09/03/2022
Dad’s passing just days after my motorcycle was wrecked beyond repair in 2017 made a number of already surreal transitions even more disturbing. Because we each cope with death differently there were more than a few days when nothing seemed to make any sense.
Mom was extremely shaken upon losing her husband of 63 years. Imagining what her new normal would look like without Dad was unclear... and me? I kind of felt cheated, preoccupied and distracted by the shape I was in. I'd never broken a bone in my 59 years, suddenly I had 7, preventing me from serving as a pallbearer for my father... sorry to go dark but it was a strange few weeks.
Thoughts of replacing my two-wheeler were few, far between and very distant, plus I'd been told by at least one family member that my two-wheeling days were over. It was just too dangerous, too risky. I was in no shape to argue, but when you've ridden as long as I've ridden, you soon want to resume, one way or another.
I've met a wide range of bikers over the years, some more vocal and outgoing than others, however I can't ever recall a single instance when conversation wasn't possible, sometimes just shooting the breeze, sipping on a coffee, yapping about their bike or mine. That's when I first heard about 3-wheeling... from the riders of these less frequently seen hybrids.
Truth be told, the first trike I'd ever seen up close and personal belonged to a guy who was wheelchair bound but didn't let that get in the way of having fun. We crossed paths at Bel Air Crown where I worked at the time. It was a conventionally configured trike, one wheel up front, two in the back and powered by a VW engine! His wheelchair was strapped to the back.
I'd seen trikes on the road as far back as I can remember. These days reverse trikes are getting all the press so when the urge to once again take to the road without doors or a roof, my attention first drifted into the realm of reverse trikes, primarily because trikes are more stable and more visible than their 2-wheeled counterparts.
Before I knew it I was discovering a range of possibilities. The first to appear on my radar was a developmental "AutoCycle" dubbed "Elio" named after its creator, while the second, named Solo, was produced by Electra Meccanica and the third, from Poland, was named SAM. There were a few others, some butt ugly, but these 3 held the most promise in terms of practicality and affordability.
Long story short: With a foot broken in two places and five cracked ribs, it seemed for awhile that screen time in front of my iMac was a pretty sure thing, so I made the most of it. Short story long: What will follow in subsequent posts are concept paintings for each of these 3 reverse trikes.
Consider the accompanying picture my digital canvas, manufacturer created and supplied base model representations, nothing more. Top: Elio - two seater gas powered, Middle: Solo - single seater electric powered, Bottom: Sam - two seater electric powered.
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