Trikes in Taney County

By Scott Richardson srichardson@pantagraph.com Advertisement BRANSON, MO. -- Tricycles are made for small children. TRIKES are for the BIG KIDS. The three-wheeled motorcycles once drew only people who wanted to stand out among the bunch of traditional motorcyclists. Trike enthusiasts say individuality still counts among the main reasons to ride on three wheels instead of two. But trikes also have a practical side, insists Jim Sickler, founder of the Brothers of the Third Wheel, an international club of trike owners. The machines are experiencing a surge in popularity as baby boomers, formerly content with two wheels, begin searching for ways to comfortably and safely ride motorcycles well into their golden years, he said. That's not to say the 1,500 people who will gather June 3-10 at the organization's 25th annual Trike-In at Forsyth, Mo., will all sport gray hair. Brothers -- and sisters -- of the Third Wheel reflect the range of the motorcycle-riding public, he said. Take Mary Jo and Dwight Dunn, officers in the Pride of the Prairie chapter of Brothers of the Third Wheel. She is 39, he is 45. They'll drive from their home in Tuscola to the Trike-In on a trike Dwight built about 20 years ago from a converted Volkswagen Beetle that dated to the late '60s. Mary Jo Dunn started riding when they married 5½ years ago. "I think his parents were hoping I'd talk him out of it, but I think we ride it more than he used to," laughed the stay-at-home-mom whose husband works for Ameren. "It's like a couch in the back seat. I feel like the queen riding around on it." Sickler, who noted that May is National Motorcycle Awareness Month, started riding trikes when he bought his first one in 1970. The Harley Servicar was a three-wheeled motorcycle designed originally for traffic police and meter maids. Indian Motorcycle also built a version at the time. Innovators soon came on the scene. The late Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, a custom car builder and creator of the famed hot-rod icon Rat Fink cartoon, became a trike pioneer. "When I first got into it, it was back in the days of choppers. People built them to be different. Trikes were the same way," said Sickler, who owns four trikes. After he retired from his job as a machinist for John Deere in the Quad Cities, Sickler's dream was to ride around the perimeter of the United States. That was accomplished a few years ago after 14,000 miles and side trips to visit relatives of his wife, Lady, in her native Canada. She is an officer in the Brothers of the Third Wheel. Like Dwight Dunn, many people still cut, hammer, bend and weld VW Beetles into trikes. They offer the advantage of a basic mechanical system devoid of 21st century technology. No space-aged tools are needed to fix them if they break down, and owners can still do the work themselves. Sometimes, Sickler said, it seems all it takes is a bigger hammer to make them run. The oldest VW-to-trike conversion Sickler knows of started as a 1955 Bug, which still runs. The grandson of the original creator is currently restoring it. Another advantage is a VW conversion is often the cheapest way to go. "You can buy an old VW and put one together for $3,000," Sickler said "After that, the sky's the limit." Harley and Indian quit making trikes years ago. But about 15 after-market companies convert standard two-wheel motorcycles in three-wheels, he said. The move may add $5,000 to $10,000 to final cost compared to the price of the original two-wheeled version. Most trikes cost about $35,000, but he insisted that's not so bad compared to higher-end, two-wheeled motorcycles like his brother's $38,000 Harley. Other trikes that leave that amount in the dust. "The most expensive one I know of is $100,000," he said. The VW engines produce about 50 horsepower. A converted Honda Gold Wing may produce 80- to 90 horsepower, he said. As testament to the three-wheelers' growing popularity, Harley Davidson is rethinking its decision to abandon the market, Sickler said. Word on the street is the company is working with another company called Lehman on a production model trike. Lehman, which uses marketing mottos like "Enjoy the three-dom," and "Leader of the three world," currently makes after-market trikes using Harleys, Hondas and Suzukis. But a production model would shave several thousand dollars from the cost by eliminating the need to redo the entire rear end, Sickler said. The market is there, he added. Comfort is a big selling point. The operator has ample backrest. The passenger can have, as Mary Jo Dunn said, a space like a couch. That's especially important for older riders and there are plenty of those now and more to come. Sickler's 5,000 members from 14 countries formerly held their annual rallies during the huge motorcycle gathering each year in Sturgis, N.D. "At Sturgis, you look out in the crowd, and you don't hardly see anyone without gray in their beard anymore," he said. Mary Jo Dunn likes the fact that driving trikes is easier than driving standard motorcycles. Balance is not an issue, and you don't have to remember to put a foot down for support every time you stop, she said. Many trikes have automatic transmissions. "We have a lot of members whose wives or girlfriends wouldn't have anything to do with a motorcycle. That's not true with trikes. We have a lot of couples that start out with one trike and wind up with two because he gets tired of his wife driving it," said Sickler. Sickler said state laws vary on what licenses are needed to operate trikes on the road. Newcomers should check with their secretary of state's office to see what's required. In Illinois, Sickler said anyone with a motorcycle license can drive a three-wheeler, but people who take their motorcycle-license exams on a trike are limited to driving only three-wheelers. Mary Jo Dunn admits the unusual look of trikes is still one reason people like to ride them. Their appearance adds a certain mystique. "It's fun to see the people do a double-take: 'Hey, wait a minute, that's not normal,' " she said. All about trikes What: Pride of the Prairie Trikes, a chapter of Brothers of the Third Wheel Why: The chapter is seeking trike enthusiasts in the Pantagraph area. The club currently is centered closer to Decatur, Mount Zion, Tuscola and Champaign, though Brothers of the Third Wheel has members in Bloomington. Activities: The group sponsors day rides and some overnight adventures. Riders tend to shun interstates and stick to state highways to enjoy the scenery. Dues: $24 a year Contact: Mary Jo and Dwight Dunn at (217) 253-4824. Online: Visit Brothers of the Third Wheel at http://btw-trikers.org/uploads/home.php -- http://www.bransonedge.com http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com