I am interested in purchasing a Flexit Sidecar. The only place it seems that I can get one is from overseas, which makes me a bit nervous. I am skeptical and would like to know if anyone owns one of these sidecars and could give me some more info about it. Thanks.
You may want to check this place out:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexitsidecarclub/
At last count I think there were about 99 Flexitheads there.
Hope this helps,
I own one ask away.
Dave
Did you ever get your Flexit? I ended up going to Belgium for mine. It was more money that I had wanted to spend (like double what I figured), but it has been worth it for us. Without doubt it is the only sidecar with the features that we wanted and needed.
John Goff
This is an old, old thread so perhaps it is a very moot point. If you still have your Flexit, I will be in Dayton the weekend of the 6th (june) for a wedding. We;ll be arriving Friday evening nad leaving Sunday probably no later then mid-day. If you (and I) have time to get together, I'd love to have a look at it.
I just got back into riding last year or so and the notion of a sidecar is at a minimum interesting. When i saw the pics of the Flexit, it would be the car of choice for me (styling and perceived performance). Have a friend who is going to see about talking with the designer/builder!
Here's one for sale in Oregon. If the link doesn't work, go to www.cycletrader.com and search for "flexit" (no quotes) as the keyword.
The ad claims that the car will lean 30 degrees either way. What happens when you try to lean the bike 31 degrees (go to the limit of the hacks ability to lean over)? Does the rick suddenly start acting like a conventional sidecar i.e. lose countersteering?
Also, after reading alittle about flexible sidecars, the thought of hitting a patch of ice or oil or something in a turn didn't seem appealing. Not that hitting ice on a 2 wheeler is any better but it seemed you were giving up one of the benefits of a sidecar.
Anybody that has actually ridden one care to share your experiences?
Well, in order to see my Flexit in person, you would have to travel to Portland, Oregon.
Articulated sidecars are very rare. If you really want one you will have to jump through what ever hoops are necessary to the achieve that end. I personally feel that the Flexit is the best designed unison leaner yet done. Please feel to contact me direct with any questions you may have.
John Goff, The World's only known Flexit sidecar historian! 🙂
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/flexit.htm
650 NW 123rd Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97229
USA
Cell - 503-351-1650
Email: jg@teleport.com
Be advised that John Griffths Flexit sold many months ago to fellow in Canada. If you are truly interested in buying Flexit, keep looking. They are definitely worth the effort.
The maximum Flexit lean angle is 35 degrees, equally left and right. Few people ever lean this far. And if you did, you would "stop" leaning at 35 degrees. At that point to run into a mechanical "stop". Maximum lean is just that. It is the limit of the mechanism. On our Flexit attached to our Goldwing (with the exception of a parking lot fumble) we have never reached that limit, or needed to.
You MUST separate in your mind that leaners and rigid sidecars are different animals. After conversion into a rigid sidecar the resulting rig is NO longer a "motorcycle". It becomes a unique (asymmetrical) vehicle type, more a kin to a tricycle in many respects. IMHO. With a unison leaning sidecar, you still HAVE a "motorcycle". So the problem of a slick or oily surface is the same with or without the unison leaning sidecar.
Without digressing to much into detail, the utility of a lock-out device for low-speed or parking maneuvers in leaner sidecars is feature that is handy to the point of being a savings grace as an aid the rider,. And is (of course) a standard feature on a Flexit.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you should have any other questions.
Warm regards,
John Goff, The World's only known Flexit sidecar historian! 🙂
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/flexit.htm
650 NW 123rd Ave.
Portland, Oregon 97229
USA
Cell - 503-351-1650
Email: jg@teleport.com
