Had a great ride today on the FLRT. Still getting used to the whole " triker " thing. Seems weird to me ... feels like a bike , rides like a bike , sounds like a bike ..ok so it doesn't lean and has an extra wheel. Been a biker for 35 years and now im a triker? I guess Im still not used to the change . 35 years of two wheels is a long time. Labels just seem out of place and as I get older I tire of them.

Had a strange encounter at the filling station today . Met a gentlemen as I was getting an ice tea. Must have been mid 30's . Saw me walk in the door. I am limping badly these days as I just got a shot in my bad hip last week and am still sore from it. Also have a limp anyway from C.P. so been limping basically since birth. I walk/gimp in and he says : " if you look like that after riding your bike ; it ain't worth a sh@@".. After laughing about a minute straight. I think to myself about how foolish he would feel if he knew I had a cane in the trunk of the trike but did not feel up to getting it out for a jaunt of about ten feet.

The fact that I looked and walked like that before I got on the trike seemed lost on him. I had to laugh out loud again as he said on his way out the door: " Still though nice ride!!" I almost expected to hear Rod Serling say: You have now entered the twilight zone. (Dear Lord: not the vampire movie for you young folks).

I have met some great people since going to 3 wheels but I must say I have met some absolute weirdos as well . Summers coming be safe out there. Watch out for the texters and the drinkers.

 

The biggest problem I have is whenever or wherever I stop for fuel, food or whatever, all the people that come up and ask a hundred questions about the trike. It was kind of cool at first, but when you are in a hurry, you just got to tell them you gotta go. Lol. I have had mine about two months, and I love it. I am 66 years old and catch hell from my daughter and sister about going through my third childhood, but I tell them it's my childhood and I'll enjoy it anyway I want. Thank goodness I don't have a wife to contend with, just a few lady friends that love it as much as I do.

 

I too have endured a lot of ignorant comments. Some don't think you are riding a "real" motorcycle. They also "assume" I can't ride staggered which is a crock of s***!

 

Well, I have gotten a few "admirers" while out and about. And, even a guy who wanted to film it. But, most folks pretty much leave me alone - I guess its just me.......

I can say that being on 2 or 3 wheels makes no difference; they are out there - no getting around it. So, you do your best to live with it.

Springman

 

Well, I can "Stagger" with the best of them - on or off the trike these days......

Springman

 

In my younger days some of the idiots would bother me, now I let it go like water off a ducks ***.
My life, my bike so I'll do as I please....gotta just let it go

 

You will get use to it after a while. It can get old if things got yea in a tight.
On 2 wheels for 50 years, been on a trike mainly this time since Oct. of last year.
I still have a couple of Dyna bikes on 2 wheels for now. So I get to scratch my itch.
The trikes gets their photo taken a lot.

 

Weirdest one I ever experienced was in Idaho. MY wife and I stopped at a restaurant for lunch. I forgot something on the bike so I went out to get it. When I got in the parking lot, there was a bus load of Japanese tourists and they were all around the trike taking pictures of it. As I approached one of them came up to me and asked with limited English and lots of hand gestures if he could sit on the seat for a photo. I said yes----BIG MISTAKE!!! They all wanted to take a turn sitting on it. I told them that they couldn't just start climbing all over it like some jungle gym, but that they were welcome to stand beside it for all the photos they wanted. Well, it took probably a half an hour, but everybody got their turn and they all seemed to be having a blast. I think that I did my part for U.S.-Japanese relations that day.

 

I had a similar experience at a popular tourist spot on Hiway 1 in CA. [Ragged Point]. It was only a half-dozen or so Oriental tourists. They all wanted pictures.


Another time while riding on the freeway, a car pulled up alongside, rolled down the window and with big grins and high-fives began taking pictures of my lady and I while continuing along at 70 mph.


I remember similar experiences back in 1977 when I bought my Gold Wing. They had only been made for 2 years and were not that common yet.

 

"Now, where are the seat belts?"

"I'm sure it's nice for riding around, but you certainly can't take it out on the highway."

"That would be neat if it was enclosed somehow."

"But you can't pack enough on something like that for other than an overnight trip."

"What kind of car was that made from?"

*sigh*