s afraid my leg(s) would get crushed. Yeah, my mom would never let me get a bike either.😛 Turns out she was right. I have been hit & run twice, once with grave injuries, but I can’t stop riding. Maybe I’ll learn one day… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-motortrike-to-me/507224.md?page=1)