I need more info about trikes in general

[lostintx]

Hello,
I am thinking about purchasing a Chinese trike. Why would I want to do that? OK, I don't want the wear & tear on my car any more. It's at 40K now and it is the last car we will ever be able to afford, so I want to take it out of the picture as a daily driver. I have thought about a second car, but I really need to cut the monthly gas costs if possible. $60 bucks a month versus $10 bucks a month for a trike is worthy of an investment, but is it really?
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I work a minimum wage job, so money is extremely tight. Even $1,500 to $2,000 for a Chinese trike is a very big investment for me. I have very strong doubts about buying Chinese. See I would need the trike to take me back and forth to work 5 days a week and it's only 3 miles per day each way, but it's 5 stop lights and some of it is 55+ driving. I don't know that a cheap trike will ever hold up and I do not want to buy something that (even if maintained) will only last a few weeks or a few months.
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So I am asking for those of you that own some of these trikes or those of you that sell them to tell me what you think about the longevity of being driven daily in stop & go with spurts of up to 55mph. Is it just plain foolish?
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I cannot use a moped or motorcycle, due to my stroke. I still have good balance, but I do not feel "safe" on two wheels any more, hence the thoughts of trying a trike. I'm not really handicapped, but I just do not feel that I can safely balance on two wheels any more, so a moped or motorcycle are out for me. Is a trike stable, or is it just as bad as being on two wheels? And does a reverse trike make any difference over a regular trike?
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Thanks in advance for any help.

[Rocketdog]

If you need to get above 55 mph then you need to look into a water cooled 250cc. Stock air cooled 150s just won't be able to do that. Most folks that I have heard from say that the 244 honda clone and the Yamaha clone, is it 257cc guys, are pretty dependable. A 250 is going to cost you however.

RD

[lostintx]

Thanks, but aren't they scooters instead of trikes? I can't do a scooter, as I stated in the first post.... So al those 55+ mph claims on these 150cc trikes are just claims? What are the real top speeds of these 150's?

[Rebel]

Welcome to the forum,

There are 250cc class chinese scooter trikes available. Rapidjim sells them, he is a memebr here and will do good by you if you get one from him. In Texas there are dealers you can go to also. A name brand that you might look for is Ice Bear, that is the line Rapidjim sells.

A 5 mile ride each day really should not be hard on any of the trikes it is the 55 mph that will get you and for that I do think a 250cc or 300cc is what you want. Expect them to run over $4,000.00. For the 1,500 - 2,000.00 you can get a 150cc, but it will not be running the 55 mph in my opinion.

here is a Texas dealer
www.killermotorsports.com/Icebear_Trikes_50cc_150cc_250cc_s/595.htm

One more thing, do not believe the performance specs posted on any internet web page.

[Rebel]

here is a thread Jim did;

scooterrebels.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=trikes&thread=1129&page=1#9623

[jmkjr72]

yeah if it was a regular 150 then the 55 would be doable but with the etra weight drag and rolling resitance i doubt you will get there with a 150