Do Not Lean by Norm Brown

Ever since I bought a new motor trike, I’ve had my older one for sale on Craigslist. I haven’t managed to sell it yet, but I have talked to some nice people who were at least interested. Most of them have been Baby Boomers who, like me, rode the two-wheeled variety of motorcycle at some point in their life. Now they’re interested in a trike conversion as a safer, more stable alternative. As you would expect, the conversation always turns to the difference in steering the two types of vehicles. Those who have actually taken a test drive have usually commented on how odd it feels at first. They almost found themselves turning the wrong way.

Motor Trike

A motorcycle converted to have two rear wheels steers exactly as that little tricycle we each rode as a kid. No matter what your speed, it always goes in precisely the direction you point the front tire. Push on the left handlebar, you go right and vice versa. When it was time to move up to a bicycle there was a learning curve. At speed, making a turn was a little more mysterious. It seemed to me as a kid that I was leaning the bike to make it change direction. A motorcycle is like a bicycle on steroids—much heavier and faster. A lot of the fun is making the motorcycle lean on a curvy road. This is actually accomplished by “counter steering.” If you push on the left handlebar, a motorcycle will lean (try to fall) left and turn in that direction. Just the opposite of my motor trike.

The MotorTrike salesman explained to me way back in 2007 that I would have to “unlearn” the motorcycle method of steering. Stuck to the windshield was a little clear plastic sticker that said:

DO NOT LEAN. STEER THROUGH TURNS.

It didn’t seem very macho to ride around town with that little sign on my rumbling motor trike, so I pulled it off. However, the little reminder seemed so simple and profound. I brought it in and stuck it on my refrigerator. It’s still there.

One use I have in mind for whatever money I get from the sale of my older trike is to help my adult son pay for school. He is not making what he would like and has been talking for a while about starting a new career. So far, that hasn’t gotten past the talking stage. As unhappy as he may be with his current job, it is easier to drift along rather than finding and enrolling in a training course.

Would it be too subtle if I sneaked over and put my little sticker on his fridge?  Then every morning he could read:

DO NOT LEAN. STEER THROUGH TURNS.

Norm Brown is the author of the suspense novel Carpet Ride, published by Secondwind Publishing, LLC.