I am 70 years old paying for all my youthful sins. But so far I am still up on 2 wheels but I see the writing on the wall 3 wheels are in my future. Sorry if I upset anyone I am not a big fan of the profile of the Tri Glide, the Freewheeler is little better. I see custom trikes using larger front wheels which alter the profile to the eye,my question is does this mess with the geometry.

 

I hope you find an answer, but sorry, whenever I see those customs with the big font wheel, all I can think of is


Thank goodness we're all different!
.

 

I just turned 70 myself.
Been riding since I was 19 and just in three wheels since the fall of '18.
I still have two, two wheelers (3 counting the wife's) and I just got in this evening from a very nice cruise on my Heritage Springer, which by the way, I plant to keep until "the end"!

My wife's cousin (74 now) and my cousin (just about my age) both have new trikes.
She's on her first (F/W) and he's on his second (T/G) and for them it's a matter of riding a trike or not riding a all.
Giving that, I chose to buy a trike and I've gotten used to the stability of the trike and for trips and /or riding in bad weather it is much more comforting to ride but it does take more effort (especially on curvy roads) to ride than it does to ride a bike..

Get yourself a F/W. I hear they're "hell on three wheels" on curvy roads and with the 114 engine they have the "b***s" to push most bikes through the hills and curves.
If it make you fell better, keep your bike (as I have) and ride them a your pleasure.
They ain't better or worse than a trike, they're just different.

 

When you are riding and looking forward riding a TriGlide is just like looking out in front of your Ultra Classic, same batwing fairing, same dash (mostly) etc.

Larger front wheels make for a show bike and not one that is ridden miles on the road, I see baggers with the big front wheels, but do not see them putting the miles on the road.

It all depends on what you want to do, ride around town or tour. If touring, then a Triglide, if around town, F/W. Test drive a couple and see what you like.

I went from a 2017 Ultra Classic to the TriGlide as my right knee is bad and the 900 lbs was getting a little unsteady along with my balance not being as goos as it once was.

I still have a couple of lighter 2 wheel bikes and enjoy riding them also.

Read some of the posts in the Trike section and there is enough info to help you make up your mind. Trikes are fun, but different than 2 wheels, but are about equal in the fun factor. And you do not have to put your feet down when you stop.

 

LMAO you are right about that. In my defense I didn't mean extremely large. I just think visually the Rear wheels/Tires draw your eyes to them making the Front Tire/Wheel look smaller than it actually it is maybe it just my aging eyes. But thanks for the laugh this morning.

 

You can't put a larger diameter tire on the front without either altering the geometry or the trike or reducing the amount of front suspension travel equal half the increase in diameter.
Adding a triglide front wheel to a free wheeler might work for you. It will be heavier but add a more comfortable ride by having a tire with more sidewall flex to help absorb bumps. The additional unstrung mass of the triglide wheel could be resolved with a heavier fork oil or new fork springs.
I'm not a suspension engineer just trying to think out of the box.

 

I am sure some will get "pissed" but when it is "MY" time to go with three wheels it will either be a Can-Am or a Slingshot. Have seen way to many accidents with trikes.

 

I hear ya on the looks...when I first considered a Trike, back in 2011, I was going to build one...then we test rode a Tri Glide.

While, to me, they look like a bug that would tip over easily, I was surprised how much they felt like a go-cart...incredibly stable.

Here are a couple of vids for those looking at making the move (or adding) 3 wheels.

 

If there's too many accidents on trikes it's most likely not the trike but the trike riders not being familiar with 3 wheel handling or traffic situational awareness.

Everyone riding a 3 wheeler should take the MSF 3 wheel basic rider course. There's a lot of difference between 2 and 3 wheel handling regardless of the configuration. Many new 3 wheel riders were not 2 wheel riders and don't have "street survival sense" that most 2 wheel riders acquired or were taught in 2 wheel BRC.

Trikes are where 2 wheel riding was in the 60-70s. Here's the clutch, brake throttle put your foot down when you stop. If you survived without a mishap for a month or two you were a "good" rider. MSF even though laying your bike down was a good option. Today there's no reason not to attend an accredited safety course on whatever you are riding. Too many assume since there's no balance issue with trike it's just jump on and go.

 

I had a Can-Am, JOKE FOR A MOTORCYCLE ! Slingshot is a car, not a motorcycle ! But I guess whatever rolls your socks up....
Why would a Can-Am be safer than a Tri Glide ???