Is a motor trike safer than a motorbike?

[lehar]

I've never driven a motorbike and am now faced with the need to get some transportation. I've been thinking about buying a motorbike or scooter and having someone convert it to a trike. That's because I'm very safety conscious and think a trike would be safer and less likely to fall over.

Some people have told me that this is not true, that a trike is actually less safe than a two wheeled motorbike.

Could you offer opinions on this?

Variables include the fact that I intend to drive fairly slowly and carefully. I also think it would be interesting to make the trike in the tadpole design, i.e., the two wheels in the front, not the back. Is this design more stable for general road driving?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Live To Ride]

I dont know what is safer , my opinion that if you drive slow (not possible) and you know how to bike is safe enough.

I just know that piago have in the market a new trike which suppose to be very very good with good acceleration and good holding.

i will read the article back home and will write the trike name.

Good luck

[scan]

There are many different trikes on the market, but in general, they don't ride like a bike. They don't lean in the corners, other than a few specially designed models. Most are rigid, so you turn it like a car, where a bike turns by counter steering and leaning. Two different types of physics. I think a bike is safer, but I never rode a trike, so my view point is skewed. I might think about one that has a leaning suspension, that acts like a bike. At speed I think a trike having to make any emergency changes in directions might be more hazardous to deal with, since a swerve involves putting the weight to one side, or on a trike the front and one rear tire. Seems they might be more likely to tip out of control.

[Nalian]

The Piaggio is called the MP3..you can see it here: http://www.mp3.piaggio.com - it isn't released quite yet. I think it looks awesome, though.

[Bachstrad37]

Safer?

From a visibility stand point, yes - it's safer. You're simply bigger and other drivers notice you more.

If you've ever read the Hurt Report, about 77 percent of accidents of motorcycles comes from the 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock position. A high percentage is due to lack of visibility from the other driver.

As for the remainder 23%, it's typically caused lowsiding a motorcycle. Less balance with only two wheels could probably been avoided if the vehicle was better balanced with 3+ wheels.

Regardless, your body is still exposed like a motorcyclist. If your impact is from the front (majority of the accident is from the front), you're likely to fly off the seat like a motorcyclist. Flying off the seat = physical impact with the object you hit and/or road surface. You're not inside a enclosed space.

My overall opinion? Yeah, I think you're safer on a trike. You're better balanced and have greater visibility.

But if you DO get hit, it's the same.

[Kal]

*ahem*

Points to avatar....

I've got two years on a motorbike and six months on a trike.

Is it more dangerous? no, but then neither is it less dangerous. It is just different danger points to deal with.

When I first started riding the trike I tried riding it like a bike, this was a mistake. The trike would try to force me off of the seat to the outside of the turn, on one occassion the wheel on the inside of the turn lifted off of the ground.

So I practised the technique of heavy speed reduction before corners, piliing on the throttle at the apex setting the trike up for the exit. Basically on the trike I have unique cornering - not like a bike or a car.

The whole setup of a trike is less frantic than a bike so I am more inclined to take it easy.

The wider rear end means traffic following notices me more, I hardly worry about getting rear ended. Which is good because to be honest if I am in traffic I can't take evasive action anymore than a car can.

It's headons that cause the problem. I've had three close encounters headon, where I would have been through someones windscreen if I hadn't of stopped.

If you buy an equilateral trike and ride it more ina cruise style then I would say it is marginally safer. It certainaly has its plus points in winter or other low traction moments. But if the only reason you are buying it is because you think that Bikes arent safe - I'm afraid you are kidding yourself.

[Lion_Lady]

I've never driven a motorbike and am now faced with the need to get some transportation. I've been thinking about buying a motorbike or scooter and having someone convert it to a trike. That's because I'm very safety conscious and think a trike would be safer and less likely to fall over...

Thanks for your thoughts.

For what it will cost to convert a two wheeler to a trike you could probably just buy a CAR. Consider if its your only transportation you'll have to ride in rain and all weather. Which could really suck.

A trike is vastly different from a motorcycle in handling. If you're worried about 'falling over' then take a motorcycle training class. You'll learn the basics of how not to die IN ADDITION to how to stay upright.

You DO know how to ride a bicycle? If not, then a trike probably is your best option.

P

[lehar]

Thanks for the replies. Well, where I live, in SE Asia, you can buy a new motorbike for as little as USD $500 to $1000 and have someone convert it to a trike for just a little bit more I think (probably less than $100 but I'm not sure)

Also, buying a car here costs twice as much as in the US, due to very high import duties.

So that's why I don't just buy a car. Also, a motorbike (even a motortrike) would get much much better gas mileage than a car, and I like to keep costs down.

I understand all your points. I wonder if making the trike from a scooter might not be a bit safer than making it from a cycle, as the scooter's lower tires give it an overall lower center of gravity I suspect, and that might help with stability when turning.

I CAN drive a bicycle, and can balance on it fine. But motorbikes scare me. People tell me it's basically a 100% probability that you'll fall off at least once, and somehow, falling off a motorbike strikes me as more serious than falling off a bicycle. Also, traffic in the cities here is insane, and the streets are loaded with very reckless motorbikers zooming along, weaving in and out, and not wanting to slow down.

I've never driven a motorbike, by the way. Have been a terrified passenger on one a few times, but never driven.

Because it's a tropical climate, it's too hot to wear heavy protective clothing. And I really don't want to wear a helmet. Practically nobody here wears helmets. (Please, don't lecture me on this, I know it's dangerous, but that's why I'm looking into a trike, to make it less likely that I'll fall off the bike).

I understand the point that in a collision it won't make any difference, bike or trike. But I'd like the security of knowing that I don't need to worry about balancing, if I drive over a slick patch of road, or over gravel, or streetcar tracks, or whatever.

Are most motorbike accidents collisions, or just a rider who lost his balance and fell over?

I intend to be a slow and careful driver at all times.

If I do decide to buy a scooter and have it converted to a trike, do you think having the two wheels in the front is a better way to do it, for greater stability than two wheels in the rear?

[BRUMBEAR]

I have an old servi car and with mini apes a girder a foot clutch and an underdaleftcheek shifter and rear onlybrakesI would say it is FAR AND AWAY more dangerous than ridin a scoot but it is fun!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kal]

Thanks for the replies. Well, where I live, in SE Asia, you can buy a new motorbike for as little as USD $500 to $1000 and have someone convert it to a trike for just a little bit more I think (probably less than $100 but I'm not sure)

Also, buying a car here costs twice as much as in the US, due to very high import duties.

So that's why I don't just buy a car. Also, a motorbike (even a motortrike) would get much much better gas mileage than a car, and I like to keep costs down.

I understand all your points. I wonder if making the trike from a scooter might not be a bit safer than making it from a cycle, as the scooter's lower tires give it an overall lower center of gravity I suspect, and that might help with stability when turning.

I CAN drive a bicycle, and can balance on it fine. But motorbikes scare me. People tell me it's basically a 100% probability that you'll fall off at least once, and somehow, falling off a motorbike strikes me as more serious than falling off a bicycle. Also, traffic in the cities here is insane, and the streets are loaded with very reckless motorbikers zooming along, weaving in and out, and not wanting to slow down.

I've never driven a motorbike, by the way. Have been a terrified passenger on one a few times, but never driven.

Because it's a tropical climate, it's too hot to wear heavy protective clothing. And I really don't want to wear a helmet. Practically nobody here wears helmets. (Please, don't lecture me on this, I know it's dangerous, but that's why I'm looking into a trike, to make it less likely that I'll fall off the bike).

I understand the point that in a collision it won't make any difference, bike or trike. But I'd like the security of knowing that I don't need to worry about balancing, if I drive over a slick patch of road, or over gravel, or streetcar tracks, or whatever.

Are most motorbike accidents collisions, or just a rider who lost his balance and fell over?

I intend to be a slow and careful driver at all times.

If I do decide to buy a scooter and have it converted to a trike, do you think having the two wheels in the front is a better way to do it, for greater stability than two wheels in the rear?

Okay dude if no one is going to talk you out of it...

I wuldn't recomend a Scooter. They don't have a fantastic amount of power available at the best of times.

I'd suggest you want to be looking at 400-500cc donor bike with up to 50bhp and a shaft drive. As you are in Asia I'd strongly suggest having rear suspension.

Alternaively:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshaw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuk-tuk