wife wants a trike
Banned
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,492
Likes: 2
RE: wife wants a trike
I would consider recomending her to test ride one first (if she hasn't already)to make sure it is something she would be comfortable with. I haven't ridden a trike before but I was only marginally prepared with I invested in a sidecar bike. I am still working at making it fun. Its a lot of work and adjustment compared to riding a regular bike. Hopefully some of the trike guys will chime in and share what they think is the difference between riding a trike vs a regular bike and if it necessitates taking a trike for a test ride or 2?
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 109
Likes: 1
From: Santa Cruz,CA
RE: wife wants a trike
Better buy her something she is comfortable onand itwill have to have thelook sheshe 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/20...t-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.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/20...t-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.
Stage I
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
RE: wife wants a trike
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
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 386
Likes: 1
From:
RE: wife wants a trike
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.
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.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,431
Likes: 38
From: Caldwell, Idaho
RE: wife wants a trike
I went for economics when I added the Voyager Kit on my '06 Electra-Glide Classic. To adda 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...
Was at the HD shop last Saturday and there were several kits on Sportsters...
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,456
Likes: 16
RE: wife wants a trike
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 hadridden 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 bringa 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
Two of the trike buyers have sold thiers,the other one is still riding it now and then.If they hadridden 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 bringa 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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Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 264
Likes: 2
From: Parker, CO
RE: wife wants a trike
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 mytwo cents worth.
PS: If my knees get any worse I may convert my Softtail Custom.
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 mytwo cents worth.
PS: If my knees get any worse I may convert my Softtail Custom.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,113
Likes: 36
From: Ormond Beach, FL
RE: wife wants a trike
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:
https://www.hdforums.com/m_856771/tm.htm
my wife's
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:
https://www.hdforums.com/m_856771/tm.htm
my wife's
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 264
Likes: 2
From: Parker, CO
RE: wife wants a trike
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 hasa 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.
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 hasa 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.