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3 wheelers rule!
Tom, I'm going to do something I rarely do, I'm going to disagree with you. At least, with one statement you made. I own a (several actually, I picked up a few for parts) 3 wheeler, a 1985 Honda Big Red, it sits on three of the largest sized tires made for ATV's until recently, they are 25/12-9's. I have owned & operated this machine since 1985. In all of that time the ONLY time it has been off it's wheels it was done intentionally, to get over/through/around/across a tricky piece of Canadian real estate. I have ridden with & on MANY 4 wheelers over the years, my trusty old 3 wheeler has ALWAYS (much to the chagrin of people who spent $10+k. on new 'ultimate' 4 wheelers) outperformed them all, it is far more stable (IMHO) AT THE APPROPRIATE SPEED than anything else I have found yet. Notice I refered to speed. At proper speed, hitting an obstacle with the front wheel causes a bump, but an even dependable bump, no sideways twisting like when you hit an obstacle with just 1 front wheel of a 4 wheeler. Besides all that, my machine at just over 1/3 the weight of the average 4 wheeler goes easily OVER areas that a 4 wheeler has to chew the h--- out of to get THROUGH. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but for my money, I will continue to 'tread' lightly (and very cheaply....) As always... Best of luck.
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3 wheelers rule!
Well, let's see now......
Hockeyhead said "...two girls dump their three wheeler...".
Let's start with the fact that there was never a 3 wheeler, or until last year, even a four wheeler which was designed for two person riding.
Next there's the allusion to "...turning into my drive...", I can't think of a good reason for operating a OFF-ROAD vehicle on a street. Maybe since it rolled it was being operated a little too fast also ? The "road rash" comment leads me to think there was a little too much forward momentum.
The advantages are many, starting with the fact that at the time these things were built they were designed to be as absolutely light as possible to reduce environmental damage and allow them to gain access to places where nothing else could go. They did it very well.
If you go to some of these places today, and I know because I do on a regular basis, people who depend on ATV's for 'regular' transportation will tell you that no 4 wheeler is as good at crossing tough terrain, as gentle on the terrain, or as nimble as a 3 wheeler. Then there's the issue of fuel economy and the range a machine can cover on a tank of fuel.
Of course these people will also tell you that "those stupid drunk fools down south screwed it up for everyone by killing and maiming themselves doing things they should have known better than to do in the first place".
Like so many other things in life, the biggest problem is the LOOSE NUT at the controls.
Best of luck.
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3 wheelers rule!
The small wheels are purely physics at play. Smaller tires have smaller contact patches, therefore they contact the ground under greater load, the greater loading equates to better traction. In racing of course traction equates to better speed, acceleration and handling (especially in high speed corners).
Environmental concerns such as high flotation and limiting tire spin is of little concern compared to getting there first.
The 3 wheeler we ran in the arctic was a odd little thing, it was really wide in the back and ran fairly small tires in width, but quite tall. The logic was taller tires gave higher speeds at lower rev's, giving higher travel speeds and better fuel economy, they also rolled over ridges and such better. Since their world is fairly flat hill-climbing and deep torque was of no concern to them.
Let me tell you 65 mph across frozen tundra is quite thrill, especially when the nearest hospital is 1000 miles away, and it only has 4 beds.....
My comment about limited damage from the tires is actaully something which is nearly impossible to replicate with a 4 wheeler. If you are travelling at a slow, sane speed, it is VERY easy to lean to the outside and lift the inside wheel up slightly, at which point the live axle becomes a moot point since the inner whell is spinning in the air, not chewing up the ground. Steering & throttle manipulation makes this remarkably easy to do with very little practice. A 4 wheeler wouldn't be able to do this, the geometry of the suspension keps all 4 wheels on the ground.
Best of luck.
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3 wheelers rule!
I suppose if Mark were were riding a 3 wheeler and had to make a hard right turn to avoid running into a bear or cougar he might be just a little bit left-leaning and gun-grabbing... but it would be perfectly understandable given the circumstances, MAO.
As for the homosexual nazi part, NEVER!!
Best of luck.
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