Riding techniques 3 whls vs 4 or 2

[axl_rose]

I have been riding motorcycles and atv's since I was about five years old and wanted to see what others on here truly think about how "unstable" a three wheeler is in comparison to a four or two wheeler.

First of all, I could never understand what was so unsafe about a three wheeler. I rode them all through out my teen years and never killed myself...maybe that was because my father had educated me about riding in general and I took time to learn my equipment...I have had my share of dirt bike mishaps but, nothing where I had endangered myself.

What is the biggest safety concern with these? Tipping and turning?

[1985BigRed250ES]

Personally, I think a fourwheeler is more tippy in an offcamber situation. There is a trail that I used to ride that had a place that you would have to cross a creek at an angle. the right front would drop in, bringing the left rear off the ground. I never did think much of it until one day the right tire went in and sunk in the bottom and over she went. I also had a three-wheeler at the time, It was a '85 BigRed 250 that needed new bearings in the rear axle. I rode it some and crossed that same creek with it and never did feel like it was going to go over on me. That particular BR became a parts bike later down the road. I have a 2005 Honda Recon 250ES and It is a tippy fourwheeler. I have laid it on its side numerous time. Its has a couple of scratches to prove it. I would take a three-wheeler over a fourwheeler anyday. A 2 wheeler dont know much about. I have never owned one.

[braunz200x]

Check out the really cool DIRT BIKE & DIRT WHEELS videos from 1987

lots of good comparison of four, three and two wheelers


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaXVZBy3UB0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvOjk01HiG0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAofQwSKaU0

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Well, if you are a good rider on any of them they all have their benefits. Let's be honest, 3 wheelers can't corner like a 4 wheeler. Does that make them more dangerous? No. It just means you have to ride them different. Motorcycles never get talked about because they are more stable then 3 or 4 wheelers. That sounds strange since you would think the dirt bike would be easier to lay over but the thing about dirt bikes is, you have the ability to use your feet to keep you up. So bikes are the most maneuverable. All these machines are equally dangerous to someone who isn't properly educated and/or doesn't wear proper safety gear. 3 wheelers got a bad rap because the government caved to the pressure of interest groups. If a person hasn't learned how to properly ride any of them, then yes, it would be the easiest to wreck a 3 wheeler. But, all that is BS, because people who have taken time to learn how to properly ride have to pay the price for the several who never did take time to properly operate their machines and got injured or worse. It's a truely sad story what happened to 3 wheelers in the late 80's.

[fabiodriven]

Let's be honest here- we're all obviously trike lovers, but to say a trike handles better than a quad in pretty much any situation is retarded. Quads handle much better than trikes. That's why I love trikes, because of the challenge. You have to read anything you're riding on because one wrong bump and you're on your arse.

[Sargon2112]

Hmm... Not sure I agree on quads cornering better than trikes, at least not when I and my '86 R are involved. I cannot count how many times I've had a quad owner (some with equal experience) tell me that, yet, not one of em has been able to stick with me on a winding trail or logging road... put some gravel on that road and I'm really gonna be ahead. Granted, I am leaning so far down that my handlebar is at face-level in some of those curves, but the R is lighter and will not drift to the outside as quickly as a heavier quad.

For jumping and hill climbing, of course you just can't beat a dirt bike. And common sense tells you that the quad will probably stay down (front end) on a hill better than a trike for obvious reasons. Having said that though, I have yet to see the hill that a quad can climb that I can't climb on my R or my 350X.

Experience is 99% of it, no matter how many wheels are under you.

As long as it's fun, it's all good!

[Brad200X]

well you come from a dirt bike background, like me, so you have it easier than someone who is used to riding a quad. The same theories of turning a dirt bike apply to a three wheeler: lean into the corner and weigh the outside footpeg. Only difference is that you obviously can't lean a trike the same way you lean a bike, so instead you lean way off your seat to get it where you want to go.

Personally, I think if you compare a tripod to a mid 80's era dirt bike, the 'wheeler is more stable. There's NO comparison between newer dirt bikes and 80's era three wheelers.

[fabiodriven]

Hmm... Not sure I agree on quads cornering better than trikes, at least not when I and my '86 R are involved. I cannot count how many times I've had a quad owner (some with equal experience) tell me that, yet, not one of em has been able to stick with me on a winding trail or logging road... put some gravel on that road and I'm really gonna be ahead. Granted, I am leaning so far down that my handlebar is at face-level in some of those curves, but the R is lighter and will not drift to the outside as quickly as a heavier quad.

For jumping and hill climbing, of course you just can't beat a dirt bike. And common sense tells you that the quad will probably stay down (front end) on a hill better than a trike for obvious reasons. Having said that though, I have yet to see the hill that a quad can climb that I can't climb on my R or my 350X.

Experience is 99% of it, no matter how many wheels are under you.

As long as it's fun, it's all good!

Sure........

[threewheelin-feelin]

i also diaggree on 4wheelers turing better...i have compaired my 350x to my cousins trx250r and in corners and trying to negotiate weird and hilly terrain the 350x did it much easier and i felt alot more comfortable...i hate when the front wheels of a quad sink in and the rear tire comes up...this is just my 2 cent

[The Goat]

who was it who posted those impossible looking hill climbs.

like the final portion of the hill was completely vert with a lip overhang... I don't see a trike climbing that, certainly not easily.

3 wheelers seem to have the ability to turn tighter, while quads are more stable through turns.

I had a beartracker though that seemed to handle more like a trike.

[trimoto.125]

.

3 wheelers seem to have the ability to turn tighter, while quads are more stable through turns.

.


Well said. I would say all 3 have their own different strengths and characteristics in different types of riding terrain.

[Dirtcrasher]

Take a guy off of a 4 wheeler that never rode a trike and watch what happens guys!!

Turn the tables, and most trike guys are unimpressed with quads. I feel like I'm in my Toyota truck when rippin a quad..... And I can't stand that the front fenders don't turn with the tire!!

All and all, I love trikes just like all you guys. But, truth be told, trikes require quite a bit more body english to get them to do what you want. You can take a corner in 1st gear and flip, or a 6th gear pinned and slide it on through...........

I for one, have flat feet and the worst balance you can imagine.... Sometimes I walk straight ahead and I stumble on my own feet :lol: You could touch me with youir index finger and I'd probably trip. But, I can ride a trike "not too pretty bad!!" :D

[DixiePlowboy]

Take a guy off of a 4 wheeler that never rode a trike and watch what happens guys!!

Turn the tables, and most trike guys are unimpressed with quads. I feel like I'm in my Toyota truck when rippin a quad..... And I can't stand that the front fenders don't turn with the tire!!

All and all, I love trikes just like all you guys. But, truth be told, trikes require quite a bit more body english to get them to do what you want. You can take a corner in 1st gear and flip, or a 6th gear pinned and slide it on through......


Well said DC. I have never, EVER been outridden by anyone on a quad on the trail, but all that may just come down to the fact that I grew up on 3-wheelers and that's what I'm most comfortable and capable on.

[axl_rose]

There's NO comparison between newer dirt bikes and 80's era three wheelers.


What does that mean?

[Brad200X]

What does that mean?

Sorry I was a little unclear. As far as stock suspension goes, there is no comparison between the newer dirt bikes. Heck even the late '80's, early '90's dirt bikes were better. But honestly, its still apples and oranges.

[sbjones73]

in my opinion. they all have there little quirks.

i don't think that trikes got a bad rap because they are "dangerous" i think that they are stable, to me just as stable as a quad. what made then supposedly dangerous were the people that were on them.

to me it all comes down to what the individual is used to or comfortable with. some like 4 tires, some like 2 and heck guys and girls like us like 3

just my 2 cents

[cr480r]

Well said. I would say all 3 have their own different strengths and characteristics in different types of riding terrain.

To me the main advantages of a trike are the tight turning ability, the power to weight ratio, and a smoother ride than a quad.. a quad is more forgiving and more stable in most situations allowing a more leisurely riding style.. But a quad is usually handicapped by weight and turning radius..


. For jumping and hill climbing, of course you just can't beat a dirt bike.
True that...:beer... a dirtbike is untouchable in the woods...


Having said that though, I have yet to see the hill that a quad can climb that I can't climb on my R or my 350X.
I totally agree... Unless the climb is narrow and has a deep rut in the center from dirtbikes that a quad would be able to straddle... Alot of climbs like that around my area


The same theories of turning a dirt bike apply to a three wheeler: lean into the corner and weigh the outside footpeg.

Weight the outside peg??? I think you got that backwards...


Personally, I think if you compare a tripod to a mid 80's era dirt bike, the 'wheeler is more stable. There's NO comparison between newer dirt bikes and 80's era three wheelers.

I dont think a trike is comparable to any dirtbike in any way.. 3-wheelers require a riding style that unlike that of any other machine... most quad guys look like fools on a trike.. and so do most dirtbikers.. The quad guys usually highside, and the dirtbike guys usually run thier legs over or weight the wrong peg..

[axl_rose]

The quad guys usually highside, and the dirtbike guys usually run thier legs over or weight the wrong peg..


Haha! When I rode the 200M a few weeks back, it was the first time I had been on a three wheeler in 25 years....Admittedly, I ran over my legs...lol...but only once...that was the only reminder I needed to keep my feet on the pegs! All the riding techniques I had mastered back then on the ATC came back in all of about 10 minutes of riding....

[Brad200X]

Weight the outside peg??? I think you got that backwards...

Taken directly from Dirt Wheels magazine Nov, '87. "A rider must learn to instinctively shift his body weight to the inside of the turn and, at the same time, weight the outside footpeg." here's a link if you don't believe me. In the paragraph marked "technique." I know it sounds backwards, but it works. It really improved my cornering on a dirbike, and on a 3 wheeler.

http://www.3wheeler.org/dirtwheels/11-87~trikeindex.html

[1BFC]

On a 3-wheeler, yes. On a dirtbike I think I'd question weighting the outside peg in a turn.

On 3 wheels that outside peg weight helps keep the outside wheel from tip up and maintain a control slide.

On a dirt bike, you'd never want any weight on the outside peg for fear of it catching and going over on you. Well, you need some weight on it or you are going to fall off the bike :) So, I guess in that sense you are weighting it. My time on 2 wheels is definitely limited though... so if some dirt bike types claim that it works... well, then perhaps I'd have to take you at your word on it. Seems backasswards to me.

Just how I see it bro!

[Brad200X]

^ It really does seems to help slide control IMO, but some guys don't put on as much pressure as I do, and they get around a track just fine. It helps the most in sharp corners where you really have to whip it around. I guess it also depends on how much you weigh. I'm a skinny guy so maybe I have to stand on it more than a normal weight person lol.

[denn]

Ok, I've been riding 3 wheelers for 25 years. I could not possibly understand how you could weight the outside peg. Anybody that has ever been in a full tilt slide knows that your outside foot isn't even near the peg. Its closer to the top of the seat. In this article that was posted, if you read on it goes on to say that keeping all your weight to the inside of the turn is the only way to corner a 3 wheeler effectively. I think that first part was a typo. If you are leaning to the inside how can any weight be on the outside. I an not poking fun at anyone, if it works for you and makes your ride safer than by all means keep doing it. i just don't understand how you are doing it.

Denn

[The Goat]

weighting the outside peg would allow you to push that side out.

maybe it's because it's on a tiny 200x, but pressing down on the tip of the outside peg is a great way to break into a slide.

[fabiodriven]

Ok, I've been riding 3 wheelers for 25 years. I could not possibly understand how you could weight the outside peg. Anybody that has ever been in a full tilt slide knows that your outside foot isn't even near the peg. Its closer to the top of the seat. In this article that was posted, if you read on it goes on to say that keeping all your weight to the inside of the turn is the only way to corner a 3 wheeler effectively. I think that first part was a typo. If you are leaning to the inside how can any weight be on the outside. I an not poking fun at anyone, if it works for you and makes your ride safer than by all means keep doing it. i just don't understand how you are doing it.

Denn

I'd have to agree with you, Denn. To each their own, but I do it it like you're saying- leaning in, weight on the inside peg.

[cr480r]

On a 3-wheeler, yes. On a dirtbike I think I'd question weighting the outside peg in a turn.

On 3 wheels that outside peg weight helps keep the outside wheel from tip up and maintain a control slide.

On a dirt bike, you'd never want any weight on the outside peg for fear of it catching and going over on you.

I have no problem pushing any atv out into a slide with the inside peg... by putting more weight onto the outside rear tire it would be more likely to grab and highside... the inside peg has twice the leverage in countering the machines tendancy of wanting tip... on a dirtbike you weight the outside peg when its leaned over to keep the center of gravity low and to bias weight to the rear tire so it can hook up and not wash out.. not to mention your inside leg is usually extended out or touching the ground..

[firehart]

Alot also depends on the trike you are riding. There is a lot of difference between a 250r and say a 110. Suspension or no suspension.

[DixiePlowboy]

I can't remember ever weighting the outside peg when turning in over 27 years of riding 3-wheelers....unless it was a slow turn and I wanted to pick up the inside tire to clear an obstacle or something.

denn has it right. When in a full blown slide, my outside foot is hardly touching the peg, if at all.

[Brad200X]

I would think that at some point the lean would be more important than the weigh? Maybe the faster your turn, you need more lean and less weight? I think its more about lowering your center of gravity. Honestly I don't have that much experience with a 3 wheeler on a track, but I applied what I know from riding a dirt bike and it worked. Now, I wasn't going as fast as on a dirt bike, so maybe that's why it worked.

[CanadianThomas]

On the weight on the outside peg thing. I do it both ways. If i'm in a tight slower turn, I weight the outside peg to get the tires to bight more and turn sharper, quad as well. But in a fast turn I am so far off the trike there is no way to put weight on the outside peg.

Old thread but why not?

[dcreel]

I weight the inside peg, I can't see the outside peg having a whole lot to do with anything. Unless you are going slow or trying to pick up the other side to clear an obstacle.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/Riding%20pics/trackpics049.jpg

[cr480r]

love that pic... and a perfect example of how much weight is need on the outside peg...lol...

[CanadianThomas]

Strange Duplicate post.

[Xpress]

When I'm moving slowly, I'll shift weight to the outside peg while keeping both wheels on the ground if I want a tight turn- all the same time leaning forward.

If I'm at speed, I'm off that seat.

Also, the KXT manual suggests shifting weight to the inside peg. I'll scan it later, if anyone is interested.. :)

[wisconsinite]

well, i for one do "push down and out" on the outside peg in a turn. i can't explain why or how it works, but seems to help the outside tire break traction so it can slide, if that makes any sense?

[Xpress]

The reason that method is suggested (pushing on the outer peg) is to lighten the inside wheel, which in turn makes it grab a lot less. The inside wheel needs to turn slower than the outside wheel in a turn. This is why cars have differentials, to allow the outer wheel to spin faster than the inside wheel.

With a solid axle in the rear, both wheels will always spin at the same speed, which means that you need to shift your body weight to put less weight on another wheel when moving slowly. When on dirt, and/or moving at pace, you need to shift your entire body weight to keep the trike level with the ground in a turn.

[ironchop]

ride whatever suits you as far as weight but I look like Dcreel`s pic when I powerslide with one exception...my outboard leg is hooked onto the seat to help me hold on more but it never makes it to the outboard peg

I had tight trails built for trikes in my woods and after buying a quad for the wife(Polaris Trailblazer), found out it could not negotiate 95% of these trails and they were worthless for a quad...and we like tight technical stuff as opposed to half-paved dirt roads

Trikes can bust a Vert hillclimb with overhanging lip....and better than a quad....case in point we rode 250R ATCs up a 20ft. river embankment that had an 8 ft. straight vert with a tiny overhang at the top....much easier to throw the ATC front end over the vert than a quad frontend and the TRX`s were doing drop-ins back in the river trying to clear it all day ... hillclimbing trikes for me just means pushing my weight back on the pegs while leaning over bars and kissin the front fender...careful not to put the weight on the bars or it gets front heavy and looses traction up the hill

nothing beats a dirtbike for hillclimb or CERTAIN tight woods riding...seems like on some tight turns though, I can maintain more forward momentum on a trike in a sliding turn than I can on the dirtbike

I don`t dislike quads but I feel like i`m riding a utility shed with wheels considering the larger size and weight and it just never felt very comfortable to me compared to my trikes...and they seem prone to push steer more and just as tip happy...not to mention I hit ALOT more stuff on a quad as they are larger

[4cfed]

my contribution to the ''proper'' way to slide a trike in a corner

i just so happen to have both angles covered, inside and outside, sorry about the quality one is a cell phone pic the other is a crappy camera pic

http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt35/4cfed88/1125001232c.jpg

http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt35/4cfed88/PICT1082-1.jpg

you can see i have most of my weight planted on what would be considered the inside of the turn, to kee the rear end planted, with out high siding, and keeping speed