Conventional vs Reverse Trike Discussion

[crna59]

What, front brake lever, the Spyder does not have one!!!

This is for a trike and side-car. I explained how to do it on a Spyder earlier in post #55.

 

[jjc54]

Mine will drift if I pull away from a side road and crank it hard while I give it some throttle. When the back comes back in line with the front it hooks back up and I am off. Don't know what it looks like but its alot of fun and you get alot of stares.

 

[Peter Aawen]

1

You also have to "trick" the nanny system so it doesn't interfere with your playtime! I usually have to tell my students to "hang your butt off the seat" like the MotoGP racers do. If you put enough weight to the inside, the nanny system won't intervene. Sometimes you need to position your right foot and touch the brake pedal.
It's a lot easier on a trike... just ride the front brake.

2

Pray tell how does one do that??

3

You have to get the rear wheels spinning and using the front brake, just enough to allow you to correctly steer the rig. I just put on finger on the lever and modulate the brake/throttle so I have control. That way, you can do it for days... Here's what the WA State DOL Manual says:

Drifting
As discussed earlier, centrifugal force pulls a three-wheeler toward the outside of corners and may cause an inside wheel to lift. To reduce this side force and help keep all wheels on the ground, you can use a technique called “drifting”. Drifting is a technique that uses steering, braking, and throttle to slightly slide the rear tire(s) toward the outside of the corner. This subtle drift can help disperse side loads and increase stability as you maintain directional control. The best way to learn and practice this important technique is to take a three-wheel training course.

4

But since there is no individual control of a Spyder's front brake...?

5

What front brake lever, the Spyder does not have one!!!

Now come on guys, it's clear that the first para of the quote I've numbered 1 above refers to a Spyder, even if it might not be quite so clear that the second para of the same quote, the one I've bolded and enlarged in that quote, refers to a conventional trike (ie, it should read: "It's a lot easier on a conventional trike... just ride the front brake.") simply because that's the only sorta trike in this 'Conventional vs Reverse Trike discussion' thread that generally even HAS a front brake - but we do all know that, don't we??

So given that understanding:

• the answer to quote number 2 is easy - you just squeeze the lever with a finger or two on your left hand;
• the description in quote 3 is a pretty good explanation of how I do it too;
• quote number 4 is stating the obvious about Spyders, but simply doesn't apply at all to conventional trikes, the 'other' type of trike which was the subject of that 2nd para in quote 1 and the description in quote 3; and
• the same applies to quote number 5.

And now that's all so neatly cleared up (clear as mud, right?? ) I have a drift related discussion question that I think might really only apply to Spyders, as I haven't yet found a conventional trike with quite the same degree of Nanny intervention capability.

I've noticed that on my Spyder (a 2013 RT that has an 'enhanced ECU Update) the 'angle of steering' up to which you can apply steering input and still hold your drift is fairly sharply delineated - riding solo on my 2013 RT, I reckon it's about 12 degrees turned into the the drift; but with a pillion aboard it's only about 9 degrees (clearly reduced due as part of the 'refinement' to the Nanny's parameters once that 'Pillion button' detects enough weight.) Any more steering angle input, the Nanny gets upset pdq, and starts calming things down!! Now I will admit that there is a chance that my ECU Update may have adjusted those angles a little from the standard settings, or maybe the extra 'go' from the improved power output has reduced them a bit, but I haven't really ever looked into that &/or asked Jase (who did the Update), so I'm ignoring that possibility for now and just wondering if anyone else with an RT (please nominate if yours is V-Twin or 1330 powered) has noticed this too, and if their allowed 'angles of steering' are anything much different? I can say that I have noticed the angles seem to be somewhat greater on those F3's with Sport mode once it's selected, but I don't think they felt too much different otherwise?! Anyone else noticed/got any more input on this??