Anyone own or ridden one of these 3 wheeled scooters?

[lee8040]

Thinking about one for abit more safety in winter as I'm out in the sticks. How much more stable are these with the 2 wheels at the front?
Currently I own a gs500 but this is having so many issues lately and also with think frosts/ice I can't ride it to work

[Iain.]

[lee8040]

[Iain.]

You're riding a GS500. It'll have issues all the time, those bikes are the bad aids. Mine had the aids, Paddys had the aids, J.M's had the aids, my mate Emma bought one, that got the aids, another mate Chuckles bought one which also fucked up every time he put the keys in it.

Some gay trike moped thing won't be any better at anything ever which is problem number one.

https://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/640951/Photo0114.jpg

Solution?

Sell/burn GS500, take the £2k you'd spend on the piaggio MP3.

Buy CBF500 with the ABS if commuter twins are your thing, and put some tyres on it with very good wet/cold weather performance. Pilot Road 4's seem to be very highly rated.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-HONDA-CBF-500-A-6-ABS-MOT-OCT15-HPi-CLEAR-GIVI-RACK-ENGINE-BARS-/161519460082?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item259b4f5ef2

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Michelin-Pilot-Road-4-Tyre-Pair-120-70-160-60-ZR17-HONDA-CBF500-2004-2007-/151450780011?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item23432b816b

I figure that then leaves you about £250 + whatever the GS sells for. So say £750? For that you could get heated grips, muffs, screen etc etc etc and still have loads of money for the pub!

Or be boring and be a carfag for winter like myself. 2k gets you a 4x4 and insurance for a year if the weathers really that bad.

[lee8040]

[Fisty]

[CaNsA]

[BakesBeans]

[lee8040]

I know there not the coolest things to ride, that don't bother me for me. Are there any negatives with them apart from looks?

[Fisty]

[Ste]

[andyscooter]

The 125cc ones are slow and crap

The others are OK but can still be crashed into

Mate of mine has back end sliding in the wet but I didn't have the confidence
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[stevo as b4]

I spent ages trying to work out what sort of brain dead individual came up with these things and what the real actual point of them was too, as it irritated the hell out of me!

The answer's that are vaguely plausible, though still not really the ideal solutions are:

1, It allows disabled people that still want to feel the being exposed to the elements feeling of riding a bike, and also for those that are not willing or keen on or have the space for a proper (cool) trike.

2, I understand that even some of the bigger 250-400cc versions could be ridden by a car driver without any need for a bike license? I'm not sure if the rules have very recently changed on this for new drivers though?

No other point to them in the slightest. People say you can filter on them, as they are often only as wide as the bars on a naked bike/trailie? There's not really any extra carrying space on them over a bike, and I also imagine that at high speeds they are not that stable in long fast sweeping corners due to the narrow track at the front and the limited amount of lean angle compared to a bike?

I'd rather set one on fire than ride it personally, but I'm talking from an ignorant no experience perspective!

I like my 2wheels at the back and a useful loadspace for carrying stuff if I was speccing a trike. I'd quite like to use a Rover V8 or similar engine too, to make it sound better, seeing as I'll never own a V8 car or bike.

[lee8040]

[Iain.]

[Shaft]

I've ridden a couple, a 125 and one of the bigger ones.

People think of them as slow because they tend to be ridden by people who go slowly, but you can get a wriggle on if you want to , same as any other scoot.

Slightly less flickable than a two wheeler, but you can still chuck them about and filter and, as mentioned, once you get used it you can powerslide them round corners, which is a hoot.

Standard behaviour is understeer, which feels a bit odd at first, then you get into using your body weight a little more and leaning it over.

Servicing and reliability is the same as any other scooter, other than an extra tyre and steering linkage to keep an eye on.

People do tend to point and laugh (especially at the ones the plastic plod ride round here) but feck 'em, they do the job and they are that much more difficult to fall off, which is a bonus on mega slippery roads.

Just don't think they're uncrashable though, the front will let go.
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20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Fisty]

[Bubblin77]

Even ignoring the fact you like the mp3, even ignoring the fact that they are OK.

I'll turn you off them now

They have a major issue with the steering tubes bearings wearing prematurely (the notch), it cause the rider massive issues in cornering and is potentially a big safety concern, piaggio class it as wear and tear and refuse to help out owners.

To replace the bearings costs £800 as it involves removing the entire front end and changing these out, and they fail in as little as 3000 miles. Could you imagine having that done each year, google mp3 notch, and you'll come across many, many unhappy owners.

Buy any other bike apart from an mp3!
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Kawasaki Z800 (SOLD)

[Fisty]

[bikertomm]

I've had one for a while now, well, it's been sitting in my shed unused for a good few years.


They are great fun during the summer months for short journeys
E.g. Going to and from school. I found you could really get your lean on with both feet up.


But where they really excel themselves is in the colder weather. That extra stability upfront had me gripping on for shear death going down some dark narrow roads also known as alleyways. The thing handled as though it was on rails.


Only criticism I had was the tyre pressures. They were extremely high so the feedback from them was lots of skidding. To the point they felt rather plastic. Rather nerving in the wet.




Parking is brilliant though. I could just fold it up once I got to class.










https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318DdMkCpyL._SY300_.jpg
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[Iain.]

[P.addy]

[Iain.]

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=251011&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Poor obs.

[Eddie Hitler]

[P.addy]