Honda Trike

[RJB]

Planning a bike trip through Utah this summer, flying out and renting bikes. My wife rides a Spyder RS and will not ride a 2 wheeler again but it is no surprise I cannot find any to rent. Closest I can find is a Honda Trike. Can anybody offer any comparisons? If she can ride a Spyder is it safe to assume she will not have any problems with the trike?

Thanks
RJB

 

[Firefly]

Planning a bike trip through Utah this summer, flying out and renting bikes. My wife rides a Spyder RS and will not ride a 2 wheeler again but it is no surprise I cannot find any to rent. Closest I can find is a Honda Trike. Can anybody offer any comparisons? If she can ride a Spyder is it safe to assume she will not have any problems with the trike?

Thanks
RJB

Totally different beasts - do NOT assume she will not have problems. Conventional trikes are far more dangerous - which is why they banned the 3 wheeled ATV's.

I wouldn't put your wife on one unless she gets some training and experience first.

 

[ARtraveler]

You are going to run into some different handling characteristics with the trike compared to the Spyder. The experts will soon chime in on this one. Congrats on your decision to ride Utah. That is one pretty place to ride on a cycle. Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks---etc. Have done these in my car-- but still waiting to do it via Spyder. I have done the Badlands & Devils, Tower,Wyoming on two wheels--it was pretty awesome.

 

[SSG Bean]

Rent her a convertible. She'll be comfortable, and you'll have a trail vehicle. A long roadtrip is not the time to learn how to ride a completely different vehicle.

 

[mclaw44]

I don't have a lot of riding experience but I can share that I was trying to decide to buy a trike or my spider. After getting to spend some time test driving it was a no brainer. The spider just feels better. With the Honda I drove I felt that I sat really high and in the corners I thought the back wheel was coming of the ground I was assured by the salesman it was not and that I would get use to the feeling. Now on another note we own an old 3 wheel ATv and yes it a blast but my wife and kids know that they are not to ride it. It's just not safe

 

[NancysToy]

.....With the Honda I drove I felt that I sat really high and in the corners I thought the back wheel was coming of the ground. I was assured by the salesman it was not.....

:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack: Now where have I heard that one before? :roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:

 

[NancysToy]

I have ridden both...they are not the same! It can be done, but I agree that she needs to be educated in the differences, practice, then make her own decision. Remember, the safety systems that she is used to, don't exist on a trike conversion.

 

[mclaw44]

yes I know spyder is spelled with a "y" and not an "I". Sometimes I hate auto correct on an iPad :hun::lecturef_smilie: didnt want any nasty grams for spelling lol have a good one

 

[wyliec]

Now on another note we own an old 3 wheel ATv and yes it a blast but my wife and kids know that they are not to ride it. It's just not safe

I thought all 3 wheelers were recalled years ago. Remember, I said 'I thought.'

 

[Dudley]

Renting a convertible sounds like a sound suggestion. I have never ridden a Honda trike, but I have ridden and turned over many times on a tricycle. That's why I had told Jennifer that if I ever couldn't ride 2, I would never ride 3. Then "along came the Spyder" and the rest is history.

 

[Rider Steve]

Comparing a modern day touring road trike to a small off road trike is loony tunes at best. ATV's were never meant to be ridden on the road to begin with (can anyone say low speed flotation tires?). Couple that with narrow axles ATV's have and that spells trouble as Honda found out. Now back to the original question, I have ridden the spyder and goldwing trikes. With the conventional trike it's going to depend on if the trike has a rake kit on it or not. A non raked trike is going to be harder to steer at low speeds (parking lots) but will be easy at highway speeds VS a raked kit that will be easy to steer in parking lots but will take some getting use to at highway speeds as the rake kit adds like super power steering to the equation. A raked kit takes more getting use to because you have to use smaller inputs to steer it. The raked kit falls more in line with the way a spyder steers (in my opinion). The only one who can truly answer your question is you by test driving the rental unit and making your own decision on how it handles.

 

[bone crusher]

Comparing a modern day touring road trike to a small off road trike is loony tunes at best. ATV's were never meant to be ridden on the road to begin with (can anyone say low speed flotation tires?). Couple that with narrow axles ATV's have and that spells trouble as Honda found out. Now back to the original question, I have ridden the spyder and goldwing trikes. With the conventional trike it's going to depend on if the trike has a rake kit on it or not. A non raked trike is going to be harder to steer at low speeds (parking lots) but will be easy at highway speeds VS a raked kit that will be easy to steer in parking lots but will take some getting use to at highway speeds as the rake kit adds like super power steering to the equation. A raked kit takes more getting use to because you have to use smaller inputs to steer it. The raked kit falls more in line with the way a spyder steers (in my opinion). The only one who can truly answer your question is you by test driving the rental unit and making your own decision on how it handles.

3 wheel ATVs were not deemed to be unsafe on the road...they were unsafe off-road, where they could flip easily...

There is no question that the old school trike will ride/feel differently...also have to be careful filing it up so you don't smash the back wheels at the pump (with the Spyder, it's nice to be wider in front)...it's just a little scary to me now to consider rear wheel drive with two wheels and one in front...if you slide out, you're in trouble as you'll really spin...with the Spyder, one wheel sliding out with two front wheels holding it in check is a much better set-up, IMHO...

 

[Rider Steve]

3 wheel ATVs were not deemed to be unsafe on the road...they were unsafe off-road, where they could flip easily...

There is no question that the old school trike will ride/feel differently...also have to be careful filing it up so you don't smash the back wheels at the pump (with the Spyder, it's nice to be wider in front)...it's just a little scary to me now to consider rear wheel drive with two wheels and one in front...if you slide out, you're in trouble as you'll really spin...with the Spyder, one wheel sliding out with two front wheels holding it in check is a much better set-up, IMHO...

Man if anybody's that stupid they shouldn't even be driving a cage.

 

[wyliec]

Man if anybody's that stupid they shouldn't even be driving a cage.

Don't you have some place to go; like the Honda forum?

 

[RAL]

Planning a bike trip through Utah this summer, flying out and renting bikes. My wife rides a Spyder RS and will not ride a 2 wheeler again but it is no surprise I cannot find any to rent. Closest I can find is a Honda Trike. Can anybody offer any comparisons? If she can ride a Spyder is it safe to assume she will not have any problems with the trike?

Thanks
RJB

While trikes and hacks are not the death traps that many seem to believe, they are different animals than the Spyder. If you want to take the trip she should take a trike/sidecar course......I would be surprised if someone would rent a trike to someone without the proper training in this day and age.

RAL

 

[Raptor]

I have to agree with many of the others here. Going from a Spyder to a road trike cold and without any training and/or practice is very big risk. I would not want my Wife to do it. But that is just my opinion.

 

[3whlLefty]

She should be fine

I rode a Honda trike for 8 years before the Spyder. It's only seriously different if you're out pushing over 80% for instance. The trike won't steer as quickly as the Spyder but won't do anything that will surprise her.

There's a shop in Denver that rents Spyders if you're up to riding that much extra distance. It's called 303 Cycles. Have a great trip!!

 

[NancysToy]

Man if anybody's that stupid they shouldn't even be driving a cage.

There is no need to be rude or insulting! It is a valid concern for a neophyte that is not used to a vehicle that is wider in the back. Riding a conventional trike is much like pulling a trailer. The rear makes a smaller radius turn than the front or the rider. This has surprised a lot of folks as they jumped the curb or heard the crunch. Not everyone is as talented and faultless as you are!

 

[RJB]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'll look into alternatives such as shipping the RS or renting a sports car. The rental cost of the trike is double that of a motorcycle, so that opens up some options.

RJB

 

[NancysToy]

Renting a convertible sounds like a sound suggestion. I have never ridden a Honda trike, but I have ridden and turned over many times on a tricycle. That's why I had told Jennifer that if I ever couldn't ride 2, I would never ride 3. Then "along came the Spyder" and the rest is history.

You perfectly stayed upright this time! :roflblack: