| sidecar handling problems [message #786706] |
Tue, 18 July 2006 21:43 |
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I have just ridden my first sidecar attached to a Harley and had severe
handling problems. Although the bikes owner told me that a sidecar would
make no difference to usual motorcycle handling characteristics I found that
at low speeds the bike tended to pull to the left ???
Apparantly this is a common problem for novice sidecar riders and I should
of learnt sidecar operation on a large open surface such as a carpark prior
to going on road!
OOPS.........I ended up riding the bike into a ditch.........
I have ridden bikes for over 35 years and I felt totally humiliated at this
first sidecar experience.
The good news is the bike was not damaged but the QUESTION IS THIS........
WHO WAS THE BIGGEST IDIOT.......
Me or the bikes owner????
I just need a little self vidication here!
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786707 ] |
Tue, 18 July 2006 22:14 |
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On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 03:43:40 +0800, "Colin" <tocolin [at] iinet.net.au>
postulated :
>I have just ridden my first sidecar attached to a Harley and had severe
>handling problems. Although the bikes owner told me that a sidecar would
>make no difference to usual motorcycle handling characteristics I found that
>at low speeds the bike tended to pull to the left ???
You looked at that mass of weight sticking out on one side of a
motorcycle and took the owners word that it would handle just like a
"usual motorcycle"?
>Apparantly this is a common problem for novice sidecar riders and I should
>of learnt sidecar operation on a large open surface such as a carpark prior
>to going on road!
Apparently so.
>OOPS.........I ended up riding the bike into a ditch.........
>I have ridden bikes for over 35 years and I felt totally humiliated at this
>first sidecar experience.
As well as you should.
>The good news is the bike was not damaged but the QUESTION IS THIS........
>WHO WAS THE BIGGEST IDIOT.......
>Me or the bikes owner????
You both are. Him for lying to you and allowing you to operate his
motorcycle and you for doing something so stupid.
> I just need a little self vidication here!
I have no idea what vidication is...
Good luck as you continue your path to self destruction.
Ride Safe!
Greasy Rider SLOB-6
'97 FLHTCI Lehman trike
53 years of motorcyling
(This line intentionally left blank)
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786710 ] |
Tue, 18 July 2006 23:12 |
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Colin wrote:
> I have just ridden my first sidecar attached to a Harley and had
> severe handling problems. Although the bikes owner told me that a
> sidecar would make no difference to usual motorcycle handling
> characteristics I found that at low speeds the bike tended to pull to
> the left ???
> Apparantly this is a common problem for novice sidecar riders and I
> should of learnt sidecar operation on a large open surface such as a
> carpark prior to going on road!
> OOPS.........I ended up riding the bike into a ditch.........
> I have ridden bikes for over 35 years and I felt totally humiliated
> at this first sidecar experience.
> The good news is the bike was not damaged but the QUESTION IS
> THIS........ WHO WAS THE BIGGEST IDIOT.......
> Me or the bikes owner????
> I just need a little self vidication here!
He was the biggest liar, but you were definitely the biggest idiot.
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786718 ] |
Wed, 19 July 2006 00:12 |
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"Colin" <tocolin [at] iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:44bd39e5$0$23406$5a62ac22 [at] per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>I have just ridden my first sidecar attached to a Harley
>and had severe handling problems. Although the bikes owner
>told me that a sidecar would make no difference to usual
>motorcycle handling characteristics I found that at low
>speeds the bike tended to pull to the left ???
> Apparantly this is a common problem for novice sidecar
> riders and I should of learnt sidecar operation on a large
> open surface such as a carpark prior to going on road!
> OOPS.........I ended up riding the bike into a
> ditch.........
> I have ridden bikes for over 35 years and I felt totally
> humiliated at this first sidecar experience.
> The good news is the bike was not damaged but the QUESTION
> IS THIS........
> WHO WAS THE BIGGEST IDIOT.......
> Me or the bikes owner????
> I just need a little self vidication here!
well,
the bikes owner was wrong..
feel better now?
g'day
--
"Key"
=====
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786727 ] |
Wed, 19 July 2006 00:59 |
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Colin wrote:
> I have just ridden my first sidecar attached to a Harley and had severe
> handling problems. Although the bikes owner told me that a sidecar would
> make no difference to usual motorcycle handling characteristics I found that
> at low speeds the bike tended to pull to the left ???
Pulls left? Which side is the sidecar mounted on? Typically they pull
towards the sidecar when accelerating, and push to the opposite side
when braking.
> Apparantly this is a common problem for novice sidecar riders and I should
> of learnt sidecar operation on a large open surface such as a carpark prior
> to going on road!
No, you should have used a little common sense and researched driving a
sidecar rig. Your #1 mistake is thinking you could ride it, instead of
driving it.
> OOPS.........I ended up riding the bike into a ditch.........
No, you drove it into the ditch.
> I have ridden bikes for over 35 years and I felt totally humiliated at this
> first sidecar experience.
> The good news is the bike was not damaged but the QUESTION IS THIS........
> WHO WAS THE BIGGEST IDIOT.......
> Me or the bikes owner????
> I just need a little self vidication here!
It's a tie. Both of you need to learn from it and move on.
Les
'70 Triumph with homebuilt sidecar
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786729 ] |
Wed, 19 July 2006 01:12 |
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On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:59:47 -0500, Les <test_spamgourmet [at] cox.net>
postulated :
>Pulls left? Which side is the sidecar mounted on? Typically they pull
>towards the sidecar when accelerating, and push to the opposite side
>when braking.
His address is "au" which I assume is Australia. Don't they follow the
English custom of putting the side hack on the left?
Ride Safe!
Greasy Rider SLOB-6
'97 FLHTCI Lehman trike
53 years of motorcyling
(This line intentionally left blank)
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| Re: sidecar handling problems [message #786730 ] |
Wed, 19 July 2006 01:30 |
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Greasy Rider [at] invalid.com wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:59:47 -0500, Les <test_spamgourmet [at] cox.net>
> postulated :
>
>> Pulls left? Which side is the sidecar mounted on? Typically they pull
>> towards the sidecar when accelerating, and push to the opposite side
>> when braking.
>
> His address is "au" which I assume is Australia. Don't they follow the
> English custom of putting the side hack on the left?
Good point. I failed to check the headers on it. I little research & I
found this:
http://www.premiersidecars.com.au/main.htm
Sounds to me like it handled properly, pulling towards the sidecar. His
failure to drive the rig was his fault. Letting him try riding it was
the fault of the rig's owner.
Les
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