Scorpion Plus With Pinion Review 2019

The HP Velotechnik Scorpion Plus with Pinion Gearing is the SUV of the recumbent world. It can haul you and your stuff in comfort.
See how the Pinion box works Here:
pinion.eu/en/technology/
Test Ride the Pinion at Bent Revolution
www.bentrevolution.com/
Have a question? I will try my best to get back to you.

[@StellarFella]

For seniors, this trike and the TRIOT trikes are the absolute best. I weigh 330 lbs. and have a 43 inch X-seam so I got the Greenspeed Magnum XL just last week and I love it. The boom is almost all the way in so I had some of the chain links removed. No chain gobbler. I am still accessorizing it and have two flag poles for flags and two more on the outside for flag pole lights.

[@StellarFella]

Ride your trike into and through some retirement communities. Have seminars about recumbent trike riding in their club house conference rooms. Once they see these and realize they too can be riding around in one, your sales will go through the roof. Get riding clubs organized among seniors and you will get so many more interested in the pastime for sure.

[@StellarFella]

This same pinion system now has an 18 gear range. The Magnums fold up more compactly AND have a quick pop out for the front two tires. But the seat is a lot more difficult to break free and the release pin to loosen the hinge for forward folding is more difficult to get to and work it right. Seniors have body positioning and coordination problems when folding and unfolding the trike and need to practice. I'm almost 66. I also like the AZUB trikes, the ICE trikes, and the Catrike line.

[@bonilla2022]

EXCELLENT video , great use of the 360 cam. great trike and review.

[@StellarFella]

Big bowling ball like bags would be great to wrap around the trikes, zip up, and then move them around easier without scratching everything. The Magnum XL folds up more compactly even without removing the front wheels which I don't do. It also has 20 inch wheels all the way around. The Dumont by Catrike folds up rather compactly and has convenient little wheels to roll it around on.

[@StellarFella]

I got the seat frame cap replacements with the hole in the middle for two extra flag poles. Those will be 1/4 inch O.D. and will hold flag pole lights at night. That means FOUR flag poles at twilight time. Two for flags and two for lights.

[@liegeradontour1901]

That's a great review, thanks! We selected a Rohloff gear because of the Shimano e8000, but anyway, Pinion is awesome too!

[@StellarFella]

I want to use my trike to help me lose weight. Therefore, I do not want an electric assist. But that pinion system would be great! I would want the 18 gear system though.

[@erxkeel]

Wish my FS26 had the quick release handle bars for ease of folding.

[@bhuns57]

I have this Trike. This Trike is a work of art, I love it and ride it many miles a day. Expensive, but worth every dollar. I am an 6-6 260 lbs 81 yr old man and can get on and off the bike easily. I have owned 3 HP Scorpion Trikes over 20 years and this is the best. There is one problem I hope someone can show me how to solve. The tow-in changes with my 260 lbs weight. The bike suffers a lot of drag and my top speed is more than 30% less than my old HP scorpion trike. I have re-adjusted the tow-in many times trying to compensate for the weight dependent tow-in. I am running with the tow-in that produces the least drag, but it is till like dragging an anchor. I run at maximum tire pressure. I have had the Trike 4 months and I have worn out 2 sets of front tires until the threads are showing. I am on my 3rd set of front tires and the original rear tire still looks like new! Can any one help me solve this problem? If some one can help me solve this problem I will gladly give it a 5 star Bill Hunsinger

[@BentRevolution]

You need to have the alignment fixed on your trike. HP says that the measurement of the back of the wheel should be 2-4mm wider than the front of the rim. Both measurements should be done on the side of the rim. Your dealer should be able to make the correction with the alignment rods in the front of the trike.

[@bhuns57]

@@BentRevolution Thank You very much for your help. I have done this several times with no improvement. My old Scorpions do not change alignment [tow-in] when I [260 lbs] sit on it. This Scorpion 20+ suspension seems to change significantly with weight. Is that true? Due I need to change the suspense stiffness?

[@BentRevolution]

@@bhuns57 The suspension should not be the cause of the tire wear. I continue to believe this is caused by improper alignment or perhaps something got bent in the system. Every case of this sort of tire wear we have seen has been a result of alignment or a bent component.

[@bhuns57]

Thank you for your advice.. I will let you know if I find a solution based on your advice. @@BentRevolution

[@benjaminmccoll2703]

Can you explain what you mean by the seats being interchangeable? My understanding is that the height of the plus model is due to its frame.

[@BentRevolution]

Sure... HP offers several different styles of seat (bodylink, Ergomesh, Premium Ergomesh) and the ErgoMesh can come in standard, wide, and High seat (4" higher than standard). The fit of the trike can be customized based on which seat you choose. The HP Configuration tool shows pictures of the seats if you want to see them.

[@Ghostmeat17]

@@BentRevolution Right, but the Plus is an entirely different frame than the standard Scorpion, is it not?

[@BentRevolution]

@@Ghostmeat17 All Scorpions have the same seat mounts and choices.

[@Bob-ew8gn]

Can you put a pinion on a green speed magnum........thank you

[@BentRevolution]

We have put the Pinion system on Magnums in the past, but I recently tried to get a Pinion boom from Greenspeed and they said they were not making them anymore.

[@deankrause]

Wait...gear range of a 30 speed (greater, he actually said) but in only 12 steps? Sounds awful to me. I have a Nuvinci on my bike, NO steps between gears, and a range wide enough for my use+. Imagine if all of your gears have a jump in ratio equivalent to the stupid lower gear on a MegaRange cassette.

[@StellarFella]

The extensive retirement communities throughout Florida represent the most lucrative target market for recumbent trikes out there.

[@GrumpyG63]

Did you say wider than a 30 speed? My 27 speed ranges from 12” to 91” so wider than that with just 12 steps? The Rohloff hub gives a 60” top gear with a 12” bottom gear - lack of range is its only problem - but this is wider than a 30 speed with just 12 steps? You said something along the lines of “if you can’t find the right gear with this then you aren’t looking hard enough” but really you meant “you probably won’t find the right gear.” Just checked with Sheldon Brown’s gear calculator and with with the Pinion 12 geared to give a a 12” lowest gear then top gear would be just 77” so your “wider than a 30 speed” is just wrong - sorry...

[@BentRevolution]

Pinion describes it this way...with 600% overall ratio, the C1.12 gearbox beats modern derailleurs by far. 12 gears are 17.7% even and finely graded, thus offering the right gear for every situation For more tech specs, check out their gear calculator on this page pinion.eu/en/c-line/c1-12-gearbox/

[@kufman01]

I agree, this sounds terrible. This is a similar range to both of my recumbents but they have 27 speeds and I still find areas where the jump feels too big (usually between 6th and 7th on a 9 speed rear end).