Boone60 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 A co-worker is looking to get back on a bike and told me he is seriously looking at the new 2009 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic. Do you have an opinion on this machine and on trikes in general? Link to comment
leikam Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 On trikes in general, they're not bikes. If it were me, I'd go with more of a hot rod or a chopper style than a big touring rig. Your co-worker might really like that style though and though I know nothing about it, my guess is that the tri-glide is well built and will probably be cheaper than buying a new bike and doing a trike conversion. http://hackedgadgets.com/wp-content/zeel_sportster_trike_5.jpg http://filer.www.votigo.com/4410.1907.7519_large.jpg Or go in the 3-wheeler direction with a t-rex: http://youtube.com/watch?v=38TFetQAe2o Link to comment
Penforhire Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Side cars (hacks) are way cooler! Link to comment
Boone60 Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Side cars (hacks) are way cooler! Exactly what I told him after I couldn't talk him into just getting another bike. He's looking for an over the road machine to take touring. Link to comment
gottabmw Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Trikes in general? Why? Does the guy have a disability of some kind? If not, why would anyone want to voluntarily take out the main physical element that makes motorcycling so exciting, i.e., the lean? If not a disability, to each their own.....I guess. Link to comment
ltljohn Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 There is always the Spyder Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 To me, if it does not lean, it has nothing to do with a motorcycle. If I'd want a smallish one or two people sporty transport that I don't have to hold up when I stop, it would be a Mazda Miata - Honda S2000 - BMW Z3/4. If my body doesn't handle anymore a full motorcycle but my brain still works, it might be a Suzuki Burgman 650. Link to comment
Silver Surfer/AKAButters Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I don't care for Trikes. If you're gonna take the lean out, might as well get a car. If I could not ride anymore, I'd prolly be looking at a Z4 or M coupe, but that's just me. Link to comment
sjn7708 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I have a gold wing trike to take my kids on and like it. I dont worry nearly as much about dropping the bike, or riding in bad weather. I cant afford to get hurt with two kids, so I try to minimize my risk as much as I can, and the trike does help decrease it some. Its nice because I dont have to support a heavy bike. I have a bmw 650 gs too because I did miss the two wheel experience, but trikes definitely have their advantages as well. I could definitely ride for longer stretches at a time on the trike. Link to comment
CT_Rider Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I was stopped at a fountain in Marion, NC last Spring taking in the view when a couple of old lesbians pulled up on their new Goldwing Trike. They said that they were very happy. Link to comment
markgoodrich Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 This is the wrong place to ask the question, I think. The bias (mine included) is too skewed to two wheels to get an unbiased, even informed, decision. Why don't you try googling for trike forums? I've never even sat on a trike, but have chatted with folks who have them, when I've come across them, and they uniformly rave about them. Each their own.... Link to comment
philbytx Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Yup! They aren't motorcycles and deserve their own forum Link to comment
Mister Tee Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 In my opinion, mating a front suspension intended to lean in a turn with a rear car like suspension is just a flawed concept from the start. I will say though, that some of the VW based chopper trikes that you see are fairly stable and do have some degree of coolness factor to them. Standard motorcycles adapted to trikes? No thank you. Get a convertible Smart Car instead. Link to comment
Heck Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 First, after reading thru all the trike appreciation posts on this thread, there seems to be a small amount of bias here. To the OP, the Tri Glide is a joint venture with Harley Davidson and Lehman Trikes in Spearfish SD...built by Lehman and sold under the Harley brand.... Kinda pricey, and prolly no better than a Trike kit Gold Wing or one of the other kits out there. Matter of preference- I would prolly look at a Wing trike before the TriGlide, but my own preference does not lean toward HD. My wife rides a Suzuki V-twin based Lehman trike, and has for the last 4 1/2 years. It gets her out with me when otherwise I would probably be traveling alone, or worse yet not traveling at all. She enjoys it and that is what matters. Trikes have advantages and disadvantages. Stable, yet harder to steer in twisties. Seems to me that your co-worker must have a reason to be trike hunting as opposed to looking for 2 wheels to ride. Good luck to him. BTW, personally, I would rather be on two wheels because of the manuverability factor, but my wife likes the stability end of things.. I guess it all goes back to "Ride your own ride". Whatever gives the most enjoyment. Link to comment
Kitsap Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Opinion? If I physically need 3 wheels to remain astride a motor vehicle as I grow older, sure I would look into it. A few years back a met a pair of senior citizen couples riding Goldwing Trikes pulling camping trailers across the country from North Carolina. They had recently arrived on the Oregon coast and were getting ready to head North to Vancouver. One of the wives stated she wanted to keep riding after her husbands hip surgery. She made it known to her husband if he didn't continue to ride she would find another rider they appeared to be having a grand time. Link to comment
CLEAN1 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 My riding buddy and I took demo rides on a HD Tri-Glide last October at Daytona. I tried it because he had an accident earlier last year with his S.O. on the back and she refuses to ride again. He just turned 70 and was thinking that if he got a trike, perhaps she would ride with him again. He absolutely hated the trike and I did not like it much either. I also had a demo ride on another Harley based trike and liked that even less. Perhaps a Goldwing trike would be somewhat better. We both then took demo rides on the Spyder. We liked that much better - it leans, has traction control and ABS brakes. However, even though it was much more fun than the trike, I personally would not buy one. When I can no longer ride on two wheels, I will quit riding and drive my Corvette more. Link to comment
EddyQ Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 A trike is for someone who doesn't want to ride a motocycle, but wants to get out of the cage. Perhaps they don't have the legs, balance or whatever . . . Someone that doesn't want to ride with other motorcycles, cause they can't keep the same pace. Someone that wants to get noticed as someone who relates to motocylces. Personally, I'd rather be in my truck . . . Link to comment
upflying Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 How do you lane split with a trike? One of the main advantages of owning a bike..esp here in Ca. Unless I had a lower extremity disability, I would pass. When I think trike, I think back to the death an injuries caused by the now outlawed three wheeled ATV's. What is the stability like on a trike during an evasive maneuver? OTH, this electric trike looks interesting. Now on sale in Ca. Link to comment
sjn7708 Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 First, I dont think the "old lesbian" comment is appreciated on this website. I though that the BMWsportouring forum was above that kind of behavior. I dont know where u are located, but Niehaus Cycle sales in Litchfield, Il. carries several trikes in stock and offers test drives. It might make a nice weekend ride to ride on over with your friend for a test . I am 46 and in good health and have ridden everything from HD to a Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter. I simply chose the trike for various personal and convenience factors, just as everyone here chooses their own rides, but to throw negative stereotypes around simply because of ones choice of motorcycle, whether it be BMW, HD, or trike is unacceptable on this forum. The average trike rider is 50 years old, makes in excess of $100,000 a year, and has had greater than 10 years riding experience. By the way, Im also male. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 During WW II in Germany/Austria/Hungary the military confiscated regular passenger cars, for military use. So my dad's company car, a Mecedes 170, was gone. He got this instead, to get around. Mom and dad up front, my brother and I in the cargo bed. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/chabernac/2779894/in/album/78292 Link to comment
upflying Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 First, I dont think the "old lesbian" comment is appreciated on this website. I though that the BMWsportouring forum was above that kind of behavior. I dont know where u are located, but Niehaus Cycle sales in Litchfield, Il. carries several trikes in stock and offers test drives. It might make a nice weekend ride to ride on over with your friend for a test . I am 46 and in good health and have ridden everything from HD to a Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter. I simply chose the trike for various personal and convenience factors, just as everyone here chooses their own rides, but to throw negative stereotypes around simply because of ones choice of motorcycle, whether it be BMW, HD, or trike is unacceptable on this forum. The average trike rider is 50 years old, makes in excess of $100,000 a year, and has had greater than 10 years riding experience. By the way, Im also male. Are you referring to comments I made? I don't recall mentioning anything about sexual orientation. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 "Are you referring to comments I made? I don't recall mentioning anything about sexual orientation." I think sjn7708' comment was on the post from CT_Rider and I agree with it. Link to comment
upflying Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Ok, I missed that, it looked like sjn7708 was replying to my post. Link to comment
Mister Tee Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I'm not sure what was wrong with that post. I happen to have a few lesbian friends, and I don't think any of them have a problem with being referred to as such. Link to comment
CT_Rider Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 Well, okay. I could have said an "old married couple" and without any thought we all would have assumed they were heterosexual and not given it even a single thought. Or it could have been two young gay guys in leather and I might have referred to them as "a nice young couple". But it wasn't either. It was an old lesbian couple. I admit I might have come across as a bit of a smart ass. Certainly, politically incorrect. I'm sorry to those I offended. But they were priceless. They were also quite lovely to chat with and clearly happy with each other and their trike (just staying on topic here). And that's all I have to say about that. Link to comment
bobbybob Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 CT Rider, I doubt that you were intentionally trying to be clever or smartass; however I do feel that discussion of sexual orientation is a slippery slope to interject into any discussion on this particular forum, whether straight/gay/bi/lesbian/tg/etc. and should be discouraged by admins just as politics and religion are. My 2 cents, for what its worth. Edit: my bad, looks like religion is not discouraged in the forum rules. However politics & sexism are. Link to comment
ElevenFifty Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Re-read the first chapter of Zen and the Art of Motorcycling ... trike riders may have some need for stability at low speed that we don't, or may just really like 'floating' around the curves with no lean angle ... Fact is that they are 'out there' ... exposed to the elements and the risks. To 'rather be in a truck' is missing the point. We ride to be 'in the moment' not passively observing it from inside a cage. Link to comment
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