Harley-Davidson Freewheeler: what is this tricycle for?

Motorcycles may be different, but Harley-Davidson is a classic. But a trike is something different, incomprehensible, but always attracts attention. Today's story is about the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler - a three-wheeled motorcycle.

How should he be on the road

Any person who went to school at least for triples or simply has minimal life experience will say that the Freewheeler should be much more stable on the road than a two-wheeled bike. Trikes do not need footrests, they stand firmly on the ground.

It turns out that buying a Harley-Davidson Freewheeler is recommended for those who are afraid of the instability of classic two-wheeled motorcycles? No matter how! It is worth riding this trike once, and it will immediately become clear that in practice everything does not work like that!



If you ride in a straight line, then the bike is stable, at low speeds - too. But it is not recommended to turn sharply, those who tried to do this regretted their rash actions.

A New History of Harley-Davidson Trikes

Harley-Davidson began producing its first full-fledged three-wheeled bikes in 1932. There was no particular demand for them, because they were expensive - more than a full-fledged car Ford A.

But trikes were bought, so they were produced in small batches until 1973. After the manufacturer abandoned atypical bikes, tuners and private workshops were engaged in altering standard motorcycles. The policemen loved such models and operated them until the mid-1990s.

Harley-Davidson returned to trikes only in 2009, deciding that the increase in demand for these models would help to earn money, because the company was not doing very well at that time. The first three-wheeled motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand were produced by a third-party company Lehman Trikes, and this continued until 2012!



There are two trikes in the manufacturer's range:

• ? Tri Glide Ultra
  
• ? Freewheeler
  

The first is based on the Electra Glide model, the second, which we will talk about today, uses the Road King as a chassis.

Features

Harley-Davidson Freewheeler 2019 is the third generation. The motorcycle is equipped with an engine with a displacement of 1 cm868 with a torque of 3 Nm. Motors with such characteristics are installed on full-size cars weighing about two tons. The weight of the Freewheeler is 165 kg, so it has enough engine capacity.



In a straight line, the trike rides quickly and dynamically - this is what is needed for American highways.

A three-wheeled Harley-Davidson is also suitable for a spectacular “annealing” of rubber - fortunately, car tires allow. If you turn off traction control, then the rear wheels break into slip at a time. Rubber is cheap - so you can shoot it mercilessly if you wish.

Other tricks with the new Freewheeler don't work - the electronics don't work and you can't just refuse it. Only global flashing, disabling functions through the settings - and this is expensive and unpredictable.



You can try to raise the trike in the "wheelie" and the wheel will come off the ground easily. Only 10-15 centimeters, and then it will return safely. The computer will quickly figure out that the owner is doing something wrong and will "strangle" the engine.

“Drifting” on a motorcycle will not work - the electronics will not work, and this is good, otherwise serious problems would begin that were with the trikes of the early years of production.

Real sustainability

It just looks like the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler is dead on the road. Yes, they stop on it without putting their foot on the asphalt. But tipping over on such a technique at speed is easy - just turn the steering wheel sharply.



The experience of driving a motorcycle here will have to be forgotten, especially for lovers of powerful sports models. Best of all for those who exploited the Urals with a sidecar. Although, the speed that the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler is capable of developing cannot be compared with the old Soviet "carriage".



Even for beginners, the dimensions of the equipment can become a problem. Seeing a standard motorcycle fork in front, it seems that there is one wheel in the back. A narrow front end wants to be squeezed into a limited space where the rear end may not fit.



It turns out that the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler is a technique for “shooting through” in a straight line, or a leisurely drive around the city, as well as other models of the brand. But the pomposity of the trike goes off scale, if you love attention - it will provide you with it to the fullest!

Handbrake and reverse

The fact that the tricycle has a lot in common with the car can be convinced by the presence of such options as a “handbrake” and a reverse gear. True, this is done somehow unusually.

The handbrake can rather be called a "knife" - it is activated by the left foot. You can forget about it and move on. If the brake is not tightened, then it's okay, but if it is activated, it can be a problem.

Reverse on a motorcycle weighing 507 kg is a necessary thing if the owner is not involved in weightlifting. No, some manage to turn cars around with a failed gear, but doing this all the time is difficult.

The manner of turning on the reverse on the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler is strange - you need to start, and then hold the starter button. Then the dashboard will please the owner with the letter “R” on it, and you can go back. By the way, in this case, the bike rides very briskly, for a short time and knocks out of habit! It is better to master the movement in reverse on some spacious platform!

Why is it needed and how much does it cost?

The Harley-Davidson Freewheeler trike combines the worst qualities of motorcycles and cars. It is not suitable for maneuvering in urban traffic, not suitable for high-speed cornering. There is also no roof over your head, as well as wind protection, the volume of the luggage compartment is modest.



But what a trike looks like! He collects all the eyes of passers-by and motorists, unusual and rare! Although, you can find a restored Ural with a stroller, and he will collect no less attention.

The cost of Harley-Davidson Freewheeler starts from 2 rubles. For this amount, you can buy three new budget cars.
It turns out that there is no point in buying an expensive three-wheeled motorcycle? But no one takes such models, relying on practicality. It is in Russia and the CIS countries that trikes can be independently assembled using engines from Zaporozhets. Abroad, they are taken by wealthy people who already have several motorcycles and cars in their collections.



But the stable, albeit small, demand for the Harley-Davidson Freewheeler suggests that people are interested in the model. And it’s enough to see how everyone turns around and smiles at her to understand that this is a mood generator!