Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist
No you didn't! It is not in your garage!  |
None of my motorcycles are in my virtual garage. I have 4 now:
1976 Kawasaki KZ400
1979 Kawasaki KZ400
2009 Piaggio MP3 500ie
2011 BMW R1200RT
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
I'm interested in hearing the pros and cons of having that third wheel.
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Pros:
Safety. Two wheels in the front give a much larger factory of safety. When the front wheel of a motorcycle loses grip the front end washes out, you crash, and it happens in a blink of the eye. Mortals can sometime save it when upright under braking but only MotoGP gods can consistently save the front when it loses traction in a corner. 3 of my 4 crashes on the road have come from losing the front in adverse conditions.
With two front wheels you just have more grip to start with due to the extra contact patch. So it corners on rails in the dry. When one of the front tires hits something that causes it to lose traction the load and grip shifts to the other wheel and you continue on with a little twitch in the bars. If both wheels lose traction the front slides across the slippery spot and then regains traction on the other side. The distance between the front wheels keeps the front from tucking and washing out instantly and you have much more time to catch it. You can still lose the front but it is much less likely.
Cities are full of slippery bits: gravel, painted lines, manhole covers, oil or gas spills, etc.
I test rode one when it first came out and I was young and stupid. The dealer said "you can't crash it" so of course I tried. I went around hitting every patch of gravel I could drifting the front through corners.
Cons:- It looks funny. It does't look like a motorcycle "should" and that is a big deal for a lot of motorcyclists.
- Cost. The Piaggio has always been about 1/3 more than a similar scooter and the Yamaha Niken continues the trend. That kept me from getting one for 10 years. I picked this one up for $3000 with 5,400 miles on the clock.
- Weight. The MP3 weighs almost a much as my BMW but doesn't feel heavy due to weight distribution. The 3-wheeled Yamaha Niken is 90lbs heavier than the Tracer 900 it is based on.
- You can only lean to 40 degrees (not a problem for mortals.)
It still rides and feels like a motorcycle. It is narrow enough to lane-split like a motorcycle. It also has a gimmicky tilt-lock that allows you to come to a stop and lock the front so you don't have to put your feet down. That system alone adds 50 lbs!