The purpose of this guide is to introduce the consumer to the possibility of converting a Suzuki Burgman Scooter from a bike to a trike for greater stability in the ride.  Trike conversions work well for older riders and riders with disabilities.  Also people who have difficulty holding a bike up for whatever reason find trikes a great ride.

I bought my Burgman 400 in 2006 and laid it down (wrecked it by falling over a curb) on my first ride, injuring myself and cosmetically damaging the bike.   Luckily I had an experienced coach with me, to rescue me and get me home.  I wanted to ride but was not able physically due to arthritis and general clumsiness.

I went to the EBAY site for trikes (and got lots of little trycycle hits for childrens trikes).  Kept on with the search until I found T&C Cyclestuff which has several conversion kits for motorcycles and scooters.  I bought the 8" Minitrike kit which I had delivered to Ken Balmer at Cycle Crazy in Franklin, NC.  He did the trike conversion and I've been riding ever since.  Both T&C Cyclestuff and Cycle Crazy are EBAY sellars.  The kit was shipped in good time and excellent condition.  The conversion took Ken one morning to complete.  T&C Cyclestuff also has 12" chrome kits which are a little more expensive, but very stable and good looking. You can look them up on EBAY motors under trike kits.  Cycle Crazy:  828-524-3254.  Franklin, NC.  T&C is located in Tennessee.

I have always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but have been unable, due to my physical condition.  Now riding is one of the great joys of my life.  Several other folks in Franklin have converted their Burgmans since my trike conversion and are also riding.  The Smoky Mountains are a great place to ride and the backroads are scenic and quiet for the most part. 

I'm 54 years old and if I can enjoy the freedom and joy of riding anyone can.  Trike conversions are not that expensive.  Suzuki kits are $2500-4500.  Putting one on is $250- 450..  You can buy a used Burgy for $3500-5000 .  You can also get 650cc Burgys if you want a little more power.  My trike does 65 mph without breaking a sweat, a little less on hills.  I haven't figured out the gas mileage yet, but it is good.    So you get freedom of movement, great gas mileage, great under-the-seat storage, a stable ride, automatic transmission for a fraction of the cost of bigger things like Goldwings which are completely out of my league, cost-wise.  With gasoline prices going up, this is a wonderful option for touring, as well as around town riding.  Your biggest problem will be that wherever you go, people will be asking all sorts of questions about your trike, so get ready to do some advertising.

And by the way, the learning curve is very fast on a triked scooter.  You can get a motorcycle learners permit to ride in most states with a road sign test and eye exam, then find a parking lot, a friend to lend encouragement, and you're on your way.  If you are already an experienced rider, the ride may feel a little restricted because you don't lean in the curves, but if you haven't ridden for awhile due to injury or disability, it'll  just feel so great to get back on and ride.  Also take a state approved safety class, if you can find one that'll let you use your trike in the class.

Safe riding.

Burgylady