Can A Three Wheeler Do This ?

[N5HNY]

Hope everybody had a nice Christmas.

Did you get some cool things from Santa to put on your trike ?

I found this web site from a gentleman here in Arkansas. Take a look at some of his videos and tell me if you think a trike can do some of this stuff.

I know the deep mud would be questionable. The hillclimb and stream fording would be my biggest question.

http://www.atv-guru.com/Videos.htm

[350Kris]

What a great site. Trail Dream is awesome!

[N5HNY]

Glad you liked them.

I thought all his videos were pretty cool.

You think your 350X can do some of that stuff ?

[knsmodels]

Well.....I am not sure on the stream crossing but as for mud and water I had my old 200x in water up to the exhaust and it kept on going....I could hear the exhaust bubbling in the water so I know it was buried......as for steep climbs....I have gone up some steep ones......you really have to be careful of anything jotting out on the trail.....it does not take much of a bump to get the front wheel to come over.....its one of those things you need to work on slowly to see exactly what you can handle......I watched my old 200X roll down a hillside because at the top there where rocks sticking out from water errosion that I did not know was there until it was to late.....I have not had the chance to try these things with my 350X.....YET!!!!!!!! :w00t:

[N5HNY]

I used to ride dirt bikes years ago.

I know I will have to practice riding my Big Red around before attempting this stuff.

But if I came up on these guys on the trail, could I follow behind and go through some of this same stuff ?

[LonesomeTriZ]

The abilities of a trike are only limited by its rider.

[thedeatons]

Hey... I know! Let's post pictures on the internet for the whole world to see, and we'll be riding our ATVs with NO safety gear at all! Then when we're all done we'll show the kids, and teach a whole new generation how to be irresponsible....

[vartiak15]

for the climbs a tirke will do them if you know how to ride it. now it wont be as easy as on a 650 4x4 tank, but youll make it. the creek is easy too just pic a good path, as far as that big mub you should make it i went threw more on my 200x then a 660 could just because it was lighter and "Floated" across it. youll be fine if you are a good rider.

[LonesomeTriZ]

Hey... I know! Let's post pictures on the internet for the whole world to see, and we'll be riding our ATVs with NO safety gear at all! Then when we're all done we'll show the kids, and teach a whole new generation how to be irresponsible....

Come on man, don't turn this thread into a debate.

[thedeatons]

No no... I won't do that... The videos were really great, it just bugs me sometimes.... Sorry for the helmet hijack.... I did enjoy the mud...!!

[LonesomeTriZ]

Those guys seem to really enjoy their sport. I envy their level of dedication.

[Rm250RF900R]

Cool, but i hate that song.

[bigredhead]

Making it up the muddy bank at the end of the crossing would be the %#$!%^.. without stepping off that is.

[slothminx]

Cool, but i hate that song.

Which song?


Thhey are good videos! those guys are nuts in the mud:eek:

[bigredhead]

The question should be:

" Would you do this to your trike ? "

lol...

[Rm250RF900R]

ooppps. the first song. I was never a fan of them. But cool videos none the less.

[N5HNY]

Okay......

I did notice that they were not wearing helments or protective gear. You can see a kid or two riding along that have helments on.

That made me notice something else though. I notice all the three wheeler riders have helments on in the vids and pics I've seen.

I think if you look close you will see some of the ATV riders wearing helments too.

I was curious about the trail riding. It looks fun. I don't really want to get into three foot deep mudholes. I just thought it would be cool to check out some of these areas.

I live in Eastern Arkansas, close to Memphis, TN. So these areas represented in the videos are about three hours from me.

I was just dreaming I guess. I was imagining myself coming up on a bunch of quad riders and easying on by. lol.

I have a friend that has a "baja bug" or cut down VW beetle. We would go hunting in that thing. We would cruise by folks with high dollar 4 wheel drive vehicles with ease. The big rigs would be stuck and it was nothing for us to smile and wave as we went by. I was thinking that a lighter three wheeler might do the same thing.

Well, I guess it time to stop dreaming and get back to work. My Big Red ain't running yet.

[CorbinKale]

As LonesomeTriZ stated before, the only limitation on a trike is the ability of the rider. I have gone up 100 ft. hills that went vertical at the top (no kidding) on my 350X. We had to hold our bodies back from the trikes when we hit the bottom of the hill, then let them go forward slowly towards the trike when we hit the vertical part, so we ended up bumping the tank and handlebars with our chests as we cleared the lip of the climb. This would bump the bike forward enough that the back wheels would land on the lip of the cliff instead of falling back down into the pit. Needless to say, not everyone had the sack to attempt it, and not everyone who attempted it made it. :lol:

I had my 350X in the Staircase Mountains in Arkansas once with a buddy, who was also on a 350X. We both forded the river that runs through there (forgot the name) by laying on the seats with our legs floating behind. We had 'em in 2nd gear, letting the front tire keep the air intake on the neck above water, while we kinda bounced the back tires on the riverbed. The water was too deep to ride them normally without drowning them, but by doing that modified wheelie, we got them across. A 4 wheeler couldn't have made the crossing, in my opinion. The trick is to NEVER let off the throttle. The water was flowing very slowly, too. I would not try to ride across anything I couldn't walk across.

Trikes are great fun in the mud. I spent most of my time with my knees on the seat and boots hanging off the back, using the grab bar as a makeshift footpeg. As long as you keep it wound out in 2nd gear and NEVER let off the throttle when the exhaust is underwater, trikes are almost unstoppable. They might not be as good as a 4wd, but they are MUCH better than a 2wd 4-wheeler in the mud.

They are even good for jumping, if you know what you are doing. I have had mine 30 ft. in the air and have jumped as far as 80 ft. Both of those personal records were special cases and not done in the course of normal trail riding, but it can be done on trikes.

To sum it up, those videos are pretty tame. Trikes are capable of MUCH more.

[N5HNY]

You know what ? I forgot that not all 4 wheelers are four whel drive.

I spoke to my father in law tonight. He rides a 300 Honda four wheeler. He used to have a couple of 110s. He said one thing he liked about three wheelers is that you can tie a rope to them and walk across a deep stream pulling them along. In other words they will float by themselves.

I told him I didn't believe it, but he said it's true. Seems like I always heard about somebody riding a floating three wheeler across a stream but I don't really believe you can.

[CorbinKale]

You know what ? I forgot that not all 4 wheelers are four whel drive.

I spoke to my father in law tonight. He rides a 300 Honda four wheeler. He used to have a couple of 110s. He said one thing he liked about three wheelers is that you can tie a rope to them and walk across a deep stream pulling them along. In other words they will float by themselves.

I told him I didn't believe it, but he said it's true. Seems like I always heard about somebody riding a floating three wheeler across a stream but I don't really believe you can.

Father in law is correct. The lighter 3 wheelers with balloon tires will float, but you couldn't ride one while it floated. My 350X floats. Too bad it floats upside down with a couple inches of the rear tires showing above water. :lol:

[N5HNY]

I guess if you see someone drowning, throw them a trike right ?:lol:

I noticed on another post that there are Big Reds out there with HUGE tires that seem to rival what a quad can do. This makes me think that tires are an important part of the combo.

I know this goes without saying. But it really makes rethink the gearing, tire, engine combo.

I have a couple of CB 750 engines............

[3leggeddog]

i think you need to see a fellow boeard member named max do some traile ridin.he will take his trike anywhere theres room for it.one of the most skilled hill climbers i have ever met.

as far as those videos go there were well put together,but not real impressive.
check out this video,and a few pics. from our ride in pa. this summer.i don't think your climb these hills with a 4 wheel drive.

the pics. don't do it much justice.but here they are

[YAMAHA_Jim]

Like the others said, The rider makes the difference.Some people prefer 2wd over 4wd.Also keep in mind that wearing a helmet is not a law in every state.There are more guys viewed ridiing helmetless on road bikes than atv's.
I enjoyed all of those video's.I liked the rock crawling vid the best. With the exception of the deep snotty mud,I could ride my ytm200 and tri-z on any of those trails w/o a problem.The Superlift rock crawl trail would be difficult for me on any trike but I'd still tackle it. The trails in those vids arent much different than where I ride, - the nice views.
I also think that a quad will go more places than a trike(I've proven it a few times).If it were the other way around you would still be able to buy a new trike. Everyone is good on thier own trails/tracks but when we all get to Haspin/Trikefest, The gate drops and the BS stops. :w00t:
3 legged dog-That hill in your vid looks tough too,theres always a root near the top too throw you off at the last second,lol. I have a few short steep climbs like that and each one has a rock or root at the top.

[350Kris]

The key with the hills and mud is you have to know Mo. Alot of people who can't make it up the hills or get stuck in the mud still know him only as Mr. Mentum. You gotta use your MOMENTUM on the hills and in the mud!!!

[N5HNY]

Skill and equipment are a good combo.

The thing I didn't like about trikes years ago were the people who rode them. The people I knew wanted to sit on them and not use any body english. They would just sit there like they were at the table eating supper. Most of them were inexperienced and tried things that shoudn't be trying.

We have huge sandbars along the Mississippi River when it is down. You would see people with paddle tracks in the sand and then try to ride up a levee on a dirt road on the same tires. They would have mishaps and blame it on the machine.

Thats why I never got to ride. The machines were usually flipped or torn up before I was offered a ride.

Trust me, I plan on building my skills. Been a long time since I rode a dirt bike and I am sure it will take a bit to get back in the saddle.

I like a challenge and I really want to try some trails and rock climbs like are in the videos.

[BigGreenMachine]

Its all about the rider. The hardest thing I come across on the trail is ruts from 4x4 quads, with what little ground clearance I have under my carrier it makes for some interesting lines.

[3leggeddog]

3 legged dog-That hill in your vid looks tough too,theres always a root near the top too throw you off at the last second,lol. I have a few short steep climbs like that and each one has a rock or root at the top.[/QUOTE]


thanks jim.that hill was all about momentum.the first time i got bucked around,but the second time i knew to pull back a little harder and keep that front end up.thats the advantage of the trike,or 2 wheel drive sport quad.a little more nimble,and some rider skill will go a long way in the trails

[N5HNY]

Three Legged Dog,

Your cohonees are bigger than mine senior !

[TravEX]

N5HNY, where are those videos taken at in AR?

[N5HNY]

They are in the western part of the state.

There are two mountain ranges and the videos are kind of staged between the two.

The towns of Hot Springs and Russelville are mentioned. So they are riding in places strung along between the two towns.

Arkansas is divided diagonaly northeast to southwest. The northwest half is hilly and mountainous. The southeast half is kind of flat ground or rolling hills.

I'm in the flat part. So there is no real cool places to ride around here. The farmers along the Mississippi River blocked off access to the sand bars a long time ago. I can't blame them. People were rutting up their fields and vandalizing any equipment left around.

It is illegal to ride on the levees.

There is a hilly range that runs from Helena north into Missouri called Crowley's Ridge. It would be cool if there was a long trail that transversed the state there.

Hmmmmmm. Maybe I need to check into that. We need trails in this part of the state.

[TravEX]

Sand Creek is around Paragould, awesome place to ride. 13 miles of creek bed and trails. We go bout 3 times a year.

[3 weelin geezer]

Hey... I know! Let's post pictures on the internet for the whole world to see, and we'll be riding our ATVs with NO safety gear at all! Then when we're all done we'll show the kids, and teach a whole new generation how to be irresponsible....


I like you, kid. You have pizzazz. :banned: :banned: Down with MC!:banned: :banned: