Road test

Road Test

A Quad is stiffer than a normal motorcycle, even compared to the stiffest motorcycle suspension setting.  The ride remains stiff even when the motorcycle’s suspension is set at its softest.

The front end feels light and one can detect the urge to shimmy when riding at 20 mph. or on uneven terrain or a deeply grooved roadway.  (I discuss this at length in a separate section entitled “Shimmy Problems”).  Riding with a slight stiff arm push seems to act as a damper and stabilizes the bike.  Forget the waving to other riders … both hands remain on the handlebars at low speed.

Riding properties merge with those of the motorcycle alone at high speed (50 mph+) which makes cross-country super-slab and freeway travel quite comfortable.  At high speed, one can relax the handlebar grip in a normal manner and arm fatigue is not a problem.  I was surprised to find that the trike configuration is inherently less stable than a motorcycle commanding a more active grip.  The smooth gyroscopic forces that naturally stabilize a motorcycle are working at cross purposes for a trike or quad configuration.

I must admit that my companion, Charlotte, does not feel as secure as a passenger on the quad as she does on the motorcycle because of the lack of smooth sway.  The passenger sits even higher than the driver so the unpleasant centrifugal forces in fast turns are even more noticeable

I can now easily turn in the seat when making sharp turns.  As commonly happens with age, my neck flexibility has become limited.  Previously, I was hampered in such situations by the need to balance the turning-leaning bike while attempting to view the road at an angle over my shoulder.  This certainly is a safety advantage to me.

I spent considerable time in an empty industrial parking lot making tight turns, braking and swerving to avoid imaginary objects in the road.   Very low speed turns are a pleasure and I can turn more sharply than I was able to with the motorcycle … I never was accomplished at sharp low speed turning.  Minimum turning radius is sufficient to leave one parking space and turn into the second adjacent space quite easily.

I found the braking action to be about the same as riding with a passenger which is what I expected.  Braking is more like a car.  I was surprised, however, when I diagonally crossed a street drainage dip and lost some traction on the rear driving wheel of the bike.  The drive wheel was lifted by the outrigger wheel in this situation.  I also noticed that I was applying somewhat more front wheel brake as the rear wheel tends to be more lightly loaded than normal and hence has less braking ability before a skid potentially sets in.

The swerving ability of a trike is very limited compared to a motorcycle so emergency situations are not as easily handled.  One must overcome the built in subconscious motorcycle “push-to-steer” reaction which in an emergency could cause real problems.  I find myself leaving extra distance and staying comfortably within the gaps in traffic.  The days of splitting lanes in traffic and passing in the car pool lane are over.

It also took some time to adjust to the 5 foot width of the rear wheels.  I would find myself rumbling over the lane markers as I drifted from the center of my lane and wondering what that noise was?  I also had a tendency to pull up too close to the gas pump, failing to take into account my new width.  It also takes some time to change your mind set when riding on “S” curves.  One now has to stay in the center of the road rather than hugging the inside curves.

It is a pleasure to have the space to now carry bulky (not heavy) items such good sub-zero sleeping bags and comfortable thick sleeping pads.  The outrigger platform provides numerous options for “junk”. There is enough room to use a large plastic bin on each side rather than the saddlebags when going to the market or bringing back firewood to the campsite.  Nevertheless, we remain purists believing that less is more.

There is a danger of overloading the newfound broad platform that a Trike+Plus provides.  It is still a motorcycle and the familiar rules still apply.

I also quickly learned to leave the bike in gear when parked.  Without a kick stand, the Quad will simply roll away if there is any incline … very embarrassing!  Furthermore, if you don’t have a reverse gear (which I do not), you will pick you parking space carefully … preferably a pull-through.

It was also difficult to break the habit of putting my foot down when stopped.  This can be dangerous as the outrigger frame can catch your foot if you are not careful.  Don’t put you foot down!

I made it a point to ride in a wide variety of conditions during my first months with the quad to better understand my new limits.  I tried heavily grooved freeways, diagonal rail road crossings, gravel, dirt and rocky back roads and winding serpentine raceways through the mountains.  In each environment, I found some surprises.  I will say it again.  “Riding a Quad/Trike is different”.  Take some time to get to know this new machine or you are incurring needless risks.  You have to relearn the proper entry speeds for curves and turns at intersections to keep positive control and not overshoot your lane.  It helps to “not” accelerate in tight intersection turns making for a smoother ride.  Most importantly, you must compensate for the restricted ability to swerve in emergency situations.  Your best friend is “distance – separation”.

I now have enough hours on the quad that my subconscious has been retrained and is once again doing the handling job correctly while I enjoy the experience.  Then, and only then, did I take a passenger.  After all, I am responsible for her safety and she trusts me implicitly.

It now takes me about 10 minutes to install or remove the outrigger wheels so I never hesitate to do the conversion depending on the type riding for the day.

Honda Adaptation:  The Honda Shadow Trike+Plus is a lighter bike and is easier to steer in turns.  Other than that observation, the riding characteristics were surprisingly similar to the Yamaha Trike+Plus and warrant no additional comments.

Eventually you will become accustomed to motorist gawking at you on the highway and being bombarded with questions from other bikers when you stop.  How sweet it is!