[IDWingrider]

I'm considering triking my '05 and I have a question. Someone mentioned to me that he knows a guy who triked his Burgman 650 scooter and immediately sold it because he said it leaned to the right all the time due to the crown in the road. Never noticed it on 2 wheels.

Question is, for those of you with trikes already, have you noticed any tendency to lean off to the right, especially on long straight stretches of road, due to the crown of the road? Maybe it was just specific to that one conversion?

I'm having mine done with a Champion conversion. If this is a problem, maybe I don't want to do this, but so far, I've talked to a lot of trike folks here lately, and none of them has mentioned this issue. Maybe it's not an issue.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input on this. Thanx in advance.

 

[Goldrush]

It's not really a "Lean" as much as it is a tendency to pull tward the right sholder of the road because of that crown. Depending on how much slop the road has this pull can be pretty significant or hardly noticable. You won't notice any actual leaning.

A common method of reducing or eliminating that pulling it to increase the air pressure in that right tire by 2 lbs.

I try to ride on the right side of center most so this problem is not an issue for me....

 

[tfdeputydawg]

Sitting on 3 points, you will feel more of the "undulations" of the roads you ride than on 2.
If the roads you ride most in your area are crowned to the point they tend to make a trike drift to the right you can help overcome this by putting 2 or 3 more #'s of air in the right rear tire.
I run 24psi in my LR and 26psi in my RR and this seems to work for me unless I run upon a road this has a lot of crown in it.

If you are still in the "considering" stage of a conversion, I suggest you test ride the IRS conversions of Hannigan and RoadSmith.

 

[CatfishMan1]

Try all irs Trikes .Don't take anyones advice on what is the best one .
Teddy .

 

[Tryker]

I'm considering triking my '05 and I have a question. Someone mentioned to me that he knows a guy who triked his Burgman 650 scooter and immediately sold it because he said it leaned to the right all the time due to the crown in the road. Never noticed it on 2 wheels.

Question is, for those of you with trikes already, have you noticed any tendency to lean off to the right, especially on long straight stretches of road, due to the crown of the road? Maybe it was just specific to that one conversion?

I'm having mine done with a Champion conversion. If this is a problem, maybe I don't want to do this, but so far, I've talked to a lot of trike folks here lately, and none of them has mentioned this issue. Maybe it's not an issue.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input on this. Thanx in advance.

Speaking from the perspective of a newbie.

There's a variety of new behavior when you go from 2 wheels to 3. Most positive, some negative, some, depending on how you've wired your brain, quite disconcerting at first.

One is that the trike tends to go the way the road is leaning. Since most roads are crowned, that means it pulls a bit right. Some people tweak the trike suspension a bit to pull a bit left to compensate. Note that, as you go over an irregular road, and the trike leans left, it can go the other way.

If things like this are causing you to question triking, be aware that the following sequence of thoughts is very common among new trikers.

What have I done? I could maybe get used to this. This is pretty nice. Boy, I wouldn't want to go back to 2. I can see someone in stage one "immediately selling" the trike. I might have, if I hadn't done my research.

It took me something like 1000 miles to go through that sequence. I've seen others say 500, others seemingly get comfortable even faster. Just a few slower. Maybe I'm a slow learner, maybe I was really good at wiring my brain for 2 wheels.

To me the drifting right thing is no longer a concern. Off camber left handers are still a bit annoying. But not caring much about the quality of the road surface, a bit of sand, pulling onto dirt shoulders, turning sharply at 5 mph or less, etc, is gold. Especially with a dodgy leg.

My reliable information is that solid axle trikes exhibit most of the disconcerting behaviors to a larger degree than IRS. No personal experience. But I do have experience, both ways, that a rake kit helps with them, a lot. It's not just "power steering".

 

[Spencer]

Respectfully the Burgman scooter kit is so far and away a different animal than a full size GL1800 trike conversion that other than sharing three wheels you really can't make a comparison.

As mentioned a trike is a unique ride and has it's differences that take a little seat time for your head to wrap around and become comfortable but once you relax into it you will wonder what the fuss was about.

I don't run different rear pressures. Not all roads are crowned the same and some are even crowned the other way so why create an unbalanced stance....you don't do it on your car so I never did understand it with a trike.

Ride as many types as you can because like bikes, cars, bicycles, every rider has different wants and needs. Just make sure to keep an open mind and remember that it will feel a little strange at first until your mindset adjusts, and you stop trying to put your feet down.

Good hunting :thumbup:

.

 

[cmore]

Don't notice it on the roads around here, ridding the CSC. In some parts of the country they may have higher crowns.

As tfdeputydawg mentioned u can change the air pressure a couple of pounds to compensate for it.

 

[Don Graham]

I picked up my CSC and had never been on a trike before. Because of all the stuff written on this board I was worried about the handling. I picked it up and rode around the parking lot, then 80 miles home and never had a problem. Granted it's different in ways. But go into it with an open mind and you'll be fine.:thumbup:

 

[IDWingrider]

Well, today just confirmed that all is cast in Jello instead of concrete. I was ready to order the trike kit, but then my wife and I started talking about it, again, and came to the conclusion that I am not ready to trike it. She tends to be somewhat on the psychic side and when she has a feeling about something, she tends to be right on, and she said that she feels that if I go ahead and trike the Wing, I won't be happy with the results.

The fact is, I really don't have a physical limitation that would put it in the "need " category. I have no issues with shoulders, hands, hips, knees or feet/ankles. In short, I don't have a problem dealing with a 2-wheeler. So we concluded that it was more of a passing fancy than something that needed to be done. Then came the discussion of the bank account. While the $$$$ is there, do we really need to spend it at this point discussion. Conclusion? No we don't/shouldn't. So we came up with all the alternatives: 1.) Trike it and accept it, learn to like it, 2.) Keep the Wing as is, use it just for 2-up and pulling the camper, and get a smaller, lighter bike for day rides, etc., or 3.) Just ride the Wing on 2 wheels until I come to the point I feel I really need to trike it or stop riding. We went with option #3 for now. The money will remain there until it's needed.

I thank you all for your input. It was interesting and informative and I appreciate the positive responses. I will keep all that in mind for the future. I still haven't put it away. I will continue to keep it in mind, as the day will surely come sometime.

 

[05 TRIKER GAL]

My trike is a 05 champion and I enjoy riding it every time..I have only rode trikes so I can't compare the ride to a bike..My trike handles really well and im very happy with it...Yellow is a great color...But all colors of wings are pretty !!!

 

[keninsenm]

IDWr said, "I thank you all for your input. It was interesting and informative and I appreciate the positive responses. I will keep all that in mind for the future. I still haven't put it away. I will continue to keep it in mind, as the day will surely come sometime. "

Sounds like a plan to me, Sir! I considered a trike for a few years before I finally made the switch. Did not want to give up two wheels, but age and circumstance made that decision much easier with time. First time the doc suggested tri-focals for my eyes, it didn't work ... mostly because I was not truly quite needy for them at the time. A bit later on, when I really began to need them to see what I needed to see, they worked with a minimum of adjustment.

There is a right time ... the trike would work just fine for you right now if you had a burning desire to ride one. If not, you'd have regrets. When we finally made the switch, it was needed, and riding both of us together on two wheels had become a bit of a concern. The transition was relatively easy, and the stress free (as much as it can be!!) riding was a welcome relief! Park those bucks and let them cook ... I think you made the right choice. We REALLY like our trike ... riding our second one now ... but we also loved our two wheelers when they were appropriate for us.

It's all about enjoying the ride, and making the choice that's best for you. And you are fortunate to have someone who cares about you to give you good advice. It took me a long time to really begin to pay attention to my wife's suggestions and advice. Turns out she knows me pretty well after observing me for a long, long while!! I'll just say it ... she's very seldom wrong about what will ultimately make me happy!! Just keep on riding, and stay in touch with what's going on in the three wheeled world. You'll know when it's time! If not, that lady of yours probably will ..........:thumbup:

 

[cmore]

I don't have to ride a trike but did worry about dropping the wing, since day one, have a short inseam which makes me stand on my toes to hold it up. But I enjoy riding the trike. The ONLY time I mis the 2 wheeler is when I want to push it through the corners as it requires a lot more effort. So I can ride a C50. The trike is a different machine but I like it and not sorry I triked. Have to force myself to ride the C50.

 

[IDWingrider]

IDWr said, "I thank you all for your input. It was interesting and informative and I appreciate the positive responses. I will keep all that in mind for the future. I still haven't put it away. I will continue to keep it in mind, as the day will surely come sometime. "

Sounds like a plan to me, Sir! I considered a trike for a few years before I finally made the switch. Did not want to give up two wheels, but age and circumstance made that decision much easier with time. First time the doc suggested tri-focals for my eyes, it didn't work ... mostly because I was not truly quite needy for them at the time. A bit later on, when I really began to need them to see what I needed to see, they worked with a minimum of adjustment.

There is a right time ... the trike would work just fine for you right now if you had a burning desire to ride one. If not, you'd have regrets. When we finally made the switch, it was needed, and riding both of us together on two wheels had become a bit of a concern. The transition was relatively easy, and the stress free (as much as it can be!!) riding was a welcome relief! Park those bucks and let them cook ... I think you made the right choice. We REALLY like our trike ... riding our second one now ... but we also loved our two wheelers when they were appropriate for us.

It's all about enjoying the ride, and making the choice that's best for you. And you are fortunate to have someone who cares about you to give you good advice. It took me a long time to really begin to pay attention to my wife's suggestions and advice. Turns out she knows me pretty well after observing me for a long, long while!! I'll just say it ... she's very seldom wrong about what will ultimately make me happy!! Just keep on riding, and stay in touch with what's going on in the three wheeled world. You'll know when it's time! If not, that lady of yours probably will ..........:thumbup:

Thank you for the kind words. I think you nailed it, suggesting that the timing isn't right yet. I guess I'll know it when it happens. And yes, I do appreciate my wife's intuition and concern. She rides and loves her own bike, and doesn't want me to be unhappy on my ride. I've learned over the years that if I have to do too much thinking about doing something, then it probably isn't the right thing to do because if I spend too much time considering something, I'll end up rationalizing it, and then more than likely making a mistake. Thanx for the support.

 

[keninsenm]

Welcome! You two sound like a smart couple to me, and I salute you for enjoying and sharing our passion. I sure would miss my soulmate and her help and support. Sounds like we are both lucky guys!!

 

[papabee49]

We triked ours this spring and really enjoy her. I still have our 1500 and can and do ride her frequently. No physical need to trike, we just wanted to get one for our later years. Put 2000 miles on her in July and when we got home the wife said we should get back on and go again. Still have to work or we would have gone again.

 

[Quapa]

The "leaning" on a trike is a non-issue. I am riding an '06 GL1800 Champion Trike. Once in a great while, you may notice a little tendency to drift to the right; however, this is not a permanent problem. Roads differ from mile to mile. I think you will love your trike. Wish I had started on one. As for different tire pressures, ?????

Happy riding.

 

[storm]

One problem with a present day standard trike is you can't really adjust the wheel camber. This tendency to drift to the outside due to crown is normal however on the Rtrikes one can set positive camber on the inside wheel and negative camper on the outside wheel to compensate for the road crown. I have done this on both my Rtrikes and it works well.
In general it's not a big deal but it does add to drive fatigue during long trips or high mile days.

 

[tzimmer]

i bought a new09 had it converted by roadsmith love it my wife loves its just remember mama not happy nobody happy

 

[1800 06 Champion]

I have a 06 with Champion Solid Axle (Toyota) and have 27,000+ trouble free miles on it.
It rides great and takes curves with easy.
Go for it, you will not be sorry.:thumbup:

Also don't forget to put the rake kit on the front!!

 

[Roky]

Trike

I have only had my Hannigan for three weeks now but I haven't noticed anything like that. I have put a lot of seat time on it form day one and even have done the no hands thing and it is a baby. Best thing I've done. I glad my wife talk me into triking it out. I love it. Go for it you want be sorry :thumbup::excited: