Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Custom Corner America with Sidecar

Check out this America with sidecar I came across this morning... TBA with chair

Nice paint match. I'd like to find a Watsonian-Squire for cheap.

Google is your friend!!

Watsonian Squire

Is there any sort of law regarding what side the sidecar is supposed to be on? All the ones I've seen over here have been on the right and there are only a few that I've seen that have been on the left. I thought it might have to do with the side of the road that you drive on but that doesn't seem to be the case here since Americans and Australians drive on the right and this one is attached on the left. My English grandad used to have a 1950-something Ariel and that had a sidecar on the right.

Aussies drive on the left... the correct side...

I always thought it was the side nearest the pavement/sidewalk. A through back to a time when ladies were not expected to ride their own bikes and sit in a little bow bolted on the side, and the polite thing is to not make a lady clamber out and into the middle of the road.

Seems to me that the chair can be on either side.

A hack rig is a three-wheel vehicle leaving two tracks, with only the rear wheel driving, and only the front wheel steering. Chair may be on right or left of cycle portion of outfit. According to the United States Classic Racing Association.

The New Zealand Classic Motorcycle Racing Register Inc. Technical Rules specify, again, Sidecar may be on either the left or the right

Steer a hack. countersteer a motorsickle.



Moooooooo over...

However, normal practice in the U.S., is to mount the sidecar on the right hand side of the motorcycle.

Sidecars generally should be mounted on the kerb-side of the bike so the passenger's not clambering out of it into traffic. I keep seeing pics of american bikes with sidecars on the right and thinking "how weird, it's on the wrong side of the bike!".

Passing with the hack on the street side? Imagine trying get out far enough to see around the slow car or truck... how far in the other lane would that put the hack?!

My mistake, I thought Britain and Japan were the only countries that drove on the left. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to watch Neighbours

Oh there's a few more... Anyone who was once an english colony (besides us) is pretty much a left sider, right? Some african countries are I think. Maybe india? If you can actually TELL which side they are on?

True, I there are more countries that drive on the left. I guess I was thinking of just first world countries but in the back of my mind I knew that several former British colonies still drove on the left. Adey sent me a link to a pretty neat article that's worth a read.

Driving standards

look on this side :
http://www.armec.ch/start.asp
german side on left klick the " Galerie Button"
Page 7 of the Galerie ,red TBA with Mobec Sidecar
greeetz
PETER

Quote:

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LOL. What a picture you paint! Hum. When attempting to pass, observe the passenger in the hack. If she/he is having a hack-attack, pull back into your lane,...,quickly.

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LMAO- I can just picture the scene

I have always thought it would be neat to have a motorcycle with a sidecar. Seems to me it would be kinda of fun but how much is handling loss haveing it added to your motorcylce. Maybe one day I will get a chance to ride with a sidecar attached. I also wonder how hard it is to back up a motorcycle with a sidecar attached. Guess you have to pick your parking spots carefully. Any of you guys or girls out there can give us a short note on how it is to ride like this would be appreciated.

I've had two different sidecars on three different bikes spanning 17 years as my son grew up,till he reached the point where it's no longer cool to be seen with mom and dad.It's a whole nother world with it's own clubs,American Sidecar Association,it's own nomenclature,caster and camber,trail and rake are argued when ever these folk get together.Like myself they tend to be family oriented,hence, the sidecar.Your question was about handleing and how hard would it be for a biker,of the two wheel persuasion,to learn.The first time you ride a hack you will realize that you steer with your arms and not your hipps like on a bike.You'll have to give up nimbleness at slow speed manuveurs but lose nothing at high speed cruzeing.Assuming that you've set up your hack properly.I've ridden rigs that pull to the right toward the car because the owner did not understand that relationship between caster and camber I spoke of earlyer.Indeed no two rigs handle just alike and riders are constantly ajusting their riggs trying to get that perfict set up.If you put a car on a bike with telscopic forks, which generally have alot of travel the rig will change geomitry between exceleration and brakeing which causes the rig to pull left then right all of whitch as a rider you have to take into acount as you ride.The hardcore sidecareist will spring for the old style Earls forks, whitch pivot instead of moveing up and down and helps elimenate alot of the left and right shenanigans you have to deel with while rideing.Because of their uniqueness they are not thought of as a threat buy the cagers and people are always wanting to get a closer look at a rig.I can't remember ever haveing anyone pull out infront of me while on a rig,I don't know if it's because of that unniqueness or that a rig has so much more frontal area than two wheels,but they seem to get more notice from the cagers,a pluss I'd say. When we went to national rallys you would always see someone with a dog in his car,good for pet lovers.Unless you've got a Goldwing with a reverse gear you will have to be carefull how you park.Sidecar ownership is not for everyone they have,lets say, their quircks but if you think our Triumps draw a crowed try parking a rig out front of the local pup!!