I’ve only ridden a few times and I enjoyed myself very much, though finances kept me from pursuing it as a hobby. What I rode were itty bitty things and what was most fun was that, because they were little and slow, I could trash the shit out of them while just trying to keep up with traffic. Tons-O-Fun, pretending I was Kenny Roberts (Hey, it was the Seventies. I was Carroll Resweber on my bicycle in the Sixties), though I saw that I had reached their limits too quickly and would probably be happier with a Yamaha RD350 or a Honda CB-400F.
My friends mostly ride Harleys because they are all rugged individualists, and while they are handsome bikes with many fine qualities, they mostly seem too big and heavy for my tastes, being plenty big and heavy myself. There’s no corner cutting to be done with them, just leisurely, if loud, cruising, like you’re riding the Queen Mary. To each his own, and all. But what I don’t get at all are those trikes that I associate more with meter maids than anything cool. There seems no turning them, they are slow, and there seems to be nothing fun, nothing “motorcycle,” about them. What is the appeal? I would think that, if you want the wind in your hair, you might as well drive a convertible. It might not have a bigger trunk than an old Servi-Car, and no funk factor on Saturday night, but it will be a helluva lot more comfortable to drive to Sturgis.
Balance, stability, cargo room. The rider might be disabled but still wants the experience of a motorcycle.
I would be one of those. There’s no way I could ride with my leg the way it is but a trike would be an option. (If I could afford it.)
dropzone, google " images, custom Harley trikes." You’ll see that some are very eye-catching and streamlined. It’s really amazing the amount of effort and money some people put into crafting a sleek ride.
Pulling a trailer is always an option if you need more storage space. But with bikes like these they probably make the “old lady” follow along in a van to maintain the kewl factor.
There are definitely a lot more oldsters riding than in the day and this makes it possible to continue to ride safely longer than a person would be able to otherwise.
I set my first bike aside for a trike when the kids got old enough to take along with us. It was designed in such a way that one of them could ride behind me and catch a little nap without us worrying about the little biker falling off.
And the seat was low-slung with a full back rest. It was just like sitting in a recliner. Think I could have ridden all the way to the coast and back with no discomfort. Still see it around town from time to time and think I should have kept it around.
Another option is a sidecar. I have a friend who lost a leg in Vietnam and that’s been his solution to stability problems.
He’s also got room for extra gear that way or a couple of passengers.
Just to challenge your perception of there being “nothing fun, nothing ‘motorcycle’” about them why not go down to the dealer and see if you can take one for a short spin?
Are you thinking about joining your friends?
ETA: Cornering. If it’s light enough and stretched out you won’t notice much difficulty in turning.
ETA: Learned to ride a bicycle on gravel, and rode exclusively on gravel for years. Had scabby knees for just as long, but riding on asphalt was almost too easy for fun.
Yikes, a wheel of the ground. That would get the adrenaline pumping.
Those are nice looking.
I can’t get used to the two wheels in front thing. But I have been seeing more of them.
The trike I had had a VW engine in it and with the longer fork I had to start in second gear or I’d do a wheelie. Not exactly the sort of thing a mother wants to do with baby on board. People frown.
My grandpa used to ride trikes due to issues with his balance. Sure you can’t lean, but that’s only part of the fun of riding. You are still outside, totally different sensory input then driving a car etc. If I couldn’t ride anymore I’d think about getting a trike, would be nice to cruise some serious mileage on.
Kudos to those of you who enjoy them. And no reason you should care, but trikes always look silly to this non-biker. My thought is always along the lines of, “If you can’t ride a bike, why pretend?” But I really don’t think much of it one way or another.
The silliest, tho, are the bikes with training wheels. Those riders must have great self image, because I’m sure I’m not the only person laughing at them!
Ok, after a crying jag I’m back on task. sob…
But anyway. The thing is, motorcycling is a diminishing enthusiasm. Aeons ago or 50 yearsish, young men filled with testosterone and images of James Dean, Marlon Brando, Easy Rider, On Any Sunday etc purchased motorbikes because these machines provided an individuality which motorcars could not. Plus the bikes were more powerful and just as importantly, an individual’s icon. Riding a motorcycle spoke to the riders essence of being alone and beyond the common herd.
Fast forward 50 years and motorcycle enthusiasts find themselves with week knees, unreliable balance, and reduced reflexes. It is so unfair but age waits for no man or woman.
Enter the three-wheeler trikes which provide all the thrill of being out in the open air without the danger of falling off.
I have been riding a Cam-Am Spyder RTS for a year now and really like it.
I had a Honda motorcycle back in the mid 70’s for a while but the reality of life meant that I could not ride it as much as I wanted and it made more sense to sell it and put the money to better use.
Now in my sixties, retired and financially stable, I wanted to ride again but I found the prospect of getting used to handle a heavy two-wheeler again a little bit daunting.
So the choices were a conventional bike converted to a trike or the Spyder which is what I opted for and I could not be happier.
There are people out there who just are not qualified to ride a motorcycle. Maybe, with a year of intensive training they might be safe enough on their own, but I’d never be fully comfortable riding in a group with them. People in that group either must have a trike or stick to cars.
Someone will be along directly to debate this statement, to them I will suggest that they talk to a motorcycle safety course instructor. There is usually at least one in every class. There were two in my class of twelve. Some might say they wasted their money. I believe they got off cheaply. Not wrecking a motorcycle they purchased or were otherwise financially responsible for. Or more importantly, finding out that they would be a serious danger to themselves and others on the open road.
