wife wants a trike
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wife wants a trike - 4/7/2008 3:07:16 PM
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Duck
Posts: 73
Joined: 9/6/2007
From: texas
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my wife would like to get a trike. it will be her first bike and i was wondering what you guys would suggest.thanks in advance.
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/7/2008 5:34:55 PM
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mazzurco
Posts: 80
Joined: 9/14/2006
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Better buy her something she is comfortable on and it will have to have the look she she is after. As far as the bike goes I have done some home work because I too am in the market for a trike. I going to hang out and see if HD comes out with the leaning trike for 09 that's the rumor but just a rumor.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2007/06/01/harley-davidson-leaning-trike-patent-application/
You know some say IRS and some say straight axle Lehman seems to have a good reputation and they use a straight axle. Lots of choices out there you probably want to factor in what kind of ridding you will be doing. Long trips? Sunday putt? I would definitely take it for a good long test ride and make sure she is HAPPY. That's my 2 cents worth.
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/7/2008 7:21:25 PM
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OLD GIRL
Posts: 1
Joined: 4/7/2008
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YES IT;S THE BEST, I HAD 5 BIKE IN MY LIFE AND 2 YEARS AGO I GOT MY 1ST TRIKE I LOVE IT WE WENT MARYLAND TO CANADA AND WAS THE NICE RIDE I EVER BEEN ON, THERE NO LEAN , JUST SEARING, IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME TO GET USE TOO, BUT TRUELY THE BEST RIDE! SINCERY OLD GIRL
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/8/2008 4:22:33 AM
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grumpa
Posts: 353
Joined: 2/22/2008
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I was looking around for a trike and the HD dealer in Orwingsburgs Pa had a trade in that be long to a lady, 06 Sportster 1200 with a Lehman kit, with a lot of extras, I think around $23.000. It was too small for me, but a nice trike.
Now is your wife thinking trike because of the two wheel thing or could a safety course on a small bike be better for now. Which is a savings of say Thousands of dollars.
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I brake for leprechauns and B(o)(o)B's accepting any donations to trike my FXDP, tolal to date $1, one bottle cap and a book of green stamps.
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/9/2008 3:18:14 PM
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Spudster
Posts: 652
Joined: 5/10/2007
From: Caldwell, Idaho
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I went for economics when I added the Voyager Kit on my '06 Electra-Glide Classic. To add a trike conversion would have been 20,000-25,000 versus the kit which cost me $4,800. I already had the bike, so the math was easy to figure out. Plus, resale on trikes around here is nearly impossible. If I wanted to trade up on motorcycles, I have that option with the kit. Not that I would sell "Blue"....
Was at the HD shop last Saturday and there were several kits on Sportsters...
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Barbara - Caldwell, Idaho
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/9/2008 3:53:39 PM
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Sandhog
Posts: 777
Joined: 4/8/2006
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Duck I take it you already have a Harley.I have a few friends who's wives thought they would like a trike also.They figured it would be easier than riding a regular bike,because it would seem that balance wouldnt come into plat as much.
Two of the trike buyers have sold thiers,the other one is still riding it now and then.If they had ridden before and decided to go trikin,I think it would be a better idea.Trikes are great but they damn sure aint as easy to ride as they look.Many times the added weignt of a conversion kit will bring a whole different series of dynamics into play.I cant get used to them personally the times Ive ridden them.
But then again I sometimes lean when driving my car.
LOL
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/10/2008 4:15:26 PM
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kentuckydave
Posts: 53
Joined: 2/22/2008
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I have put this on here before but I believe its worth the time.
My wife has a DFT kit based on a 2001 Fatboy. She was not strong enough to hold it up when she stopped and she dropped it at stoplights and stopsigns in front of me. Damn near gave me a heart attack.
She got scared of the Fat Boy and quit riding on her own. Well here I am with two bikes and one rider. Not too bad if you think about it but I wanted her to enjoy the ride as much as I did.
Friends of ours had a Honda trike and she got to ride it around in a big parking lot and just absolutely feel in love with the thing. Can't have my wife on a Honda so we had to convert the Fatboy.
After she got used to it and it didn't take long, she thought she was falling back too fast on the big hills on the interstate highway. That led to punching it out to 95ci, porting & polishing the heads, 203 gear driven cams and Rineharts and Champion reverse. Now she leads the pack and I have to catch up.
Anyway, to continue this a little longer, she loves to ride the trike even though it still needs to be raked out a little in the front to stop the tire scrub on a tight curve. She has ridden it all day long even through the Rocky Mountains. She has ridden through Rocky Mountain National Park a couple of times at 12,000' and with no guard rails. She isn't the least bit afraid of the trike, loves it!
I enjoy riding it also. Cheap--no, fun--hell yes. Was it worth the money--most definitely.
I suggest that you get her a ride on one and I don't mean on the rear seat. She needs to drive it if she knows how to handle a clutch. If not, then she shouldn't be trying to ride anything without proper training first. Don't want to heart the little lady!
If she has any questions and wants to talk to my better half, just send an email and I get her on this site.
Just my two cents worth.
PS: If my knees get any worse I may convert my Softtail Custom.
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/10/2008 4:30:17 PM
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60mike06FLHX
Posts: 441
Joined: 8/28/2006
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Sorry for those that have read this before but he ask.....
My wife rides a trike hear is her comments:
I am the wife who owns the yellow & white fat boy/trike conversion pictured in one of these posts. I have no disabilities, but an only 5' tall and 105 lbs. I LOVE riding and have put up to 10,000 miles/year on my motorcycles --- rode cross country 6000 miles this summer on the fat boy with 2 wheels, for instance. So riding is not the issue to me. It is the parking lots, etc! In any close situation I must wait for my hubby to maneuver my bike, and that has been very frustrating over the years. Obviously parking lots, gravel areas, and other close-up situations are a part of every trip or ride. At 54 I decided the trike conversion was a good option for me.
Mine is a kit by Champion. I checked out a number of makes, and liked this best for my tastes though I cannot say one is better than all the others. I've only put about 300 miles on since the conversion and am still adjusting to the difference in steering and leaning in corners, but overall I love it! Handles great at highway speeds (had it at 80 on the freeway for about 10 miles the other day) and on country roads also. Very stable and easy for me to roll in parking lots by myself.
Things that helped me choose Champion: http://www.championsidecars.com/trikes/
Appearance counts!
"Easy Steer" option (rakes the forks and steering ease is amazing!!!)
Price (Total kit, paint, pinstriping to match my original tank & fenders, installation just over $10,000.00)
Option to add reverse at a later date if I decided to.
Suspension (I did not want independant rear wheel suspension, though some like that)
The people at the Champion factory were very nice to work with (all by phone), responded quickly, answered all my
questions patiently, referred me to a great place to work with locally for installation.
NOTE: She now has about 3500 miles on the trike and still loves it.
more info on trikes:
http://www.hdforums.com/m_856771/tm.htm
my wife's
< Message edited by 60mike06FLHX -- 4/11/2008 6:50:41 PM >
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/10/2008 6:08:50 PM
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kentuckydave
Posts: 53
Joined: 2/22/2008
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Nice ride. My better half and I both try to promote riding the trike. She really does enjoy having her own ride and not having to worry about holding it up or balancing has just set her free.
to Duck,
We both enjoy the trike. Choosing the trike you would want is a personal preference. I like the DFT but some of the others look great also. The only caution I have is this, I don't believe a Sportster is has a big enough engine to handle a trike. I know making a statement like that will probably get me some static but our luck with the Fat Boy definitely proved that you need a strong bike to pull that much weight. Arouhd town it was no problem but on the big road you need enough power to stay away from the idiots.
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kentuckydave
Country Boy
USAF Vet 1967-1971
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RE: wife wants a trike - 4/11/2008 9:20:43 AM
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1sportytrike
Posts: 2081
Joined: 12/15/2005
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Gotta disagree about the Sportster not having enough engine for a trike kit. Mide had plenty of power with just stage 1 mods. Now that I've done the p&p, cams, and 2into1 it's outstanding. That said, a Sportster trike is a little rougher handling that the bigger trikes. Not dangerous as far as handling but takes a little more effort than others for some reason. I love it but I think a bigger trike would be easier to handle. Not giving you static Kentucky, just letting y'all know from my experience.
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'95 Sportster Trike-Lehman Bandit Trike Kit-KB Pistons-SE AC-Dynajet/Thunderslide-Ported and Polished-Samson Caliber 2into1-Andrews N4 Cams
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RE: wife wants a trike - 5/4/2008 5:06:53 PM
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asuperheat
Posts: 681
Joined: 6/24/2006
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as much as I like my hd I must say I think the best trike is the gl1800 my wife has had a gl1500 and now the 1800. I assembled both trikes this one is a trike shop kit, it had reverse from the factory, and the kit has a 5 gal reserve tank that can be pumped up to the front while driving. It is a great looking trike and handles well. It is not on the cheap side though.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/asuperheat/CIMG0684.jpg
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RE: wife wants a trike - 5/23/2008 9:30:33 PM
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FLGEEZ
Posts: 693
Joined: 9/2/2006
From: NORVA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: 1sportytrike
Gotta disagree about the Sportster not having enough engine for a trike kit. Mide had plenty of power with just stage 1 mods. Now that I've done the p&p, cams, and 2into1 it's outstanding. That said, a Sportster trike is a little rougher handling that the bigger trikes. Not dangerous as far as handling but takes a little more effort than others for some reason. I love it but I think a bigger trike would be easier to handle. Not giving you static Kentucky, just letting y'all know from my experience.
The Basic neck rake is twitchier, tighter. Smaller Diamater Forks, shorter wheel base, could make it heavier in a turn. I do agree that the Sporty engine CAN get you all the power solo you might need. Our 883 is still stock and we went the larger 88ci TC format.
She loves it, but does not have anything to compare it to. It's her first ride.
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Drink some, have a hoot, snore, fart, then rinse and repeat.
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