Not Ready For A Third Wheel
Originally Published in Southeastern Rider Magazine, October 2016
We were all taught in Geometry Class that three points make a plane. As a video production professional, I used this principle every time I set up a camera...on a tripod. Three points give you stability, but do you always want stability? Isn’t really living about being off balance, leaning into the wind and turns?
Those are probably questions we each have to answer for ourselves. With age, those answers can change. With that in mind, my favorite riding partner, Kasey, and I were about to head east for about 100 miles to take a different kind of ride. We can’t imagine traveling without our knees in the breeze. We also know that as those knees get older, they may grow to the point were they can’t hold up a motorcycle.
A few weeks earlier, I had seen on social media that a dealership in Fayetteville, North Carolina was having a day of demonstration rides on the Can Am Spyder. This three wheeler has become very popular. I’m sure it has brought a lot of people to the world of open air riding. In addition, it has lengthened the riding careers of many. Call it curiosity, call it the longing for some stability. We looked at it as a glimpse into a possible future.
First, we needed to get there, on two wheels. We began our journey heading east out of Locust, North Carolina with a brief stint on Highway 24/27. Near the town of Red Cross, we turned south on State Road 250. The first town is Oakboro. Every time I cruise through this town it reminds me they host a car cruise in. One of these days, I need to take the short trip down here and wonder at all the wheels.
We left town eastward on 138. Being an Indiana boy for the first forty-six years of my life, I am used to seeing any expanse of land used for growing corn or soy beans. My favorite riding partner, Kasey, and I are often amazed at how much raw land rolls off to the sides of the pavement.
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| It was quite a meandering loop to get to Fayetteville and back to ride a three wheeler. Map compliments of Microsoft's Streets & Trips. |
From the grass and tree covered plains where you can almost smell the pollen in the air, we pulled into another small town, Aquadale. A few turns of the handlebars lead us along Plank Road, and Hardy Road would take us through some more of the untamed back country of Stanly County. We met Rocky River and US 52, using the national highway for a brief time. It wasn’t long before we were back on county roads.
We eventually made our way on to Highway 73, cruising the southern edge of the Uwharrie National Forest. Heading east offers us few choices. Only one straight through the forest, or going north or south around the edge of the national park. This highway disappeared as we approached Interstate 74. As is my rule, we avoided the super slab and took Church Road, meandering our way further east. Here, the roads are lined with trees. Many are the southern yellow pine I only knew about in lumber form when I worked at a hardware store in my high school days. I made a lot of sawdust out the boards that came from trees like this, working on projects with my father, and then on my own. Every once in a while the trees would break for a meandering stream that would come up to the edge of the road and then disappear, flowing back into the deep woods.
Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying the scenery, but the sight of the fuel light coming on around here was leaving me a bit nervous. I didn’t fill the tank before we left, violating one of my own rules about riding, starting each day with a full tank. I had only 80 miles on the trip odometer before we started. This first 60 miles put us over 140, which is digging into my comfort zone on range. As we coasted to a halt at a stop sign, the fuel flowed to the front of the tank, starving the fuel pump, and the engine. Remember that rule I just mentioned? Well, Kasey sure did, and drilled into my head as I started the bike back up, and we headed down the road.
Hoffman, the next town we rode upon was not a big place, but big enough to have a shiny BP Gas Station. I’m not sure if it was new or just well maintain, but it seemed to have a halo of light around, like a beacon calling us in. Once again, the fuel sloshed, the engine stalled, and we coasted up to a pump. While I filled the belly of The Black Pearl, Kasey took a posterior pause, and struck up a conversation with a woman who was with her dog in the small fenced area at the refueling station. We had never seen a dog park at a stop like this, but it is a great idea!
I joined the in, and we learned about the dog she had. When we hit the road again, it was on more county roads, passing through Raeford and Silver City before arriving in Fayetteville. It may be that we got used to these one stop light town, but we got a bit confused, and turned around. The sun was washing out the screen on the GPS, making it hard to follow. After several turns in a very small area of town we found our to the dealership.
So now that you have stayed with me this far, here is my review. The dealership was pretty small, but had friendly and informative staff. It came time for our ride, and the one we wanted to ride was spoken for, so we waited another turn. No big deal, just another thirty minutes to look around and talk.
The ride leader went over the controls, and gave a brief description of the ride. Like many of these, it would feature some lower speed parts, some city driving, and a section of highway. With everyone mounted up, we headed out of the parking lot.
Some of the things I had to get used to immediately was the controls. No clutch handle, no front brake handle, no gear shift. That’s not to say there are plenty of things to play with on the ride. Suspension control, radio, and shifting with the thumb and finger. I’m not used to such luxury items. Once on the road, what really got me was wanting to pick a left or right track, which I couldn’t do on the wider, three wheeled vehicle. It really felt quite odd, and I’m sure I was missing some other things about the ride.
One item I felt compelled to tell the road captain after the ride, was that he needs to warn two wheel riders about counter steer. We should all know what counter steer is, but on a motorcycle when you want to corner more, you press on the grip of the direction of the turn. Sound counter productive to those who don’t ride, which I’m sure where the name came. On my VTX, counter steer makes the back corner, and also makes me feel more “pressed” on to the bike. Counter-steering on a Spyder made me feel like I was pushing myself off the bike! I wasn’t the only one, as Kasey, with 30,000 or so miles of riding behind me, also felt like she was about to fly off the bike.
Finally, while on city streets, we noticed a gentle rocking motion from side to side. I think it was the front wheels absorbing the bumps, and I tried adjusting the suspension to no avail. Worse, Kasey was out of sync, so as I was swaying to the left, she was swaying to the right. By the time I got back to the dealership, I was feeling seasick, with nausea and a slight headache.
For all of you that have one, and enjoy it, I say good for you! I could see that the stability of three wheels can give you some confidence, and if you have weak legs, you can still have the freedom of the wind in your hair. I could also see getting used to the nice music, suspension control, and a windshield that moves up and down. Heck, there has been several times I wished a bike had reverse! My desire for more stability in my life may come down the road, but today I made certain I’m not ready for a third wheel.
After shaking off the nausea and the dull feeling in my head, we hopped on the two wheel machine, and headed for home under Carolina Blue Skies, and sweltering heat. We headed north out of town on Highway 24, which took us through Fort Bragg. Shortly after passing the base, we hung a left on to 690, and began heading west.
Highway One, then State Road Two helped to make our way to 211. We were on this road for quite a stretch. Each turn I seemed to lean into with a new sense. Even a gentle sweeper brought the freedom that I could lean one or the other, I was not restricted, not held in place by stability. My thought through the turns were only interrupted by Kasey and I discussing how we may some day need a third wheel, but our experience today was not what were looking to have.
We arrived at Troy, North Carolina, and the eastern border of the Uwharrie National Forest. We were back on Highway 24/27, and making out way through the wooded area. Next we would arrive in Albemarle, and make a stop at the Sonic for frozen fruit refreshment. We ended up sharing a table with, of all people, a man who rode up on a Can Am Spyder. We discussed our experiences, and he mentioned several times that it is just a different ride, since he also have a motorcycle.
We took the back roads through Stanly County to get back home. I thought about how many experiences I had like this where it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I was hoping for a more comforting experience, one that I could be assured was an option in the future. Was I sorry for doing it? No. Any experience that you learn something is a good experience. That is something stable.
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