Avoiding Road Hazards on 3 Wheels?

[markyodo]

So it looks like the big melt is closing in on us here in the north east / mid west and those pesky road monsters we northerners like to call pot holes are starting to sprout under the thawing ice.
Every time I maneuver my car around one of these road hazards I think to myself, what would I have done if I were on the Spyder? I think it would easier to avoid the mouth of the road monster on 4 wheels vs 3.

So what happens on a Spyder? Let's say you are approaching a pot hole which lays in the middle of the road at 60 miles an hour , you swerve left and the right front suspension takes a hit, you swerve right and it's the left side taking the beating, and if you just go straight you hold on raise your butt off the seat and wait for the back tire to smack.

So which is a better scenario? Is there a winner here or are they all losers and you just hope for the best?

[Rockwall]

Hope for the best and hold on.

[MouthPiece]

Ask the passanger/wife so she can't blame you. <smiles>

Chris

[ARtraveler]

It takes a lot of practice to avoid road hazards with the .

Avoidance involves missing it first with either front wheel, then cutting over so that the rear wheel also misses. You have to have enough room for the maneuver as well as some luck. My success rate is about 65%.

If you don't have space to maneuver, then it is hold on.

[desertryder]

It takes a lot of practice to avoid road hazards with the .

Avoidance involves missing it first with either front wheel, then cutting over so that the rear wheel also misses. You have to have enough room for the maneuver as well as some luck. My success rate is about 65%.

If you don't have space to maneuver, then it is hold on.

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

[ahh-cool]

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

[ARtraveler]

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

I also said that in my post. I totally agree on avoiding hitting anything with either front wheel.

[bayoumanPIBE]

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

And remember don't grab on to the grips/handle bars like an awesome prom date. Try and stay cool and remember these spyders are made to want to go straight...so stay cool and hang on tight but light.

[one2doo]

Roadkill can be a fun challenge also.

[Marker]

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

[Rockwall]

I totally agree on missing road hazards with the front wheels at all costs. The back wheel is basically like hitting something with a car.

[Orange Spyder Man]

move from the north to where ever the roads don't ice up.. !

osm

[Yazz]

Roadkill can be a fun challenge also.

Yuck! Hit one with the rear wheel. It was a messy, stinky clean-up.

[daveinva]

I too agree with hitting obstacles (if you have to hit one) with the rear tire. Plays havoc with your behind, but cheaper than an alignment.

That said, I've also found that I can really relax the rear spring on my RS with negligible effect on my handling, i.e. my Spyder is very sensitive to the front shock settings (I keep them *very* stiff to improve handling), but I've learned that I don't need to jack up the rear shock as high unless I'm consistently riding two-up.

Bottom line: you can probably go a little "Cadillac ride" with your rear shock and you're not going to suffer in the handling department-- but you WILL avoid a lot of bottom-bruising when that rear wheel smacks those potholes.

[AZredhead]

I am glad to see this post as I have been wondering the same thing. My concern isn't so much with potholes, but with 'road gaters' (blown vehicle tires) that may be on the road.

With so much traffic around here, trying to avoid them can be difficult. I am concerned about the low clearance of the Spyder and going over them.

Thoughts?

[Chupaca]

It's all in how good your aim is...I run the front wheel as close to the edge of the obsticles as possible putting the rear close to the othe edge. If the obsticle is to large strattle it raise up on the pegs a bit and hope for the best. Road kill I just run over, it's already dead and I didn't do it...

[HIspyder]

Speed up and fly right over, Evel Knievel style!

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

the rear rim and tire are stronger but are more expensive when damaged.

[Michiganspyderman]

the manual says to try to hit the obstruction with the rear tire rather than the fronts.

[Bob Denman]

Why not try slowing down just a little bit, and paying closer attention to the road in front of you?
When THAT fails: try putting the obstacle just to the inside edge of a front tire...
...If it's not too large; you might just miss it with the rear tire completely!


Or ifyour luck is like mine; you'll end up with about 20 quills from a porcupine stuck in your sidewall!

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

bob, the edge of a tire has a better chance of puncturing then the tread area, that is why the rear would
be preferred if you have to hit since the rear has a wider girth.

[Bob Denman]

I wasn't going to try and stuff a quill turtle underneath that low-hanging front snout...

[murphybrown]

I have found this invaluable on roadkill or in case I just created road kill. Plus protects your
And if you have some fore warning...slow the heck down, throw on the flashers and pick your path!!!

[thrinsag]

It is simple for me. I ride behind my wife. If she sees something that needs to be avoided and takes corrected action, then I make the needed adjustments for my spyder. She has a Suzuki C90 Trike so we are both riding on three wheels.

[Roadster Renovations]

In general I think you are far better off taking the hit with the rear wheel. Any front end hit can foul up the alignment and would have a greater potential to disrupt your steering. The rear wheel is wider (might span part of a small pothole) and the suspension should be able to take most hits without damage..

I agree also. I had the hardest time figuring out what to do when I started riding three wheels. My habit (from 4 wheels) was to split the hole or debris. That didn't work so well sometimes. I found that being left-handed I could thread the needle from the left wheel and the rear wheel better than trying with the right wheel. I usually try that and if it's big enough to not miss, slow down and take it on the rear tire. That has worked best for us.