My wife's father has a Harley trike -- not because he can't ride a regular one, as he also has a Softail, but because his wife can't balance well enough to be safe on the back. He's about to sell it, I think; maybe I could grab it before that!
But besides the too old to ride cohort things like the can am and trex are probably the most exciting car thing for the buck. An exciting machine to drive/ride that costs was less than a fast car, but is still not the commitment and skill of a bike.
IMO Harley’s straddle a line between bike and trike
Slicing hairs here. It’s all one wheeld hobby in the end.
At a bike night last summer, I ran into a guy I knew from HS who got MS late in life and had to sell his Harley and buy a Can-Am Spyder. This enabled him to keep riding with his buddies and not succumb to the temptation to kill himself.
So for his sake, and the sake of his wife and kids, I'm glad they make the Can-Am Spyder. But like you, I'll stick to two or four wheels.
These things used to be everywhere but they seem to have been largely replaced by Slingshots which you can grab for $2500 more on average.
The more conventional driving experience probably has a lot to do with it. I personally don’t see the appeal to these various 3-wheeled monstrosities. Though I will say that getting a ride in a Morgan 3 wheeler was an experience I’ll never forget. But that was more due to the spectacle vs. anything else.
"The once-fabled “ton” which my 1990 Volkswagen Fox struggled to indicate on its outrageously optimistic speedometer is now a commonplace, ho-hum event"
i remember reading about minis trying to do that in the early 60s. 4 speeds and totally ass aero made that extremely interesting i bet. downton did it with 850cc somehow.
"The Can-Am Spyder isn’t a three-wheeler in the same vein as the renimated Moggie trike"
do you also have a review on the morgan three wheeler?
"did I mention that each of the 165/65R14 tires at that end are inflated to just 15 psi?"
im sorry what
"As the inside front wheel lifted off the mother-flicking ground"
so it becomes a bike in corners very interesting
"most of them were not what I think of as “bikers”. They were older, they were female. More than a few of them didn’t have their “M” endorsement"
what was the point of this thing again? its not safer than a bike in a crash. is it just a motorcycle for people that cant be bothered to learn to ride a bike?
I have to say I've always found the Can-Ams to be very unsightly, or ugly in simple terms. The photos of this new model that you rode does nothing to alter my opinion. In contrast, I generally find most modern motorcycles to look attractive, making them more seductive to riders and potential riders.
As a former motorcycle rider, I can only imagine how bizarre it must be to turn the handlebars like a car, or multi-track vehicle, if you had years of experience a rider of single-track vehicles. Unlearning that habit under duress would likely be very hard to do indeed.
I'm very happy that you test rode this vehicle to tell us all about it so that I don't have to. Way to be a team player Jack! :)
Now we need a review of a Harley Trike through Deal's Gap.
My wife's father has a Harley trike -- not because he can't ride a regular one, as he also has a Softail, but because his wife can't balance well enough to be safe on the back. He's about to sell it, I think; maybe I could grab it before that!
um no.
Slippery slope
Jack, I dislike Sherman’s participation in the comments as much as you do but surely there are better ways to scare him off the day before Halloween.
Should have been titled, “I rode the can-am so you didn’t have to” Fortunately I have been just curious about them, they don’t look too comfortable.
I know those bastards were lying all those years ago:
https://youtu.be/J8lRKCw2_Pk?is=BOzTxmcA7Rakzhfm
De La Soul was ALSO lying!
I knew those bastards were lying all those years ago:
https://youtu.be/J8lRKCw2_Pk?is=BOzTxmcA7Rakzhfm
Another Boomer killer to fix the SS/Medicare problem?
"Some motherfuckers are always trying to ice skate uphill"
the precovid boomer remover
latest iteration of that is a cruise ship that dumps them in cambodia
https://sonar21.com/collateral-damage-at-sea-how-the-iran-war-is-sinking-the-cruise-industry/
does the original can am remain the most terrifying thing you've been forced to test? this shit got me:
"kneeling in what I hoped would look like genuine interest in the brake calipers while I thanked Almighty God for my survival"
Jack I think you have the essence down on trikes.
But besides the too old to ride cohort things like the can am and trex are probably the most exciting car thing for the buck. An exciting machine to drive/ride that costs was less than a fast car, but is still not the commitment and skill of a bike.
IMO Harley’s straddle a line between bike and trike
Slicing hairs here. It’s all one wheeld hobby in the end.
At a bike night last summer, I ran into a guy I knew from HS who got MS late in life and had to sell his Harley and buy a Can-Am Spyder. This enabled him to keep riding with his buddies and not succumb to the temptation to kill himself.
So for his sake, and the sake of his wife and kids, I'm glad they make the Can-Am Spyder. But like you, I'll stick to two or four wheels.
These things used to be everywhere but they seem to have been largely replaced by Slingshots which you can grab for $2500 more on average.
The more conventional driving experience probably has a lot to do with it. I personally don’t see the appeal to these various 3-wheeled monstrosities. Though I will say that getting a ride in a Morgan 3 wheeler was an experience I’ll never forget. But that was more due to the spectacle vs. anything else.
The original balloon tired Honda ATC was fun when one was 12.
ATCs hold a special place in my heart. Not the little ones, but the 200/350X and 250R.
The Tecate 3 is the goat though.
"The once-fabled “ton” which my 1990 Volkswagen Fox struggled to indicate on its outrageously optimistic speedometer is now a commonplace, ho-hum event"
i remember reading about minis trying to do that in the early 60s. 4 speeds and totally ass aero made that extremely interesting i bet. downton did it with 850cc somehow.
"The Can-Am Spyder isn’t a three-wheeler in the same vein as the renimated Moggie trike"
do you also have a review on the morgan three wheeler?
"did I mention that each of the 165/65R14 tires at that end are inflated to just 15 psi?"
im sorry what
"As the inside front wheel lifted off the mother-flicking ground"
so it becomes a bike in corners very interesting
"most of them were not what I think of as “bikers”. They were older, they were female. More than a few of them didn’t have their “M” endorsement"
what was the point of this thing again? its not safer than a bike in a crash. is it just a motorcycle for people that cant be bothered to learn to ride a bike?
I have to say I've always found the Can-Ams to be very unsightly, or ugly in simple terms. The photos of this new model that you rode does nothing to alter my opinion. In contrast, I generally find most modern motorcycles to look attractive, making them more seductive to riders and potential riders.
As a former motorcycle rider, I can only imagine how bizarre it must be to turn the handlebars like a car, or multi-track vehicle, if you had years of experience a rider of single-track vehicles. Unlearning that habit under duress would likely be very hard to do indeed.
I'm very happy that you test rode this vehicle to tell us all about it so that I don't have to. Way to be a team player Jack! :)