OFF THE WIRE
http://www.jsonline.com/business/109348229.html Trikes are emerging as a motorcycle alternative
Gary Porter Randy Butler owns Kool Trikes, where he converts two-wheeled motorcycles to three-wheel trikes. Butler says that because of his attention to quality and being in a niche market, he hasn’t felt the full effects of the recession at his business near Juneau, even though conversions start at about $6,000. By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel
Nov. 21, 2010
Gary Porter Randy Butler works on a 2010 Harley-Davidson Ultra. Harley-Davidson has begun producing three-wheelers, as well as selling conversion kits that work with any of its motorcycles. more photos Gary Porter Randy Butler works on a 2010 Harley-Davidson Ultra. Harley-Davidson has begun producing three-wheelers, as well as selling conversion kits that work with any of its motorcycles. Close Let's Ride The Journal Sentinel's Rick Barrett is the proprietor of this blog for Harley enthusiasts and anyone else interested in the motorcycle industry and culture.
World's fastest woman on a motorcycle aims to get a little faster (3) Harley-Davidson seeking ideas through "crowd sourcing" (9) Jet-engine motorcyle, a cigarette lighter on two wheels? (4) See all blog posts Randy Butler raced cars and enjoyed motorcycles, yet balance issues mostly kept him off two wheels.
Then he found trikes, which are three-wheel motorcycles for those with short legs, a bad back or a fear of falling.
Now, even if Butler has a vertigo spell that forces him to pull off the road, he won't fall off.
He's also become a trike builder, converting regular motorcycles to three-wheelers through his business, Kool Trikes, in Juneau.
The conversions start at about $6,000, plus many options such as air suspension to smooth out the ride.
"It's not just a motorcycle with a third wheel," Butler says.
What's more, trikes have become popular with people who don't have balance issues but appreciate them for what they are - a practical and sometimes trendsetting alternative to a standard motorcycle.
Dave Grohl, lead singer for the rock band Foo Fighters, rides a Harley-Davidson Tri Glide.
Young bikers also are riding the Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheeler from the makers of Ski-Doo snowmobiles.
"It's like Batman's bike," very sleek and sporty, said Donald Kunert, 26, a Spyder owner from Columbus.
He bought his trike in October 2009 after seeing one in a Sheboygan church parking lot.
"I could not stop staring at it," he said. "I love the unique look" and sporty performance.
Women of all ages are among the largest group of consumers purchasing trikes.
"And they really get into the technical part of it. They do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions," Butler said.
Building credibility In 2006, Harley-Davidson Inc. signed a deal with Lehman Trikes U.SA. for Lehman to build trikes under the Harley brand. That gave three-wheelers more credibility. Now the Tri Glide Ultra Classic is manufactured at Harley's plant in York, Pa.
"It really kind of validated the three-wheel market," said Genevieve Schmitt, editor of TrikeRidersNow.com.
"You are not a second-class citizen in the two-wheel market if you ride a trike now," Schmitt said. "The stigma of the trike being an afterthought in the motorcycle industry is going by the wayside."
When motorcycle sales skidded in the recession, trike sales also lost traction. Yet some custom trike builders had double-digit sales increases as they found customers who weren't as affected by the downturn, including longtime bikers moving over to three wheels.
"That helped convince me to get into this industry," Schmitt said. "It is slowly becoming its own niche, rather than an afterthought."
Conversions, factory orders The Tri Glide includes features of the two-wheel Ultra Classic Electra Glide, one of Harley's biggest motorcycles, but has its own chassis. It has a suggested retail price of $30,499.
Harley made sidecar motorcycles and other three-wheelers in the past, but the Tri Glide was a big change in its touring bike lineup.
Customers come from a variety of backgrounds and include people who are just more comfortable on three wheels, said Harley-Davidson spokesman Bob Klein.
Butler converts multiple brands of bikes into three-wheelers. He expects to build about 22 trikes this winter and 50 in 2011.
His conversions use automotive technologies and his own designs.
"There are a lot of guys who think they can do this, but then they are lost," Butler said. "I have been building stuff since I was 6 years old. Now I get to build toys every day."
Some Harley-Davidson dealerships sell trike conversion kits in addition to Tri Glides.
Hal's Harley-Davidson, in New Berlin, recently started selling and installing Motor Trike Inc. kits.
"At this point it doesn't seem as if Harley is going to ramp up production (of Tri Glides) in any significant numbers, so we see the conversions as an opportunity. They complement the Tri Glide rather than compete with it," said Kirk Topel, president of Hal's Harley-Davidson.
The Motor Trike kits will work with any Harley-Davidson and many other two-wheelers.
"I think it helps sell Tri Glides," Topel said, as more people see trikes and become interested.
"I don't think we have seen the peak" in trike interest, he said.
Stability and safety Some three-wheelers have anti-lock brakes and traction control. The added stability and safety is helpful on a wet road or when a small critter runs out in front of a bike going 60 mph.
Some Can-Am Spyders have a finger-operated, sequential electronic transmission for riders who don't like to use a clutch.
There are trikes with generous storage space for touring or running errands.
"We can get three bags of groceries and a gallon of milk in the back, so there's plenty of space. And I feel so comfortable on it," said Marilyn Ganus, a Tri Glide rider with the Kettle Moraine Harley Owners Group.
"Motorcycle touring is definitely alive and well," said Rob Strauss, owner of Rob's Performance, a Can-Am dealership in Johnson Creek.
But trikes are not for some bikers who say three-wheelers handle more like a car than a motorcycle.
It's strictly a matter of preference.
"You either like it or you don't. And it's a lot of money to plunk down if you are not ready to be on three wheels," said Schmitt with TrikeRidersNow.
