Just Call It Trike Town

Some folks are beating the high cost of gasoline but not with a fuel efficient car or a bike.  They're doing it with a trike.  The News On 6's Chris Wright reports some Oklahomans in Pawnee County have developed a different kind of hybrid vehicle.

Jennings, Oklahoma is a small town in Pawnee County, right along Highway 99.  The population of the town is 373.  The sign says it's the home of Mickey Bohanan, world famous animal trainer.  But, some might also call it Trike Town.

"We just build them.  Just for fun," said trike owner Ken Hardison.

These aren't the kid tricycle, but the souped-up variety.

At least a dozen people in Jennings drive the half car, half motorcycle contraptions.  Ken Hardison has built most of them.

"I got too old to do dune buggies.  We used to dune buggy before this," said Ken Hardison.

Each one Ken Hardison has built is unique.  His trike is adorned with beer cases duct taped to the frame, which he jokes could one day lead to an endorsement deal like NASCAR.

"Case of beer every year or every month, something like that would be alright," said Ken Hardison.

Others are more elaborate, like Terry Earle's combination of the back end of a 1970 VW automatic fastback with the front end of a Honda motorcycle.

"I get a lot of double takes and thumbs up.  One guy yesterday like to fell out of his vehicle hollering ‘give me that,'" said Terri Earls.

Owners say they get the best of both worlds.  They get the fun and freedom of a motorcycle with some of the advantages of a car or at least a half car, including trunk space.

"They won't fall over too easy.  They handle good.  They really do.  They handle good," said Ken Hardison.

And, they also get more than 30 miles to the gallon.

"I told my husband this might end up being our primary vehicle for gas," said Terri Earls.

So the next time you drive through Jennings down Highway 99, wave, say hello and keep an eye out for some of the most unusual vehicles on the road.

The trikes are street legal and have titles and tags. Their popularity is growing nationwide both for fuel savings and for fun.  In fact, trike meets are held all over the country.