Connie - Welcome back! Missed you guys at the RDV last year.
Jes - In 1985 I had a wreck with a semi on a day I had planned to ride my Triumph but changed my mind. The thought of what would have happened if I had been on the bike instead of my truck scared the hell out of me. It took me 14 wasted years to get back on a bike. Don't make the same mistake.
We're the same age and, frankly, I am feeling it. I've been on three wheels for two years now and love it. No bike sliding out from under you in the rain or on gravel. (Gravel is an extra-bugaboo for me for some reason.) Shopping trips no longer ABSOLUTELY require the car. Non-bikers see you in a different light for some reason - you are constantly waving. Non-bikers just plain see you more than on a solo. And a million other advantages.
Different to ride? YES!!! But certainly not difficult to learn. Claude and others have the right idea when they say "take a class". I took the class at last year's RonDeeVoo but plan to take it again this year. You can't get enough practice under the eye of Gurus like Fly and Claude! Also, a class would give you a chance to see if you even like being a little off center without buying a rig. I am sure there will be more than one that would let you take their rig around during the course. After all, it is held out in a huge grassy area and the max speed is maybe 8mph! Heck, I'll even let you take a spin around the course on my new "Road Warrior" touring rig Claude is presently building for me.
Sidecars are addictive. Sidecarists are, like I said above, "a little off center". The people you meet while sidecaring are addictive, too. Sidecars also extend the riding life of people who would have to give up solo bikes. They have a million uses and advantages.(But NEVER tell your wife that a sidecar with a puppy in it is the world's greatest "chick magnet"!)
Sarge
Sarge, when cute Claude asked me to put on the training course at RON DEE VOO this year he didn't tell me about repeat offenders.
fly
Fly,
All will be fine as long as you don't pull that "left, left, left, RIGHT!" trick on me again!!
Sarge
Sarge, wait till you see what we have for flying the chair.
fly
Hi Sarge,
That picture still cracks me up everytime that I see it! I think we were in Colorado last year when RON DEE VOO was going on, but I'm giving serious consideration to this year. I wanted to take that class, but Fly is sounding like he might be like the guy on that boat that I just went sailing on in Florida (I hate boats, by the way). But I gave in and went for my kids because I figured that I could huddle in a corner, in terror somewhere. So, what's the first thing that the "captain" does? He puts me at the wheel. It's nothing like a boat with a motor! And then before it was all over, he made me turn the wheel as hard as I could and do a 360! Talk about being "off center"! Anyway, I hate being terrified and I have a sneaking suspicion that Fly might be just a bit sadistic! Nah, he couldn't be.(grin) Guess, I won't be taking the class, but I just might see you in PA.
Connie
Well it sure turned my bike into a slow, difficult, grocery getter, don't believe me? why is there a several page manual to read before ever getting on one? The only thing that is like riding an M/C is the controls and where you sit. 6 months and going. 120# of ballast.
Clumsy, difficult, hard handeling, slow, the only thing the same is the controls and where you sit, why do you think there is a several page operation manual before you even get on one? It turned mine into a slow, ill handling grocery getter. 6 months 120# ballast. It's a blast.
Something went sideways on that posting experience.
Connie wrote:
>>Anyway, I hate being terrified and I have a sneaking suspicion that Fly might be just a bit sadistic! Nah, he couldn't be.(grin) Guess, I won't be taking the class, but I just might see you in PA.<<
If you can get by Fly's looks there really sin't much to scred about..lol.
anonymous
Originally written by lumpc1 on 5/14/2006 12:50 PM
Clumsy, difficult, hard handeling, slow, the only thing the same is the controls and where you sit, why do you think there is a several page operation manual before you even get on one? It turned mine into a slow, ill handling grocery getter. 6 months 120# ballast. It's a blast.
Glad to see your second attempt at posting ended with "it's a blast". Are sidecars really slow? Don't have to be..a little tweak here and there makes a lot of difference. Wish you were closer to Pa. we'd get her goin for ya 🙂
Bill Ballou has said many times that when he gets to old to ride a sidecar he'll go buy a sport bike 🙂
(course his is tweaked more than just a little )
Claude I remember you from a few years ago, ran into you(no pun intended) at Mike&Dot's in mifflinburg, you told me about the ron dee voo, I had a Vincent with a lefthanded Steib, too bad it's the same time as Sturgis, sure I'll see you around again, later David.
Originally written by lumpc1 on 5/14/2006 12:50 PM
Clumsy, difficult, hard handeling, slow, the only thing the same is the controls and where you sit, why do you think there is a several page operation manual before you even get on one? It turned mine into a slow, ill handling grocery getter. 6 months 120# ballast. It's a blast.
??????
It turned mine into a fast, easy to handle, grocery getter, wife Limo, dog hauler, good will ambassador for bikes, wave and smile getter, peace of mind giver on sand, gravel, rain, ETC. Also more noticeable on the road to other drivers.
I hope you really mean what you said at the end.."it's a blast!""
It wii be a bigger blast once you get it all adjusted right!
cute cluade, have you looked in a mirror lately ?..........fly
Connie, this is the 2nd time you have taken it upon yourself to judge me.
fly
Fly,
I'm sorry if that is what you got out of my posts. Nothing that I "said" was in the spirit of judgement. I was just teasing you, the way you were teasing Claude and Sarge. Sorry, if you took personal offense, I didn't intend any!
Connie
