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Literally pages could be written about driving
a sidecar unit. Notice the word driving as opposed to riding.
Unless this key word is understood at the beginning, sidecar
touring can be tricky.
Perhaps the thing to keep uppermost in mind when
you first swing into the saddle of an outfit is that the rig
must be steered when cornering. The solo motorcycle is leaned
into corners and steering is accomplished largely by the shifting
of body weight. Not so the sidecar. It does not lean, and getting
it around corners is almost strictly a matter of pulling and
pushing on the handlebars. Since steering forces while turning
with a sidecar are considerably larger, wider handlebars will
give more leverage!
A novice should approach his initial sidecar
drive with a passenger in the sidecar. There's literally a world
of difference in driving an outfit laden and unladen. Straight
line driving is the easiest. Motorcycles that have steering
dampers are very good since the damper helps control an odd
although perfectly normal tendency for the motorcycle to wag
its head back and forth at slow speeds. A firm grip on the bars
neutralizes this as well.
Front end shimmy is just one of the reactions
that have to be accounted for in sidecar driving.
Cornering is where first-timers get into trouble.
The left hand bends are great. In fact, an unwary neophyte can
get himself into a heap of trouble taking a left hander too fast
because when turning left, centrifugal force comes into play
and nails the sidecar to the asphalt. This is assuming, of course,
that the sidecar is mounted on the right hand side of the motorcycle
as is normal practice in the U.S.
The right hand corner is a whole new ball game.
Centrifugal force, your instant friend on the left handers, becomes
you foe turning right. It tries to lift up the sidecar and you
have to counter with some body english and a slower speed.
At anything above a crawling pace, the right
hand corner can most easily be negotiated by leaning slightly
into the corner, applying some front brake and rolling on the
throttle simultaneously. It sounds awkward and is initially,
but this cornering drill allows the motorcycle to pivot around
on the sidecar wheel with a minimum tendency for it to lift.
Another important consideration is to always
remember that you have some extra width to jockey around. Give
curbs, cars and other objects in and around your patch a suitably
wide berth.
All these hints should be considered even more
if the sidecar is empty. With no passenger, the outfit is lighter
and right hand turns should be made with extra caution.
Practice is the key to developing into an accomplished
sidecar pilot. Temper that practice with a liberal dose of caution
and common sense and soon you'll be flinging your outfit through
the corners like a veteran.
Sidecar maintenance, simply, is good motorcycle
maintenance. The sidecar itself requires a minimum of service.
Periodically check the sidecar wheel's brake (if it has one)
and tighten the spokes if it has a wire wheel. An occasional
wheel bearing repack is also called for. Air pressure in the
sidecar tire is generally nearly the same pressure as in the
motorcycle rear tire.
The body demands no more than a Saturday afternoon
wash and wax and a vacuuming of the interior. Sidecars are quite
agreeable creatures and need a minimum of care.
However, special attention must be paid to the
motorcycle pulling the sidecar. Most important, keep an eye on
chain adjustment and spoke tension of the rear wheel. The bike
is working under a load at all times and key systems like brakes,
clutch, tires and the like are consequently under more strain
than they would be solo.
Periodically check the swinging arm pivot to
make sure nuts and bolts are tight. The rear shocks come in for
a good deal of use and most sidecar pilots either replace the
stock units with a stronger specialty brand or move the stock
units to their stiffest position. See: suspension.
After Several weeks of practice, you'll probably
notice two things: One, sidecar driving is becoming almost second
nature to you and two, people in cars and on the street are usually
very friendly, with smiles and waves the norm.
In fact, that may be one of the sidecar's biggest
pluses. After all, when was the last time someone smiles and
waved at you when you were riding solo?
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