Articles

 

“That Motorcycle Has Three Wheels!”

 

LEOLA – Three-wheeled motorcycles are becoming an increasingly familiar sight on roads around the country. These three-wheelers, called trikes, offer an attractive and safer alternative to a two-wheeled bike.  They appeal to both young and old alike, while providing exceptional comfort, storage and personal style. As America’s baby boomers age, trikes are the preferred choice for those who want to continue riding safely and with increased stability.  Trikes are built from standard motorcycles in a process called a trike conversion, and not many people know more about that process than Ronald Myers.

Ronald Myers, the founder of Leola Motortrike, knows a thing or two about trike conversions, having built perhaps the most trikes of any Motortrike dealer in the country. Over 500 of his conversions are scattered all across the United States, and yet Myers never forgets a trike. Sometimes a trike has changed hands – and even states – and he’ll get a call from someone as far away as Florida who purchased a trike with a Leola Motortrike sticker on the bumper and he will remember whom it was built for. That, combined with a personable demeanor and love of motorcycling, has led the 72-year-old Myers to be the proud owner of the longest established Motortrike dealership east of the Mississippi. Leola Motortrike has a customer base covering 9 states, stretching as far west as Colorado, and has been honored as one of the top-ten dealerships in the country.

When riders decide to get a trike conversion, they generally begin to shop around, comparing styles. There are so many brands, varieties, and options available for trikes, however, that even the most mechanically inclined riders can become confused. What happens at this point, Myers says, is “people begin to shop based on what they do know – price and appearance.” Expertise, training, and build techniques can vary greatly between shops, even when dealing with the same brand of trike, so finding a competent dealer is very important.

Building a trike requires technical expertise, training and the right equipment. At Leola Motortrike, between the owner and two Master Mechanics, there is a combined 102 years of mechanical experience and 86 years painting experience invested into every trike. Almost no other business in the country can boast this level of expertise and knowledge, along with a combined 114 years of personal experience as motorcyclists. Leola Motortrike is more than just a technically skilled dealer, though.

Specializing in private consultations, education, training, and reviews of the various options with the customers set Leola Motortrike apart from other dealers. “It’s about bringing a solution to certain types of riders,” says a Leola Motortrike sales associate. “This is why we ask our customers to tell us their needs, to be open about handicaps and health issues.” Sometimes the solution is a trike specifically customized and built for the customer.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a Motortrike conversion is the smooth ride and effortless handling.  What Myers is selling is an engineering marvel, and his employees are well-suited to the task of providing a great finished product. The suspension is unique in each trike, and the complexity of the design and various options to satisfy the ride requirements require a thorough knowledge of the Independent Suspension design criteria in such areas as traction/grip, ride quality, leaning/sway control, and bump steer/stability, and suspension travel. Every trike built is taken on a grueling test ride by a Master Mechanic to test these features on highways, pot-holed roads, aggressive cornering, and other obstacle-laden roads to ensure the trike handles optimally even in the most demanding of road conditions.

“When Motortrike first released the Independent Rear Suspension, I put one through its paces. People should never try to do what I do on a test ride of our trike,” laughs John Graybill, Leola Motortrike’s Master Mechanic and a former Motocross racer.  “I know if it works for me, no one else is going to drive like that. I’ve driven in ways I won’t publicly admit to, and I have never been able to corner a Motortrike Independent Suspension trike hard enough to lift a wheel,” although he admits being able to do it with other conversions. In a Motortrike, the heaviest components are built on the rear as low as possible, which reduces load transfer to the outside tire on cornering and helps keep the inside tire on the road. This is why Graybill has been unable to lift a wheel while cornering an Independent Suspension trike.

The engineering of Motortrike’s Independent Suspension was specifically designed to improve ride and handling quality. This was accomplished by the soft springs at the rear with 4” of suspension travel, more than any other trike kit on the market. The 4” of rear wheel travel, along with a lowered spring rate, decreases the natural frequency of the rear, which adds to the comfort of the ride. This is only possible with soft springs and enough travel. All Motortrike kits use air ride suspension, which adjusts the spring rate and ride height while a separate shock absorber controls and dampens jolts and bumps.

The differential housing (center section) utilizes Ford 7 ½”  parts which are used in various Ford vehicles such as the Ford Ranger. The rear brakes consist of a three-piston caliper on each wheel, which retains the linked braking system found on the GL 1800 Gold Wing. The brake rotors are 12” in diameter with ½’’ thick brake pads, which enables phenomenal braking power even at high speeds. “In all my years of experience, I have never replaced a set of rear brake pads on a Motortrike conversion,” Graybill says proudly.

The accompanying picture details some of the Independent Rear suspension features that contribute to a safe, secure, and trouble-free ride experience.  Leola Motortrike, located in Leola, PA, can be reached at 717-656-7531.

 

 

Independent Rear Suspension