Picked up the new TG around mid-afternoon and had quite a handful trying to figure out how to make it go where I wanted it to go! The 1st 10 or 20 miles was pretty much a white-knuckle ride with her highness going through an emotional TG epiphany in the back seat, relatively oblivious to the fact I had NO idea what the hell I was doing in the front seat. (I'd warned her there might be trouble)

It came back to me in a blinding flash just why I'd vowed "I'll never ride one of these $@#$! things again as long as I live!" way back in 1969. Everything you all said was 100% true. I struggled to forget counter-steering & found myself constantly trying to avoid over-steering ourselves into a ditch or an opposing lane. (NOW I understand why they put the steering stabilizer on the things!)

Every time I started getting into trouble, I remembered your collective experiences that I've read about on these threads and managed to get myself calmed down and back in control. After 60 miles or so I got a bit more comfortable with the contraption and actually got to enjoy part of the ride back to Casa Grande from Tucson H-D. (Of course we had to tool around town a bit after we got here!)

It's gonna take some time for sure... We'll doodle around on the quiet back roads for a while, spend time doing figure-8's and all the other necessary re-training... I have no doubt that we made the right decision for our situation with the Tri Glide.

Now is this gonna screw up my 2 wheel riding? (I still have the Heritage!)

Thanks everyone!

 

Pete, we ( I ) am not laughing at you, but with you. Wife saw your post and started laughing, remembering her first ride home on her new trike. Fortunately, it was only 40 miles. Unfortunately it was through the canyons. I was following on the E-Glide and was probably more worried than she was. It does get better, just give it time!

 

You will certainly have to stay focused on what you are doing when you go back to two wheels.

 

You experienced nothing we all haven't....but it'll come to you, just take your time, ride a little slower than you use to...and practice.....

Sweet looking trike and of course passenger.....both make you look good!

Be safe out there....

 

Ride around town for two weeks and you'll be a master at it. You'll be surprised how you can make a tighter, faster U-Turn on the trike than a two-wheeler, a TG is very maneauveable once you know how and watch where the outer wheels are at. I wouldn't worry about changing back and forth between a trike and two-wheeler. It is like getting into the car, you automatically remember how to drive it. Same with bikes. Just remember to put your feet down at the light, that is probably the most critical thing to remember.

I had a heck of a time test riding my trike the first time. Same thing, used to counter-steering, not the push/pull technique - I was all over that parking lot. I did find over time a controlled strong pull was better than a hard push when turning. But that might just be me. The dealer kept saying push hard, but I would say pull hard is more controlled. When I rode my trike home, 95 miles, the first ten miles was gamey, but after that smooth riding.

Enjoy the ride.

 

Thanks Casper... You earned huge bonus points from Kyphi! lol We're gonna have a ball on this thing. Of course it only rains twice a year here in our part of Arizona, so we wake up this morning and of course it's raining! Eeesh...

 

Kyphi got a kick out of reading your post! lol I can imagine 40 miles through twisting canyons had its challenges, and I do know the terrain out there! It was all I could do to keep the friggin' cool-blue thing pointed in a straight-line going west on a perfectly straight road. (I used to be indestructable on a motorcycle... but age & mortality seem to have caught up with me! lol I did put on my ole 1% vest (patches removed of course) for the 1st time in 30+ years just for old time sake)

I see you're in Santa Clarita! Do you ever get down OC/Irvine way or San Diego? Our home office is near the Spectrum, and corporate HQ is in San Diego... I/we make numerous trips there usually for a week or more at a time. We'll be in Sandy Eggo next Sat through the following Friday on business.

 

Congrats free on three. you'll get used to it in no time.

 

San Diego is about 170 miles south of us. Casa Gande is about 300 from our Bullhead City house. We ride to SD a couple times a year for a long weekend, maybe sometime we can meet up, like to meet you two.

 

Deja vu. I thought it was just me.