Posted on August 21, 2013 by Bryan Ball

By BRYAN J. BALL

Managing Editor

Unfortunately, we often don’t get to spend a very long time with a test bike or trike. It arrives, we ride it for a couple of weeks and then it’s gone. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The HPVelotechnik Scorpion fs 26 that I reviewed a few months ago is still here and not going anywhere anytime soon. I’ve been riding it for about four months and nearly 600 miles now so I thought I’d give you all an update. (The original review can be found here.)

I think it goes without saying that if I’ve put that many miles on a single trike during our “busy season” when I’m obligated to ride and review several other machines, it’s safe to say I like the fs 26 quite a lot. Part of the reason I like it (and part of the reason it gets so many miles on it) is that it’s a very practical machine and comfortable machine.

As I noted in the original review, the rack doesn’t allow the use of a conventional trunk bag. However, I found that a pair of small Angletech Techwind panniers mount up just fine and don’t add much weight. I’ve basically permanently mounted then on the Scorpion and all is well.

With the storage issue solved, the fs 26 has become a very useful machine. It’s the first bike or trike I head out for a quick trip to the store and is by far my favorite trike for riding with my wife and/or kids. It’s also been my first choice for rallies where I know I’ll spend a fair amount of time at slow speeds in a pack.

I did make one major change to the trike and plan on making at least one more. The fs 26 came with the softer front springs and even at my relatively light 195 lbs, I found them to be way too soft. They pogoed when climbing and bottomed out on bumps. A switch to the harder springs made the ride much better. I’d recommend that most riders opt for the harder springs.

The fs 26 also came with HPVelotechnik’s wider ErgoMesh XL seat. It’s exceedingly comfortable but a bit larger than needed for my height and weight. I’ll be switching to the standard Ergomesh in order to get some turning radius back.

The only two small complaints I have about the trike are the turning radius and some noise from the chaintubes. The first one will be helped greatly by switching to the aforementioned narrower seat, but the chain noise is a bit baffling. I’ve tried several different lengths and configurations and I still get a fair amount of noise under hard pedaling. It’s not enough to bother me too much and the noise is by no means what I’d call “loud” but it is something that I’d like to get rid of.

So basically my favorable opinion of the Scorpion fs 26 remains the same after several hundred miles of riding it. It’s a big and fairly heavy machine even when folded. It’s not the fastest thing out there but it handles superbly, is very practical now that the bags are sorted and the suspension quality is addictive.