Dragstar Trike

Rachel Atkinson

I was born with a congenical hip and short femur. At 16 I decided to have my left leg amputated in order for a prosthesis to be made lighter (and more elegant) thus applying less pressure to my hip.

My husband got back into biking and I started going pillion with him. I then decided I wanted a bike of my own and whilst at the limb centre, Preston, I was introduced to NABD. I realised I wouldn't be able to hold up a bike but didn't want to be defeated and so bought a trike. It was an old clapped out car engined trike. Every time it rained it used to cough and splutter. I decided to buy some thing newer and definitely with a bike engine.

After searching the NABD website and speaking to a guy who's trike was already featured on the NABD website, I decided to buy an 1100 Yamaha Dragstar and have it triked by Tony of B & I Engineering in Huddersfield. So I now had a bike that I could hold up, but how was I going to change gear? I'd read about a "Kicktronic" you could however only get them through NABD. I wrote to NABD and then just sent me one, great bunch of guys eh.

Tony at B & I did a great job of the back end, he sculpted the rear mudguards to match the original mudguard. He striped them the same as the original strips. The size of the wheels 7.5x15 was recommended by Tony, I would have preferred some thing a bit wider but Tony was concerned about the drag on corners and said the gear ratio wouldn't need altering with that size of tyre and with a Robin Reliant axle.

The trike does tend to drag around bends when there's a pillion on the back. I have put some after market products on the trike such as chrome goodies and some leather saddlebags. I've even had a 12v cigarette lighters fitted so I can plug my hairdryer in. I had a screen fittted - recently I felt as if the wind was going to lift me off the trike sometimes.

We are members of the Virago Star Owners Club and have within the last 12 months started up our own club called C.A.T. MCC (cruisers and trikes motorcycle club).

We have made many friends within the club and within other clubs. I often sit and wonder what did we do before we got the bikes, who did we talk to or socialise with. We go to a bike rally nearly every weekend now. Thanks to NABD for helping me get my freedom.

Rachel Atkinson

This Kliktronic grant was sponsored by the Goldwing Owners Club of Great Britain