For me so far it is not the handicapped reason so far but is all of the rest you mentioned plus the comeraderie we have within the sidecar world. Sidecarists are unique, interesting, independant,self thinkers, do it yourselfers in many cases and just fun to be around. They represent one place in the motorcycle world where you can still see some great things created in someone's home garage or out of the moind of an individual that was not vaccum packed and purchased off a shelf. It's a good atmosphere
when a bunch of sidecar folks get together.

claude #3563 - 4/11/2010 2:33 PM

For me so far it is not the handicapped reason so far but is all of the rest you mentioned plus the comeraderie we have within the sidecar world. Sidecarists are unique, interesting, independant,self thinkers, do it yourselfers in many cases and just fun to be around. They represent one place in the motorcycle world where you can still see some great things created in someone's home garage or out of the moind of an individual that was not vaccum packed and purchased off a shelf. It's a good atmosphere
when a bunch of sidecar folks get together.

What Claude says here. I've been around them quite a bit and have owned three of them. They are just a lot of fun and so are the people who own and ride them. 🙂

When my wife decided to quit riding with me I thought perhaps she'd like a sidecar. And that Archie might take to it. I sure didn't think I'd ever ride on three wheels, that's for people who can't handle two wheels. At least that is what I thought before I tried it. What a whole new thrill. For Barb, my wife of 40 years? Not so much. Her mind was made up. Archie loved it though and so did I. And at my first sidecar rally ever I discovered the comeraderie that Claude is talking about. Two wheels? Ahh.. that's for people who can't handle a sidecar rig!!

Where are the rallys this year? Any near North Carolina?
My neighbor was just over and when he saw the hack in the garage, he was slobbering all over it.

We just got ours because I am second officer in a motorcycle club and have been for 2 years. There are 4 of us in the family and at least 3 who want to be on the bike. My youngest son always wins the passenger seat. I got tired of leaving my wife behind because she is an active member at our club for all the social stuff but never gets to come on the rides. She doesn't feel comfortable getting her own bike ( yet ). The next choice was the sidecar.We went on our first ride Saturday for a 6 hour run. A good time was had by all!

We decided to get a sidecar rig because my wife was having considerable difficulty sitting on the back seat with her arthritic hips. Got tired of her suffering or laying on the guilt trip when I wanted to go. Suggested a sidecar to her and her eyes lit up and.........well, as they say the rest is history. We are still new to sidecars as we just got it late last summer but looking forward to the coming season. After over 30 years of riding 2 wheels, it has been a very interesting learning curve.

because they are fun , they do give you more space to carry stuff,however stuff accumulates to fill the space available,you will enjoy having driving skills that solo riders just dont have,i have heard that real bikers ride on two wheels, i dont know about that, i passed an awful lot of them sitting on trailers and pick up trucks as i drove from northern mass to myrtle beach,just under 1000 miles in one day,i was 66 at the time so i am probably senile. many sidecar drivers do big mileages, so maybe we feel more comfortable,. did i mention sidecars are fun? or maybe 3 wheels are safer than 2, sidecar people come from all lifestyles, occupations and interests but we can all interact and meet at a common interest, "sidecars". try it you might like it, you might even love them.

Well that is a good question. When I lost my leg at 30 years old in the Navy I gave up 2 things dancing and riding. I could not dance with 2 legs so no big deal. Almost 30 years later I saw a man on a bike with what I called training wheels and thought I could do that. I did some looking around on the internet and found this site. The people got me. And after meeting some of them at rallies they just don’t let go. Lol.
Oh as for rallies near you check out USCA Sponsored Rally Info and Other Events and Rallys on this site.
One last thought I love riding.

My first sidecar just happened to be attached to a motorcycle I wanted. It was fun, but I was too young and to cool for sidecars. When my son was born, I remembered that thing and added one to our present bike. When he was old enough for his own bike, I sold the sidecar. It didn't take long to discover I no longer had the ability to stop and pick up groceries on the way home, or the ability to ride on snow covered Minnesota highways, or even sand covered roads in spring. Soon I was riding four months a year instead of 12.

Brain Storm! Get another sidecar. I haven't looked back.

my first one i got mostly to haul tool around to job sites - that was the last year of the 70's....

about 8 years ago my wifes back started to get to where she went from "8 hours is too long" - to "10 mins is too long and she wont be able to get up without help for a week" after. i have always had a foot that goes to sleep driving - and it got to where, every so often, it would be time to put my foot down and below the knee was asleeep.

the sidecar solves both - my wife can ride for hours with no pain [but she does not like the uncoolness] and be fine the next day. and i never worry about my foot - funny thing, the foot problem has mostly gone away over the last two years.. and her back is rarely ever as sore as it was for a while - i think a pot hole on the bike was harder on her than she ever would admit.

to

Wife and I have a young man that lives with us. Brian has been in a wheelchair all his life, 29 this year, 27 different operations in his younger years. This rig was bought with him in mind. But along the way I found out something special. Please don’t tell everyone, we don’t want everyone driving a hack! But in one word it is FUN. It has been two weeks and over 500 miles later and I am having a blast. Still need a lot of parking lot practice, but, close to trading out the sandbags and toolbox for a human test subject. Wife has taken a short ride of about 25 miles. She misses her “Princess Perch”, and the ability to see all around, but loves the ride, and can’t wait to take a trip, said she could fall asleep in it. Didn’t tell her how white knuckled I was with such a precious cargo aboard. And the reason I take my time before Brian and I venture out any farther than Sonic Drive-in, lol. I guess to answer your question, for everyone.

turtleman

As a kid, I used to visit my cousin in NH, and I remembered watching the Laconia Bike Week traffic passing through town, back then there were only Harleys and Indians, but I was always fascinated by those old sidecar equipped bikes, no need for a kick stand, no forgetting to put your foot down if you had 1 too many.
Later, when I was in Germany, our unit was asked to provide an ambulance and driver with an attendant for motocross races above our dispensary. Since I was the one in charge, I got to pick who would go, and I picked ME. I had seen motocross racing before but I had never seen moto-sidecar racing, it seems the throttle guy on the pusher had the easy job, those sidecar racers worked their tails off.
It was most likely then and that summer with those Harleys and Indians with sidehacks that I bought my sidecar, it just wasn't until this March that I took it into my possession.
I had an 07 GL1800 Goldwing 2 wheeler, we both loved riding. My wife has MS and realistically speaking she may not be capable of setting a conventional backseat at some time in the future. I had seen my current rig at the local Honda shop about a year and a half ago when I was picking up an oil filter. I've moved half a dozen bikes in and out of the shop, searching for "that perfect ride" I went from a moped, to a 500 Silver Wing, 250 scooter, to a 750 Shadow, to a 1300 VTX, then to the GL1800, I had 35K plus on the 'wing and thought that I'd reached the best, I married my wife while I owned the 'wing, and we were at a Christian rally in the southeastern part of the state, and the bike got a little squirrelly in some fresh mud, and we both went down. I've dropped bikes over the years, as anyone that rides has probably done, but my wife had never fallen with me driving. At that time it was more embarrassing than injurious, the Goldwing tips the scales about 850-875 loaded, and it is getting a bit much for this 62 year old to pick up. Fast forward to about 6 months later, we are going back to the house after lunch and the bike slipped in the gravel, and she was down again, this time pulling gravel out of the palm of her hand. I decided at that point that she won't be falling on a bike again.
The weather here in SC starts getting "bike-y" in late Feb. early Mar. for the "fair weather" bikers, however, I ride year round. I rode down to the Honda shop, and lo and behold, the VTX-Escort setup was still there, not sold and traded in, still there. I took it out for a test ride, said "let's talk,"
We started the obligatory "I'll give,"" I'll take," he and I came to an agreement and that day my 'wing turned into a VTX.

Doc

Well, after several 2-wheelers, from a Suzuki 450 to various Yamaha's, BMW's up to a Honda Goldwing, I crashed my F650 in 2001 about 3 months after I married Jena, after which we traded the 'wing for a convertible. 6 years later a friend offered his 883R for sale, but I found I didn't ride with anyone during the 1st year -- unfortunately, some of my favorite riding partners had passed.

Then Jena showed up with Maddie the rescue pup, and I thought: Hmm, I've always wanted a sidecar, and maybe I could train the pup to ride. Jena's response was: Hunhh?? Thus began the first step. We never imagined Jena would enjoy sidecars to the point that, after being inspired by Avanell, wanted her own rig. Yep, sidecars are fun; children and dogs love 'em. And I've met, and continue to meet, very interesting folks.