OP
5030
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 26,997
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
Bird:
If you look through the pictures, you will note that it has it's own brake. Actually, it's a Performance Machine twin piston caliper gripping a stainless, drilled rotor. It's set up just like a tractor, split brakes with the sidecar brake pedal right next to the bike's brake pedal. Though not interlocked, your boot will cover them both or individually if you prefer. I tend to rock my foot when applying the brakes to keep the inertia of the sidecar in balance with the bike. The sidecar is like a pendulum. When you accelerate the bike, the sidecar pulls to the right. When decelerating or braking without using the sidecar brake, it pushes to the left. There is a definite learning curve involved with a sidecar as the sidecar forever alters the geometry of the bike.
When you first operate a sidecar, you must try to forget anything you learned about a two wheel motorcycle. It's hard to adjust to and at first a little scary especially entering a curve at speed. The outfit really tends to over steer until you learn how to compensate. I almost put it in the ditch a couple of times last year. I'm more comfortable with it now. Actually, I believe I'd feel somewhat alien on 2 wheels again.
There are a couple of advantages to having a sidecar, especially one with high performance brakes. You can literally stop on a dime even on wet roads. Loose gravel in a turn poses no hazard for an outfit whereas loose gravel is a trip to the ER on a two wheeler and you never have to put your feet down at a stoplight. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If my outfit was a beater, I'd ride it all year. With off road tires, it's manners in the snow and mud would equal an off road bike or a quad. There is actually a sidecar outfit on the market that has both rear wheels driven. It's a Ural. Great bike for the woods.
You can order any sidecar without brakes, but the brakes make it safer. The key to braking is modulating the sidecar brake to be in harmony with the bike brake(s). Some bike like the Goldwing and the big Harley's have the sidecar brake plumbed right into the brake system of the bike so when you apply the bikes brakes, the sidecar brakes are applied proportionally.
With fuel prices going through the roof (that's another thread), efficient transportation with storage capacity becomes more viable. While I built mine for show and not utility, 40 mpg is nice and I can haul a load of groceries too.
With the sidecar off, the bike will run a respectable mid 13 second quarter mile. Even with the sidecar, it's no slouch. Of course I massaged the motor a little. I have to tinker, it's my nature. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The new Triumph is actually designed to be an English Police bike. Everything about the engine and drivetrain is very robust and the frame is a full double cradle with a rectangular swing arm. It's well designed to take the stresses a sidecar imposes.
If you look through the pictures, you will note that it has it's own brake. Actually, it's a Performance Machine twin piston caliper gripping a stainless, drilled rotor. It's set up just like a tractor, split brakes with the sidecar brake pedal right next to the bike's brake pedal. Though not interlocked, your boot will cover them both or individually if you prefer. I tend to rock my foot when applying the brakes to keep the inertia of the sidecar in balance with the bike. The sidecar is like a pendulum. When you accelerate the bike, the sidecar pulls to the right. When decelerating or braking without using the sidecar brake, it pushes to the left. There is a definite learning curve involved with a sidecar as the sidecar forever alters the geometry of the bike.
When you first operate a sidecar, you must try to forget anything you learned about a two wheel motorcycle. It's hard to adjust to and at first a little scary especially entering a curve at speed. The outfit really tends to over steer until you learn how to compensate. I almost put it in the ditch a couple of times last year. I'm more comfortable with it now. Actually, I believe I'd feel somewhat alien on 2 wheels again.
There are a couple of advantages to having a sidecar, especially one with high performance brakes. You can literally stop on a dime even on wet roads. Loose gravel in a turn poses no hazard for an outfit whereas loose gravel is a trip to the ER on a two wheeler and you never have to put your feet down at a stoplight. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If my outfit was a beater, I'd ride it all year. With off road tires, it's manners in the snow and mud would equal an off road bike or a quad. There is actually a sidecar outfit on the market that has both rear wheels driven. It's a Ural. Great bike for the woods.
You can order any sidecar without brakes, but the brakes make it safer. The key to braking is modulating the sidecar brake to be in harmony with the bike brake(s). Some bike like the Goldwing and the big Harley's have the sidecar brake plumbed right into the brake system of the bike so when you apply the bikes brakes, the sidecar brakes are applied proportionally.
With fuel prices going through the roof (that's another thread), efficient transportation with storage capacity becomes more viable. While I built mine for show and not utility, 40 mpg is nice and I can haul a load of groceries too.
With the sidecar off, the bike will run a respectable mid 13 second quarter mile. Even with the sidecar, it's no slouch. Of course I massaged the motor a little. I have to tinker, it's my nature. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The new Triumph is actually designed to be an English Police bike. Everything about the engine and drivetrain is very robust and the frame is a full double cradle with a rectangular swing arm. It's well designed to take the stresses a sidecar imposes.
