If there is one thing that is more likely to bring a smile to the lips of a biker than sex, it must be the topic of sidecars. Whilst sex is usually treated with due consideration, this particular bit on the side receives scant thought and even open derision. People you didn’t know could smile will.
Old codgers grin and are transported back to the years of their youth. Plonking about leafy lanes on an old Beeza with double adult sidecar and wife, camping trips in idyllic sunshine when beer was a farthing a pint and policemen were helpful. Younger old gits will smirk. thinking about the day in Brighton when their own acquisition of an outfit became inevitable. And, of course, the moped men can’t believe that such a thing is allowed.
The great bugbear of outfits is their supposed strange handling characteristics. True, it is virtually impossible to step straight off a solo and steam off into the wide blue yonder with a chair attached. But with a bit of practice and thought, a chair can be a nice complement to a well loved bike. Or a last ditched effort to prop up a decided_rat if the centre stand can't be obtained from the usual dubious sources. Anyone thinking of life as a chairman may find, as i did, that the only advice is negative. i hope the following may enable you to avoid some of the worst pitfalls.
Several points should be borne in mind when thinking of investing your hard earnt cash.
A big plus point is the inclusion of a sidecar brake. This will enable you to corner to the left much more quickly and with no hands, should you be so inclined. An outfit puts a lot of stress on the forks — looking down at them when cornering is not recommended as they tend to resemble spaghetti at this point. So a stout set of forks is a good idea, with leading link or hub centre items being a major plus point. To help control the front end a beefy steering damper is useful, but don't screw it down too hard or you will take off in an exaggerated snake as the tendency for an outfit to wriggle at low speed takes control. The rear wheel also takes a bashing. so heavy duty spokes and good bearings, please. Brakes, if they have trouble hauling down a solo, will prove dubious under the extra weight of a combo. The front brake will also be used for cornering to the right.
Power-wise, it's a question of how slow you want to go. Are you really brave? Then go for the biggest bastard you can get and discover you are not as brave as you thought. 500cc is usually considered a minimum for reasonable progress. There seems to be quite a few chair chassis around and with a bit of ingenuity, a body could be made up quite simply. Why not stretch your imagination, after all trying to look macho on an outfit is nay on impossible. With a few basic safety points you can construct anything you fancy.
All the above are sensible ideals but I ride a Jawa 350 which is singly lacking in all of the above, so perhaps they’re not that important. Or, perhaps I'm a total coward, who never stretches the puny abilities of Czech iron. It takes imagination to set up the right outfit - one bloke I know rides a Jota coupled to a massive double adult chair — bet his passengers use a lot of underwear.
Riding the infernal device is a whole new pizza, as different from solo as Lymeswold to plain cheese. First things first, assuming you can start the bike with the iron work attached (thanks a bundle, Jawa), you will notice raising your feet results in perfect equilibrium, you don’t fall off yet. Get accustomed to this novel situation, lean to the right, does it fall over? No, perfectly stable. Now dismount, walk carefully to the local greengrocer, remembering to take care when crossing the road. Purchase one sack of potatoes, deposit same in sidecar.
You will undoubtedly be disconcerted at first, followed quickly by a feeling of being totally out of control. This is perfectly normal. anyone who says they are a natural outfit man is a liar. Stick with it, in both senses. On moving off you'll notice a tendency to weave at a gut churning frequency, ride through it, it won’t reappear at a more embarrassing speed - it really does only happen at 0 to 5mph. Leading link forks help eliminate it. After a while you compensate for the weave and it's forgotten.
Right-hand turns require a trailing throttle. The chair will try to overtake the bike and with suitable rider input (a haul on the bars) a perfect right-hand turn will be executed. Left, on the other hand, is more of a challenge. First line up as far to the left as is consistent with safety, gently apply the sidecar brake, if you have one, and lead the bike round on a slightly open throttle. This encourages the bike to run around the chair, so that the wheel stays where it belongs — on the deck.
Should you get into an, ”Oh my god” situation remember you have a duty to preserve the fine safety record of three wheelers, so just quietly change your trousers and pull yourself together, it's not that difficult. The real danger point is, I’ve found, when you’re not frightened enough. One day you will be confidently bend swinging when the chair suddenly lifts, you are pointing the wrong way, leaning over and again totally out of control. Recovery is largely in the lap of the gods; you might try a foot dab, a bit of reverse lock or a whiff of throttle — basically you will try anything. Comfort yourself with the thought that you will know what to do next time, if you decide to persevere.
It may not appear so, but a chair does have some definite advantages to weigh against the apparent stack of adverse points. For a start, you can carry no end of junk, especially useful for Jawa owners. Think of all the home comforts now available on that trip to the shops that turns into an epic. No longer will you be dependant on a kindly friend with a car to transport any large item you may acquire, even defunct bargain bikes are no problem, although it does require a brave rider to negotiate the High Street two up with a bike lashed to the chair - as well as strong forearms. In conditions of poor weather — all year here in Cornwall — you will now be able to have outrageous slides with two wheels free spinning, skidding becomes easier to control and less terrifying. How long do your tyres last? Now look forward to cheap tyres, all you need is a good strong sidewall and a nice square section — after all, you don't do any of that leaning any more, at least not intentionally.
So there you have it, the wonderful world of sidecars as I know it. If you are a beginner it may be of use, if a seasoned chairman you can have a good laugh. Whatever you do, as in all things, if you fancy it have a go, all you can lose is your street cred...
Jonathan Guyver