Over the years of absorbing info about sidecars, I recall on numerous occasions reading that a sidecar rig has a built-in safety mechanism....its 3 wheels on the pavement. However, i do not recall any specific experience! Anyone ever blow-out..?
Yes, I have blown out tires and have had flats on solo bikes and sidecar rigs. The sidecar rig certainly is the better choice in all cases.
It is one thing to have a tire go soft and feel a little squirrely until you pull off the road but quite another to have a real blowout.
Of course the result of a sudden loss of air in any tire on any vehicle is not a good thing but the odds of not having a reall mess or a crash on a sidecar rig are much better than on a solo bike.
PARTIAL HISTORY:
Solo bike:
1)
Blowout in a turn at probably 60 mph of rear tire. Wrestled rig back and forth across road until dropping it at about 1 mph....no reall issues. Was thankful that no trafic was around and also was kinda proud of almost winning the wrestling match.
2)
Blowout in a turn at about 50 mph near Tell City Indiana of a front tire. Instantly met road surface and did a long slide on the pavement followed by some ariel gymnastics as me and the bike flipped into the weeds and brush off the side of the road. Typical pavement rash, bumps and bruises. Bike was not hurt that bad. The palms of my hands looked like raw steak due to dummy me sticking them out when we went down. This was back in th esixties and ever since then gloves are a sure part of my wardrobe whether on a solo or sidecar rig. WEAR GLOVES and also do not be an idiot liek me and try and break your fall with your hands,,dummy dummy dummy. For a couple of months after that one a small stone would work it's way to th esurface now and then. I was almost useless until th ehands healed. Bad thing was I rode the battered bike home. Had to get gas in route and ended up spilling soem on my hands....bad day for sure.
Sidecar rigs:
1)
Blowout in right turn due to trying to get the last few miles out of a pretty worn rear tire. Yes, the tire was only 'almost shot' when I looked at it that morning but I was only looking at one part of it. The other side was more than almost shot and chords must have been showing because when it blew in about 10 miles it was through the chords into the air for about a foot or so. Yep, here's yer sign one more time. Run good tires!!
This blowout was in a medium sized sweeper at probably 70 or so. Immediate mucho lean out , drift to left, sideways slide,sidecar up in air a little (glad wife was in car for ballast although when we stopped I felt my life was still in danger FROM HER even though we survived the ordeal on the road) , crossed the centerline just a little , let an on coming car go by, settled sidecar back down and went off left side of road into a nice gravel area. Note that we probably could have stayed in our lane but with the oncoming car going past and no more traffic in site I just conceded the fight and pulled over. NOTE: Practice is important as has been said on this board so many times. With no parctice we would have crossed the centerline and possibly became a hood ornament.
NOTE#2: If this woudl have been on a solo bike we would have went down or without doubt at least crossed the centerline earlier.
2) Blew rear tire instantly on Interstate 80 at probably 75mph. Was surrounded by trucks at the time in front , rear and behind. It was raining also. . Rig did a lot of vibrating but we were able to pull over to the right with no issues.
Solo bike? Same scenario? Hmmmm...probably would have been just another wet spot on the road.
3) Sidecar tire went flat at some point and although the rig seemed to be handling a little different on the stright road was not noticed until we went into a left hand turn. No big issues really.
4) Front tire went flat quickly on a straight road. No issue in this case. Oh, front brake use with a flat tire really sucks.
Hope others reply with experiences. The danger assoiated with any tire losing air is real. Run good rubber folks as it is your only contact with life as we know it when on the road. Also, practice your sidecar skills and get to where your reactions are able to work for you when the reaper shows up. If you are too lazy to practice you have cheated your
Last summer I was traversing a detour for a local bridge construction project at 20 mph or so. While in a fairly tight righthand turn I hit a piece of construction debris that caused a blowout of my (new) front tire. The alloy front wheel dug into the pavement and broke causing a loss of control and a head on collision with a pine tree.
I lost a bit of scalp, a pair of glasses, had a few stitches and went home from the ER 4 hours later. Bike was totaled (19K damages) the sidecar was easily repaired and is back on the road.
Lonnie
Leo, I blew out the tire on that Dnepr sidecar I bought from you. I was at a car show in Osceola, WI and noticed a small section of cord showing. It popped about half way home and I didn't even notice. Gust Jensen was following me and said it was OK as it seldom touched the ground anyway. :0)
Nope, never had a flat on my rig.
Dave
2 flats both on the rear - tube tires. One blew, and it sounded like a gunshot. Though I was a gonner! LOL It happened on a two lane country road. 2nd time a flat - went all squishy at freeway speeds in the third lane.. Big fear there was being run over by holiday traffic.. After stuff like that happens, bad road surface and rain grooved highways make you wonder about the tires. Glad for three wheels. Happy that I avoided a tale like Lonnie's. I don't push my luck with tires, especially if I am going on a trip.. Even if nothing BAD happens, there is that down time for hauling and repair.. Wrecks a day of riding. 🙂
Hi Leo,
Only once, on my way down to Seattle to work, years ago, I had a blow-out on my rear tire. Happily, the fact that I had that third wheel kept me afloat, and I made it to the edge of the road (Interstate-5), and then very slowly up to the next exit and a bike shop in Everett, where I had a new tire put on. If I hadn't had the third wheel I would probably been down and sliding along one of the lanes of a major freeway at rush hour---not a good thing!
Something else--I've been riding in the winter and hit black ice on freeway underpasses, and slid at a 45 degree angle to the road for the length of the underpass, kept my front wheel in line with the slide, and corrected as soon as I hit solid pavement. Again, without the third wheel, I don't know that I could have done it, so I *really* love that third wheel, and not only for storage!
In fact, Sidecars Rule!! 8^)
Barb:
Yep, sidecars rule! 😀
You need to be writing up your experiences for The Sidecarist newsletter!
See you at one of the rallies?
Ride safe - that black ice is a B..... Yep, sidecars Rule!
gail
Thanks to everyone who has shared an actual tire mishap. I know for me your explanations are educational. I can visualize the front wheel at 20mph breaking and causing collision with a tree-- i don't even want to think about that front wheel problem @ 45 or even 50 mph. What i am gonna take away from this discussion is the overwhelming importance of a new tire with a good surface of tread...on the tug's front. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an experience!
Originally written by sidecarLeo on 11/16/2008 11:09 AM
Thanks to everyone who has shared an actual tire mishap. I know for me your explanations are educational. I can visualize the front wheel at 20mph breaking and causing collision with a tree-- i don't even want to think about that front wheel problem @ 45 or even 50 mph. What i am gonna take away from this discussion is the overwhelming importance of a new tire with a good surface of tread...on the tug's front. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an experience!
Gotta agree that if given the choice under most circumstances I woudl much rather blow a sidecar tire or a rear tire than a front tire.
HI FOLKS & HAPPY UPCOMING HOLIDAYS[PLEASE PRAY for Our Troops Over There]
Summer '06: We were returning from 400 mile round-trip to ME. Picked up old, rusty paring knife blade[that's what it resembled]in almost new rear tire[@#$%]! Entered parallel to tread center; broke thru inside about 2" from entry point. Cord damage too much to risk; got new tire. Wife has nice Metzeler 880ME Marathon flower planter[w/550 mi. on it]in front garden.
Rig started acting a bit squirrely as we made right turn off local highway onto our farm road, approx. 4 mi. from home. Didn't discover flat until next am. Sidewall held wheel up, so condition undetectable until trying to drive off. TTFN...Old Tom aka papasmurf in NH['95 GL SE/FSIII]
Wow, Am I lucky, after around 100,000 miles of road riding (mostly on two wheels), I've only had one tire go down. (slowly, boot failed and a spoke ate a hole in the tube) I have a habit of replacing tires a little prematurely. I guess that is a good habit. Tires are cheap compared to the alternative. I end up having a lot of tires laying around with 25%-30% tread. I guess it's better to have them laying around than me laying down.
