A Goldwing rig and a Voyager were traveling West on 74. BOTH the Voyager AND the SC rig had their passengers on the pillion. You guessed it- they went around a right-hand curve and the sidecar drifted to the left into the the median guard rail. Grizzly details aside, eventually the drivers wife got pulled off the seat and died quickly- a blessing at that point. Watching the wreck in progress, the Voyager went right, flipped, and killed that woman. I suppose with the weight so far off kilter, even if he did know how to compensate, it would have been too late.
Maybe I'm wiped out from all this flood stuff and the resulting flashbacks of when I was in the SanFrancisco quake in '89, but I'm finding thjis to be rather tragic and totally preventable. I'd like to snap the bra strap of those I read about here who propose to put a loved one on the back seat of their rig (unless they carry 500lbs of ballast).
Ernie,
Amen to that! I just wish people would realize the dangers involved with a passenger on the back of a rig. the 500 pound ballast you mentioned still wont help to keep the passenger on the bike in a quick swerve to the left or right.
I bet those people also had the "knowledge of driving within their limits'....shows it doesnt matter AT ALL!
If the wife or kids dont want to ride in the tub...get rid of it, or ride on a solo bike.
If you really loved someone, you would NOT put them on the pillion of your rig!!!!!THINK!!!!
some people don't know any better - ignorant
some people after explaining what they are doing wrong and showing them why it happens continue to do it - ignorant and stupid
fly
That is just scary...I was recently on a 'Toy Ride' with close to 500 bikes. There were maybe 4 or 5 sidecar rigs there.
The one following me had an empty sidecar with wife on the back of the bike. I easily kept up with the pack, but he had to really slow down for RH corners.
It never once occurred to me about the safety factor if he ever had to swerve around something.
My wife always rides on the bike with me, but with a leaning rig it's no different than a solo bike.
Might you put that last sentence another way/ paraphrase it? I just want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding what you said...
The Leaner leans into the turns, bike does....like a solo bike.
sidecar mounts are on hinges, sorta.
that is very different than a solid mount rig.
Ahhh- thanks Bob. Never seen one except in pictures.
Yeah, mine's an Equalean. Leans parallel to the bike in corners, still have to put feet down, use a kickstand...etc. I had my son take some action shots a couple years ago... http://www3.sympatico.ca/altech/leanaction/
Have a look...
This exact thing has been discussed so many times and people just seem to not listen. Some feel that weight disctribution does not mean much. They are wrong and ,sadly, in this case were dead wrong. The same situation can be a reality to those who insist on putting a small lightweight sidecar on a heavy touring bike (leaners are the exception). Sidecar rigs are safe when they are balanced witin reason. These type of accidents can be prevented. They are not caused by the sidecar but rather by the weight distribution of the rig. Sad, just sad, and needless.
The specs on my Hannigan 2+2 say the car weighs 295 lbs and is attached to my 1500 Gold Wing.
I am planning to ride the rig about 175 miles to Biketoberfest in Daytona solo. Do I need to put some weight in the sidecar or is the weight of this car sufficient?
Thanks!
Mark,
Yourrig, compared to many, is a stable outfit but you need to be practiced enough to feel comfortable with it. You should practice to get to know it's limits
in a safe place. Keep in mind that the weight distribution after it is loaded makes the difference. If you have an electric lean device on it that helps a lot.
Practice and then practice some more and your question will be answered for you. There is no shame in adding ballast even though a rig like yours should not need it. If in question add some weight! DO NOT ever let someone make you feel that they are a better sidecarist than you because they brag of not running ballast!! That only shows their ignorance and means absolutley nothing. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 🙂
You do not plan to have a passenger on the back of th ebike right? This is where the problems with weight distribution really can be magnified. The other problem created is that a passenger on the back of the bike may tend to slide off the side of the seat especially if a quick move is made. This does noting for your fun meter and can be very dangerous.
Thanks for the response Claude.
I'm riding solo and will be using some back roads rather than the interstate. My wife and Son are following me in the Caddy.
I guess I can put all the luggage in the sc rather than the car. We're staying for a week and my kid will bring his entire toybox I'm sure. LOL
I'll just tell them to pack away. They will call the items necessities and I will call it ballast.
With your rig and you riding solo it shoud be fine, ballast or not. Seriously, Mark, get out and practice with various loads etc.
I have been riding around the neighborhood (at speeds below 35 mph with my wife and son in the car) as often as I can (no valid tags). I will try to log some road miles alone (empty sidecar - no passengers) hopefully this week.
I bought my rig out of state back in July and it has been a nightmare getting it registerd in Florida. Each time I go to the DMV they tell me they need another document. The last problem was that the odometer statement was not filled out correctly. The Florida DMV said they would register it without the corrected statement if I would be willing to check the box that stated the odometer was incorrect. The bike only has 16k miles on it. No way was I going to check that box and watch the value of the bike fall off to less than 1/2 what I paid for it. So once again we are waiting for corrected paperwork.
The dealer I bought the rig from has been getting me the required documents as they have become needed, but they are in Wisconsin and it has been a slow process. Hope to finally resolve this nightmare later this week.
If not, I'll be on 2 wheels in Daytona, as I don't feel I've logged enough miles at this point to ride that distance safely. Hope it doesn't come to that.....as my wife is looking forward to riding as a family while in Daytona and my son can't seem to get enough of riding in the car with his mommy.
Leaners:
Not the same as a solo bike. Single track vehicle vs two track vehicle.
Not the same as a rigid mount sidecar rig. You can lean the bike.
Just the same as a leaner sidecar rig. Third option.
