Modern Vespa

My husband finished installing the Tow-Pac Mini-Trike Kit on my MP3 250 on Thursday. I had a short ride Friday and a longer ride today (Saturday). So far......

I LOVE IT!!!!! No more worries about dropping the scooter! I laugh at gravel parking lots! HA! Slow tight turns -- no problem!

The steering is completely different, of course, no lean, I steer it like a car, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for me at all. It actually doesn't take much turning at all to turn the corner or change lanes.

The trike kit makes the bike a lot wider, so that's something I have to watch for when cornering or riding up to a gas pump for example. Also, there's no way I can avoid road kill! Not with five tracks in the lane!

The ride is jus a little rougher than 3 wheels, but I expected that because I have a LOT of wheels on the ground! The more I rode the scooter, the more comfortable it felt.

The scooter has more weight to move, so my starts from a stop light, for example, aren't quite as zippy as with 3 wheels. However, it does get up to speed quickly, and I rode on a highway today and did 60 mph without any problems. I imagine it'll go faster, but that's fast enough for me!

The more I rode, the better it felt. I know for a lot of you, this is something you would never do, but for me, it adds so much to my feeling of safety -- what a difference! I'm very happy with my decision to trike my scooter. If anyone is thinking about doing this, try to test ride one first, to see if this is something you'd like the feel of. Another good thing about the Tow-Pac kit is that it doesn't change the original scooter and can be removed if you want to 3-wheel it instead of 5-wheeling!

You should see people's heads turn!! NOBODY has seen a bike with FIVE wheels on the ground! My husband plans to install brakelights in the two fenders, which will really look neat!

Here's a pic from today -

8)

JO ANNE

That is way cool. I am happy to see you so confident about riding. If those 2 wheels makes it easier to ride, then I say go for it. When I get the feeling that I am uneasy about riding I will put 2 more wheels on and ride until I am 90!!! Ride safe. and have fun.

R.B.

THANKS, RenoBob! Appreciate your kind words!

As they say "You go girl!" .

Have fun on 5

Joanne,

I think your MP3 looks awesome with the trike kit on it. And, as others have said, it if makes you feel more comfortable, it matters not what ANYONE else thinks or says about it, after all, it IS YOUR BIKE! Oh, and the way we say it down here in Sout Louizianne, "You Geaux Gurl!"!

Hooray for five wheels!! I'm so jealous and am anxiously awaiting my kit to arrive....

That is sweet!. Can you post a picture of your bike from the rear when you get a chance?
Thanks

does the mp3 sit up like a trike or does it still leans. i mean does the front tires ever lean at all or do you ride it like a ATV (all-terrain-vehicle). where you just turn the handle bars .

Thanks, everyone! Appreciate the kind words and encouragement!

501 - Yes, the next time I roll "Big Bertha" out, I'll take a pic of the rear. It's pretty wide, over 5 feet I think. It'll be pretty tough to tip it over! When I'm turning a corner, I don't have any feeling AT ALL that it's going to tip over or lift up on the outside.

RCM904 - Yes, it rides just like a "BIG" trike -- no more lean. The front wheel stay unlocked, so it still takes bumps, railroad tracks, etc. great. I had to give up the leaning part to gain the NOT FALLING DOWN part!

ME HAPPY NOW!

Awesome...Is a rear view photo possible?

As promised, here's a pic of the rear of the trike. It's over 5 feet wide -- so yes, it's WIDE! That's why I'm calling her BIG BERTHA! By the way, Our Goldwing/Hannigan trike is wider than that!

WOW...that looks great.... Is it me or does all that space between the tires and the bike just cry for storage space? ...Just Terrific....JoAnn...Looks like so much fun....You lucky dog.

I'm a 58 year old female with an age old neck injury. I can manage the 250, but I know there will come a day when I will want alittle more help with it. I have already looked at the trike kit. I think it's terrific.
I'll keep it in mind for later. I will probably get it in a couple or so years.

Please keep us posted on your experiences with it. I am very interested in your opinions and insights. I am so glad you got it. I looks like it will be even more fun.
Isn't it great we can all find a way to ride.
Cheers............jacq...Great pics Give us more sometime....

Thats true. I think you could have numerous storage options with all that extra space. Man if I had all that extra space, I would weld some cages in there and have mini tigers in there. =)

I would recommend that you either get some lights installed on those rear fenders, or reflectors/reflective tape atleast.

Thanks for the pic!

Thanks for the supportive comments! Yes, I already wondered about ALL that space between the fender and the scooter!

As far as the reflectors or lights on the backs of the fenders, they each have a flat place just crying out for lights! My husband is already designing it in his mind!! The more brakelights, the better!

Will post pics when the lights are installed!

ME HAPPY NOW!!!

Jo Anne,

I know you added this package in part because you already had the MP3. I'm just curious if you would have considered the Spyder had you not already had the MP3.

And Happy Riding!

Hmmmm....interesting question! I don't think I would have gotten the Spyder, but hard to say, since I've never ridden one. It's pretty macho looking for a sissy old lady like me!

We have a friend (a man) who was interested and test rode one. He didn't like it at all because he had to lean way over most of the time while riding and that would get real uncomfortable after a while.

I got my MP3 in April, 2007, and I believe the Spyder came out quite a while after that? Plus they cost twice as much as my 250 did!

Maybe if I had a chance to test ride one, I'd know for sure. It certainly looks like it won't tip over!

Hey Jo Anne --- looks good!

In addition to additional brake lights on the rear side of the fenders, how about fog lights or driving lights on the front side???




Or at least marker lights:



http://www.scootworks.com/partsgwwheel.htm

Wow...seeing your rear end (hehehe) I wouldn't mind having one of those to put on for camping trips. Use the normal setup for daily riding around town, and the trike package for loading up and heading to the mountains. Nice.

Hmmm, I didn't realize they had such a sporty seating position. That would certainly be a factor for a lot of people, myself included.

The Spyder also doesn't get very good gas mileage. I'm curious how your package will affect your mileage.

Jo Anne,

Love the trike kit! It turned out great and has opened up alot of opportunities for storage space and lighting.

She looks beautiful - ride and enjoy. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down - if they have a trike! Me on the other hand, I am more like that guy on the tricycle on Laugh In. (once - and that was enough). Taller boots and having the seat cut down took care of that problem.

Beccy

Good for you JoAnne! Your MP3 "Trike" looks great and is the answer to YOUR concerns! Now YOU can enjoy your MP3 the way others enjoy their MP3's on 3 wheels! Hey......whatever, and I mean WhatEver blows your Skirt UP, works! From one gal to another.....YOU go Girl! 8)

THANK YOU! MySkyMizer! Appreciate it!

Thanks to you too, Beccy!

Schlagle - Will also be interested in how the gas mileage is affected -- will post the next time I get gas.

GlowGuy - Well, now that you've seen my rearend , you can see why I've changed her name to Big Bertha!

Went for another short ride tonight (necessary frozen custard run!). It gets better every time I ride! YIPEE!

congrats jodeg now you have to put some miles on big bertha and lets us know how she' does.

Frozen custard? I beg you to enlighten me on this. I've never had it before. Is it really custard? That would be just evil (in a VERY good way)!

You guys don't have Rita's Water Ice out there? Frozen custard is so much better than soft-serve...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_custard

All the crap that is here in Ca. and you have never had a frozen custard. cool ... I guess you have to ride to the midwest and go to a Culvers and get ya one

that frozen custard sounds good~!!

Oh dear god...

I hate you all for not sharing this with me earlier.

Just that first pic alone on the wikipedia page is making me drool.

OK, what is modernvespa NOT good for? Scooters? check.... Epicurean delights? check... And I've even had a really good wine discussion in the General forum.

But California has the best burger joints locked down tight.

Island's (you haven't lived till...) http://www.islandsrestaurants.com
Farmer Brothers
Fatburger
In-And-Out
Carl's Jr.
Jack in the Box

+2. Thanks Jodeg for sharing that. I checked out the wikipedia link and seen the link to the chain restaurants that served frozen custard. Well I have been driving past this place called "Culvers" for the last year, and never even considered stopping there as it has the most bland white/blue exterior I have ever seen. I didn't know if they sold food, swimming gear, or roofing supplies. Now that I have seen some pics of their food, I will have to stop and check out the food and frozen custard.

Note to would be entrepreneurs, do NOT make your business bland on the outside. Well not if you want people to stop in.

Jo Anne, waiting for my new Piaggio mini trike wheels which are sitting on a dock, waiting to be delivered to the custom bike shop which will add them to my "Miss Piggy Piaggio"! Bought the bike last year but only rode it twice before I was too weak to handle it. I'm 70 years old and decided nobody was going to deprive me of this jewel. I vowed I'd find a way and, luckily, my husband did, LOL! I told him I know what a convict must feel, waiting for parole and those heavy gates to open. Exactly what I'm feeling about the freedom of the trike! Glad you wrote your piece, I was so encouraged. I would write you next week but I doubt anyone will be able to capture my attention on the mini trike seat. Three cheers for Tow-Pac! Sunny

Sunny - YOU GO GIRL!!!!!

YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!! You'll attract A LOT of attention, so be ready! And people will be taking your picture, so get your smile ready!

It is SO MUCH fun to ride, I just can't describe it! Just be careful at first and watch that you don't go too fast around corners until you get the feel of it.

I love it more every time I ride! Sure going to be sad when W-I-N-T-E-R comes! But oh, for now, let the good times roll!!

Be sure to post a pic when your "trike" is home, and let us know what you think!

Sorry if this is off topic, but a discussion about frozen custard seems to have started! You don't know what you're missing!!

FROZEN CUSTARD??? Let me tell you about FROZEN CUSTARD! It's a gift from the GODS!!!

It's richer and smoother than ice cream and way better than soft serve! Culver's does serve frozen custard, so if you have one near you, you might just give it a try.

There's a peach/apple/country store place called Eckert's nearby in Illinois that's a landmark around here. They serve the best frozen custard around! And during peach season, we can get frozen custard with FRESH peaches ladled on top!! OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Sidebar: I was raised in Southern California and never heard of it either until we moved to Missouri 32 years ago!

Sorry this thread got highjacked but that frozen custard sounds amazing. I found two places near me that sell it, both 30 minute drives away, but in opposite directions. I will be making a point of getting to one very soon though.

Thanks for turning me on to something new, and something that I just know I'll love!

Suuny, did you get the 8 or 12" kit?

I don't really know how to use this but, here goes...I got the 8" kit from T & C in Tennesse, shipped to me here on the desert in Southern CA, because they have a discount for seniors and free shipping. Got it cheaper than anywhere else I've heard of but talked to Tow-Pac and understand the kit will be $100 more as of September. Transaction took 3 weeks, have to keep after T & C. Hope this reaches you! Sunny

Dear Modern Vespa - don't know why you're calling me a "lurker" but that is not acceptable. I'm a nice lady.

I ordered from them as well the standard kit. I am half way through my 10-15 days waiting period...and counting~!

My kit is in and the Smrfmobile is at the shop!!!

Smrf - mine won't be finished before next week and I'm on pins and needles! So happy yours arrived! You must post your feelings once you ride. Wanted to ask a question about your "license plate"...does anyone know if it's possible to get a handicapped plate on a mini /bike trike??? Can't hang a plaque on it - that would be stolen in seconds. My van has a Handy plate. Don't know if they'll go for two. I'm having clamps put on to hold my cane. Would appreciate any and all input. Sunny