Newbie Needs Advice Please 🙂 Greatly appreciated:-)

Hi Mike
I don't think your going to find much negative talk here about sidecars, except about the cheap crud that gets peddled to unsuspecting people

I will say sidecars aren't for everyone, only you can decide if it works for you. I for one totally enjoy my rig. I bought it because my wife was having trouble on long trips with her back and knees
we decided before we started trailering the bike everywhere we would try a sidecar, best move we could have made, she loves it and driving it is a blast

Welcome Mike!

I agree with Ace, it's not for everyone. It's not a difficult skill to learn, it's just different, like no other form of ground transportation out there!

I think the reason a lot of long-time motorcycle riders have issues with sidecars is that all those years of "butt knowledge" you've built up are no longer relevant on a 3-wheeled ridged rig. It's mainly the fact that you can't lean into curves anymore. Counter-steering is replaced with direct steering. You will "feel" the irregularities of the road more, confusing your "butt knowledge".

Another big issue that catches the uninitiated by surprise is the a-symmetric nature of the beast. When tooling down the road, your rig will now have a "yaw" component with the car pushing and pulling the bike. It's not hard to manage, just different. Right turns are a challenge and practice is needed to do them safely and effectively. You will now feel the "camber" of the road and any dips or crests near the curb will cause the car to rise and fall, causing the bike to "waggle" in a way that "butt knowledge" interprets as scary.

The over-simplified way I like to put it is that, on two wheels, it's you and your bike against the road. With a sidecar rig, your bike has changed sides. But with the right practice and the right attitude, you can tame the beast and learn to enjoy it's slightly off-centered nature.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the information. I really appreciate hearing back from you guys.

I was planning to attend a school that specializes in police motor certification. Its in Troy, Michigan. They produce high quality motorcyclists who can handle big bikes in close quarters. Cops come from all over the country to learn expert skills. The website for civilians is http://www.midwestmotorcycletraining.com/civilian-trainingschedule.html

I mentin this because I realized that learning to safely handle a sidecar rig also means learning and parcticing a skill set. Have ever seen the police competitions? Those skills are mch more complicated and demanding.

I am a creative guy who has always loved the unique. I think I will enjoy the uniqueness of being a sidecarist. I also like talking with people.

Would you guys paint the chair to match my tug?

Thanks again for your replies

Would you guys paint the chair to match my tug?

the answer to that lies in your own taste, I for one say yes however I would suggest waiting until you have ridden and decided if your going to join the world of offset enthusiast, this way you don't have that expense up front
I rode mine around in a 2 tone brown for almost a year before painting it
I wanted to be sure it was for us first

That's a darn good looking barn find. I believe it's probable many if not most of the folks that were negative about sidecars to you were because they "tried" but made little of the required effort to adapt. And it does take some commitment. Much more than a "try". It is a totally different than solo riding. I'm new to sidecars and it took a real effort in time and miles to become comfortable. Like many comments I had read beforehand I at first thought I might have messed up a perfectly good motorcycle. After a few hours of saddle time it got better and after a few weeks or increasingly longer trips it got comfortable. I love the stability it gives my big Valkyrie and my wife loves riding in it. Passenger comfort was my reason for getting a SC and we are both now glad I did. You don't come across as someone unwilling to give it the required effort. Painting the sidecar to match the bike? Their both beautiful machines. If it weren't for bad taste I'd have no taste at all ( apologies to Hee Haw) but those colors kinda clash to me. So yeah, paint it but no hurry. If after making the required effort you really prefer solo it might make it a bit harder to resell with the custom paint. Best of luck, Mike.

Mike....you are the only one that will tell if a sidecar is right for you. one thing I found is that you have to WANT to drive a sidecar. they are different, for sure. I would suggest you get the car set up to your bike and try it out before going to the expense of paint, etc. that's the only way you are going to know unless you have a friend that will let you drive their rig.

I have two years, but not many miles experience. You have a big advantage over my experience because you are starting with a bike that you know and trust. I, on the other hand, rolled the dice and bought a complete rig. and old one. My penchant for having the mechanicals in order has cost me a lot of mechanical down time to "get it right".
As said above "you need to want a rig" to put the small, but not unpleasant effort into acclimating to the off center world of sidecars. You have come to the right place to find a great deal of good information. This forum proved invaluable in my journey.

The bottom line is that I am firmly in the sidecar camp. I also have retained my sport touring bike, vintage cruiser, and vintage endure. It's the best of both worlds. Besides, when one owns mostly 30 and 40 year old machines, it is good to have more than one. That way I always have at least one running.
jim

Thanks to all .. I am not going to paint the car to match until I give it a few thousand miles .. i will use the directory to see if I can find a member willing to meet up and show me the ropes a little

Mike

I think you have it figured out.

I resisted getting back into motorcycles for years because of family situations. When I did, I opted for a sidecar so I could carry the wife and daughter. My only regret is that I waited so long. However, I think it is wise to go slow as you are doing. When complete you will have an awesome rig. Only thing I would do different if I was so lucky as to find something like that in a barn is, I'd paint the bike to match the sidecar. 😉

Mike in MS

Hi Mike, thanks for your advice. I like your idea. Makes me think I should get another bike for the sidecar. I have too much into the Harley to repaint it. An older bike like a Gokdwing might be a good candidate .. buy it at a good price and have it painted to match the chair. It might be really cool if it were the same vintage. .. early 80's ..

Mike,

I have an '82 Goldwing and can vouch for their strength, reliability and ease of repair. Parts can be an issue, but FeeBay has always come thru for me in a pinch.

Check out to see if there is a riding class anywhere close to you. Most have loner rigs for you to take the class on. Highly recommended. You should have a beautiful rig when finished. My wife and I both ride sidecar outfits. Really enjoy them. National rally is in Corning N.Y. July 27-30. If possible,give it a try.
J.R.
USCA sec.
Tex. rep

I have been tokd Honda added a gear in '83 .. does yours idle know nda high in 4th with the sidecar? I was thinking it might make no difference given the added weight to pull ..

I don't wish to discount others' observations about how difficult it is to drive a sidecar rig, but I'd like to say my experience has been otherwise. Other than getting used to having the car out to the right and being sure not to run into the curb, and taking it easy when cornering, I have found the rig to be quite intuitive. When first learning to ride (4 years ago) I was impressed with how much the sidecar rig rode like the tractors I drove when I was a kid growing up on the farm - I was riding on top of the bike with it moving around beneath me (as in driving a tractor), rather than becoming one with the bike as on a 2-wheeler. Compensating for the pull to one side or another when accelerating or braking quickly became second nature. I'm still honing my cornering skills, but then I'm also doing that on my 2-wheelers - it is a continuous process.

On the other hand I have been impressed with how much easier (yes, EASIER!) it is to ride a sidecar rig. No worries about losing one's balance and tipping over at stop lights, slow speed turns, or moving the rig around the garage. When underway I no longer worry about losing traction by sliding on loose rocks, oil slicks, or tar snakes. When I stop I don't have to worry about my footing, or if the site is level enough. And perhaps most important, it's just plain easier to ride a sidecar rig. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to keep a 2-wheel rig balanced, and the sidecar frees me from all of that.

If this sounds like an old guy, well, it is! As I age (I'm now 72) I find the considerations mentioned above more and more salient.

So, yes, riding a sidecar brings its own unique challenges and learning requirements, but they can be handled relatively quickly. On the other hand, sidecars also have all of the advantages I've mentioned, plus the capacity to haul tons of stuff.

Wally Gingerich
Shaker Heights, OH
1988 BMW R100RT with Ural sidecar