Howdy. I'm so new here I squeak. This is post number 1 for me. I'll find my way around eventually but I just wanted to introduce myself. I've been riding for over 40 years, mostly on two-wheelers. I had a trike I built for about 5 years but am totally new to Sidecars. I've always had a fascination for them and have driven a Ural Patrol (I hope they all don't handle like that). I know that one had to have the tow-in wrong or something because the right wheel wanted to cross over the front one and the ride was somewhat unstable (it wobbled like a drunken penguin). At any rate, I'm looking to set up a rig with a sidecar and will be picking your brains on this. Good rule: although I know not to mount a sidecar to the handlebars and exhaust, assume I don't know anything and say whatever you think I need to know. Better to hear something I'm already familiar with than miss something I could need. Enough for now. I'll be talking to you later on. Merry Christmas.
Oh, yeah, if you could direct me to your rules, I will read them over and get familiar with things the way you like them.
... where am I? Oh- thngs the way I like them? A mix of Sumatra and French Roast with a few beans of Mocha Java thrown in just for an exotic barely discernable chocolate undertone. Eggs lightly scrambled with a dash of chardonnay (not too oakey please) and bits of New Zealand cheddar melted in. No juice- I take a vitamin pill.
Bob, I keep playing with answers and then deleting them but they're showing up anyhow. I should get a pen and paper.
So- how do YOU like things?
My rig acts like a penguin but not drunk. Don't worry about ti unless you go lock to lock. I just drive through it. Usually it's because my steering bearings are a tad loose or my tire pressure is low.
LOL, I asked, didn't I? 
Originally written by Uncle Ernie on 12/26/2005 6:10 PM
So- how do YOU like things?
I like my French roast with a little raw sugar and cardamom. Turkish style, I guess.
My rig acts like a penguin but not drunk. Don't worry about ti unless you go lock to lock. I just drive through it. Usually it's because my steering bearings are a tad loose or my tire pressure is low.
Kinda like my trike. I spent a couple hundred miles tring to drive it straight until I learned it was going straight anyway, all I had to do was let it.
Well, I have to go find a place to ask a question. We'll see where it ends up.
Like youself, I'm new here. I've only been riding sidecars since August. It appears that sidecar activity slows down in the winter. That goes for website activity as well.
What I have gathered so far is that there is no one solution for all sidecars. Like the individuals that ride them they all behave differently.
I have gotten used to the drunken penguin charactoristic. I improved on the low speed wobble problem by tightening the steering head bearings. Now I only need one hand to keep it steady. I will probubly mount a steering damper this summer.
You must get the notion out of your head that a sidecar rig is related in any way to a motorcycle. It is a different animal. A motorcycle is much more nimble, at the expence of stabillity. I had my rig out yesterday on the icey roads where I live. It slipped and slid on every turn. It was a blast. A 2 wheel rig would have put you in the hospital.
Figure out what you expect and then let yourself be open to what a sidecar has to offer that you didn't expect.
Originally written by Mark in Idaho on 12/30/2005 7:53 AM
Figure out what you expect and then let yourself be open to what a sidecar has to offer that you didn't expect.
I found the learning curve on my trike was like that. I expect this to be another one and am looking forward to it.Anyone know how to post a photo on this forum? I tried one, but found my efforts less than fruitful.
Posting photos:
Usually the reason for failure is the photo is over 200 KB in size.
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 12/30/2005 10:07 AM
Posting photos:Usually the reason for failure is the photo is over 200 KB in size.Lonnie
Actually, I just don't know how to do it here. I'm a moderator on another forum and there are several ways to use the software to either attach one or put it in the text. I don't see any of those options here and don't know much about the works of the software to do it with html or anything.
*If* you are a registered user, the fourth check box when you reply to a message or post a message should be "Attach a file to this thread after posting?" -- You should see 5 different check boxes below the area where you type the message. Now, I grant you, that when you do attach a file getting out of that loop is not particularly intuitive! Good luck...
Actually, unless the current webmaster changed it, I originally set the forum up so that pictures were only allowed in the want ads and the photo albums. With the original web host, rather than charge us money for using too much band width, they would just shut us down. Viewing photos ate bandwidth. While replying to this message, there is no option to add a picture so I'm guessing it hasn't changed.
Well, I only have 4 checkboxes, none of which are for attachments. I checked my profile and couldn't find a setting to turn anything on that would have anything to do with that. LOL, maybe newbies don't get to handle loaded guns or upload photos.
If you just want to post photos, go to albums and follow the instructions.
Under 200 KB photos can be posted to an album and you can refer to it on the regular forums.
If you are initiating a new thread the attachment option should appear but several times I have wanted to post to an existing thread and the option was not there. Now I know why.
It's not just the newbies who have problems, us senile old farts do too.
So soon old, so late smart. LOL
Lonnie
OK, I found the photo albums. Next time I want to post something in a thread, I'll try initiating a new one and see where it goes. Thanks for the help.Is there a way to put a hyperlink to a photo somewhere online? that would also get the job done.
