What Did You Do With Your Sidecar Today?

Peter Pan - 4/27/2015 4:04 PM

... the best of all wifes came up with the idea: Bring that KLR tadpole Chattanooga Choo Choo to the agency for an evaluation and when the price sounds right change her against that new smaller W800....

How 'bout that! The W800 is good bike - unfortunately not imported to the USA.

This past weekend we made a test run of Mrs. SwampFox's re-assembled Burgman - no more coolant leak (at least for now). Best part is little Raskie made his first solo sidecar ride - it was only 16 miles round trip to local boat ramp, but he did well, setting into the body of the sidecar once up to +/-25mph. Here he is after enjoying a sniff around the boat ramp and a wade in the water - a couple weeks shy of a year old:

Maddie came along for the ride was well - getting good and wet wading in the lake:

Lee, is that a Ural sidecar in the lower picture? It has top support similar to the Motorvation Formula II top support, though I don't see how the top fits to the windshield to keep wind from ballooning the top.

The pre computer sensors used a drop of mercury in a tube with two terminals that would either make contact, or break the ignition circuit causing engine shutdown if you dropped the bike.
I haven't disabled any of these either after adding a sidecar.

Lonnie

Yupp, Tom and Lee, a mayor surprise after 26 years being two half oranges...a good note in life that there are positive surprises still possible!
Tomorrow I will take her to the agency for a personal sit probe. I passed this night sweating and turning from one side to the other and Mrs Peter (Arce) is now pushing me to get rid of that tall tadpole KLR and get a small street bike.
Es passieren immer noch Zeichen und Wunder / Still there happen signs and miracles.

The W800 is now the first time imported to Costa Rica. The former W650 was specially designed for the European market and I had been begging for years the Kawa sales manager since I saw the first time a photo in an office the factory I work for in Berlin. In theory the election is down now to a buddie's Norton Commando or the W800. From aching experience I prefer the W800 as I know that the Norton will shake itself apart and is not good for a daily rider in down town San Jose.
.....

Just come in from the 4th trip with Thomas...a 90 year old ox cart road wore him out, but later in the dark (first night drive) all his shyness was gone. No ditches, no pot hole, no up coming car nor barking dogs made him shiver...and surprise.... I was not pushing trough the sidecar sheet metal floor!!!!!

Something that never happens when I am sitting in the car with my wife, daughter or anybody else. It looks like Thomas has some natural talent which needs just some confidence and practice.
A good sign.

Lee, terriers are natural for to sniff the wind in a crazy manner and the Labradors are even worse addicted by nature. to bring them to the water in the rig is like being in heaven for them! Ask mine old Negra is full of cancer but will not sit still when the rig comes to the farm. She behaves like a puppy with her 14 or more years.
Sven

Tax Man - 4/28/2015 10:33 AM

Lee, is that a Ural sidecar in the lower picture? It has top support similar to the Motorvation Formula II top support, though I don't see how the top fits to the windshield to keep wind from ballooning the top.

No, not a Ural, but a CSM. You are correct re: the top support for a rag top - to install the fold-down windshield is swapped for a fixed shield. I just leave the "hoop" bar in place when the top is not in use. Maddie really enjoys the top, but the aerodynamics are .... well, you can see:

It is quite similar to the Motorvation ragtop and I can appreciate your comment regarding aerodynamics. Jane likes to have the top up and then adjusts the side curtains to get the desired amount of ventilation. She sometimes uses her hands as wind wings to direct more air into the sidecar. Sometimes I can feel the extra drag caused by her hands outside the cabin.

Today was a big day for Banana Coco Split...she passed technical revision easily, and does need now a new number plate and name transcription. The owner a learners licence. BCS is now back in her home were she belongs and will have some fun to teach the owners pushing a rig...
From my side I observed a few things to tweek here and there, but a nice sane motorcycle after all, which only needs use and frequent rides.
Here we go.
Sven

Sven, if no photos, it didn't happen. You known the rules..... lol

Post up a photo when you can. Would love to see your new ride.

Peter Pan - 4/29/2015 10:10 PM

Today was a big day for Banana Coco Split...she passed technical revision easily, and does need now a new number plate and name transcription. The owner a learners licence. BCS is now back in her home were she belongs and will have some fun to teach the owners pushing a rig...
From my side I observed a few things to tweek here and there, but a nice sane motorcycle after all, which only needs use and frequent rides.
Here we go.
Sven

Banana Coco Split the 2007 Ural Tourist is not my ride, it belongs to a former judge who has a right on his privacy. So it never happened unless he will post something himself.
As advance the Banana of the Coco Split rig. (the first owner wears now 3,5kg 7# titanium in his skull and shoulder)

My new 2 wheeler is not even encharged, what we leave for Monday...still long time away.
But how about a photo of a carriage engraved and printed about 500 years ago by Albrecht Dürrer?
(my best museum visit for a long time and I dummy did forget to bring my reading glasses. (the exhibition of his perhaps 80 engravings closed today. That exhibition makes a world tour, its well worth its entrance, but bring good glasses and a magnifier)
Now lets sleep for a long bus ride tomorrow.
Sven

We met with 20-30 sidecaris at Holly park marina on lake Toledo bend. Beautiful weekend for a chande. We have been getting2-3 inches of rain almost ever weekend for 3 months.
Art brought 30 dozen tamales for Fri. evening meal. Sat rode to flea mkt. then to space shuttle Columbia museum. Very impressive,then they set up awnings and ,for a donation.fed us fried chicken,green beans,mashed potatoes and gravy,drink and dessert. Back to campground for a nap and then hot dogs,tamales,brownies and cake furnished by Aurora Corda,wife of George Corda,Timberon N.M.
Pres. Al,having led a very sheltered life had never eaten tamales. After about 2 dozen to sample them.he decided they O.K. Then we told him you didn't eat the shucks.
J.R.
Se.
Tex. rep

No rig riding this long weekend, but lots of water taxi jumping in Boca del Toro in Panama just across the border...No photos...., it never happened, but good memories collected in our brains.
It was a kind of adventure 😉
Sven

Petey and I rode the NWCMC Gopher Ride on the Wide Glide. An excellent day!!

Following our Goldwing Chapter breakfast meeting on Saturday morning a group of us went for a ride to visit "Freedom Rocks". An artist from Greenfield, IA, "Bubba" Sorenson, painted a large rock north of that town and south of I-80 as a memorial to veterans. The rock has several scenes painted on it, mostly depicting WWII and Vietnam wars, and he changes them each year. This year be began a project of painting a "Freedom Rock" in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Those rocks will not be changed each year, and it will take several years for him to complete the project. We visited the rocks at Rockwell City and Sac City, IA, rode around Twin Lakes near Manson, IA, rode around Black Hawk Lake at Lake View, and then rode to Odebolt, IA for supper before heading for home. We put about 250 miles on the rig Saturday. Except for being windy the ride was a very pleasant one and the first real outing of the season.

I see you put the sports windshield on for Petey. Is he used to the new rig yet?

Lonnie

That windshield is just right for him. And he wears Doggles now. He can look over it or hunker behind it at speed. He likes it. And I like the fact that I lift it open and he can step right in. Then when he's in and it's shut, he's got the idea that he can't get out until I open it again. I put a towel on the seat and that's where he stays. Unlike the Liberty, he doesn't have a bed the length of the sidecar. I thought maybe he'd lay on the floor if it was softer. I cut a piece of 1 1/2" foam and put under the floor mat. He stays on the seat. He's very contented to ride in it though. But he likes the Liberty still too. Perhaps like me, he thinks options are good!!