Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: rec.motorcycles FAQ of 92.09.01            Part 5 of 5
From: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:26:00 GMT
Reply-To: dave.williams@chaos.lrk.ar.us (Dave Williams) 
Distribution: world
Organization: The Courts of Chaos * Jacksonville AR USA * 501-985-0059


*** Other Equipment:

Q:  I'd like to get a bike cover.  Where can I get one?

A:  Look in the magazine ads.  Here are some points to consider before
    buying a cover:

    Plusses:
        keeps the sun, bird crap, and dust off your bike
        keeps feebos from sitting on it and covering it with
           drool and fingerprints
        may protect the bike from gratuitous vandalism

    Minuses:
        cover acts as a giant sail; makes it easier for the wind
           to tip the bike over
        dew and rain seep-through will collect under the cover,
           causing the bike to rust faster
        covers seem to be popular with thieves, who will sometimes
           destroy them trying to get them off
        you have to have some place to put the cover when you take
           it off.

    I use a $8 K-Mart plastic tarp.  Two ends are tied to concrete
    blocks, the other two ends to chunks of 2x4.  When I leave I
    simply flip the tarp off; when I get back I flip it back.  It
    keeps the sun off while allowing plenty of air circulation.

                          =====================

Q:  I'm interested in adding a sidecar to my bike.  What's the deal?

A:  spencer@hailwood.asd.sgi.com (Paul Spencer)  says:

    I posted this once before, and have been mailing it out to those
    who ask. I'd love to work on it more, but my current schedule is
    a little insane. Have fun. I'll critique the sidecar FAQ you come
    up with if I have time.    ....paul

    ===== sidecars =====

    Having a sidecar is a lot of fun. You can ride all year, you can
    use it for errands a lot more, you can carry more people, you can
    go on much longer trips with others (since they can sleep in the
    sidecar).  People come up and talk to you a lot more; they don't
    have the greasy biker' syndrome.

    However: sidecars are _NOT_ motorcycles. They handle very
    differently.  I had over ten years and over 100,000 miles of
    riding experience before I got a sidecar; it wasn't very useful. Be
    prepared for a totally new experience. You can get yourself into
    trouble just as easily as you can on a bike; but you have many fewer
    options on getting yourself OUT of trouble.

    Unfortunately, many bikes these days are poorly made for attaching a
    sidecar. The entire outfit will be very difficult and dangerous to
    ride. Get expert advice in this field. (Even if you buy a bike and
    sidecar as a unit, it may be set up wrong; I'd say from informal
    looking around at sidecar rallies that about 50% of outfits are
    badly put together, and 20% are downright unsafe).

    The idea of having a sidecar that is removable is a poor one; a
    good sidecar unit is just that, a unit, which is never taken
    apart. Many desirable modifications that make the sidecar unit
    better - such as reduced trail, and flat-profile automotive tires
    - make the bike unrideable as a solo anyway.

    The only motorcycle manufacturer who sells sidecars is Harley
    Davidson. They are excellent sidecars, and Harleys are ideal for
    pulling them.  Adding a sidecar to a Honda/Yamaha/Kawasaki/Suzuki
    /BMW motorcycle will void it's warranty; it will also make most
    shops refuse to work on your bike.

    Sources of more information:

      United Sidecar Association (USCA)
      130 S. Michigan Avenue
      Villa Park, IL 60181

    Regular magazine, books on building a unit, books on riding with
    a sidecar, books listing all available sidecars on the market.
    Also offer training courses on riding. National and regional
rallies.

      Hack'd Magazine
      P.O. Box 17640
      Portland, OR 97217

    Monthly magazine. Better mag than the USCA.

      California Sidecar
      Garden Grove, CA
      (800) 824-1523

    Wide range of sport and touring sidecars; handling packages.

      Motorvation Engineering
      3702 Clifton Place
      Montrose, CA 91020
      (818) 248-9631

    Both sport and touring sidecars.

      BMW Motorrad of St. Louis / EML USA
      4011 Forest Park Blvd.
      St. Louis, MO 63108
      (314) 531-4010

    Sell EML and Ural sidecars, along with a lot of parts for Steibs.
    Lots of handling improvement stuff. Great place, lots of free
    advice.

      Hitchhiker Sidecar Company
      1665 Cumberland S.E.
      London, OH 43140
      (614) 852-5373

    Only make one touring-oriented sidecar, but it's well liked.


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=======================================================================
  I'm travelin' down this road, I'm flirtin' with disaster
  I got the pedal to the floor, my life is movin' faster
  I'm out of memory, I'm out of hope, it looks like self-destruction
  well, how much more can we take with all of this corruption?
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(Molly Hatchet)          XJ900 TURBO at 15psi          DoD# 978  KotFAQ
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Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles