Honestly, I don't know why there are more deaths. You brought up the weight of a quad. That is probably one factor. Another is that when people fell safer they tend to take more risks. I think it is easier to bail off a 3 wheeler than a quad. Certainly, there are way more quads now than there was 3 wheelers out there. There is also a greater lack of responsibility know than when I was a kid. (long time ago) As for the tripod argument, all I was saying is that it is easier to adjust 3 legs rather than 4.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: MooseHenden

Honestly, I don't know why there are more deaths. You brought up the weight of a quad. That is probably one factor. Another is that when people fell safer they tend to take more risks. I think it is easier to bail off a 3 wheeler than a quad. Certainly, there are way more quads now than there was 3 wheelers out there. There is also a greater lack of responsibility know than when I was a kid. (long time ago) As for the tripod argument, all I was saying is that it is easier to adjust 3 legs rather than 4.</end quote></div>

you make a good point about the false sense of security people get. that was the big problem with 3wheelers people got a false sense of security.

as far as more quads then three wheelers...that is true...however we (a group of trike activist) have been studying the statistics and per capita more deaths have occured on quads.

the weight is the big isssue because many of the bigger untility quads are responsible for the death toll...especially to kids riding the family farm tool.

i originally mentioned the tri pod because they will adapt to uneven terrain faster and easier then anything on 4.


WHAT it REALLY comes down to is rider responsibility and experiance. to blame either machine is ridiculous as a machine can only do what a operator tells it to.

I have long said if you feel a trike is unsafe then your better off on a quad. However i have been riding trikes since the 70's and i feel safer on them. To me the front end of a quad seems like it is in a constant fight with itself over rough terraine. therefore i choose 3. that in a country supposedy that is FREE i can not buy a new 3 wheeler due to irresponsible actions is the bigger injustice. our country is suposed to protect our rights not take them...nor should they protect us from ourselves.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Black Sheep

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: MooseHenden



Honestly, I don't know why there are more deaths. You brought up the weight of a quad. That is probably one factor. Another is that when people fell safer they tend to take more risks. I think it is easier to bail off a 3 wheeler than a quad. Certainly, there are way more quads now than there was 3 wheelers out there. There is also a greater lack of responsibility know than when I was a kid. (long time ago) As for the tripod argument, all I was saying is that it is easier to adjust 3 legs rather than 4.</end quote></div>



you make a good point about the false sense of security people get. that was the big problem with 3wheelers people got a false sense of security.



as far as more quads then three wheelers...that is true...however we (a group of trike activist) have been studying the statistics and per capita more deaths have occured on quads.



the weight is the big isssue because many of the bigger untility quads are responsible for the death toll...especially to kids riding the family farm tool.



i originally mentioned the tri pod because they will adapt to uneven terrain faster and easier then anything on 4.





WHAT it REALLY comes down to is rider responsibility and experiance. to blame either machine is ridiculous as a machine can only do what a operator tells it to.



I have long said if you feel a trike is unsafe then your better off on a quad. However i have been riding trikes since the 70's and i feel safer on them. To me the front end of a quad seems like it is in a constant fight with itself over rough terraine. therefore i choose 3. that in a country supposedy that is FREE i can not buy a new 3 wheeler due to irresponsible actions is the bigger injustice. our country is suposed to protect our rights not take them...nor should they protect us from ourselves.</end quote></div>

Well said.


How the hell do you get your atv to listen to you.

Mine never do.PLEASE share.lol

 

"Stupid is as stupid does!"

 

Have you ever rode a three wheeler
And I do mean
Actually gone out and rode
Not just a buddys up and down the street got off and said those are unsafe
These bikes are as safe as you ride
And
They actually help riding skills on a quad better
But no matter what you ride if you ride stupid then
Stupid Hurts

Thanks
Ray

 

It is interesting that this debate continues and takes such torturous twists and turns even to the point of dragging a tripod over uneven ground. People may try to fool physics, but you really can't. You can do things to mitigate the effects, but you can only go so far. Possibly a better question would be is a trike "stable", for in this you could examine the machine absent the variable of the rider and his/her skill level. Only in this way can one quantify the inherent attributes of a machine's design. Of course one must then go in to subsets which, further muddies the waters. Even if it can be demonstrated through charts and tables that a trike is inherently a less "stable" design than a quad, one could legitimately then question if a low slung, light-weight trike is less stable than a six hundred pound Grizzly, Brute Force or so on to which the answer would be no, thus making the original finding moot.

While the original question is an interesting one, it is really too broad for a definitive answer. One would need to restrict it to something like, "Is a 275 pound trike with a fifty inch wheel base, fifty-two inches wide with eight inches of ground clearance, center of mass at sixteen inches, thirty-two inch seat height and so on "safer" or more "stable" than a quad with the same dimensions/weight? But in the end does it really matter? It is what it is, some like and choose to ride them while others do not. We would probably all be better off if we just left it at that. There are plenty of people who view both trikes and quads as "dangerous" and in need of strict regulations to include ROPS, seat belts and so on, so we only give them ammunition by pointing fingers at each other.

"Safe" is a relative term and the only way you will ever be completely safe on a trike or quad is to stay off of it or maybe ride it slowly on flat ground. Of course none of us want to do that, so there will always be risk and for some the risk is part of the fun. If a rider operates his/her machine within the limits for which it was designed/modified and within his/her abilities as a rider then either can be operated "safely". For those who knowingly push the envelope or seek the very limits of their skill or their machines capabilities then the results will be predictable no matter how many wheels you have.

 

Great points made
Other things to consider on all ATVs
There are many different levels of riding skills combined with many different sizes and types of ATVs
Something many people really do not pay attn to is many of the older 3 wheelers up until 1980-81 have no suspension with the exception of the tires
There is a big difference getting on a vintage 3 wheeler with no suspension and riding
The best way to describe
They are like riding a pogo stick you do bounce around and get moved back and forth on the trail the faster you go the more CCs the faster the pogo stick
Get on a 3 wheeler with front suspension complete different ride but feels like more control
Get on a 3 wheeler with full suspension like a 250R or 200X or 350X great ride you can throw the machine where you want
Get on a Quad from a 3 wheeler front heavy it can be difficult to get over stuff even with good power
I do ride both 3 wheelers and my quads and it is more a personal prefrence
But all are fun and that is what counts
Thanks
Ray

 

Makes sense to me. I have never ridden a trike or a sports quad. I went from dirk bikes which have always been my first love to utility ATV's to use as work machines and hunting. The trikes owned by my friends did not work well for this as many had no reverse and you couldn't keep the front end on the ground when you put a deer on it. Of course this changed over time and then you couldn't get one about the time I decided to get a Big Red. After borrowing a quad to hunt with a couple of years, I bought one and still have it. A trike won't work for what I do, but for those that they will, have at it.

I tend to think from reading other posts that it takes more skill to ride a trike safely at speed than a comparable sports quad, but I sure could be wrong.

 

You are correct it does take skill
But the skill makes for a better rider is what I have found
The fun factor also helps
I have also found it a challange to see just how fast you can make the darn things run
Thanks
Ray

 

Ive always found that quads are better for work, such as towing, hunting ect. and trikes are better for just messin around, havin fun. Endless donuts in the gravel pit, turning on a dime as you whip around corners and wheelieing all the way up your street. I would say that three wheelers are harder to control, but once you learn how to control, you can take way more risks. For example, I've takin my little atc 70 off the wickedest jumps and never being afraid of rolling it, or it crushing my ribs if it landed on me. Now would I ever do this on a Brute Force? No way