Greetings to everyone. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Wayne, or CajunBass, whichever you prefer. Or most people just call me CB these days. I'm 54, married to the lovely and talented Sandy, or "Misty" as she's known online.
I live in Chancelorsville, Virginia, which is just outside of the City of Fredericksburg, about halfway between Washington D.C., and Richmond. About the only thing exciting that ever happened here was in 1863, when Mr. Lee, and Mr. Hooker, and several hundered thousand of their friends had a major disagreement.
I'm fairly new at this motorcycle stuff, having only been riding for just a little over a year. I started off with a Yamaha Majesty 400 cc Scooter last September, and put 21,000 miles on that before trading it off a couple of months ago on a BMW K1200LT. That was a MUCH bigger step than I expected it to be.
I got introduced to this forum by "Sidecar Mike" on another forum where we share another common interest: pistol shooting. I enjoy all kinds of shooting, but pistols are my favorite.
I'm not a Cajun by the way. The name comes from the Cajun (brand) bass boats I used to run "back in the day" when I was doing a little amature tournament bass fishing. When Cajun went belly up, and I made the switch to Javelin boats I was too lazy to change my name, and everyone knew me by this one anyway. I got burned out on tournament fishing, and gave that up and now only fish for the fun of it.
I'm sort of interested in a sidecar bike. My wife, Misty, has a bad back and I don't know at this time if she's going to be able to ride the Beemer with me. Even a "routine" drop of a bike that you or I would laugh about, could well send her to the hospital, and at the very least cause her a lot of pain. So, I got to thinking about a sidecar rig, either for the Beemer, or maybe someday down the road, getting a dedicated sidecar bike. But that's all down the road a bit. For now, I'm just going to get a cup of coffee, pull up a 5 gallon bucket, and set over here by the stove and listen a bit, and see if I can't learn sommething.
Thanks for the invite Mike. Nice place y'all got here.
Thanks for having me.
CB Welcome to the world of sidecars. Oh yes you will learn a lot but remember some of us are fishermen too and you know fish grow in the telling of the story. Lol.
I'm glad you made it over here, Wayne. Sit back and listen. Poke around the threads and you'll learn a lot. The only real rule here would suit us at HP as well. That rule is that the only dumb question is the one you don't ask until after somebody gets hurt. Don't be afraid to speak up. Mike
Welcome aboard CB,I have been driving these things for longer than you have been borne. Try one and you will never go back to two wheels
Originally written by Ron Campbell on 12/30/2006 2:01 AM
Welcome aboard CB,I have been driving these things for longer than you have been borne. Try one and you will never go back to two wheels
or you'll end up owning more than 1 bike. 🙂
CB,
In June of 2007 on the 21st to the 24th is the United Sidecar Association's 29th National rally in Boone N.C.
Stop down and you can see sidecar's and their owners up close and personal.
Originally written by hdrghack on 12/30/2006 5:15 PM
CB,
In June of 2007 on the 21st to the 24th is the United Sidecar Association's 29th National rally in Boone N.C.
Stop down and you can see sidecar's and their owners up close and personal.
Ummm. I don't know about that. The last time I was in Boone N.C., Iraq invaded Kuwait, and look what's happened since then. Maybe I better say away from there. 🙂
On the other hand, it was a fun trip. Something to think about.
Welcome, Wayne. I haven't been here long but have been made feel very welcome.
Check out 1200hack's R80 with Velorex hack. You can reach him at bubbacop2@aol.com. Really nice rig and the price is right at $4500 asking. Welcome to the "club" and do read between the lines and over and under the lines as you go through this site. Some excellent information here, but some that you might question a bit. It takes awhile to sort out the guys who know from the guys who talk. But it is all fun.
The KLT is a great bike but if you really want a modern BMW for a tug look at the R1200C. Any of the various versions are great for tugging a boat around. I have a Montauk with Champion escort, and we have over 24000 in the first two years. Never thought I would ride it that much, but I ride it everyday that I can.
Enjoy the site.
Uber
Welcome aboard Wayne. That K12LT would make a very nice sidecar puller. There ar3e a lot of combos out there using the big beemer. Plenty of power, a reverse and comfort too. Makes a great tug no doubt.Put a trailer behind it with a small boat on it and lets go fishing. Post often. This is a very active site as is SCT(Link posted below). Many post at both sites and there is a lot of good info out there. If you decide to come to the USCA rally you will not be disapointed.
WECOME YOU DO INDEED HAVE A NICE TUG AND MATCHED WITH THE RIGHT RIG WILL MAKE A NICE OUTFIT TAKE YOUR TIME AND LISTEN,LOOK @THEM ALL
Nice signature line CB.
You will probabbly like these guys as you get to know them. I didn't mean to leave the ladies out either.
I attended the Rally in Arkansas last year it was a lot of fun and informative. A very nice family atmosphere.
Preacher
Member of Christian Motorcyclists Assoc.
Hey CB, welcome to the forum,
Although I've been riding for over 30 years, I'm also pretty new to hacks, only since '05, but I'm glad I came over (well, I didn't exactly "come over", I still have my two wheeler, but I must say I put quite a few more miles on my sidecar rig last year than the solo bike). My reason was similar to yours, just a different age group. I didn't feel comfortable putting my now 9y/o daughter on the back of my Ultra but she loves bikes and doing things with "Dad". Enter the sidecar, and it was a great choice. You'll find that quite a lot of folks have gotten into hacks because of a riding partner that shouldn't, couldn't, or wouldn't get on the back of a bike. It's a great way to share the experience!
A couple of thoughts:
You mentioned that your wife has back problems. This could be a significant consideration in your choice of rigs. Mine for example is a HD Ultra with a factory car. It's great for us, but it requires climbing in (as opposed to many models that will open and let you step in) and because of the way it's sprung the ride tends to be a bit bouncy. Now Brooke thinks that is absolutely THE BEST feature of HER sidecar, but your wife (and her back) might feel differently 🙂 Also seating comfort and leg/body position are going to vary considerably amoung rigs and it would be very helpful if you could get to a rally and let her try a few on for size. (If you're ever in Ohio I would be more than happy to do the honors - my insurance is good all winter!)
You also mentioned that someday you might get a dedicated rig. I think most of the folks here would agree with me that most sidecar rigs are pretty much dedicated. While the cars are usually removable, it's not like unhitching a trailer. There is a fair amount of work involved and adjustments to be made when you remount the rig and many of us make mods to the bike so that they will handle better with the sidecar but which would make them unsuitable for two wheel use.
Bottom line, if you like riding, and you wife likes to share the sport with you, IMHO you are definately in the right place. Look around, chat with folks, ask questions. You'll never be at a loss for opinions.
Joe
Hi CB,
I'm new here too, but I just finished putting together my 2nd hack. Also I purchased an '05 K1200 LT new on Dec '04 and sold it a few months ago. It's a great bike but I didn't want something that heavy anymore. I considered putting a hack on it but ultimately decided against it because it would be a pretty monsterous rig when all was said and done. However, I'm sure with all of the power on tap, great brakes, and absolute comfort it would make a great tug.
You might consider getting your feet wet before making such a large and expensive committment. Look into a used rig or consider putting one together that isn't quite so expensive, ride it, and see if you like it. Obviously it isn't necessary to go this direction, but it has worked well for me.
As for my LT - I decided I wanted my touring bike to be a little lighter and also to remain a two-wheeled vehicle, so I now ride an '07 RT. I love hacks but I don't think I'd love having a hack as my only cycle. So the RT does commuter/travel duty and the Sportster/hack I put together is strictly for fun and trips with the dogs.
