Well, I found a 2013 Ural T on the Soviet Steeds website and checked it out yesterday. And bought it. I still have to get it home ( I was on my Venture) - probably Tues. Then I need to learn how to drive it. Then I want to train to train the dog to ride in it. Wish me luck!
Glad you found a rig you like. If your thinking about driving it back, first see if there is a sidecar school near you. If your state requires an threewheel endorsement taking a class might be enough to get the endorsement. When I decided to get back into sidecars it had been twenty plus years since I had ridden one and no endorsement was needed then. Now here in Washington state an endorsement is required, but if you take a course through an accredited school you can get the license. That's what I did before flying to Illinois to pick up my rig. Even though I had prior experience (20 years ago) I found the course very worthwhile. Most even supply the sidecar, if you don't already have one.
WI doesn't require a separate # wheel endorsement - I think WA is the only state that extorts $$ from sidecar & trike owners. The class would be a good idea, and I'd take one in a heartbeat - but also not available near me - I've looked. I already rented a trailer to get it Tues.
This may not (or it may become) my "dream rig". But it seemed like the best place to start. And hey - you gotta start someplace, right?
congrats on your new rig, we will need pictures once you get it home or it didn't happen
I have one taken at the dealership after he took my $$$, does that qualify? 😉
PERFECT 🙂
WinginCamera - 4/23/2017 2:18 PM
Glad you found a rig you like. If your thinking about driving it back, first see if there is a sidecar school near you. If your state requires an threewheel endorsement taking a class might be enough to get the endorsement. When I decided to get back into sidecars it had been twenty plus years since I had ridden one and no endorsement was needed then. Now here in Washington state an endorsement is required, but if you take a course through an accredited school you can get the license. That's what I did before flying to Illinois to pick up my rig. Even though I had prior experience (20 years ago) I found the course very worthwhile. Most even supply the sidecar, if you don't already have one.
Wow, first time I ever heard that a 3 wheel endorsement was required.. This is in addition to an MC endorsement?
Big Tom - 4/24/2017 10:47
Wow, first time I ever heard that a 3 wheel endorsement was required.. This is in addition to an MC endorsement?
Tom, Only a few states REQUIRE a three wheel endorsement. It is common for many states to issue a motorcycle endorsement that says "Three wheels only" if you took your endorsement test on a three wheeled vehicle. This is a big deal if your state doesn't do the three wheels only thing because dealers are loaning Can-Am Spyders to folks to get their licenses and then selling them two wheeled bikes. The result is that someone who couldn't pass the two wheel test passes with three wheels and is on the road and dangerous.
Is a three wheel license a good thing? I really don't think so. But, that's just my opinion... you'll hear others.
Big Tom - 4/24/2017
Wow, first time I ever heard that a 3 wheel endorsement was required.. This is in addition to an MC endorsement?
My understanding is that they are SEPARATE, endorsement. You can get a 3 wheel endorsement and can ONLY ride 3 wheelers. If you get a motorcycle endorsement and you can ONLY ride 2 wheel motorcycles. You need BOTH endorsements to ride both.
I wish the training was more widely available. Nothing here in WI or IL. My daughter lives in WA, but by the time I ride 2000 miles to take the class, I probably won't need the class. LOL
In NC, with the increased popularity of 3 wheeled vehicles, the state introduced a separate endorsement for trikes, Spiders, and Slingshots. If you hold a standard Motorcycle Endorsement, you are able to operate any/all. But holders of the 3 Wheel Endorsement cannot operate two wheelers.
redsimp - 4/24/2017 5:36 PM
I wish the training was more widely available. Nothing here in WI or IL. My daughter lives in WA, but by the time I ride 2000 miles to take the class, I probably won't need the class. LOL
Several years ago there were 12 Sidecar instructors created by Evergreen Safety in Minnesota. The course was a full week and included both classroom and range work. After taking that class, I co-taught two classes. The majority of the students were trike drivers and the course was heavily slanted to sidecars. The trike drivers were not happy. After that it was two years until there were enough students to make a class and by then all our certifications had expired. There's just not enough interest.
That's too bad. I guess I'll start out slow and ease into it.
