Why Do We Drive Sidecars

If I had been riding the chase bike, I would have destroyed the recording. He was lucky there was not more oncoming traffic. That's what happens when a good hack driver runs with a mediocre squid.

Yes, I'll agree that the camera bike rider is not especially skilled, but he's not letting the moss grow on his tires, either. My point in referencing this clip is that a contemporary sidecar rig can be reasonably quick.

I note that the hack driver sits straight in the saddle and doesn't hang off. I wonder what the scene might have looked like if he had been driving a bit more aggressively.

Thanks for locating the clip.

pmdave

pmdave said:

Yes, I'll agree that the camera bike rider is not especially skilled, but he's not letting the moss grow on his tires, either. My point in referencing this clip is that a contemporary sidecar rig can be reasonably quick.


pmdave

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You will have to have significantly above average riding skills to be able to keep up with an expert on a modern performance rig on a windy road. If the driver knows what he's doing, he will drift the rig through the curves and you can lean all you want, you will fall behind.

ima4nr said:

You will have to have significantly above average riding skills to be able to keep up with an expert on a modern performance rig on a windy road.
If the driver knows what he's doing, he will drift the rig through the curves and you can lean all you want, you will fall behind.

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Yeah... But listen to the chase drivers motor/revs AND note how many times he crossed into oncoming lanes. Bad.

Hack driver... Pretty good.

pmdave said:

Thanks for locating the clip.

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Yer welcome Dave...

Why do we drive sidecars?

A few years ago, after a run through Deals Gap, following Roger Symington and a couple of ZX-14s equipped with sidecars. I had a Hayabusa rider come up to me. Said he was upset that he was behind a bunch of sidecars that would slow him down, then we just left him.

My oldest son was in the chair of one of the ZX rigs, the max speed on the GPS for the ride through the gap was a little over 80.

Now when anyone asks why I would want to put a sidecar on a perfectly good motorcycle I say to make it go faster.

Is that a kid in a wheel chair on a trailer!?
Wassup wif Dat!?

Is that a kid in a wheel chair on a trailer!?

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Yes, but for photo purposes only, the trailer is for carrying his wheelchair.

My career as a side car pilot began in 1974. I made the decision to ‘convert’ my 1968 BMW R50/2 with a later model, higher output engine and electrical system, the idea being to make a side car puller out of it. The 68 frame still had side car lugs from the factory and an Earls front end so it seemed like as good a place as any to start. By 75 I had a working ‘tug’ and that summer, one of my side car riding friends found a brand new Jawa Velorex chair at a garage sale for $300.00 and that set the third wheel in motion.

The reason for moving over into the world of side cars was to accommodate my wife who at the time was ill and had been forced to give up riding her own bike. The side car became a platform for us to continue to enjoy motorcycling together.

One of our first long rides took us out for a spin one weekend in the company of 9 other sidecars from all over Albuquerque. We made a 100 mile loop through the Manzano’s on the east side down to Mountainair stopping at the old missions along the route then through a spectacular pass and back through Belen to the west of the mountains. That road is one of my favorite two wheel roads but it presented ALL the challenges one might expect to encounter riding a hack on the road as well as all of the fun parts too. That day I came to the conclusion that side cars were not motorcycles any more and that I definitely liked the riding style and had a good feel for the rig. I told a kid who asked what riding it was like that it was just like an all-day amusement park ride. He replied, “How boring”. Not everyone gets it.

Why I Ride a Sidecar

I have ridden motorcycles since 1965. In 1985, I offered my wife (who had ridden with me but never on her own) a choice: she could have a Triumph or we could get a sidecar rig. She chose the latter. We are on our second rig now, a 1987 K100LT with Hannigan. I could recite a long list of reasons to ride a rig, but thought I would add an insight that I have not yet seen on this thread. In 2002, while riding my R1100R in the Sierras near Mariposa I was seriously injured in a collision with a deer. We have since retired and live in northern Idaho, where I think there are more deer than people. I love to ride, but I am, uh, shall we say concerned about the prospect of another such collision. At least with a rig I won't go down.

So we can park on the lawn during a community event!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/4981964412/" title="Best Seat. by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/4981964412_964e28d2a0_b.jpg" width="1024" height="685" alt="Best Seat." /></a>

Best seat in the yard too!

I must've fielded 50 or so sidecar questions last night.

Why?

Back in the saddle of an '80 Naked GL1100 Wing w/ Watsonian Monaco after 8 year absence & the rig sitting in the garage under layers of dust, loads of guilt, buckets of sloth -- (mea culpa). . .

Still tuning the engine for maximum terror, but the smiles and waves of passersby - especially kids - would make it worthwhile, even if this wasn't ass-kicking fun. I used to ride my blue merle Aussie in the chair, and we'd almost cause wrecks from all the rubbernecking of oncoming drivers!

I watched the video of the rig on The Tail of the Dragon, and figure he must have that chair ballasted to go that fast without a lot of body english . . . for newbies to three wheels, don't try to ride like this -- your first "surprise" will be quick and deadly. Most of the time, you gotta shift your weight a whole bunch to keep all three planted (and sliding!)

I used to live in Colorado, and - for those who don't know this - a rig will go in snow and ice like a Panzer.

The concept of sanity is WAAAAY over-rated. . .If this is your personal philosophy, you belong on three wheels.

Regards,

Walking Eagle
'94 R1100RS - MoonBeemer
'80 Naked GL1100 w/ Watsonian - Old Son

Pictures? We must have pictures.

No conclusions

It has been since June that this thread was begun. It is time for a little analysis and additions to our reasons for driving sidecars.

Of the four reasons I mentioned, we have votes for family, dogs, and weird. No one admitted to disablity unless I count my consession to age.

The thing that was mentioned several times in several ways is more a result of, not the reason we chose to sidecar.. I will call it, ÔÇ£WE BRING JOY TO A LOT OF PEOPLEÔÇØ
1 We attract a lot of attention. I have had people hang out of car windows to take a picture.
2 People want to talk to us at gas stops. Even little old ladies. I added about 2 extra hours to a SS1000 ride because of extended gas stops.
3 I have had middle aged ladies ask to ride in the car that would never dream of asking to ride on the back.
4 We donÔÇÖt seem to be bothered by the attention that we get because we are different.

Other words that were used were FUN, CHALLENGING, INTRUGUING AND A DISEASE. I have been asked ÔÇ£Why not a trike?ÔÇØ My answer is they are too easy to drive. The real reason is that they are too expensive.

Sidecars are practical. I have also been choosen to haul the freight.

Saftey and stability is why my helcopter parent daughter inlaw will allow my grandchildren to ride with me.

Going Faster in not why most of my sidecar friends have rigs but my solo friends have learned that they donÔÇÖt need to wait for me.

There are no conclusions to this post because we all have our own reasons.

Rideing Hacks

Maybe it is to commute to and from work every day including in the winter. It is great fun even in the snow in WI.

hhshort said:

It has been since June that this thread was begun.
It is time for a little analysis and additions to our reasons for driving sidecars.
There are no conclusions to this post because we all have our own reasons.

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OK, you guys can be the first to know. I've been thinking of selling the Spyder and building another outfit, based most likely on an R1200R. I actually showed the Spyder to a local guy today. Who knows?

I guess there is just something about an outfit that I prefer over a trike. I still have my R100/Ural rig, which is capable of regional trips. And if a buyer offers some cash for Sparky, I can drive the airhead rig to this year's local rallies.

Maybe it's that with a sidecar combo you know you're on a motorcycle--with or without the third wheel. It's a stretch to think of a trike as a "motorcycle."

Stay tuned.

pmdave

I like to attend the Bee Cee Beemers "Hot Springs Rally" at Nakusp, BC. In past years I've driven the airhead rig, for the express purpose of taking the old folks for a ride. The nearby "rest home" lines up the residents out front, and all the sidecarists show up.

It's not uncommon to have a 95 or 100 year old passenger. My first year, I happened to be first in line, but I didn't know the "official" circuit. The bystanders lifted "Betty" into the car and strapped on a helmet. As I recall, Betty was 103. I drove down the main drag and up to the other end of town and started to make a U-turn. Betty poked me in the leg and announced "I was expecting the WHOLE ride." I asked her to point the way, and she directed me up the hill, down the highway, and back through town from the east.

This year, the Hotsprings Rally will be Aug 18-21. Nakusp is along a lake in eastern BC, roughly 200 mi north of Spokane WA.

pmdave

pmdave said:

I like to attend the Bee Cee Beemers "Hot Springs Rally" at Nakusp, BC.

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You gonna go to Chelan...? The dates are up and he's beginning to update the site as well...

Rest Home Ride. That is included in the catagory "We bring joy to a lot of people". Harold