Drift trikes are tricycles that have slick rear wheels, normally made from a hard plastic, often PVC. They are designed to drift, by intentionally initiating loss of traction to the rear wheels and counter-steering to negotiate corners. They are usually ridden on paved roads with steep downhill gradients, with corners and switchbacks.
The sport has a dedicated following and is quickly growing in popularity across the globe. The origins of drift trikes come from New Zealand, where the sport was first invented, fuelled by New Zealand's on-going car and drift culture of 'boy racers' and car enthusiasts. Drift triking quickly began to spread to other countries soon after, including Australia, the United States, Colombia, many European nations and various other countries. A non-profit organization was founded in the United States, in 2011, called the American Drift Trike Association, with the goal to promote the sport of drift triking.
Smooth roads are preferred to coarse chip sealed roads, as coarse surfaces tend to wear rear wheels faster, create a rougher ride and even reduce drifting ability. Riders gather most of their momentum through gravity but many trike drifters choose to employ a freewheeling pedal front wheel, which makes for a more versatile trike. The freewheel hub allows the rider to obtain forward momentum but allows for coasting when not pedaling. Another means to gain initial momentum is to stand on the rear of the trike and to kick/push with one leg. Operating speeds for drift trikes generally range between 25-50 mph. Drift triking has become a recognized sport, with crews such as Drift Trikes Whangarei being sponsored by Red Bull. One of the biggest names in the drift trike sport is Triad Drift Trikes, which originates from Australia. Triad Drift trikes have been custom manufacturing drift trikes for over 3 years.
The slick rear wheels are commonly made from a hard plastic such as PVC. Proper drift trike wheels can also be created by sliding PVC or polyethylene pipe over deflated pneumatic wheels and then re-inflating them to lock them in place. Many drift trikes are home made or custom fabricated by professional welders. However, certain bike manufacturers such as Huffy, Trek, Aldi's brand Crane, Airwalk, triciclos de la montaña and a number of other companies have released children's versions commercially and Local Motors was the first to introduce an electric adult's version commercially. BlackTop-Engineering released the first adult's fuel-driven drift trike with suspension and G-Force Bars commercially. Instead of choosing to buy brand name drift trikes from manufacturers many enthusiasts have chosen to design and build their own. Generally this involves using an old kids bike or BMX and modifying the frame to fit an axle and seat on the back. This allows for people to have their own unique look to their drift trikes and save a lot of money.