List of motorized trikes is a list of

motorized tricycle A motorized tricycle, motor trike, or motortrycle is a three-wheeled vehicle based on the same technology as a bicycle or motorcycle, and powered by an electric motor, motorcycle engine, motorcycle, scooter or car engine. Classification Dependi ...

s also called trikes, and sometimes considered cars. There are three typical configurations: motorized bicycle with sidecar; two wheels in the rear, one in the front (aka trike); and two in front, one in the rear (aka reverse trike). However, language and definitions vary. One of the most successful trikes of its day was the

De Dion-Bouton tricycle The De Dion-Bouton tricycle was the most successful motor vehicle in Europe from 1897 until 1901. With about 15,000 copies sold, the de-Dion-Bouton motor tricycle scored the first breakthrough for the distribution of motor vehicles. In particular ...

; from 1897 until the start of the 20th century about 15,000 licensed copies were sold, with De Dion Bouton usually supplying the engines, and it was overall the most popular motor vehicle in Europe. Trikes have caused tautological confusion and simply defied typical two and four-wheel classifications, especially in the 21st century. Regardless, many popular motorcycles and/or automobiles had three wheels.

Examples

17th century

Stephan Farffler Stephan Farffler (1633 – October 24, 1689), sometimes spelled Stephan Farfler, was a German watchmaker of the seventeenth century whose invention of a manumotive carriage in 1655 is widely considered to have been the first self-propelled wheel ...

's trike

18th century

Steam Tricycle in Front of North Entrance to Smithsonian Institution Building 1888

* Cugnot's ''fardier à vapeur'' (steam powered)

19th century

* Ariel 2.25 hp tricycle (1898) *

Benz Patent-Motorwagen The Benz Patent-Motorwagen ("patent motorcar"), built in 1885 by the German Carl Benz, is widely regarded as the world's first practical modern automobile and was the first car put into series production. It was patented and unveiled in 1886. ...

(Internal combustion engine) (1886–1893) *

Buckeye gasoline buggy The Buckeye gasoline buggy, also known as the Lambert gasoline buggy, was an 1891 gasoline automobile, the first made in the United States. It was also the first automobile made available for sale in the United States. It was initially a three ...

(1891) *

(1897–1905) * Eadie motor tricycle, (1898-1900) *

Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between ...

'Beeston' motor tricycle (1899) *

Léon Bollée Léon Bollée (1 April 1870 – 16 December 1913) was a French automobile manufacturer and inventor. Life Bollée's family were well known bellfounders and his father, Amédée Bollée (1844–1917), was the major pioneer in the automobile i ...

Voiturette (1895) *

Long steam tricycle The Long steam tricycle appears to be one of the earliest preserved examples of a steam tricycle, built by George A. Long around 1880 and patented in 1883. One example was built, which after some years of use was dismantled and the parts dispers ...

(c. 1880) *

Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede The Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede was a steam powered velocipede made in France sometime from 1867 to 1871, when a small Louis-Guillaume Perreaux commercial steam engine was attached to a Pierre Michaux manufactured iron framed pedal bicycle ...

(1884 Tricycle version) *

Motrice Pia The Motrice Pia was an early three-wheeled vehicle, introduced by Italian Enrico Bernardi, and credited as the first motorcycle by sources such as the '' Enciclopedia Italiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti''. The exact year of introduction depends ...

(1894) * Orient tricycle (1899–1901) *

Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

motor tricycle (1899)

20th century

* BSA Ariel 3 (1970–1973) *

BMW R75 : ''For the 1970s 750 cc motorcycles see BMW R75/5, BMW R75/6, or BMW R75/7'' The BMW R75 is a World War II-era motorcycle and sidecar combination produced by the German company BMW. The BMW R75 stands out by its integral two-wheel drive de ...

(1941–1945) (w. sidecar) * Brough Superior Austin Four *

Campagna T-Rex The Campagna T-Rex is a two-seat, three-wheeled motor vehicle created by Campagna Motors, located in Quebec, Canada. It is powered by an in-line 6-cylinder engine from BMW. Although it used to be registered as a motorcycle, it is now largely c ...

(1996–2018) *

CityEl The CityEl is a 3-wheel lightweight electric car originally designed and manufactured in Denmark, but currently made in Germany by Citycom GmbH. History The CityEl was originally developed as the Mini-El by Danish company El Trans A/S in Randers ...

(1987–) * Coventry-Victor 3-wheeler *

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

trike cars (1913–1923) *

(1897–1905) * Electricar (1920–1921) * Fend Flitzer (c. 1948) * GG Duetto (1994–1999) * Goliath Goli * Grinnall Scorpion III (c. 1991) * Harley-Davidson Servi-Car (1932 to 1973) *

Heinkel Kabine The Heinkel Kabine was a microcar designed by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke and built by them from 1956 to 1958. Production was transferred under licence to Dundalk Engineering Company in Ireland in 1958. However, the licence was withdrawn shortly after ...

* HM Vehicles Free-way (1979 to 1982) *

Honda Gyro The Honda Gyro is a family of small, three-wheeled motorcycles sold primarily in Japan, and often used for delivery or express service. These vehicles are tilting three-wheelers. They combine a tricycle's stopped & low-speed stability with a lean ...

* Indian Dispatch-Tow(1930s) * Indian Tri-Car (circa 1907)(Hendee Manufacturing Co.) * JZR Trike models * Krauser Domani * Lambretta Lambro (1949-1972) *

Lurquin-Coudert The Lurquin-Coudert was a French automobile manufactured in Paris from 1906''Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885-Present'' by G.N. Georgano (or 1907) until 1914. Produced by a maker of industrial engines, they were "voiturette-tricars"; a tw ...

(1906–1914) * Mercedes-Benz F300 Lifejet Messerschmitt Kabinenroller

Messerschmitt KR175 The Messerschmitt KR175 microcar (1953–1955) was the first vehicle built by Messerschmitt under its 1952 agreement with Fritz Fend. In concept, although not in actual design, it was, in principle, a development of the Fend Flitzer invalid carri ...

(1953–1955) (

Messerschmitt Kabinenroller The ''Messerschmitt Kabinenroller'' (Messerschmitt Cabin Scooter) was a series of microcars made by RSM Messerschmitt from 1953 to 1956 and by ''Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH, Regensburg'' (FMR) from 1956 to 1964. All the Messerschmitt and FMR p ...

) * Messerschmitt KR200 * Minneapolis Tri-Car * Misc Custom Chopper trikes * Misc. Moto Guzzi Triporteurs *

Morgan 3-Wheeler The Morgan Motor Company announced that they would launch the 3 Wheeler in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show. Technical The 3 Wheeler was initially said to have a Harley-Davidson ''Screaming Eagle'' V-twin engine and a Mazda 5-speed man ...

(pre-war productions) * Moto Guzzi Trialce *

Corbin Sparrow The Myers Motors NmG (formerly the Corbin Sparrow) was a single-passenger, three-wheeled, battery electric vehicle designed specifically for commuting and city driving, produced from 1999 into the early 2010s. It was initially produced by Corbin ...

* Norton Big 4 (mc w/ sc) *

Peel P50 The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar originally made from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, and then from 2011 to present. It was listed in the 2010 Guinness World Records as the smallest production car ever m ...

(minicar) (1962–65) *

Piaggio Ape The Piaggio Ape (; is ), initially marketed as VespaCar or TriVespa, is a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle, manufactured and marketed by Piaggio as an adaption of the company's Vespa scooter ( being Italian for 'wasp' instead). It is in co ...

(1947– ) *

Reliant Robin The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was offered in several versions (Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3) over a period of 30 years. It is the second-most popular fibreglass car in history ...

(1973–2002) *

Reliant TW9 The Reliant TW9 (i.e., Three-Wheeler 9), also known as the Reliant Ant, is a small, front-engined, rear-drive, three-wheeled truck that was produced from 1967 until 1987 by Reliant Motors in Tamworth and then by BTB Engineering in Leeds, Engl ...

(1967–1987) * Rollfix-Eilwagen *

Scott Sociable The Scott Sociable was an English automobile manufactured from 1921 to 1925 by the Scott Autocar Company of Bradford, Yorkshire, an offshoot of the Scott Motorcycle Company. During World War I Alfred Angas Scott had made sidecar machine gun ...

* Sinclair C5 (1985) * Spirit of America Formula Shell LSRV. (jet engine) * Tatra 49 (1929–1930) *

Triking Triking is the common name for the Triking Sports Cars, the United Kingdom based manufacturer of the 3-wheeled Triking Cyclecar, located in Hingham, Norfolk, formerly in Marlingford, Norfolk.The A-Z of Three-Wheelers A definitive reference ...

(1970s-) * Twike (TWIKE 1986+) *

Velorex Velorex was a manufacturing cooperative in Solnice, Czechoslovakia. Notable products included a small three-wheeled car, produced from the 1950s until 1971, and the Type 562 sidecar. The sidecar is still manufactured in the Czech Republic by Ve ...

(1950s–1971) *

Utopian A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia'', describing a fictional island socie ...

(1914) * Westcoaster Mailster

21st century

* AEV 311 EV * Ape Calessino 200 (new production) *

Aptera (solar electric vehicle) The Aptera is a three-wheeled, two-passenger solar electric vehicle, the third revision of the previous Aptera 2 Series vehicle by startup Aptera Motors. It is a highly efficient battery electric vehicle (BEV) with built-in solar panels on the ...

* Arcimoto * Bombardier Can-Am Spyder (2007–) * Brudeli Leanster 625L * Carver *

(1996–) * Campagna V13R *

(1987–) * Elio E-Series * Elio P models (prototypes) *eTuk USA (2015–) *GG Taurus *Hannigan BMW 1600 Trike *Hannigan Harley-Davidson V-Rod Trike * Harley-Davidson Street Glide Trike (2010–) * Harley-Davidson Freewheeler (2015–) * Harley-Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic *

(tilting) * IRIS * JZR Trike models * Kymco CV3 (2018–) *

(new production 2010s) * Myers Motors NmG *

(2010– ) * Peugeot Metropolis 400i *

Piaggio Piaggio & C. SpA (Piaggio ) is an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer, which produces a range of two-wheeled motor vehicles and compact commercial vehicles under seven brands: Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, and Scarabeo. ...

Ape (1947– ),

MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...

(2006–) *

Polaris Slingshot The Polaris Slingshot is a three-wheeled motorcycle. ''"this is most certainly not a car, and it's also not a motorcycle by any stretch of the imagination"'' The first edition of the model was introduced in 2014 as a 2015 model. Specification ...

* Quadro 350S three-wheel scooter * Rewaco RF-1 Trike * Roadsmith Trikes * Scorpion P6 * Stimson Sting (2002–2007) * Tanom Invader TC-3 * Terracraft Supertrike * Tilting Motor Works Tilting V-Max Trike *

Tokai Challenger Tokai Challenger is a solar car from the Japanese Tokai University. The Tokai Challenger became the winner of the 2009 and 2011 World Solar Challenge, a race for solar cars across Australia. The car is designed and tested in collaboration with ...

Toyota i-Road is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

(2013) * Traverston Striker * Tri Pod GII by Mynrva (2012-) Bandit 1250, ZX14R based *

* Trirod F3 * Twisted Trike * Uno III * Vanderhall Laguna trike VW GX3

* Veemo by VeloMetro Mobility – Fully enclosed, pedal-electric trike, regulated as an electric bicycle in North America. * Venom SS * Venom X * Volkswagen GX3 (concept trike) * Yamaha Niken – trike with the

Yamaha MT-09 The Yamaha MT-09 is a street motorcycle of the MT series with an liquid-cooled four-stroke 12-valve DOHC inline-three engine with crossplane crankshaft and a lightweight cast alloy frame. For 2018, the bike is now designated MT-09 in all mar ...

engine, for European and Asian markets * Yamaha RX1 snowmobile custom conversion to street trike * Yamaha Tricity *

ZAP Xebra The ZAP Xebra was an electric car launched in May 2006 in the United States market by ZAP corporation. It is classified legally as a three-wheel motorcycle in some jurisdictions, and is available in both sedan (model SD) and pickup (model PK ...

(2006–2009) * ZTR Trike

Miscellaneous

Another idea is the flike, a sort of flying motorcycle/helicopter.

Whike Whike is a brand of recumbent tricycles with a sail, manufactured in the Netherlands. First released on 5 June 2008, it has a sail and can reach speeds up to with wind speeds of 4–5 bft (). It can be legally used on both bike lanes and ...

are sail-powered trikes, which may or may not be motorized depending if one considers a sail to be a type of motorization. There is another arrangement of three-wheel, with the wheels in a line; this is so far pretty rare.

Motorcycles with two sidecars

Motorcycles with sidecars often have three wheels, but there has been some use of two sidecars (one on each side of a motorcycle, not a sidecar that seats two which is another thing). In one case the use of flexible type sidecars allow the center-line motor bicycle wheels to stay on the ground, and providing adequate handling

Gallery

File:Trike.3.arp.jpg, Rewaco trike in the UK File:Himeji-Oshiro-Matsuri 2010 149.JPG, Krauser-BMW Domani, incorporating elements of both cars and motorcycles File:Himeji Oshiro Matsuri 085.JPG, Domani trike File:Can-Am Spyder RSS (01).jpg, Can-Am Spyder from the front File:JSH314.JPG, Can-Am Spyder from the rear File:Heinkel Trojan 153 BW 3.jpg, Heinkel trike-car File:Wdog Polaris Slingshot.jpg, Polaris Slingshot File:GyroUP-MRDroofed.jpg, Honda Gyro UP File:Moto Guzzi Lastenkrad.jpg, Moto Guzzi vehicle File:Choper2.jpg, Custom chopper trike File:R1200C trike rear.jpg, BMW R1200C aftermarket conversion to a trike File:Harley Davidson Tri Glide taken 2013.jpg, Harley-Davidson Tri-Glide

References

External links

{{Commons category, Motorized tricycles Lists of motorcycles Three-wheeled motor vehicles