If you've ever laid eyes on an exile motorcycles trike, you know right away that these aren't your typical retirement-plan three-wheelers. Most people think of trikes as the comfortable, gold-winged cruisers that prioritize back support over bad-boy aesthetics, but Russell Mitchell and his crew at Exile turned that whole concept on its head years ago. They took the raw, industrial, and "clean" look of their custom choppers and translated it perfectly into a three-wheeled platform that looks like it could eat a Prius for breakfast.
What Sets the Exile Aesthetic Apart?
When you look at an Exile machine, the first thing you notice is what isn't there. There's no chrome, no flashy paint jobs with ghost flames, and definitely no dangling leather tassels. The Exile signature style is all about minimalism. We're talking matte black powder coating, raw brushed aluminum, and a "tough as nails" industrial vibe that feels more like a piece of military hardware than a luxury vehicle.
The exile motorcycles trike carries this DNA forward. It's built on the philosophy that less is more. By stripping away the fluff, the focus stays on the mechanics. You see the massive S&S engine, the beefy frame, and those ridiculously wide tires that have become a trademark of the brand. It's a "clean" look that's actually incredibly difficult to achieve because when you have no covers or fairings, every single bolt and wire has to be perfectly placed.
The Engineering Behind the Three Wheels
Most people who jump on a trike do it because they want more stability, but with an Exile, you're also getting a massive dose of performance. They don't just slap a rear axle on a bike and call it a day. The geometry is carefully considered to make sure the thing actually handles.
The heart of these builds is usually a monstrous S&S V-twin engine. We're not talking about stock horsepower here; these engines are built to pull. When you've got two massive tires in the back, you need that low-end torque to get off the line. And let's talk about those tires for a second. Exile is famous for using huge, wide rubber—often 15 inches wide in the rear—which gives the trike a stance that's wider than some small cars. It looks planted, aggressive, and undeniably cool.
The Signature Front End
You can't talk about an Exile build without mentioning the front end. They almost always run a Springer fork, which adds to that old-school, mechanical feel. It's a bit of a paradox—using "old" technology like a Springer on a modern, high-performance trike—but it works perfectly. It provides that skeletal look that keeps the front of the trike from looking too heavy, balancing out the massive weight of the rear end.
Why Choose a Trike Over a Traditional Chopper?
Let's be honest, there's a certain stigma that used to follow trikes around. For a long time, they were seen as the "safe" option for riders who couldn't balance a heavy bike anymore. But the exile motorcycles trike changed that conversation. It's not about being "safe"—it's about having a different kind of fun.
Riding a trike is a completely different physical experience. You don't lean into the corners; you muscle the bike through them. It's a workout, and it feels a lot more like driving a high-powered go-kart or an open-cockpit roadster than it does a traditional motorcycle. Plus, you never have to worry about gravel at a stoplight or your foot slipping on an oil patch. You can just sit there, hands off the bars, enjoying the fact that you're sitting on a piece of rolling art.
The Bolt-On Trike Kit Revolution
One of the coolest things Exile did was make their trike components accessible to people who didn't want to buy a full custom build. They developed a trike kit that could be bolted onto a standard Harley-Davidson Softail frame. This was a game-changer for the DIY crowd.
Instead of having to chop up a frame or do some sketchy garage welding, a guy with some decent tools and a weekend of free time could transform his bike into an exile motorcycles trike. The kit includes the rear housing, the axles, and those iconic wheels. It allowed riders to keep the soul of their Harley but get that aggressive, wide-body Exile look. It's a testament to Russell Mitchell's engineering that these kits feel as solid as a factory-built machine.
Riding an Exile in the Real World
If you're the type of person who hates attention, do not buy or build one of these. It's impossible to go for a quick milk run without someone stopping you at the gas station to ask what it is. The sheer width of the back end alone stops traffic.
On the road, the experience is visceral. Because Exile uses minimal mufflers (or sometimes just straight pipes with internal baffles), you feel every combustion stroke of that V-twin. There's no radio, no GPS screen, and no windshield to protect you from the bugs. It's just you, the road, and the three contact patches keeping you glued to the pavement. It's a raw, loud, and incredibly satisfying way to travel.
Handling the Curves
New trike riders often get a bit of a shock the first time they head into a sharp turn. Since you can't lean, centrifugal force wants to push you toward the outside of the curve. You have to learn to "steer" the trike, using your arms and shoulders to point those front forks where you want to go. On an Exile, with its wide rear track, the stability is incredible, but you still have to respect the physics. Once you get the hang of it, though, you can fly through twisty backroads with a level of confidence that's hard to match on two wheels.
The "Clean" Philosophy in Detail
We mentioned the "clean" look earlier, but it's worth diving into how they actually pull it off. Exile was a pioneer in "hiding" everything. Their bikes and trikes often feature an internal throttle, meaning the cables are tucked inside the handlebars. They use a foot-shifter/clutch setup or hidden hand controls to keep the bars looking like two simple tubes of steel.
They also famously integrated the braking system. On many of their builds, one lever or pedal operates both the front and rear brakes through a hidden proportioning valve. This eliminates the need for extra levers and reservoirs on the handlebars. When you look at an exile motorcycles trike, you're seeing the result of hundreds of small decisions meant to remove clutter. It's a "less is more" approach taken to the extreme.
Is It Worth the Investment?
Custom bikes are never a "cheap" hobby, and Exile parts certainly come with a premium price tag. But you're paying for the quality of the materials and the uniqueness of the design. These aren't mass-produced plastic parts from a catalog. They are heavy-duty, over-engineered components designed to last a lifetime.
Whether you're buying a turn-key trike directly from their shop or building one yourself using their parts, you're getting something that holds its value. The "Exile Style" is timeless. While other custom trends (like the crazy long-neck choppers of the early 2000s) have faded away, the tough, industrial look of an Exile remains as relevant today as it was twenty years ago.
Final Thoughts on the Three-Wheeled Beast
The exile motorcycles trike is a bit of an outlier in the motorcycling world. It doesn't fit into the "touring trike" category, and it's certainly not a budget commuter. It's a statement piece. It's for the rider who wants the stability of three wheels but refuses to give up the aggressive, rebellious spirit of a custom chopper.
It's loud, it's wide, it's matte black, and it's built to be ridden hard. In a world of increasingly plastic and computerized motorcycles, there's something deeply refreshing about a machine that is so honest about what it is. It's just metal, rubber, and fire—exactly how a motorcycle (or trike) should be.