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Any common problems with people hovering over rig?

I was at a Ural sidecar site recently and a discussion was brought up about times when people got "touchie-feely" with the rig. In other words, the owner had gone inside some establishment to do something, only to return later to his hack and find an audience there gawking at the rig. They generally call this a Ural Delay Factor (UDF) and often you are stopped dead in your tracks and having to answer any number of questions as to what the rig is and friendly questions about the hack and all. Mostly it is a positive experience, but sometimes when people return to their rigs they have found unattended kids sitting inside the sidecar, the reverse shifter put into gear, some unknown person pushing the clutch in and out or even touching the bike in an inappropriate manner. It is enough to get the dander up of some owners and some even keep the tonneau (can't spell it) cover on the hack at all times, as it tends to keep others from taking liberties of just getting in without permission.

Do you folks run into this situation very often on your rigs and how do you generally handle it with tact? Do you handle it without tact? Is it really not the norm or is is occurring pretty often?

Just wondering what other rig owners experience as the norm.
Thanks,
Huey

Looking, admiring and questions are fine. Folks can look all they want.
Beyond that, trespassing is trespassing and doesn't require tact in my book.

i HATE THAT
i have been know to walk up and ask "is this yours?"
when the say no i strongly sugest "if it aint yours dont mess w it"

depending on what they are doing regulates the tone and language..

once at a car show a guy walk up like he owned the vehicle (my buddies pickup) and pops the hood
and it was a slit gull wing hood and if you didnt know how to prop it up you would scratch the paint

yup u guessed it

he went home w his tail tween his legs

stacy

Ginger has always been a good deterrent keeping curious aliens at bay. As they approached she would give them the evil eye. When they got even closer she would start to smile. To close she would stand up and try to take a piece out of the alien. Check out her innocence here:
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=115

When she is gone, I'm thinking of a water cannon with red food coloring.
If your in Sturgis SD, you can drive right into the back of the SideHack Saloon. Others leave their Python Snake in the tub.

8/04 Motorcycle Consumer News
On the back cover has a Scorpio SR-i500 FM 2-Way Security System.
One of the features is an adjustable-sensitivity microwave perimeter alarm that senses the presence of anyone close to the bike. http://www.scorpioalarms.com

Wiskers,
I'm reminded of my Hot Rod years, when I had a sweetheart of an English Bulldog named Queenie. I had no top on my chopped and chanelled Model A/V8 roadster so, whenever I went downtown I would take her along and leave her in the car. Many looked but no one got too close. If they had, she probably would have slobbered them to death. She was a real sweetie and a great deterrant to the touchie-feelies.

Lonnie

Hovering around is normal and common. We've adapted the Ural UDF to SDF, "Sidecar Delay Factor". My daughter has frequently found herself running someone's yard sale while they ride around the block in the sidecar. I actually had two elderly ladies approach me in the Walmart parking lot to ask my permission to take a photograph. They were preparing to leave when I pulled in and actually waited until I came back out.
This is not the attitude or attention I get on two wheels. Someone once said that the best way to overcome shyness is to buy a sidecar. You'll have an audience everywhere you go.

On our current rig, '01 GL-1800 + '02 Escort, we have a Scorpio Alarm that is seldom used now that there are normally 2 or 3 Heelers in the car. 😉

Pre-Heeler we had a Australian Sheppard that had a Bark from hell. He would keep people back 50 feet or more. Sounded like he was at least 180 lbs not the 75 that he was.

Having the Heelers in there now presents a whole different set of Lookie-Lou problems with people that want to pet 'em.
If we are close by it's no problem to warn the folks that they may get Licked to Death by the Red Heelers while the Blue Heeler just ignores 'em down in the nose.

In the years we have had this current rig I can only think of one time that kids got on the bike and that was when there wasn't a dog in the car.

The only place we have had real problems with adults is at the Dealership where I bought the Bike then the Sidecar. If we don't keep an eye on it and the top up the shoppers think it is a Demo that they are free to finger and they do. Can't use the alarm there or it would never shut off. 🙂

Jerry

I'm discovering it myself. I'm not seeing it, but the people who ride with me say there's a problem with people starting to pass us and then matching speed while they look. There's been a couple of times with people clogging up traffic in the other lane.

I agree wirh Red, the most problems I've found are people wanting to "gauk"(sp) at my rig while I'm going down the road, almost as bad as them talking on a cell phone. The only time I have my hack on the bike is when I have my 2 year old Grandson and everybody wants to see if He's scared or not to be riding in the hack. Much to their delight, He's usually got a big smile on his face and we get a big thumbs up. As far as when it's parked, I never park the rig without the tanneau cover on so they aren't trying to climb in it. The most comments I get are about my liscence plate....it says.....BLEVER. When I'm done talking about it, you either hate me or your my friend, either way, it's your call.

I don't mind how much people gawk when they pass me as long as they stay in their lane. Which is something that seems to be a problem for many people. I don't have too much trouble with people touching my rig, except for a few sticky fingered kids trying to see through the dark tinted windshield. I did, however, get quite a kick out of two guys in a motel parking lot trying to figure out how I hooked-up my husbands trailer to my rig (his bike wasn't there at the time). I watched them for about 5 or 10 minutes, ducking and pointing and looking quite puzzled. (My husband's bike is white and so is mine - so, I guess they assumed that the white trailer sitting behind the white rig went together, but they just couldn't figure out how). Me being me, I watched as long as I could stand it and then I said, "I know the woman who rides that bike and she'll shoot ya for messing with it." They both looked surprised and explained that they were trying to figure out how "she" pulled that trailer (I don't have a trailer hitch on my rig). So, I grinned and explained the situation to them.

Connie

Well as I am in the process of mounting my Flexit rig to my HD I presume I to will have the same problem. I have always followed the motto "Unless your naked dont touch it". Having attended several hot rod and car shows that is a common phrase.

On several occasions I have had older people want to sit on my HD. I will always assist them and even take them for rides if they want. You can really make a Grandmas day that way! When they are done they almost always tell you about how they had an old VL or had a boyfriend that had a bike in the 20's or 30's. Its amazing to see the glimer in their eyes of those days gone by.

Most mothers with kids will ask permission if they can sit on it and I often comply unless the bike is to hot and they might burn their legs on the pipes.

However I have had instances where I had people just come up and sit on it without asking and when I find them the response is dependant upon their age and sex. If I find some young teen to middle aged man on it rest assured I always ask where their car is. Then they ask me why? I tell them I want them to give me the keys so I can go sit in it for a while. Usually they have this dumbfounded look and tell me no way. Then I explain that my bike is no different than their car and ask what their reaction would be if they came out of walmart and found me sitting in their car. They usually get the point! If not they are physically and carefully removed to avoid any paint damage and a more forcefully explanation is provided. With young ladies on the other hand...lets not go there right now. Its not that kind of forum.

Try riding your rig with one leg. It's unnerving to have some old couple gawking and grinning, and waving all the while, as they drift further and further into my lane. Especially since it's always on the left of me. I'm um- a little paranoid of vehicles on my left side for some reason. Admire my bike all you want- she's a beautiful machine. Or point at the crazy lady who obviously didn't learn the first time. I don't care. Just don't kill me while you're at it, ya know?

All of the folks I've met while riding have been really nice, and respected the three foot rule. I've (knock on wood) not had to go ballistic on anyone. Yet.