Three-wheeled motorcycles combine the stability and easy balance of a car with the lightweight agility and open saddle experience of a more traditional, two-wheeled bike. These hybrid vehicles were once seen as something of a novelty on the road, but they have quickly grown in popularity to the point where it’s no longer uncommon to see one riding alongside you in downtown traffic. More and more manufacturers are coming out with new models to meet this growing demand and now there are plenty of cool 3-wheeled vehicles on offer.
Many of these specialty motorcycles are primarily designed with fuel economy, comfort, and convenience in mind. These vehicles are easy to operate and efficient modes of transportation for a single rider, but not all of their benefits are strictly utilitarian. There are more than a few of the newer models that have been released by manufacturers that are putting performance first. These trikes might not be competing with two-wheeled motorcycles on the raceways any time soon, but some of them are more than fast enough to get the wind whipping past you on the open road. I’ve been a motorcycle rider for over 15 years and I’ve found that one of the best ways to find the fastest rides is to compare the top speeds reported by the manufacturers. Here are six of the fastest models that you can buy today.
Can-Am Spyder F3 – 115-125 mph
Can-Am Motorcycles has been around since the early ’80s, but the company first branched out into three-wheelers in 2007 with the unveiling of the Spyder–a trike with some serious attitude. This vehicle combined speed and stability in a single, sleek package, opening a lot of doors for the manufacturer in the burgeoning new market. Several iterations of the Spyder have been released in the years since, culminating in the fastest three-wheeled vehicle the company has built to date: The Spyder F3.
This motorcycle sports a Rotax 1330 Ace–a 3.31 in. bore, 3.14 in stroke in-line 3-cylinder engine that is liquid-cooled and comes with electronic fuel injection, an electronic throttle control, and a 6-speed transmission. This provides 115 horsepower and up to 96 ft. lbs. of torque.
Can-Am doesn’t list the vehicle’s official top speed and there are a few disparate reports on how fast it can go. The Autopian listed a peak speed of 115 in its review of the F3-T, while Top Speed reported that the F3-S can reach up to 125 mph. This slight disparity might be due to the added weight of the hardshell saddlebags and the added drag from the windscreen, but it’s clearer in any case that all four variations of the F3 should be able to clear 100 mph fairly easily, making it one of the fastest three-wheelers out there.
The Can-Am F3 currently retails starting at $22,099. You can customize options on the website and order one, or you can get one from one of Can-Am’s U.S. dealerships.
Polaris Slingshot SLR – 125 mph
There are a lot of build variations of the Polaris Slingshot and it comes in a number of different color schemes, but many of them look a bit like someone asked, ‘What if the Batmobile was a three-wheeled motorcycle?” It has a low, sporty front end and tapers back into a two-seater cockpit with a low windscreen and an optional roof. This vehicle leans more toward a car than a motorcycle and it has the power under the hood to prove it. All of the different Slingshot models are powerful, but the Slingshot SLR is the strongest of the bunch.
It has a Prostar 2.0L 4-cylinder, 1,997cc., 93 mm bore, 73.5 mm stroke engine. It has a multiport injected fuel system and a 5-speed transmission. It can deliver up to 203 horsepower and 144 ft. lbs. of torque.
Polaris doesn’t post top speeds either, but Motor 1 has reported that it can reach up to 125 mph. Forbes also reviewed the Slingshot SLR. They stated that it can reach these speeds, but it doesn’t handle them comfortably. “Polaris claims a top speed of 130 mph but anywhere near three digits can feel like you cracked three teeth.” So while the Polaris Slingshot SLR has certainly earned its place on this list, it might not be wise to get one if you actually intend on taking it to those speeds.
The Slingshot SLR starts at $31,149. You can use the Polaris website’s custom building software to choose your own transmission, color, options, and accessories, or you can enter your location and see if one is available near you.
Morgan Motor Company Super 3 – 130 mph
A lot of three-wheel motorcycle manufacturers do their best to make their vehicles look sleek and modern. Morgan Motor Company decided to go in a different direction. It decided to embrace the boxcar-like structure of the trike and do for it what Indian Motorcycle has been doing for cruisers–combining modern amenities into a classic design.
The Morgan Super 3 embraces the rounder designs of classic cars from the early 20th century without sacrificing speed. It’s powered by a 3-cylinder, 1.5 L engine that can produce 118 hp and 110 ft. lbs. of torque.
Morgan’s previous trike, the 3 Wheeler could reach an impressive top speed of 115 mph, but it seems that the Super 3 is even faster. Motor 1 reviewed the Super 3 and found that it could reach speeds up to 130 mph. This same speed was reported by Motortrend, who stated, “The company claims the Super 3 will scoot to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 130 mph.” Motortrend went on to say that it actually feels much faster when driving the trike, since the vehicle, “delivers such an elemental, visceral, almost heroic driving experience.”
The Morgan Super 3 is available through several dealerships in the UK. The manufacturer doesn’t list the price on its official page, but Motor 1 states that these vehicles start at $53,938.
Yamaha Niken – 136 mph
Yamaha is a well-known name in the motorcycle industry, (and in the music industry, but that’s another company now.) It has been competing with the likes of Honda and Suzuki as some of the top global manufacturers of street bikes for decades. So when Yamaha makes a three-wheeler, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that it’s a bit more motorcycle in it than most.
The Yamaha Niken is a slim touring-inspired trike that has a really interesting front-fork design. It has a parallelogram link that connects two cantilevered telescopic suspension forks in the front suspension. This allows the tires to maintain contact with the road while the rider leans through the turns as they would on a two-wheeled motorcycle without sacrificing shock absorption. This makes the Niken a great trike for learning to ride.
It’s also quite powerful. The Niken comes with an 847cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, inline 3-cylinder engine. It has a 78.00mm bore and a 59.1mm stroke. It’s fuel-injected and has a 6-speed transmission. MCN reports that it has 113 horsepower, 64.6 ft. lbs. of torque, and a top speed of 135 mph.
The Niken can only seem to be found on the company’s international site. MCN lists the price starting at £15,502, making it the most affordable option on this list, although it only appears to be listed for sale in the UK. That said, several of them can be found on the used market in the states.
Vanderhall Venice GTS – 140 mph
The Vanderhall Venice is a three-wheeled two-seater car that looks like it was designed with luxury in mind, from the smooth, wide, stance of its tires to its quilted leather seats. Its long, retro-inspired front end makes it look a bit like it should have the word ‘de Ville’ somewhere in its name, and yet the vehicle sports a surprising amount of power.
The Venice GTS is powered by a 1.5 L inline 4-cylinder, DOHC, engine with direct injection and a 6-speed automatic transmission. It has 194 horsepower and up to 203 ft. lbs. of torque. MotorTrend reported the 2018 edition of the vehicle’s top speed at 130 mph and the 2019 edition at 140 mph. It’s unclear if this fluctuation can be attributed to testing conditions or changes in the overall design. In either case, it’s clearly quite speedy. “When you ask it to go, it goes,” they wrote. “The side-mounted exhaust pipes deliver all the noise and fury of a vintage race car, but the acceleration is modern-day quick. Vanderhall’s stated zero-to-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds feels about right…For those prone to speeding tickets, you have been warned.”
Vanderhall is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There are several dealerships that sell its vehicles across the U.S. and Europe as well as a few in other countries around the world. Meyer Yamaha reports that its price starts at $39,950.
Campagna Motors T-Rex 14RR – 144 mph
Finally, the fastest three-wheeled motorcycle on the market today is the Campagna Motors T-Rex 14RR. All of its features, from its steering wheel to its tires look built for the racetrack. This vehicle has the low, streamlined appearance of an Italian Formula 1 car and the power to back up its design.
The T-Rex 14RR has a Kawasaki 1441cc, inline 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed transmission under the hood. It’s water-cooled and has two overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, providing 208 horsepower and 116.5 ft. lbs. of torque. Campagna doesn’t report the vehicle’s maximum speed on its website, but MCS, AutoEvolution, MotorWeek, and TopSpeed all put it at exactly 144 mph, making it the fastest trike out there. “The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.92 seconds and its top speed is 144 mph,” said TopSpeed. “And if you want to take the T-Rex to the track, don’t worry, it comes loaded with lots of safety systems, including triangulated side walls and front crash zone, 3-point safety belts with adjustable shoulder straps, a reinforced safety roll-cage, and a safety belt warning light.”
This makes it the ideal choice for a trike-riding speedster, but it also seems to be the most expensive. The T-Rex 14RR starts at $65,999, which is definitely on the pricier side. While the company itself is based in Canada, U.S. residents can find it at authorized dealerships in Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Our methodology
I first started riding motorcycles back in 2009, and have been a casual rider ever since. I haven’t had the opportunity to ride a three-wheeled motorcycle yet, but I’m familiar with many of the basic engine mechanics and engineering principles that make them work. I used this knowledge while researching the fastest trikes on the market to find and make this list. I chose several vehicles that were able to produce the most horsepower and then searched both the manufacturers’ websites and independent review sites to verify their top speed. Once I had the six fastest trikes I could find, I listed them by top speed and broke down their engine specs and most distinctive features.
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