Paul von Wildenrath is a man on a mission. He wants to
convert South Africa to a nation of trike lovers - but
not the little pedal-powered things you had as kids
but motorcycles with three wheels.
Frankly, it's a tough ask. There are very few real
trikes in SA and most bikers, like me, regard them as
novelties at best and just downright pointless at
worst. After all, they combine all the worst
characteristics of a car, in that you can't
lane-split, with the worst characteristics of a
motorcycle - no weather protection, no safety
protection...
But I have to tell you, one look at Von Wildenrath' s
trike and I'm a believer
The problem with many trikes is that they look like stick insects
.
The problem with many trikes is that they look like
stick insects with wheels but Von Wildenrath's machine
is exquisitely built and proportioned. It's
aesthetically attractive, muscular, finished
beautifully and detailed. And that's before he even
fires up the V4 Yamaha V-Max engine.
The trike has four-into-two, stainless steel
sidewinder exhaust pipes and even stationary sounds
like a Nascar racer. Drop it into gear, ride the revs
and the hair will rise on the back of your neck. This
is a true hotrod, an absolute work of art.
Von Wildenrath runs Fusion Trikes from his base in
Pretoria East and for the moment is concentrating on
the V-Max, although there's a Suzuki Bandit 1200
planned, not to mention a Rover V8 version
Most of the rear fittings have come from a Golf 4
.
In fact, and this is going to annoy all V-Max lovers,
the big brute of an engine actually suits the
three-wheeler concept better than it does the two
wheeler. The huge torque, the thundering growl - it's
all seriously cool.
What Von Wildenrath does is take a V-Max, remove
everything aft of the pillion then add a
beautifully-crafted tubular sub-frame into which the
driveshaft, differential, sideshafts, brake discs,
callipers, dampers and hubs are already fitted.
On Von Wildenrath's trike, most of those fittings have
come from a Golf 4, while the gorgeous wheel rims are
from Tiger around which are wrapped some dramatic
low-profile 225/45 17" radials. To maintain the
aesthetic balance - and aesthetics are everything to
Von Wildenrath - the front wheel also runs a 17" rim.
The thing about a trike, explains Von Wildenrath, is
that you can customise it to your exact needs. At the
back of his own trike he has a luggage box he uses for
his weekly grocery shopping but customers can choose
from a variety of styles, including a bench seat so
the rider can be accompanied by their spouse and
children.
In fact, Von Wildenrath is big on converting women to
trikes. "A lot of women don't like riding pillion on
modern superbikes and they resent being left at home
on a Sunday while hubby rides off on his breakfast
run. With a trike, women can join in."
Trikes are lighter
Another advantage is that they only require a
motorcycle licence to ride. And you can't fall off
them. "A lot of people are scared to get into biking
for fear of falling off," Von Wildenrath said. "With a
trike, that just doesn't happen."
Trikes are lighter than cars are use less fuel. They
also have three, even four, disc brakes, making them
easy to stop in a hurry.
At present Von Wildenrath offers three options. "We
can do the complete build, including providing the
donor bike, or we will convert the customer's bike or
he can buy the kit and do it himself.
"Prices for a completely built-up trike start at R185
000 (including VAT), which is expensive but compares
favourably with the customised two-wheeled choppers
now being sold in SA which range upwards from R350
000.
Also, Fusion Trikes will have a stand at the African
Iron Horse Rodeo at the Pretoria Showgrounds from
September 26-28.
