Washington Motorcycle Three-wheeled Motorcycles Practice Test

What the Washington Motorcycle Operator Manual says about three-wheeled motorcycles

• Types of Three-Wheelers

  Three-wheelers include sidecar rigs, trikes (one wheel in front, two behind) and reverse trikes (two in front, one behind); even an experienced two-wheel rider will find they steer, corner, stop and balance differently, so a three-wheel training course is recommended. p. 4-1

• Riding Posture

  On a three-wheeler you must shift your body while cornering, leaning toward the direction of the turn so the inside wheel doesn't lift, which matters most on sidecar rigs in right turns to avoid a rollover; keep your feet firmly on the footrests, never on the ground, while moving. p. 4-3

• Clutch Control and Shifting Gears

  Three-wheelers may shift manually or partly or fully automatically, so check the owner's manual; most fully manual rigs have a wet clutch that lets you slip it to control power to the rear wheel(s), a fundamental skill for slow-speed maneuvering. p. 4-3

• Tip-Over Lines

  Every three-wheeler has tip-over lines: a line between any two wheels acts like a hinge, and when enough weight or cornering force moves the center of gravity outside one, a wheel can lift; tipping happens most in tight maneuvers or fast turns and in extreme cases the rig can roll. p. 4-4

• Yaw

  Yaw is the sidecar's weight pulling the rig: starting out, it pulls slightly to the right, countered by steering slightly left; braking, especially with no brake on the sidecar wheel, it thrusts the rig left, countered by steering slightly right. p. 4-6

• Hills

  On a three-wheeler, riding uphill shifts weight to the rear, lightening the front and reducing front traction and steering. p. 4-9

Where it is in the Washington Motorcycle Operator Manual

• p. 4-1–4-12Chapter 4 · Riding a three-wheeled motorcycle

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