Hi all,

Been riding 2 wheels for the better of 15 years, most recently an 08' H/D Softail Deluxe. I just upgraded to a 17' H/D Trike, now that my knees are wearing out and my wife has started riding with me regularly.

Obviously I am going through the learning curve, but I was wondering about a couple things.

1. How far can I push this bike thru the twisties? Since my center of gravity is not rolling I am afraid of rolling this thing like I did my 80' off-road three wheeler. Any suggestions?

2. Also, are there any suggestions to how much air I should use in the rear shocks for the best ride?

Thanks!

 

Start off with 25 to 35 in shocks. Drop the rear tire pressure to 22. Go to empty parking lot and do some figure 8s, A lot of start ups as you turn left and right from a stand still. After a while you will have the feel for it.
Dennis

 

We're 2 up all the time with our combined weight around 320#, front tire at 36, rears are at 22. As far as the shocks go if we're riding a day trip we're usually at 30, if we're overnighting or a longer trip usually 40-45 depending on how much 'stuff' is in the trunk and strapped to the tour pack.

We've done the dragon and a bunch of other twisties in the Smokies and I can tell you that unless someone is on a sport bike, they won't pass you on any curves, it just takes some time and getting comfortable within your riding abilities.

Your trike is beautiful, of course I'm partial to red so enjoy!

 

after a few thousand miles of 2-up i took mine out solo and pushed it hard. dont hit the front brake in a hard corner.

 

Ride it like you stole it! practice turns stopping and hard turns slowly and just keep increasing speed after a while you will spook yourself and say enough, neat huh. No seriously I have not gotten the inside wheel off ground in 3+ years that is what is spooky. Tuff to tip. ride safely Fred

 

If the three wheeler you had was a solid, one-piece rear axle type like the old Honda ATC 90's were, the trike isn't anything like that. It has a rear differential. On the old ATCs you had to put the weight on the outside tire and let the inside one slip. I rolled one of those stupid things more than once.

You'll be surprised how well it will handle once you get the hang of it. Like the others said, do some practicing and work your way up. Every spring on the back roads on the way to work I practice lane changes, obstacle avoidance and panic braking, give that a try. As Alakazam and bigdumbknoitall stated, keep off heavy use of the front brake and have at it.

Welcome and enjoy, you'll love it!

PS, interesting effect: If you're coming out of a corner and accelerating, and the inside rear wheel starts to lift a bit, it will lose traction and spin. And since the diff is open (not limited slip or a Detroit Locker) the trike will stop accelerating. It's almost self regulating.

Oh, PPS, same pressures as bigdumbknoitall is using. Nice to see someone else with those pressures, it took a while to find what worked for us, and many report using higher pressures than that.

 

3000 miles on a freewheeler and I'm surprised how far you can push it... Just keep riding.

 

Thank you to all who replied. I am definitely going to try those pressures and see how they work.
Oogie that is exactly what I rode, so thank you for that input. It only took one roll-over on one of those Honda ATC's to spook me from getting on anything with three wheels for a long time.
I haven't enjoyed riding near as much as I have in the last week since getting the trike. And since I opted for the Mustang Heated seat and backrest, I anticipate a great fall season for riding!

 

yep ! this is the right setup.

 

I agree with what has already been said. I also rode one of those old Honda ATCs back in the day, Tri is not like that! Just start out slow and add speed as you become comfortable, it won't take long either.
I do lean my upper body into tight turns, it helps me with leverage for the "push/pull" on the handle bars. You might want to have your passenger do a little of that and use the grab handles, so they won't feel like they are going to slide to the outside of the curve.
One more thing, stretch out your arms wide to each side and you will have an idea of how wide the rear end is for gas pumps, curbs & such.

Congrats on your new ride, enjoy!