How To Ride A Motorcycle Trike With Full Safety

12/07/2016
/ Motorcycle
/ By Leroy Simmons

I believe trikes are favorite vehicles of plenty people due to many of their benefits over two wheeled motorcycles. For example, it will never fall over, carry a larger amount of cargo, and you don’t have to step feet on the ground when it stops. It’s just the most convenient vehicles you could ever find. However, it still has some risks when you don’t know how much different it is from a motorcycle.

That used to be my problems about a month ago, which was the first time I tried to ride a trike. I have to admit that the way to steer it was a huge challenge if you are not familiar with it or don’t have wide shoulders or long hands. And parking with it or riding without hitting the back wheels on vehicles were ten more times difficult. I remember at the end of while I was making a steer, I ended up smashed into a tree and almost broke the trike.

Have ever been in my circumstance?

Whether you have or have not, paying attention to safety rules is still a necessary thing to do. Therefore, in my article today, I will show you how to ride a trike and then revealed some secrets after a month of riding to keep you safe. What you need to follow this tutorial is just a pen and notebook or an excellent memory, because you may want to write down the information I am about to show you.

How to ride a trike?

There are some simple steps that you can follow to have the best riding times of your life.

Step 1: Get on your trike motorcycle

While you can stand one foot on the ground to get on a motorbike, you can hardly do that with a trike. The reason is that may be; trikes have the same height with motorcycles, but they have a larger width. So standing with one foot on the ground may create some difficulties for the other to stretch around the trike. Therefore, what you should do is to step one foot on the pedal to make yourself higher than the saddle. The rest of the movements are just the same as when you get on a motorcycle.

Step 2: Start the engine and ride

After getting on your trike, the saddle is usually very comfortable and stable. Because it does not have gradient like a motorbike, you will be able to sit straight. There is no lifting supporting strut or stand the trike up straight. Just hit the power button and twist the throttle backward.

Running on a straightforward road is simple. Keep your wheel straight and maintain a constant speed. You may feel a little confusing at first because the throttle of a strike is usually heavier than a motorcycle. However, after about five or ten minutes, you will get used to it.

If you want to stop your vehicle, there are three methods you can try:

Use the brakes

Two brakes you can use are the one at the front and another at the rear. A trike often has the stopping power as twice as a motorcycle due to its weight and rear tires, which provide quick stopping. Depending on your speed, you can use front or rear brake. Nevertheless, it is always recommended using both of them for full safety.

Switch the cruise control

In most trikes, there is a cruise control to use in urgent situations. If you are in an emergency, such as a cow runs into the middle of your way or a ball flies towards you unexpectedly, the cruise control is precisely what you need. It’s right under the throttle so use it when you need it.

Roll the throttle

If you don’t want to use the brakes, you can slow the trike down until it completely stops by rolling the throttle forward. This is a very easy method, but you need to consider the distance between you and your destination carefully. And also, estimate the time you should roll the throttle. It takes some practicing, but you will get used to it after the first ride. Don’t worry.

Step 3: Steering

We have come to one of the hardest parts when riding your trike. It requires quite much energy and observation to make a perfect turn. Because a trike uses direct steering, you always have to point its front wheel to the direction you want to go. Moreover, it has two wheels at the rear end, instead of only one, so you cannot lean it when steering like riding a motorcycle. The handle, therefore, plays a crucial role. There are two ways for you to drive your trike and use mostly the handle.

Only pushing

With this method, when you want to turn left, push the right handle to the left. And when you need to turn right, push the left handle to the right. You won’t need too much effort while driving in this way. But if you meet some curves or run at high speed, it will be harder to take control of the trike.

Pushing and pulling

These movements require more energy than the last one. When you want to turn left, you will pull the left handle and push the right one at the same time. Do the reverse things when turning right. If you ride your trike for the first time, it will be a little hard for you. However, it will strengthen your control of the vehicle and help you go into your direction more precisely.

Step 4: Parking

Parking is the action that requires all of the previous steps. You will need to ride, steer, and also use the brakes. Besides, understanding where to park will be a significant help for you to have a proper steering. You can steer in a curve like this:

Or go straightforward and stop at the corner like this:

Both of the ways would find you the best place to park. For me, I like the second method because it is simpler and needs no turning. However, finding a place in a parking lot like that is harder because people would prefer to ride in the first way. Therefore, practicing to steer is still a significant advantage for you. If there are any difficulties, you can watch this video for more accurate information:

Some safety rules you need to fulfill before start riding

1. Check crucial details

It always feels secure if you can check some relevant particulars of the trike to see its appropriateness to your condition before riding. You safety greatly depends on this part. These are the things you need to check:

Tires: Check its strain
Controls: You should see if the handle is stable and the brake pedals can grip well
Lights: Check their broken lenses and gentle light
Oil: Check the gas tank to see if there are any leaks
Chassis: Find out if there are any mistakes with the fender or frame

2. Practice before hitting the road

Practicing in your back yard or at the parking lot when there is no car there is a great chance to learn how to control your trike. As I mentioned above, there are various movements that you need to be familiar with to have a safe ride. Therefore, try to have some laps and use all of the previous steps to have the best driving you want.

3. Practice before hitting the road

And this last rule is taken from everyone’s most common mistake when riding their trike for the first time. Because when you have not got used to with its big rear end, you may hit somebody or something. So watch the street carefully to protect yourself as well as others while driving.

Conclusion

Have you written down everything?

Great! Now it’s action time. Get your trike out of the garage and do some laps around your house now! Practice makes perfect. And if you like my article, do share it with your friends and family. I’m sure it would be a fantastic knowledge to them. Moreover, if you have any questions or opinions, leave your comment, and I would love to reply.

Regardless, thank you for reading my writing, and I hope to see you in the subsequent ones.

About the Author Leroy Simmons

My name is Leroy L.Simmons. I create this blog as the way to find out my excitement and also a way to remember my father. I always love writing, I embarked on this adventure of the blog, to tell you all that I want to share about my hobby, my dream of auto, truck and journey. At MRVEHICLE.NET, I hope to tell you great stories and especially to answer some questions you might ask. And there are also many interesting and up-to-date stories of drivers on their journey everywhere in the world.