#trike

Having the chance to partake in our recent 3 Wheeler shootout, I was fortunate enough to pilot three very different machines. Two of which, let’s face it, are basically cars with one rear wheel. Apart from the obvious fun we were having romping on the different “motorcycles,” what I distinctly remember was the ease at which I was willing to explore the limits of the Morgan 3 Wheeler and the Polaris Slingshot, the former void of any electronic aids, the latter with switchable stability control (the Spyder F3 stability system is always on).

Technically, and by that I mean according to the way in which the vehicles here are registered through the DMV (except Texas, but more on that later), each of these three-wheelers qualifies as a motorcycle. In California, at least, a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license to legally operate them is not required, and the two with seatbelts eschew the state’s helmet law. Still, without a more explicit category available and the law being what it is, “motorcycle” becomes the default label for this trio.

Your eyes aren’t fooling you. Yes, this is Motorcycle.com and, yes, the thing you’re looking at has three wheels, a steering wheel, bucket seats, seat belts and three pedals on the floor. It’s called, simply, the Morgan 3 Wheeler, and because it’s missing a fourth wheel, the Department of Motor Vehicles classifies it as a motorcycle (yes, even in Texas). And so, since we are Motorcycle.com afterall, it’s our duty to give the 3 Wheeler a whirl.

My first drag down the airport runway aboard Can-Am’s new 2015 Spyder F3 was accompanied by the unmistakable sound of tire squeal and the smell of torched rubber. This was not, however, the result of dumping the clutch at high RPMs on the base model’s six-speed manual transmission. This was the up-spec F3-S with the SE6 semi-automatic transmission. Nothing but horsepower, baby! Intrigued?

I’m writing this from inside an Airbus 380 en route to Montreal, Quebec, Canada to ride Can-Am’s newest Spyder, the F3. According to EiC, Kevin Duke, in his recent editorial, the Spyder isn’t a true motorcycle, yet he assigned me this task (such is the prerogative of being Chief). Having never been to Montreal, I readily accepted, but also made it abundantly clear in my response email to him that I do not want to become MO’s trike editor.

Trikes occupy a niche that is both inside and outside the motorcycle world. While they share attributes with motorcycles (the rider sits astride them, is exposed to the elements, and is vulnerable in an accident), trikes also share features of cars (they don’t depend on the rider to stand up and are steered, rather than countersteered). Typically, aftermarket companies produce trikes through extensive modifications to a motorcycle chassis, making Harley-Davidson the only motorcycle OEM to produce factory trikes. The Tri Glide has filled that slot in the Milwaukee company’s lineup for a number of years, but this year, it is no longer the sole trike on the Harley dealer’s manifest. For 2015, the Freewheeler doubles the number of trikes available from the Motor Company.

Generally speaking, three-wheelers don’t get a favorable reception from you, our MO readers. That being said, check this out. After digging in the vaults just six years, we bring you our 2009 Brudeli Leanster 654L Preview from 2009. While many would call it blasphemy to convert a KTM 690 Supermoto into a trike, we think you’ll agree this is one cool three-wheeler. It leans into turns like the Piaggio MP3, but a flick of the wrist will also kick out the rear – something we’ve always wanted to do with a Can-Am Spyder. For this week’s Church of MO feature, check out what our European contributor, Tor Sagen, had to say about it from his 2008 preview.

When Content Editor Tom Roderick tested Polaris’ new three-wheeled  Slingshot, he noted how it would surely offer the  Can-Am Spyder some competition. The two brands are, after all, big competitors in the off-road utility vehicle business, and the Slingshot takes their rivalry to a three-wheeled street battleground. Can-Am, and its parent company, Bombardier Recreational Products, aren’t just going to stand pat with its seven-year-old Spyder platform however, as new spy photos reveal a brand new model is on the way.

You probably know the name Corbin as “those seat guys.” Fair enough, considering the company is one of the leading manufacturers of aftermarket seats and accessories for all kinds of motorcycles. However, transport yourself back to 1997 and we arrive at the topic for this week’s Church entry: the Corbin Sparrow. With visions of the next form of personal transportation anyone could afford, history tells us Corbin missed the mark. That doesn’t mean the Sparrow isn’t unique, and 17 years ago Contributing Writer D.C. Wilson profiled the three-wheeler. Check out the genesis of the Sparrow and how it performs in Wilson’s piece below. 

A Harley-Davidson three-wheeler was caught by our spy photographer at the same time as the 2015 Road Glide.

The front end of the Piaggio MP3 looks a bit like an angry Mutant Ninja Turtle or, if you stretch it, like a big scary frog. It’s a quirky scooter but the French seem to love it, having purchased nearly 70,000 of them. So, it was appropriate that Piaggio chose Paris as the city in which to launch the newest version of the MP3.

The stage is being set for the most important motorcycle exposition of the year, the EICMA show in Milan, Italy. EICMA is so large and so important that we’re making the trek to the Continent to give it our full coverage, including video updates from the media-only days, November 5 and 6.

Back in 2008, Can-Am shook up the motorcycling world by introducing its intriguing, not-a-trike, not-a-bike Spyder RS line of V-Twin-powered, three-wheeled sport riding vehicles. Solid initial sales of the RS encouraged the Bombardier-owned Canadian company to produce an encore, and in 2009 the Spyder RT luxury liner was introduced. It was an instant hit among touring riders who were advancing in age but didn’t want to give up the freedom of the open road.

A trike in many cases is a two-wheeled machine that has been modified with a kit that coverts the machine to a three wheeler. In these cases the insurance will typically list the parts under accessories coverage. Much the same as you would list upgraded handlebars or a new exhaust. The trike conversion kit may have a price of $10,000 or more, not to mention labor to complete the conversion. Another example of a three-wheeled machine are the newer Harley Davidson Trikes. These are factory-built trikes and will not need to have the policy reflect additional parts as it is not a conversion.