Hips have about had it.

[craigatcsi]

We took our 07 out last Sunday and I had a very tough time with the wife on back, at stoplights, parking lots, etc... Over the years, I have heard more than a few guys tell me that they used to ride, but had to give it up because of their hips &/or legs. I don't want to be one of those guys!

A couple of years ago, my wife and I took a trike for a test drive. We only rode 3 or 4 miles or so and didn't like it. I couldn't get used to the steering. When I got back to the dealer, he said that I should've taken it fo 1/2 hour or so to get used to it. But we didn't want to take it back out. - Now I wish we had.

So, now here I am AFRAID to take my 07 out. I CAN'T give up riding! My wife is obsessed with it! AND, I refuse to ride Bit$h!

So, I am back to considering a Trike or maybe even a sidecar. Our thoughts on a sidecar are that when THIS bike wears out, we can simply transfer it to a new bike. Also, we can carry a Grandchild with us or luggage or ??? But a Trike, we lose the Saddle Bags, (but we own a Bushtec trailer). But the biggest hurdle for me about a Trike is the price AND the price every time you get a new one!! I am only 50years old, hopefully I have a long life ahead of me.

 

So, my questions for you folks are, 1. Any pros & cons that I haven't thought of? 2. I heard that sidecars are tougher on a bike. Is there any truth to that? 3. I heard that sidecars are tougher to steer than a trike. True? Which QUALITY sidecar would Look best with an 07?

 

Craigr

[craigatcsi]

Something worth adding - LOOKS mean a great deal to me. I don't want a 55 gallon drum as a side car.

Not that price is no concern, but I CAN afford a nice one, since I plan to keep it thru several bikes. I would like it to closely match my 07's 'Cruiser' style, yet be of High Quality. On a scale of one to ten, I typically buy a 7 or 8. But, in some cases a 10. Like the Venture and my Bushtec.

 

Craigr

[Cougar]

This is exactly the same reasons I chose the trike.. 6 years ago I went through Cancer treatments , my hips are shot and my lower back, and both knee's ; after a while I just could not handle the weight of the bike etc , ect ect.

 

As far as losing the saddle bags (if triking) you get more room to store then the saddle bags. (With Hannigan)

 

My first go around was with a side car ( not on a venture) I did not like it.

 

You say you road a trike for a 1/2 hour.. no that is not long enough.

 

Was the trike you road properly set up? IE: (6 deg rake?) steering.

 

Remember, this is just how I feel. you will get tons of responses on this subject.

 

I now am on about 4 years with my Hannigan trike and I tell you that I will never go

back . 58 years old now.

 

The best part is that I still am able to ride.

 

I wish you the best of luck on what ever you decide.

 

Call me anytime if you like for more questions about triking.

 

Jeff

[Flyinfool]

One other option is to get the hip fixed.

 

I am already a candidate for a new hip, but I haven't finished wearing the OEM hip out yet.

I only ride solo so I have less weight to control.

[Cougar]

Better yet.. your the next state over , come on over and take mine for a spin

[Cougar]

Jeff, come on now. that hip replacement will cost way more then a trike conversion !!

[54chevybelair]

Here is a pick of a hacked 2nd gen. Sidecar rigs do handle different but they are fun. Your storage is greatly increased as most of them have a huge trunk. Because the added weight is asymmetrical, it will slightly pull to the right during acceleration and pull to the left during deceleration, you can't stop physics. Most sidecarist will modify their triple trees to reduce steering effort. This will be additional cost that can't be transfered between bikes.

 

My friend with a similar situation just traded his GL1800 in on a Canam touring model. He and his wife love it.

[Phoneman1981]

Hello: While we were in Sturgis, Hannigan conversions had a Blue Black 07 RSV equipped with a sidecar. If I remember correctly the bike had only 1500 miles on it. Sharp looking unit. Asking price was $18,900.

[friesman]

the G2 Venture trikes are the best looking trikes around when using the Hannigan trike in my mind. i was sold when I saw Larry's (Carbon One) in Cody WY, nice rig!!

I am slated for a hip replacement in late fall so I am watching this thread pretty closely too...

 

Brian

[DragonRider]

Going to a trike because the wife cant ride on the Venture for a long time, the trike will make it easier on both of us............Looks like I am buying the 93 Venture Royale up in Ohio, great price cant pass it up, and several members here stepping up to help me with the purchase and transport...............What a great site this is, fantastic friends each and every member.

[b2dad]

You really really need to ride a trike again. Take up the offer to ride Cougar's. Maybe you could meet part way!

We have an '08 we bought 2 wheel, rode 1 yr, don had it triked with Hannigan kit. NEVER EVER REGRETTED it.

Like they said tho, it has to be done right...6 degree rake AND risers on the handlebar...can't remember if they are 1" or slightly more..but it makes all the difference in the world.

Bongobobny has one. I think Rosebud just got one. Freebird rode ours at the International last month. So did Brown Angel and MarCarl. (Marca didn't want to get off!!).

So not only are YOU getting a great ride, so is your passenger. Think about that!!

Don't worry about losing your saddlebags, the trunk on the hannigan holds alot more than the saddlebags.

You just gotta try it! We live 30 minutes from the Hannigan factory. If you have time, come visit...stay with us...go talk to them. You will not regret it.

Patti

[Pegasus1300]

Hi Craig

I faced the same situation as you tho for different reasons.My hips and knees are ok so far.I totaled 2 Royal Stars in 2011 and don't really trust myself on 2 wheels any more.I am 66. I went to a trike in Oct of last year.I have learned to enjoy the trike and I am still riding.Whats more my wife will ride with me and she will not ride on 2 wheels anymore.I did not like my first rides on a trike including the one I bought.I rode a Spyder and found it very exciting but I felt it was under engined and very expensive for me. I would like to have ridden a side car rig,I have always been facinated by them.I now know 3 people who have Hannigan side cars(2) or Champion(1).They really enjoy them.After a summer on the trike(1990 GL 1500 with a TriKing comversion) I have learned that you need the raked tripple trees (at least 4.5 degrees and probably 6)I have ridden 2 trikes now with rakes and they are a dream to handle..After 40+ years on two wheels it has been hard to make the transfer to three.I miss my Blue 08 RSTD very much.I waited for that bike for 12 years.I miss the feeling of leaning into the curves,but let me say again I AM STILL RIDING.Its still the same wind in my face,the same open road,the same sense of being in the scenery not going thru it.the same freedom,openess,and advernture.I tried a convertible for awhile it wasn't the same for me( anyone want a really nice 94 Blue and White Mustang GT,84K miles?)Some in our group have gone that way but it wasn't for me.Some dealers will rent Spyders.A lady in our group who wanted to ride did that for a year but has now bought her own.You might try that for awhile.GWRRA puts on a trike class see if there is one near you.Visit www.triketalk.com and pose your questions there.Some of us on this site are also membrs there and will tell you there is a wealth of information there. Also some very nice and friendly people.I used to think 3 wheels was the end of the world,now I know it is the beginning of a new one.And i can still ride and be with my wife.Some of us will be able to ride forever on 2 wheels but some can't and 3 wheels is better then none.

[muffinman]

Craig I understand your questions on the sidecar and am with you on wanting one I prefer sidecars over trikes myself.When I was waiting on my new bike I talked to the owner of A wing and a chair in monroe Nc he gave me alot of info over the phone very willingly and I am sure he would do the same for you.Here is his website http://awingandachair.com/ give him a call.

On my wants he told me not to mount the sidecar I already have on my new wing as its not to the engineering that he feels will be an asset but more problems down the road.I was rather upset as you might guess but what he said made sense and no he didnt try to sell me a hack he was just trying to make the final rig everything it should be.He did say that he would install it but highly recommended my installing it on an older bike not a new bike.It seems that the family has been doing sidecar rigs for a long time so I am certain when I do get the actual sidecar I want for the wing he will probably be the one I take it to for the install as he knows what he is doing and I am just an aircraft mechanic and am only going on what I think is right for the sidecar install if you get my drift here.

I am looking at the hannigan that is designed for the wing and trying to figure out the finances for it I dont have to have a sidecar rig at this point but I want one for long distance rides 2 up it would make it safer for Mini if I didnt have to worry about dropping the bike at the end of a 10 + hour ride

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

you can call me if you want at 9196735095

Jeff

[steamer]

Ask your wife, would she rather ride on the bike or in a side car? I know what Rocknrobin would say. She would stop riding if she couldn't ride on the trike.

[Cougar]

My wife has tried both and prefers the trike hands down

she feels safer on the trike. not such a closed in feeling.

yes ask your wife.

[pmelah]

Enough already y'all act like y'all getting old out there:backinmyday: well if y'all would stop trying to wear out the OEM hip you would not have to get an aftermarket one:rotf: you know them OEM hips are suppose to last at a minimum 75 yrs. oh I'm with b2mom on the trike and she lives close to the factory how is that

[labill]

Also had to give up the 2wheels. Wife couldn't handle the long rides. Decided on the Motorvation side car with its own brake.

 

It is a new experience. I did not change the front end setup but have learned to handle with out much problem. The sidecars own brake helps greatly when turning right. Took me about 500/1000 miles to get used to.

 

Nice thing about this unit I can remove without having to worry about air in the brakes. They are not cheap, this unit was about $10000 but worth it. Makes the wife happy.

 

It's on a 2000 RSV. Gas mileage is shot and you use 4th gear more. But like I said, wife is happy.

 

Labill

[Aussie Annie]

I rode a 2007 RSV with sidecar before my accident 4.5 years ago. Great fun, but since having the trike didn't know what I was missing.

Side car will really work the arms and especially the shoulders, if you don't have rake on it.

 

I would take Cougar up on his offer of riding his.... and certainly B2mom's offer to go to the Hannigan factory. We went with them last year, and quickstep was impressed with the way they are engineered and put together. They kindly showed him part of the factory.

And finally a quote from my mate Willie Shake a spear .......

To Trike or not to trike?

That is the question

"Tis nobler to stay upright on three

Or be humiliated and find yourself under two

Me thinks 'tis better to be free on three!!

[Wrench]

I can speak from experience here, I had my left hip replaced in Dec. '06. It had been getting progressively worse since '03 or '04. I had bought my first Venture in March of '06, and by that Fall had gotten to the point where I'd have to use my hand to lift my leg back up on the board after a stop. By March '07 I was back on the bike with no pain or movement issues. On the flip side, I had a 3 level lumbar fusion in Feb. '11, and have just now worked my way back up to a Venture. If your wife loves to ride, then definitely ask her what she wants to do too.

[dynodon]

Please put up with my story, will try to make it short. I quit riding 25 years ago like a lot of boomers to raise a family and work. About 1998 I was empty nest and thinking about riding again, but my hips were so bad I couldn't comfortably ride a lawn tractor let alone swing a leg over a bike. I tried out a trike, but only for a couple hundred yards, no lean, no fun. Two years later I got both hips replaced over one winter, doing them about 3 months apart.

 

Best decision I have ever made other than marrying the love of my life and raising those two kids. Anyway, my pain was GONE. Knees and ankles that I thought were bad, were better and now 12 years later, I am 6 or so years into riding again, took a few years to get used to my new hips, and get back in the mood for a bike. Maybe the third best decision I have ever made. I am enjoying the ride (my wife also got another bike, and that is wonderful) again, and have made a bunch of new friends here, in the STAR club and GWRRA. Took a 4500 mile dream trip this last July with several Wing friends and wow, what a trip.

 

I have also been considering that even with the new hips, I will eventually not be able to handle a big bike, and if I don't want to go to a scooter, would I consider a trike or sidecar again? The answer is yes, to continue to enjoy the company of my new friends (I know they would accept me in a car, but it won't be the same). I don't know which I would choose, but I will start looking for chances to try some different ones out.

 

I wish you luck with your decision, but if you have insurance, or can afford it, get a new hip(s) if you are at that point. It is not as big a deal as just a few years ago. Between my left and right hip surgeries, my Dr. went to a new procedure that made recovery a bunch better the second time. I understand that they have made that leap and more on an even newer procedure, and that might even make it a bit cheaper? In any case, talk to your doctor and find out what your options are.

[Wrench]

Yeah, ditto what he said. Mine was "minimally invasive" at the time, one 6" and one 2" incision, but it's next to no cutting and downtime now compared to then. My understanding is that they do a posterior approach now, so there's less muscle to disturb, that's what took me a while to get built back.

[craigatcsi]

WOW what a response!!

Now I don't know what to do! I'm back to 50 / 50 on which to get. The Trike thing and it giving the shoulders a workout has me worried. I have a bad disk between the shoulderblades, (inoperative), and I'm afraid of the 'workout' causing me problems with that disk. - Yes, I'll admit it - at 50 years old, I am falling apart!!

Probably the biggest thing keeping me away from the Trike is the high cost, over and over! The Sidecar is a high cost ONCE! - Right? Plus, with a sidecar, we can take a 3rd person along. But, after my original post, I did some looking at sidecars on the web and some of them look pretty enclosed - too enclosed for us. We would have to have one that is pretty open. No Top & no side glass.

You all have given me a wealth of info to consider. I will make sure to show these posts to my wife. We aren't ready to do anything this year, but since I am afraid to take mine out again, we are probably going to have to do something for next summer's riding season.

Thanks,

craigr

[XV1100SE]

If you are only 50 (I say "only" because I've got 3 years on you)... hopefully you have a long life ahead of you. If your hips are so bad that you are limited in what you can do now, imagine in 10 years, 20 years. My vote is for you to get the hip surgery. At least that way you'll be able to get around and enjoy life. If you have other parts that need replacement... go for it now while you can. You'll heal faster than if you wait until you are in your 60's.

 

As for bikes... wait until after your surgery and decide then what you can handle. If the current bike feels like it is too much, then you could trike the '07 (easily expect 200,000 miles from it), get a Spyder or a smaller bike (650, 1100...).

[craigatcsi]

Okay, so overnight another question came to mind.

Between the Trike and a sidecar, which would be a larger drain on power / fuel mileage? Probably the most important to me would be 'seat of the pants' feeling when I'm cruising and 'roll it on'. I LOVE the fact that I can be cruising down the interstate on my 1300 and walk away from my V-Twin friends with their 1700s.

I'm sure that both a Trike AND a sidecar will eliminate this. I'm just wondering which would be worse.

Also, the comment somewhere above this post about the sidecar being hard on the shoulders has me kinda scared, (because of the aforementioned disk problem).

Another thing that comes to mind is REVERSE. I know that with a Goldwing Trike & a HD I can have a reverse gear. If I convert my Venture, which only has 35k on it, I wouldn't have Reverse. But, 95% of my riding is 2 up, so I almost always have reverse now. It would probably be the same with the trike or sidecar.

And, another 'small' thing that enters into it, is the WOW factor. I like 'flashy' or 'look at me' rigs. I know that it is shallow, but hey I admit it. Trikes are getting so common place any more. The Sidecar is still kind of a head turner. - Believe me, THIS is probably only 5% the equation on which I get, but is still enough not to ignore it.

 

Since Hanigan seems to be the manf. of choice, I'm thinking about making a trip to their HQ next season and discuss which way to go. Maybe even stay long enough to have them make the transformation. - This is just an idea at this time.

 

I hope to actually spend some time on each before hand.

 

craigr

[Cougar]

You will loose about 8 to 10 mpg.

Your weight with a Hannigan trike kit will be adding 300 lbs.

 

Your question about reverse scared the heck out of me

as well. I even went as far as setting up a wench in my garage

before my trike was completed.

 

When my trike came home (almost 4 years ago) I found that I could

move it foreword's and backward with ease. there is no more balancing act

to put up with. in the past four years I have had no problems with not

having a reverse . never did use that wench LOL

 

However you can have one added for around $1300 extra

from another vendor.

 

Good luck on what ever you decide. you sound just like I did when I was

looking into this at first.

 

Jeff

 

P.S. remember feel free to call and to chat about this.