Trikes. Is There Much Point?

[Al Gorithum]

Each to their own and all that. Not actually tried one yet but seems to me that trikes have many of the downsides as cars, and not many of the upsides of bikes.

Thoughts?

[Jazoli]

I agree, unless you are disabled and cannot ride a bike there is no reason to own a trike, like you say they offer non of the benefits of the bike and all the disadvantages of bikes and cars combined.

[lazybike]

I think a car based one is ok, a Harley or a Goldwing with an extra wheel at the back...not for me, had a workmate who toured with his family on a Goldwing outfit with a trailer, prefer that to a trike.

[black-k1]

I think that if you are a trike fan then there is loads of "point". If you're not a trike fan then there is little point. I suspect that very few people move from being a trike fan to not being a trike fan or vica-versa.

[Biker9090]

Unless you have a disability they've always struck me for people who can't pass their bike tests. Really, really dislike the things.

[Donbot]

You don't need to wear a helmet so you can show off your head tattoos.

[KTMsm]

I've had two car ones - great fun, effectively a GSXR1100 rear mounted to a formula ford front

I always liked the bike ones - mostly because you could ride them on car license (I believe) but I never owned one

Since having a bike licence I wouldn't want one

[Bob_Defly]

lazybike said:

I think a car based one is ok, a Harley or a Goldwing with an extra wheel at the back...not for me, had a workmate who toured with his family on a Goldwing outfit with a trailer, prefer that to a trike.

I think the ones with an extra wheel at the front are much more stable, and fun as you can drift them.

https://youtu.be/LBM5L3tovVY?t=170

I saw a pretty horrific Harley trike crash at the start of a road trip once, will never forget that image. The guy went for an overtake that didn't work out.

[DrEMa]

Had a vw phoenix style trike for a few years - didn't use it much at all though, sold it over the summer and bought another chop/low rider bike once my kids confirmed they wouldn't be interested going on it.

I enjoyed riding it but prefer bikes on the whole.

[CoreyDog]

Each to their own!

Not my cup of tea, if I lose the ability to filter yet still get wet through when it rains, nope!

[Tribal Chestnut]

I think they’re utterly daft, but would happily own one for a bit if I had the space and they weren’t so impractical.

[Mr Tidy]

CoreyDog said:

Each to their own!

Not my cup of tea, if I lose the ability to filter yet still get wet through when it rains, nope!

That's exactly what I was thinking too!

Which may explain why you don't see many about.

[spoodler]

There's very little point in comparing trikes to cars or bikes. They are neither.
A good trike can be cracking fun, a badly built one, pretty crap. Much like bikes, cars, girlfriends or pretty much most things in life. I still plan on buying back my old 1400 Intruder to build another trike... it'll be world's away from the direct drive Triumph TR6, 2500cc, rigid one, the VW/Suzuki hybrid, or my mate's old TL1000 with its F1 type rear suspension... As for filtering, I tend not to ride where there's that much traffic that filtering becomes a necessity.
One I helped a mate build from an accident damaged TL, great fun and rock solid at a ton fifty.

[airsafari87]

Anyone who has been to any BSB rounds this year, in particular Donnington may have seen 1 guy in a wheelchair who has an immaculate Busa trike.

I've haven't seen it right up close, but i saw it from a reasonable distance away and it looks like a proper piece of kit.

Outside of trikes for those purposes though they can FRO.

[gareth_r]

Mr Tidy said:

CoreyDog said:

Each to their own!

Not my cup of tea, if I lose the ability to filter yet still get wet through when it rains, nope!

That's exactly what I was thinking too!

Which may explain why you don't see many about.

The Can-Am Spyder and Ryker - which they refer to as 3-wheel motorcycles - seem to be popular in the US. There are three dealers over here.

Of course, they can't "lane split" in most US states, and many areas have rather more predictable weather than does the UK.

[Krikkit]

gareth_r said:

The Can-Am Spyder and Ryker - which they refer to as 3-wheel motorcycles - seem to be popular in the US. There are three dealers over here.

Of course, they can't "lane split" in most US states, and many areas have rather more predictable weather than does the UK.

Even in the US I don't think I'd bother - for the same price as a CanAm you could have a tasty Mustang or Corvette to hoon about in...

[yeager2004]

Even worse are those quad bikes that DMO likes to ride around on

[Birky_41]

Not my bag as I have a bike licence

Bit gay with some of them running 10 foot high exhausts, tassels, skulls and other crap

Complete understanding a respect to the disabled, and I would have a bit more liking to a bike engined one but when you hear some old pinto running like a sack of st it does for me at least make me wonder...

[catso]

Never ridden one but, to me a trike seems to manage to combine the worst features of both a bike and a car into one vehicle - I'll not be bothering.

[bogie]

Most things with 3 wheels combine the downsides of both 4 wheels and 2 wheels and were invented to exploit loopholes at one point in time. Trikes registered as cars you can drive on a car license without a helmet. Sidecars were a cheap way to carry 3 people or for learners to ride bigger bikes e.g. remember the "Sidewinder" that used to be attached to 350cc bikes on L plates ?

I get that for some people a trike is the only option that works for them, fair enough, but as an experience for the able bodied rider with a full licence....not for me.....I would sooner have a sidecar (and did for a while 30 years ago!)

Actually the only 3 wheeler that appeals now would be an F1 sidecar made road legal....there have been a couple up for sale over the years.