Passes & Canyons Blog

This “Solo” is decked out with the markings of Grant’s firm, which produces Apollo Gum.

I was in surgery prep (nothing life-threatening) when I got the text from Bill that he and Dennis were going to ride up to Black Hawk for lunch in two days. At first I figured I’d have to miss the ride but then I figured what the heck, I’d go along but I’d have to be in my car. I’ve written before about cars and motorcycles traveling together and now it was my turn to be behind the wheel.

So we met at the Starbucks out by Bill’s, our usual gathering spot these days, and headed on up. I took the third spot figuring that would provide them with the extra protection from the crazies in cars who might want to drive right on their butts. The whole way up the hill I was very conscious of driving the way I would want someone to drive who was behind me on my bike. I kept a good distance and made sure to brake early, knowing their brakes were much better than mine.

All in all it was uneventful. Which in cases like this is always good.

But before we took off we had a bit of a diversion. Pulling into the Starbucks parking lot I spied that odd vehicle you see in the photo there. I parked, said hi to Bill–Dennis wasn’t there yet–and said let’s walk on over and look at this machine.

It turned out the guy driving it (Grant was his name) was in it and he got out and was happy to show it off and tell us all about it. Made by a company called Electra Meccanica, the model is the Solo, which by no surprise seats one person. It is a three-wheeler like the Can-Am Spyder and the Polaris Slingshot. It has two wheels in front and one big, car-type wheel in back.

The difference here is that the Solo is enclosed, like a car. And it is electric-powered. Grant said the Solo he was in gets about 100 miles on a charge but the newer models that are to be released soon will get up to 150 miles on a charge.

Anyway, I’m not going to go into this in depth here. I told Grant I have this website and blog and that I’d like to do a blog post about the vehicle. He said sure, you bet, would you like to get together sometime and discuss it extensively and take it for a spin at that time? I think you can guess I said yes indeed, I would like that very much.

So I’m not going into it much here because I intend to go into it much more fully later. This is just a heads-up. Stay tuned.

Biker Quote for Today

The difference between racing and track days, is shooting bullets versus throwing them.

Another three-wheeled motorcycle has entered the fray. The F3 Adrenaline, produced by TriRod Motorcycles, is claimed to be “the world’s first production performance three wheel motorcycle.” And as with so many of these new bikes, it looks a heck of a lot different than anything we’ve ever seen.

Here’s what TriRod says (immodestly) about their creation:

Out of TriRod’s workshop has emerged possibly the most disruptive technology to hit the motorcycle world in decades. We’ve taken the most advanced technologies from Formula One racing, aerospace, and custom motorcycles and combined them into the hottest street rod motorcycle ever.

Our passion for motorcycles and the addiction to speed induced adrenaline rushes has led us to develop this radical motorcycle trike platform. This all new three wheel motorcycle is like nothing that has come before it. It is a machine built for performance, born and bred on a race track with a thrill factor that is through the roof. Trikes will never be the same.

TriRod: ride it like a motorcycle, corner it like a race car. The best of two very intriguing worlds.

This bike has a dry weight of 750 pounds, 120 cubic inch engine, six speeds, and chain primary drive. It has optional frame-mounted hard bags and uses both hand and foot controls. Gosh, just like a motorcycle!

I don’t know what you think of all these three-wheelers; I know some people say they’re not really motorcycles. What I do know, though, is that my aging buddies speak every now and then about the time when they’re going to have to quit riding. I’m not aging as fast as they are, it seems, but I know that even for me the clock does not stand still. Maybe in another 30 years or so I’m going to be glad to have choices like this so I can continue to feel the wind in my face and smell the smells that cagers miss.

Biker Quote for Today

Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.