[SA Wingrider]

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Good day to all.



I need help\ information from members that converted their Wings from a Bike to a Trike. My brother (60)had his 1500 converted to a Trike about a year and a half back,and he is very happy,but he had problem holding the Wing up when it was still a Bike.



My Wing is going in for convert ion in 6 weeks time but me and my brother had a talk last night and he said that if he was me he would not convert the bike as you are loosing the real feel of biking. I have no trouble keeping the bike upright, put on centre stand etc. I have no Back \knee \ Shoulder or what so ever problems.



My request is then : Are you happy with the convert ion or would you rather have left your bike as a bike if you had not had any physical problems.



Please advise , I can still stop the convert ion.



Many Thanks

 

[martin1945]

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I converted one GW1500 to a trike, drove it about 2000 kms and gave it to my wife and told her if this was all I had left I was quitting " biking". I hated what it did to an otherwise wonderful machine. I didn't like the " head shaking" that you get from the handle bars nor the ride on some of our secondary highways nor the destruction of some pretty impressive miles per gallon economy.
Triking is an altogether different experience and can't really be compared to biking even if it is the same machine.
Where it really shone was on a winter holiday in Las Vegas. It was a a hoot tearing around the big city with it.
Personally, I won't ever do it to a bike I like again opting instead for a small two seater convertible car instead. It will get better fuel mileage!

 

[luddy]

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As long as you are physicely and mentaly capable of riding two wheels stay with it, when starting to slow down with one or the other and you still want the wind in you face, try a trike version. I did, and it made me feel young again

 

[Dubswing]

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I thought about converting to a trike one day but as long as I can ride on 2 wheels that is what I will do. I hope I never get into a situation where I have to make the decision. I have ridden them and liked the experience, so it is an option.

Bernie

 

[Rudy]

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To me it's the difference between flying on the ground and riding an amusement ride.
Both are fun but you never become part of the amusement ride and flying beats most anything else.

If I had to do it for physical reasons, I would probably do that. But that Voyager kit I bought gave me enough of a taste of the physics involved with trikes to realize that it was going to be out of here pretty quick.

Triking to me is like smelling vanilla... it is appealing looking and smelling until you taste it.

When I had that Voyager on and the bike was sitting there in the garage, it looked so good it made you want to ride it. Until the wheels started rolling.

When I got home on the Quike, I was more than happy to get off of it. When I get home on two wheels, I regret the ride is over.

Not trying to compare this to a real trike but the physics of steering, cornering and a lot of the other dynamics are the same.

This is why it is such a great loss to have the 'Landing Gear' guy go out of business.
You still got to fly wheels up, good for weak legs wheels down and minimal ugly.

 

[Burtsr]

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I'm afraid I have to agree. After riding a couple of friends trikes, when (not if) it comes to the time to give up two wheels, I'm go to a convertible.



Burt

One 'ah shi_ immediately cancel all at-a-boys'

 

[dougbo]

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I recommend a sidecar, It's still not the same as 2 wheels but you increase your carrying capacity. Every body waves at you and kids love it. We took our vacations with them and our son saw 45 states before he graduated high school, all on it . We've only owned a rig, no car for the lst 6 years. check out, www.sidecar.com to get more info. Doug in Mesa AZ.

 

[Roach]

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I'm with Doug. Sidecars are cool, trikes to me seem a little lame. (sorry you trikers, I know you love your machines and have good reasons to be riding three wheels) I did ride a volkswagon trike for several years and that was fun. I just think a sidecar is more fun.

I especially love it when I stop for gas and a little old lady tells me about her brother who 37 years ago rode his sidecar rig across the country. You hear a LOT of stories when riding with a sidecar.

But truthfully, the riding experience is much more enjoyable on two wheels. I kinda miss leaning into corners and even just weaving down the road.

 

[ding dong]

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martin1945 wrote:

I converted one GW1500 to a trike, drove it about 2000 kms and gave it to my wife and told her if this was all I had left I was quitting " biking". I hated what it did to an otherwise wonderful machine. I didn't like the " head shaking" that you get from the handle bars nor the ride on some of our secondary highways nor the destruction of some pretty impressive miles per gallon economy.
Triking is an altogether different experience and can't really be compared to biking even if it is the same machine.
Where it really shone was on a winter holiday in Las Vegas. It was a a hoot tearing around the big city with it.
Personally, I won't ever do it to a bike I like again opting instead for a small two seater convertible car instead. It will get better fuel mileage!

Pretty much happened with my brother. He converted his 1500and "drove" it for 6 months andtraded it in on an 1800. He lives in Idaho so rides mostly twisties anddriving it through the curves wore him out. Said he ruined a perfectly good goldwing. That said, they have do a purpose.

 

[GL1100Trike]

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I do not regret converting to a trike at all. More comfortable and relaxing. A lot more stable expecially riding two up. As far as head shaking. some tweaking will have to be made. Big difference between a Voyager and an actual trike. Just my $0.02.

 

[redbaron]

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I've seen side cars that were mounted on "rails" that allowed you that same feeling of two wheels..This sidecar also could be locked into position and ridden like a "stationary" sidecar....I only seen it a couple of times, but that guy that rode it swore by it...Said it gave him that freedom of doing twisties like on two wheels and was just a great side car.....

After my hospital stay this week, and having an MRI of my spine, I now find that I have some deterioration in my spine, plus lots of arthritis ?????...Not good !!!! So rather than just give up riding because soon my legs may not allow me to hold my Wing up, I maybe looking sooner than I thought at either a trike kit or a sidecar....

I won't really know more about this for a couple more weeks, until I go in to see my new Neurologist.....Like Rudy said it is a shame that of all the members we have, no one has a "Landing Gear" on their Wing....If they did then maybe one of our talented members could copy this "Landing Gear" to work on not just a 1500 or 1800.....This would give folks like me another option.....

My advise would be ride it like it is until it becomes that last resort between keeping something you love to do, or selling your Wing.....

Claude.....

 

[POLKWING]

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PUT vOYAGER ON MYGW 1500 TWO YEARS AGO AND HAVE N O REGRETS.



Decision between two wheels and four or three is a totally personal matter. Riding and control functions are different, no question about it. If you are still active enough to do the twisties or whatever thrills you, stay on two wheels and enjoy the ride.



However, if health problems have caught up with you and no significant change is in sight, a trike or Voyager of whatever lends stability to your control may be your best option.



Again, the choice is personal and only you can choose whether to stay two on the ground or go to more. If you have the opportunity to borrow a trike or similar rig, take a test ride and then decide. Don't invest thousands in a conversion and regret the change.



Polkwing

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

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I have a side car on my Wing too. It is a blast to ride and does get looks and comments. Having the dog ride helps too.

I have never ridden a trike so I don't know how it compares. The sidecar is a different experience but I also have a two wheeler so I can ride that if I feel like it. Also, with a sidecar you can remove it if you want to and ride just the bike so you can have the best of both!

Oh, one more thing: safety! With the car attached the whole rig is very sizable and easier to see. I don't worry about getting hit as much, especially from behind.

 

[Rudy]

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ChiliPepperGarage wrote:

I have a side car on my Wing too. It is a blast to ride and does get looks and comments. Having the dog ride helps too.

I have never ridden a trike so I don't know how it compares. The sidecar is a different experience but I also have a two wheeler so I can ride that if I feel like it. Also, with a sidecar you can remove it if you want to and ride just the bike so you can have the best of both!

Oh, one more thing: safety! With the car attached the whole rig is very sizable and easier to see. I don't worry about getting hit as much, especially from behind.

Plus you can carry 3 people easily and you don't have to ride with your front wheel in the oil /debris track all the time. You have to lose the trailer with a sidecar.
Easily the best solution for having a traveling dog with you.


I think Trikes are the coolest looking of all though and best for trailers.

 

[Roach]

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I pull a trailer with the sidecar attached. It mounts to the left rear of the hack, pretty much centered in the middle of the complete rig. Hardly notice it's back there.

 

[FatherWilliam57]

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Because of a bad back, I have a trike. But I'm only 52. Do I get aggrevated at not being able to lean into a curve? Absolutely. Do I miss stopping and having to hold up the bike? Not in the least. Do I have to slow down more when approaching a sharp curve? Yes, but I've made that adjustment and can live with it. It's all about trade-offs. But, for me, it's about peace of mind. It is far more stable andmy own personal comfort level is higher; hopefully that means I will beless likely to be a hazard to myself and others (since I am no longer on two wheels that I probably cannot handle as well as I should).

However, I think you have to be more aware on a trike than on two wheels. It is not going to be as nimble if you have to make a split-second decision to go around an object in your path (plus you obviously need more room to avoid it). It will takelonger to slow down and stop at high speeds (after all, you have the arse end of a car pushing you) and you have to rethink stopping distances. If there is a seam in your lane of the road due to construction, you are going to end up hitting it with one wheel or another, and if it is severe enough or you are going too fast, it will want to throw you offthe road or into a Jersey barrier;no longer able to ride on one side of the seam or the other. Large potholes? Might as well pick which wheel to hit it and be done with it. How much air in the tires and the shocks? Good luck with that...it's all hit and miss till you get them adjusted to what you think is good.

Let's be honest: A trike isn't for everybody. Then again, neither is riding a bike in the first place. Going from a bike to a convertable? Wouldn't cut it for me, that would begiving up too much. But, hey, if the time ever comes when you no longer feel confident riding on two wheels, or you just physically can't do it anymore, at least you have the option to try a trike.Either you will like it or you won't. But don't give up more than you absolutely have to if you love riding. And don't assume that trikes are "settling for less" until you've taken a good long ride on one.

Is riding a trike as much fun as riding on two wheels? It can be, and I think it is, but it is a different type of enjoyment. Different isn't bad.

Keep Wingin'! :action:

 

[SpiderBob]

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OK, I waited long enough to respond. Just wanted to see what people would say about Trikes. It's really interesting to see some really unfounded remarks, more of the feeling about it as opposed to facts. First if you are getting "head shaking" it ain't set up right. Secondly, "Triking is an altogether different experience and can't really be compared to biking even if it is the same machine" I disagree, it is not a different experience, you are in the open perhaps a windshield (but I had that on the two wheel version) I still sit on one seat, use controls as any other bike, feel the same as I had did with almost 300,000 miles before the conversion, wind in my face, smile on my face, just a great feeling of being free. Thirdly, "To me it's the difference between flying on the ground and riding an amusement ride." I never heard it put that way, I was a circus and amusement rider from way back. I think I have road most of all the giant rolorcoasters, no - it don't compare to that at all. Fourth, "Voyager" was brought up, it is not the same ride. I rode one (Voyager) on several occasions, the drive wheel is still under center and the width is narrower. And as for riding the "oil track" I don't. It is wide enough to put your front wheel on one side and the rear on the other still. Fifth, "cornering" OK no one said anything about this but I will. It is a very stable unit. It is more of a adrenaline rush running through your veins when you come into mountain twisties. How fast should I take this, should I lean, oh man, I'm going for it. Yep, it was darn right scary when I first starting riding mountains after riding two wheels for so long, I'm thinking, oh crap, I'm going to eat that tree. It will turn and hold the road more than you will believe it can. I hit some twisties so fast the rear started to brake loose, now that is an adrenaline rush. Who said you can't compare a trike to a bike. Wow, my hands are shacking right now after feeling myself out there riding while writing this. Sixth, "A sidecar", best of both worlds if you can do both. Good for, as was said, riding three and more space. Truly if you are going to talk different feeling this is. I have also road a side car, it calls for a different expertise than both two wheel and trike. I love them, they look good, ride well as long as you accept the different approach to riding. It was a tuff decision on my account to either go side car or trike. But I new I would never take the side car off so the decision got easier as I thought about it. Seventh, "I won't ever do it to a bike I like again opting instead for a small two seater convertible car instead. It will get better fuel mileage!" Not so, my mileage dropped from 40 - 42, to 38 constant with my style of riding. Ninth, now come on, you can't compare a car to any of the other options even with a soft top. Tenth, OK, so I know you have read enough of my ranting so in conclusion itwas well put by one person better than others in saying
"My advise would be ride it like it is until it becomes that last resort between keeping something you love to do, or selling your Wing....."

I'm not going to go into why I had to make a decision as I did in triking, but as was said I love to do more than not. I can not stop.

Sorry if I hurt some feelings my intention was not to do so, but to help a fellow member make a serious decision.

Spider :action:



I missed number eight, oh well.

 

[DougW]

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I just finished the Trike project on Memorial day weekend.

We LOVE it. I needed to do something to make it easier to hold it upright, arthritis is a terrible thing.

Of course it drives different, you steer in the turns, not lean. If you have ridden 4 wheelers any amount you would have no problem understanding the feeling.

I corner on 3 wheels as fast as I did on 2 and feel perfectly stable doing it. My wife loves it in the turns, she did not like leaning, I guess she felt unstable.

In town traffic it is wonderful, no thinking if I have to put the foot down or not, stop-and-go is no problem at all.

It took some getting used to going in and out of driveways, the uneven surface makes the trike want to lean back and forth but I learned to deal with that, either slow down or swing to hit them square.

Those who way they will give up riding before they go to a trike have not yet had to consider the options.

Since your brother has a trike, try taking it for a ride, and not just for few minutes, take it for a days ride so you get a chance to get used to the differences in how it drives.

Your preferred riding style can influence your choice as well, if you enjoy a nice easy pace and looking at the scenery a Trike can make that more enjoyable. If you love the sound and feeling of pegs scraping the road you probably won't like a Trike.

Trikes are not the same as a bike,but they are a good alternative.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

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Great post, SpiderBob. I like what you said about the handling. Like I said, I've never ridden a trike but have ridden quads off road a lot. I would imagine a trike is a bit like that, kind of throw it into a corner and let the rear wheels dig in, ready to give it a bit of opposite lock if required. Maybe you can't corner as fast as a two wheeler but you can have as much fun.

I learned something over the years of driving fast cars: it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow! I have a late model Corvette and the car is amazing but I can't begin to use it anywhere near it's full potential on the street (or even on the track). The car is faster than I can drive it. I have a new Pontiac Vibe as a company car. It's not particularly fast but it handles well and is loads of fun to drive flat out and sling it around corners.

I riden my share of fast two wheelers too and the same thing applies. My GF wants me to convert my Harley to a trike for her and I'm seriously thinking about it because I would ride it too and I'm sure it would be a blast!

 

[exavid]

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Talking about driving a slow car fast I gotta tell ya I had more fun racing a VW bug on a dirt track against some other 'bugs' than just about anything. I don't know whether I'd go with a trike if I had to give up two wheels but I have thought about putting together a VW based trike. I admit it, I'm a sick man, I love the sound of those old VW aircooled engines.