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Trike question

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  • TJU
    TJU
    1 year ago
    Gidday one and all,

    At the Very early stage of contemplating selling my 17 RGS ... issues with knees and hips and lower back ... { Bloody getting Old, Lol } ... and am thinking a Trike may be the way to go, but have read many reviews and opinions that they are not as comfortable a ride as one would expect due from what I can make out is the rear axle being fixed from one side to the other among other things ... apparently very bouncy over bumps and such.
     
    Have noticed with the 23 Freewheeler and the new 23 Tri-3 ... {Freewheeler with Road Glide Fairing} ... have 18-inch rear wheels now as opposed to the previous models that had 15-inch wheels.

    So was wondering if anyone here would have any ideas if by going to the 18-inch was that a definite improvement over the previous models and were there any ideas or thoughts when it came to Trike ride comfort. 

    Have not ridden one as yet but I am a big believer in getting as much info as possible before going for such a big purchase.

    Thanks, in advance. 
    20220802_151344_1.jpg
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    1 year ago
    Thats a real shame TJ ,i recall the excitement when you got your bike but guess everything has a timeframe. I haven't ridden a current trike but have ridden my mates brothers several times. I don't recall the suspension issue you talk about but the strange way the thing steers. Guess its something you would get accustomed to. Would you trade the old girl or sell privately?
  • Grease Monkey
    Grease Monkey
    1 year ago
    You could get a trike kit for your rig with independent rear suspension, cost to complete would be horrendous though I expect. Pity Wozza is not still on here, he dinked RT on Oz's kit trike, think it was a one piece axel, RT laughed about it for years.
  • blueystar
    blueystar
    1 year ago
    for my 2 cents worth of knowledge, I went out and tested riding a few trikes before buying
    Harley a Goldwing and a Volkswagen the Harley being a pig the Goldwing being a donkey
    yes the Volkswagen setup won hands down
    you will find it challenging to ride at the start after coming off 2 wheels
    am lucky 69 going on 70 years old can still ride both

    bd5142440478899155181.jpg
    733981_601953693150536_1483690268_n_4.jpg
  • TJU
    TJU
    1 year ago
    Thanks guys for the feedback .

    Pauly I haven't fallen out of love for the Red beast but just getting annoyed at my own body breaking down , Lol ... but that's no one else's fault but mine .

    If I do go down the Trike track it will most likely be private sale for the Red one ... can't imagine any dealer giving me what I want or need to get to get a Trike and then get it set up for me ... I have $ 78,000.00 wrapped up in the RGS ... Yes I know I will never get anywhere near that , but I have to try and get as much as possible and Dealers aren't called Stealers for no reason , Lol .

    Grease monkey ... thought about the Frankenstein kits but it would have been a ridiculous end price considering how much I already have in the old girl ... trying to sell her for enough to set me up with a Trike and break even ... we will see .

    Blueystar ... I have also read the V - dub trikes are better but they just don't do it for me I'm afraid  ... being only 62 and a bit I feel it's too early to throw in the towel just yet .

    Could be a couple of months or a couple of years but as mentioned I like to get other people's opinions and ideas as well  .

    Thanks guys and if anyone has thoughts on air pressure's or suspension tips and so on I'm all ears .

    Cheers  .


  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    1 year ago
    Good luck for the future mate. 
  • GGUser260
    GGUser260
    1 year ago
    Quoting TJU on 14 Mar 2023 08:57 AM

    Thanks guys for the feedback .

    Pauly I haven't fallen out of love for the Red beast but just getting annoyed at my own body breaking down , Lol ... but that's no one else's fault but mine .

    If I do go down the Trike track it will most likely be private sale for the Red one ... can't imagine any dealer giving me what I want or need to get to get a Trike and then get it set up for me ... I have $ 78,000.00 wrapped up in the RGS ... Yes I know I will never get anywhere near that , but I have to try and get as much as possible and Dealers aren't called Stealers for no reason , Lol .

    Grease monkey ... thought about the Frankenstein kits but it would have been a ridiculous end price considering how much I already have in the old girl ... trying to sell her for enough to set me up with a Trike and break even ... we will see .

    Blueystar ... I have also read the V - dub trikes are better but they just don't do it for me I'm afraid  ... being only 62 and a bit I feel it's too early to throw in the towel just yet .

    Could be a couple of months or a couple of years but as mentioned I like to get other people's opinions and ideas as well  .

    Thanks guys and if anyone has thoughts on air pressure's or suspension tips and so on I'm all ears .

    Cheers  .


    out of leftfield TJ
    what about a Boss Hoss Trike from the USA?
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    1 year ago
    Quoting TJU on 14 Mar 2023 08:57 AM

    Thanks guys for the feedback .

    Pauly I haven't fallen out of love for the Red beast but just getting annoyed at my own body breaking down , Lol ... but that's no one else's fault but mine .

    If I do go down the Trike track it will most likely be private sale for the Red one ... can't imagine any dealer giving me what I want or need to get to get a Trike and then get it set up for me ... I have $ 78,000.00 wrapped up in the RGS ... Yes I know I will never get anywhere near that , but I have to try and get as much as possible and Dealers aren't called Stealers for no reason , Lol .

    Grease monkey ... thought about the Frankenstein kits but it would have been a ridiculous end price considering how much I already have in the old girl ... trying to sell her for enough to set me up with a Trike and break even ... we will see .

    Blueystar ... I have also read the V - dub trikes are better but they just don't do it for me I'm afraid  ... being only 62 and a bit I feel it's too early to throw in the towel just yet .

    Could be a couple of months or a couple of years but as mentioned I like to get other people's opinions and ideas as well  .

    Thanks guys and if anyone has thoughts on air pressure's or suspension tips and so on I'm all ears .

    Cheers  .


    Quoting GGUser260 on 14 Mar 2023 08:02 PMedited: 14 Mar 2023 08:09 PM

    out of leftfield TJ

    what about a Boss Hoss Trike from the USA?

    Love that thought GG ...that would be a blast, just not sure how to pay for the fuel!
  • TJU
    TJU
    1 year ago
    Gidday GGuser .. had a look at those Boss Hoss trikes , very interesting and pretty radical but as Pauly said the fuel cost could be a bit up there and of course the actual cost of buying one but loved the feedback .
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    1 year ago
    And out of left field, have you thought of a Ural 2wd and sidecar.  More giggles than a life time supply of vodka.
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    1 year ago
    Quoting obisteve on 15 Mar 2023 11:15 PM

    And out of left field, have you thought of a Ural 2wd and sidecar.  More giggles than a life time supply of vodka.

    And possibly more headaches than a sidecar full of vodka...lol. I have actually see one in real life but many reports indicate their quirkiness..
  • Lushy
    Lushy
    1 year ago
    I have ridden a couple, they steer like a drunk camel.
  • TJU
    TJU
    1 year ago
    Obisteve , think I might give the sidecar idea a miss but it's another interesting train of thought .

    Lushy .. did you or others have any thoughts of the differences going from the previous 15-inch rear wheels to 18-inch  , would that have much of an effect on comfort and handling or not really  .. and did you ever experiment with the tyre pressures  .. supposedly the manual for the older models says 26 to 28 psi but a lot of the you tubers say a maximum of 20 to 22 psi .. I wouldn't have thought possibly 4 psi was going to make that big a difference .. maybe it does  .

  • blueystar
    blueystar
    1 year ago
    dropping my tyres front and rears to 20psi made a world of difference in handling and comfort 

  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    1 year ago
    Reminds me of the time I rode past a bloke who was broken down with a sidecar.  (Ural )
    I spun around and came back to see if he needed help. His wife was sitting in the bus stop and old mate was fucking around trying to figure out why his bike stopped. We eventually  checked the oil in the gearbox and when the plug came out it looked like an upside down Christmas tree. There was big bits of metal  on the magnet. His wife had a big smile on her face because they were only 5 km from home and somebody was gonna pick her up.
    That reminds me of another time I stopped for an old guy with a sidecar.  (  1950 something AJS ) 
    He was trying to kick the bike over but I noticed he was about 80 years old so I stopped and helped him .
    Long story but he ended up riding it home at about 20 kph. 

  • obisteve
    obisteve
    1 year ago
    I ran a sidecar for 7 years after my daughter was born, first on a XS650 Yam then on a CB750 Honda. Had her in a baby capsule bolted in under the roll bar, then a child's baby seat, then the normal seat. Didn't own a car for most of that time, don't like them.
    Eventually her legs got long enough to reach pillion pegs on the Commando I was also running then too, so it was back to 2 wheels unless doing the weeks shopping. Once you know what you're doing on them they are fast, (maybe not a Ural) fun and safe. Drivers actually see you. They can be hard work, but which of us doesn't need more upper body and arm exercise? 
  • Lushy
    Lushy
    1 year ago
    I've ridden a couple of Ural outfits, quite new ones, after tuning them. I've ridden a lot of outfits and had quite a bit f fear creeping in at 110 ks on the Ural. Very flighty in the front end. Just as well they make very modest power Never looked at set up as that wasn't my job at the time. Also have ridden a few tri-glide Harleys, I found them to handle well. Better than most Harleys. I didn't look at the wheel sizes, but preferred the TC model ones over the M8 model, for handling. First time I rode one I was surprised how good it was. I have a little test road (closed course of course) and the tri-glide handled the bends better than any stock softail I've ridden. Bit heavier to steer but secure feeling in the turns. 
  • Retroman
    Retroman
    1 year ago
    Some of my long term riding crew are getting on a bit now.

    I am the "young 'un" at now 64.

    One fella rode solo HD's until his early 80's then converted his Red Ultra to a trike using a Lehman trike kit having it built at Port Kennedy in WA. That was before HD got their own trike kits "Australian complied" or whatever the fuck...

    Another ("younger" mate at 76) had one built similar from a near new Blue Ultra , but he still has his 2003 V-Rod as well.

    For the first guy it was the only way he could keep riding as solo Harleys had become too heavy for him. I used to annually service it for him and rode it on each occasion. A bit of an acquired taste but apparently you quickly get used to it they both reckon.

    At age 92 his new GP tugged his Drivers licence motorcycle endorsement. We reckoned he should have told the newbie it was a trike but he felt he could not argue the point in case he lost his car licence as well. So last year he sold his Ultra conversion trike to a down south country town. Sold quite quickly actually and he could have sold it many times over.

    The group photo was his 90th birthday run to the Swan Valley winery region
    Albys 90th run 4.jpg
    Abes trike 9th April 2022.jpg
  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    1 year ago
    Which one is the 90 year old trike driver?
    Its a bit hard to tell cos youse all look fuckin ancient.  
    Ugly too.  Just saying.
  • flstc08
    flstc08
    1 year ago
    Quoting TJU on 15 Mar 2023 09:18 AM

    Gidday GGuser .. had a look at those Boss Hoss trikes , very interesting and pretty radical but as Pauly said the fuel cost could be a bit up there and of course the actual cost of buying one but loved the feedback .

    G'day, https://www.bikesales.com.au/bikes/boss-hoss/     https://theminimaestros.com/boss//motorbike/57-chevy-trike//    There you go. one for sale in Qld, and some specs from BossHoss.  I'd put a rider back rest on and some sticky grips. just noticed...502 ci. CHEVY BIG BLOCK
    502 horsepower + 150 horsepower nitrous kit. Every one should have one. 
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