He's home! Wanted to share with you all my newly triked lowrider. Got him home yesterday and love it! Sorry the picture is so bad... took the camera out from the cool house to the hot, humid sweltering Florida outdoors... but I couldn't wait!



[IMG]local://upfiles/2110/72C745D4069F415384E3B4B9932E101A.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/2110/C3A412BCB8B4489982739F34BDAAAAF1.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hey , That looks really good, I like it!
You'll no doubt have some fun on that!

 

CooL Ride dude

 

That's Dudett! lol!

 

Why a trike?

 

Looks good, I was curious as to how a trike handles on the corners? I've never been on a trike but I would be game to give it a try.

 

Why…? Various reasons but most of all, probably to give my husband some peace of mind. Keep in mind, we are not “bikers”.. or weren’t! Not really am now, though I am more so.

Long story, I’ll make short. I am 46 and had left home when I was not yet 14 and never returned. I was in a relationship of an older man who was a biker. He was a great mechanic on Harleys and I learned all about them. He rode a lot, though of course, we never had a bike of our own running. We were working on a 47 knucklehead, stroked, and… triked all the years we were together. It was not set up for two people and was more a project than an anticipated ride. But we had plenty of other bikes to ride. And I chopped a 500 Honda and rode the heck out of it. I left this relationship and never rode a bike again. And had no affinity for trikes, so that had nothing to do with me getting this one.

I meet my future hubby when I was 18, though our paths parted and we didn’t marry till I was like 38, he is currently 69. A couple of years ago he suggested I get a Harley and I turned him down. My idea of owning a bike, I explained, is not pulling it out of the garage on the weekends, but rather having it as my primary ride.

After building a company for 5 years and selling it.. my husband felt I deserved to have a bike. I had never stated I wanted one, in fact, I told him I figured I’d have one delivered to his graveside 20 years from now and I’d then ride off in the sunset, never to be heard from again.

But this time, I took him up on the offer and within two days, had my Lowrider, with 471 miles on it… took my motorcycle class, got my license and had been riding it all over Ocala. It all came back to me easy, but there were some ruff spots. I knew I was in trouble with my husband when I first mentioned that I’d almost dropped my bike here and there. I was just screwing up when I stopped, to much front break…. Then one day I did drop it, braking in some sand and in a turn.. I was really stopped, nothing hurt and was in the RV park where we’d been staying. I think it was that day that I’d come up with the idea of my hubby seeing if a friend of ours that had moved to the coast still had his Goldwing Trike and might sell it. My husband didn’t waste time telling me if I wanted a trike instead, I wouldn’t hear any complaints from him.

He got the Gold Wing.. he was not comfortable riding two wheels and I wasn’t going to push it. But it was a bit of a bummer with him not riding. I don’t mind running errands on my bike but I did want to take some trips and don’t care to ride with others without my husband.

No, it is not the same as two wheels. No way does it feel the same, though it still sounds the same. But… first I was concerned about having to maybe get rid of my Lowrider and switching to a GW or someone else’s HD with miles and wear on it. This was a real bummer… especially as more of my HD clothing and jewelry was coming in! lol! Then I got to checking on converting my bike and that is how I settled on keeping my bike. It bothered me to go to a Trike but keeping my first HD helped!

I know there are a lot of women buying bikes. A lot of these same women start out okay, then something happens and they are no longer comfortable riding. I know of two that gave up riding because they just weren’t comfortable. And they are around bikes, their husbands and friends have HD’s. But there is a lot of difference in rode trip riding and close in, town riding. So all these bikes, especially HD’s that are being bought by women are just sitting or being sold.

With three wheels, my husband and I can travel around and not worry about pulling off the road to look at houses or head down some dirt road. I obviously don’t have to worry about dropping it. I get far, far, more looks and com

 

Scooterchick, quite a story and that is quite a trike!! Trikes are enjoyable as well, although I wouldn't recommend jumping from a bike on to a trike (or vice versa) and start burning up the road!! Of course it isn't as bad as a side car either!! Several years back, my dad got a Russian side car to go along with his R90 BMW and the first right hand turn I made, up it came!!!
Man I wish I was 46 again....

 

Great story...Good on both of you! You hinted earlier w/ some problems w/ the builder or kit. For those of us who are interested, when you get the time will you post some of the lessons you learned through the build and who/what kit you used. TIA and best wishes, Art

 

If you go to Trike.org you'll see a lot of writing about "steering" rather than leaning in comparison. I think this reference to steering the bike is a bit overstated and sets a trike apart from a two wheel bike a bit to much.

The same amount of steering goes into making a U-turn in the middle of the street on two wheels as three. You steer to make a turn, whether it is two or three. Curves aren’t really to much different, at least in my opinion. We took a short trip yesterday and went into some curves and I didn’t find it really much different than when I was on two wheels. I was following my husband who is still quite cautious on his trike so maybe speed would matter but I find that same as with two wheels, the position you take going into the curve and the bank of the road really eliminates any steering being necessary. At least if I get in trouble in a curve, I can more safely ride off the road rather than have to lay it down!

I have been riding my husbands Goldwing trike and find it much the same. To tell you the truth, it took more effort to straighten my front wheel out when I got on my bike as a two wheeler as it does any situation I’ve had either of the trikes in.. so it is all relevant and really shouldn’t be made to seem that much different.

It’s a give and take situation. I felt that it would be wimpy to get a trike but I’ve explained why I did. And to tell you the truth…after riding my bike as a two wheeler over to Daytona to have the conversion done… in the absolute pouring rain, with dump trucks and semi’s whizzing by… I have no worry about being thought a wimp. I’d put my nerve up against anyone. And considering the person that did the conversion did not have the right hub on the front end… thus… as I pulled out onto I-95 all hell broke loose and I had no front brake and the rear is still soft (issues I’ll be addressing with the factory tomorrow you can be sure), yet I am still riding it (with repair of course)… I don’t feel I am a wimp. It is just easier.

The way I see it, if the Trike style keeps; more women riding, more older people riding past their two wheel prime, disabled people riding, more couples riding together where wife doesn’t feel safe on the back of two wheels and just more people enjoying the thrill and fun of riding, I don’t really see where it matters.

And you can still burn the crap out of your leg as I found out! Washed my trike and in my shorts and yes… no shoes… took it up and down the road.. got off in the garage and brushed my leg up against the pipe… ouch! Would never have done that on two wheels… I wear my helmet, vest and even my chaps…even on my trike… cept obviously this one time!