Learning on an ATV?

You can get the idea of shifting gears and the use of clutch and throttle in starting off, general control operations, but the handling of an ATV is different from a sidecar in a few ways. Whether a trike or a quad.
One is that most all (quad) ATV's have linked steering instead of direct steering with the bars above the forks. It gives a different "feel" than a sidecar rig.
Another is that a sidecar rig is an asymmetrical vehicle. When one accelerates the slave (sidecar) wheel has a tendency to lag back thereby pulling the rig to that side somewhat. When decelerating or stopping, the slave wheel will want to keep going, pushling the rig the other direction. These forces are easily controlled by pressure on the bars but not shared by any other type of vehicle. They must be anticipated.
The weight balance factor is also an issue. The ATV driver is in the center of a 3 or 4 wheel vehicle with the same resistance to centrifugal force when turning left or right. On a sidecar rig the driver is on one side of the vehicle and this makes it react differently when turning left or right. A left turn has the sidecar working as an outrigger and the weight of the bike and rider are supported against the turning force pushing it down on the road surface. In a right turn with the dominant weight on the left side and the higher center of gravity of the bike and driver, the lighter sidecar has a tendency to lift. There are different ways to counteract this; by ballast, slower speeds in right turns, hanging off and other finessing tricks.

Bottom line is that the Quad, a trike and a sidecar outfit all handle differently.

Lonnie

Having ridden ATVs a little & a sidecar rig a lot more, I feel pretty confident in saying they're nothing alike.

--chiba

chiba - 7/8/2011 12:24 PM

Having ridden ATVs a little & a sidecar rig a lot more, I feel pretty confident in saying they're nothing alike.

--chiba

My brother, an experienced ATV pilot at his SE Texas hunting grounds, said the same thing when he rode my sidecar rig around the block, due primarily to the un-equal lateral forces Hack'n discussed.

Having ridden an ATC ( three wheel atv) in the 80's now a sidecar I can say the atc and sidecar are a lot alike. Raise the right wheel in right turns...however they raise the left in left turns. But the riding skill of leaning the same way you re turning is still the same.(just never take your feet off the pegs when stuck or you get to do log splitter imitation.) The atv (4 wheeled atv) is nothing like a side car.

Paul

By law (for safty reason)they don't make any more 3 wheeler ATV. But I've got a honda 4 wheeler. And I would say it rides more like a Trike motorcycle but not a sidecare rig. Rudy

Hi John,
I love your enthusiasm, but feel I should caution you against getting too far ahead in your planning. First, I would take a S/TEP class which provides the use of a sidecar, not only to get a good basis in proper riding technique, but also to see if you even enjoy riding a sidecar rig and to get a better understanding of what you really want to look for in buying one. Most people find they love it, but some folks discover that they don't like driving a sidecar at all. Much better to discover this before you get locked into vacation plans or spend a bucket of money on motorcycle and sidecar.

Once you decide to get a sidecar, spend some more time shopping and go buy the newest, nicest rig you can afford. There can be some great deals on used rigs out there but what you don't want for a first rig is a major project. Avoid kits, bikes with obvious issues or neglect or older Dneprs/Urals/Changs even if they seem like a great bargain. You want to concentrate on gaining riding skills and convincing your wife this is a good idea. You won't be able to do that if you are always working on the bike or if it leaves you stranded or fails in a dangerous situation.

When you have your own rig spend a bunch of time practicing someplace out of traffic and then ride it with no passengers as often as you can. Put some saddle time in before you even consider taking a passenger. And practice, practice, practice!

I think you will be better served by taking a basic motorcycle skills class while waiting to get into a S/TEP classthen you would by taking an ATV class, particularly if your state has a program where taking the motorcycle class will get you your motorcycle endorsement. Here in Oregon we have our own state program called Team Oregon. Most states use the similar MSF BSC. Having taught sidecar classes for several years now, I have come to the conclusion that it is usually easier to teach the S/TEP class to someone who has some motorcycle experience than it is to start from scratch, although we can and do teach complete beginners successfully. While the cornering techniques differ and it can be hard to overcome the habit of countersteering when switching from two wheels to three, I feel this is outweighed by the familiarity with the controls, particularly the throttle and clutch, that motorcycle riders bring to class. Also the street survival skills taught in the BRC are very similar what we teach in the S/TEP class. Most of these strategies will help to be a better driver no matter what vehicle you use. An ATV class won't teach street skills and the controls differ considerably. ATV's typically use a thumb throttle which won't help you one bit on a sidecar rig. 

After you have taken a S/TEP class and have gotten some saddle time on your own rig, take some shorter weekend trips to get a better idea how it feels to put in a longer day on the sidecar as well as how packing and carrying a load affects your handling and comfort. People often plan that big trip on a tight schedule with long miles between each stop. This is a set up for disappointment or worse, a serious accident. I feel it is better to plan shorter days with room to take an extra day along the way. If you find you can do a longer day comfortably you can get ahead of schedule or take a sidetrip along the way. If you have problems, you won't feel as pressed to keep on schedule an can deal with them without haste and without putting yourself in a situation where haste or fatigue causes an injury.

If you can get out to Claude's take advantage of his kind offer to spend some time with you. If he comes up with a S/TEP class, take it!

My next beginner S/TEP class here in Oregon is September 30 through October 2. I haven't set my schedule for 2012 but hope to do so sometime this August. My tours begin with an Advanced S/TEP class which is no substitute for the Novice S/TEP class but provides an excellent brush up for your skills once you have taken a Novice S/TEP class and have some saddle time and practice under your belt. I could design a tour for next year around your needs and skill level.

Hope this helps. Please keep in touch and let me know if you have more questions.

Vernon Wade
Adventure Sidecar, LLC

RedMenace - 7/14/2011 3:28 PM

Hi John,

When you have your own rig spend a bunch of time practicing someplace out of traffic and then ride it with no passengers as often as you can. Put some saddle time in before you even consider taking a passenger. And practice, practice, practice!

I think you will be better served by taking a basic motorcycle skills class while waiting to get into a S/TEP classthen you would by taking an ATV class, particularly if your state has a program where taking the motorcycle class will get you your motorcycle endorsement. .

Vernon Wade
Adventure Sidecar, LLC

I second this suggestion, as that's what I did. PA safety course first, found a rig, and still practicing 3 months later.
http://www.pamsp.com/ There are several courses in the Pittsburgh area. They are free and teach you the rules of the road, what to look for, how to shift, and safety - all applicable to two and three wheels.

I wouldn't be a passenger on any type of motorcycle/rig with an inexperienced driver. This may be why your wife is hesitating.
I found a bike on ebay, low miles, checked out the place that attached the sidecar and it's worked quite well. Boyfriend drives when we are together.I'm still on the back roads working up the nerve for the highway 🙂