Gallery: Three-wheeled triple bypass

We often overlook three-wheelers, but these oddities outsold Yamaha’s R6 last year? So are we missing a trick?

It’s easy to be a bit sniffy about three-wheelers. You only have to look at the mean-spirited social media comments on the day we did this test to see there’s a lot of prejudice out there. 

“They’re not real bikes,” they say. “They’re the worst of all worlds. You can’t filter and you’ll get wet in the rain. You may as well get a car.” And so it goes on. 

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Well, that’s all true, but it also misses the point. Three-wheelers appeal to many who still love bikes, but find it hard, or impossible, to get around on two wheels any more. 

These riders still crave the wind-in-the-hair rush, the noise, involvement and thrill we all enjoy as riders. You’re not going to find that in a car, even something spicy like a Caterham Seven, which is hard enough to get in and out of at the best of times. 

Harley-Davidson sold 120 trikes last year and Can-Am sold over 100 Spyders. Add those together and that’s more than twice the R6s Yamaha managed to shift. So to find out how they ride we’ve assembled this triumvirate of trikes. The £23,845 Harley Freewheeler trike has two wheels at the back, the Can-Am Spyder FS-3 Daytona 500 sports two at the front, while the Tilting Motor Works Harley conversion’s twin front wheels lean like a Piaggio MP3. 

You can read the full feature in this week’s issue of MCN, out now.

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