Ok....so I have been a lurker for a while and trying to educate myself. So...here is my question. I have read about the "flying chair" and right turns require some getting used to, but just how hard IS a sidecar rig to flip over during a right turn? I would imagine that could ruin a good day. I need to answer MyLady's question if a sidecar is safer then a can am. 🙂
Thanks one and all!
Hey professir, welcome to the asylum! I can't answer your question if a sidecar is safer than a Can Am but I have two sidecars and have had no safety issues yet. I will say that a sidecar is certainly better looking than a Can Am. Personally I've never cared for the looks of a Can Am. JMHO
Jay S.
Okie from Muskogee
professir,
Welcome from the Hawkeye state. As with Buffalohead I can't say they're safer than a Can Am, but my rig is safe enough grandma let's our 4 yr grandson ride in the chair with her, and I take him to daycare by himself in it. I'd say that's pretty safe. 🙂
All depends on how you're driving. I managed to wreck steering left.
However, as a passenger........you get to see more than the back of someone's helmet, no bumping helmets, lots of space for stuff, can wiggle around, wear sandals, notice that a lot of folks smile when they see a sidecar....... 🙂 just my opinion.....
professir - 7/10/2013 9:23 PM
... I have read about the "flying chair" and right turns require some getting used to, but just how hard IS a sidecar rig to flip over during a right turn?....Hi professir, welcome to the offset sidecar world. You are correct that right turns require some getting used to, but not just right turns, all turns. Flying the chair generally refers driving while purposely lifting the sidecar tire. However, the sidecar CAN unexpectedly rise in right turns, and does happen often with newby sidecarists; however, right turns seldom result in flips -- as the almost universal response for the inexperienced driver is to straighten the handlebars to bring the sidecar down -- but resulting in the rig traveling into the left lane and possible oncoming traffic. I have heard several stories for experienced motorcyclists driving a sidecar rig into the ditch on their first driving attempt.
All that being said, with some training and a little experience, it takes some extreme driving to flip a rig in a right turn. However, some experienced sidecarists have been sorely surprised in a spirited left-handed curve -- but that another topic.
Professir, it took me a training class and a couple of thousand miles to become comfortable/competent to pilot my sidecar rig -- just as it did learning to ride a motorcycle some 20 years ago.
Also, the size/type of rig is a factor: A smaller rig (such as my Sportster combination) is much more likely to lift the sidecar in a right turn than a large touring rig (such as Goldwing/Hanigan GTL).
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
Hi Professir,
Having a tug and tub well matched is important too. A heavy bike requires a heavy car. I think the rule of thumb (and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong Experts!) is that for a single seat hack, the car should weigh at least one third what the bike weighs. A doublewide car is more forgiving weight wise due to it's greater leverage, but those will almost alway require a big bike to move the thing.
If you take the leap into the slightly off-center world of sidecars,
- nothing beats a S/TEP class for learning to drive a rig
- parking lot experiance will allow you to make mistakes and live
- add ballast to the car until you are comfortable with handling it
- humans make poor ballast for a newbie pilot
- wives hate to be called ballast (I found that one out too late!)
Thank you for the guidance folks. I truly believe I will be attaching a tug to my Sporty and making it work. The Can-am is not only out of our price range, but the extra room and comfort for the Lady is vital. She too has accident injuries and needs the supportive seat. I do plan on doing my homework and learning to be safe with it, I just wanted some comparisons and ideas of how easy they are to flip. I rode several trikes, and they do not seem all that stable. Perhaps its just my newness to the format of vehicle that produces my anxiety. MyLady is actually the driving force here, (not that I mind!) SHE wants to ride and do some distance! SO, of course I will accommodate! Just have to decide on which tub, and if I am brave enough to put it on myself.
I won't try to answer the safety issue about a Can Am but I will tell you I met a young lady (65) riding a Can Am a few days ago and we had some fine conversation. Based on what she told me, she'll corner a whole lot faster than I'm willing to and I don't let anyone leave me behind. Oh yeah, lest anyone get the idea I'm an old geezer, I'm only 66...
