Bad Corner, Nearly Dumped

[antsaint]

First hard8, then me — must be the night for close calls. I was out running a couple of errands, and on the way home I decided to run down one of my favorite roads. I always turn around in a park there, putting slowly through the parking lot. There's a bit of a right turn to get back out onto the access road to leave. I was cutting it far to the right, thought I had enough clearance — but suddenly I felt the sidecar wheel bump over the curb, then off the curb.

I screwed up, shifted weight wrong — suddenly the tub is in the air. "Oh crap," I'm thinking, "I'm going to crash."

Bike is still going forward. Luckily there's no one in the path of the bike and no traffic in either direction. I go across the access road, amazingly still on 2 wheels. I shift weight and put the tub down, then go over the opposite curb and bring the bike to a stop. Amazingly, I didn't even stall it.

I cut the engine and checked everything over. All looked okay, save for my shaking hands. I drove home without any other events, and am just about through a scotch on the rocks to settle my nerves.

Freak accident, nearly complicated by a stupid rookie weight shift mistake. Can't believe I didn't wind up under the bike. Can't believe I misjudged that wheel-to-curb distance.

Oy.

[Scott in Shoreview]

I've let a few people take my Ural for a few circles in our parking lot at work. We're talking experienced riders here. I gringe when I see them try to go between cars or around the light poles. It is soooo easy to forget you have this big steel thingy sticking out your right side.

Glad no harm was done and those are the best reminders.

Scott in Shoreview

[hard8]

good recovery. I've had the tub lift up twice but I was trying to do it. I have about 75lbs in the sidecar so it was really hard to get it in the air.

I'm a pretty lightweight guy. I tried to do the balance test and could only get the tub to lift about a foot off the ground before it pulled me back.

We need to be careful my friend. We don't live too far away from each other so I hope we get to ride together before one of us blows it.

[Ragman]

In a few short months you will not worry about the chair going up in the air - so long as you practice it, until you know what to do. If I hit a curb and the chair goes up, that is all that happens, the chair goes up. If I cut a corner too fast, and the chair goes up, that also is all that happens - I have practiced many times, simulating every problem I could think of, and that practice helps - do it, learn it, and ride safe.

I am glad your over-reaction did nothing but scare you.

[a1930ford]

Learning to immediately roll off the throttle is just as good as learning how to shift your body weight most of the time. Nothing but practice will help in learing such, but a few good scares are good reminders. Practice, practice, practice..........and then, again, keep a clean pair of undies in your trunk.

Glad you were not hurt. The rig did what is natural for it, so you have to learn to immediatley respond, cause you never know when it may sneak up and test you a bit.

I drive about the neighborhood every evening. On many corners I'll decide to let the chair lift as I make my turn. I do it intentionally and not for showing off at all. On one corner I'll let the chair lift just a bit and on the next I may push it to lift much higher. I have gotten pertty good at realizing when the chair is starting to hop at all. I think that will be very helpful if I nip over a curb or such in the future.

PainDoc mentioned ballast in another post. You didn't mention if you were running any ballast or not, but that may be of help to consider. Especially if you are new to sidecars. Folks forget just how helpful some ballast can be in certain situations. It is something to think about if you are not experienced all that well in handling the wheel hop or flying the chair.

Glad you were not injured.

[Scott]

Learning to immediately roll off the throttle is just as good as learning how to shift your body weight most of the time.

Not necessarily true in a right hander. When you let off the throttle, the sidecar will come down and 99% of the time it is pointed into oncoming traffic. It's counter-intuitive, but the best thing I've found is to continue to power through the turn on two wheels in your lane until you can safely drop the sidecar wheel. Chances are slim that you can actually flip the sidecar over the bike even though that's what feels like is going to happen.

[berger]

Not necessarily true in a right hander. When you let off the throttle, the sidecar will come down and 99% of the time it is pointed into oncoming traffic. It's counter-intuitive, but the best thing I've found is to continue to power through the turn on two wheels in your lane until you can safely drop the sidecar wheel. Chances are slim that you can actually flip the sidecar over the bike even though that's what feels like is going to happen.

Compression of the front LL also drops the tub, so give a slight squeeze on the front break.

Berger

[a1930ford]

I suppose it would depend upon the different circumstances and actual skill level at the time it transpired. I can see that increasing the speed would also work if you knew that and could react in that manner in time. However, I haven't had to do that so far and I haven't ended up facing traffic as the result. Hitting the brake a tad could dig the thing down a bit as well, so there are different methods to achieve the same result. However, practice, practice, practice still hold true for each. Add a slope or hill to the scenarion and any variety of different approaches could save one's bacon.

[QBall]

I have practiced many times, simulating every problem I could think of, and that practice helps - do it, learn it, and ride safe.

Practice is key. You need to get a comfort level with the wheel up. Some times a simple ride it out and slow down is the only thing that will work. I have been riding a while and a few weeks ago I took an exit off the highway with a gradual off camber right hand sweeper at about 50 - 55 mph. Felt the chair lift, just rode it through and eventually heard the sound of the chair touching down. Made it through the exit, changed my shorts and smacked myself for getting too comfortable.

[S 854]

When the car comes back to earth, I get a "squeel" from the car tire as it quickly come up to speed... is this a normal occurance?

As I'm on the bike, my right boot presses down on the brake pedal a little, there's not a whole lot of room between the carb and the pedal... I have the brakes adjusted a little loose to compensate, and the brake drums aren't hot after riding... I was just wondering if the car brake is dragging a bit causing the wheel to slow whilst in the air... or if the squeel I'm getting is normal...

[seth]

i do a ton of chair in the air action packed riding and for a short flights i don't hear a squeal. long ones....1/4 mile+ hops i get more turbulence.
i've gotten pretty good at soft landings so it may just be your technique and it'll get better with practice.
the first thing you should do it get your foot off the rear brakes and tune them for optimal stopping power, when you need it, you need it.
seth

[Ragman]

You should never ride with your foot on the brake - you must have a different brake pedal than I do - to ride with my foot on mine I would need to be deformed.. I have to contort my foot almost painfully to reach the brake.

[S 854]

With the arch of my foot on the peg, the brake pedal is right under the ball of my foot... I have Wellington style riding boots, as I said, the pedal is pushed down about 1/4 - 1/2 inch just from resting my foot... I'm thinkin' I need to put a spacer in there somewhere to keep the pedal from coming so far "up" then adjusting the brakes accordingly...

P.S. Is it also normal to giggle hysterically while, and shortly after, flying around a corner?

[Ragman]

It is kind of usual to giggle most of the time, on these things. Leastwise, I do. I have taken to wearing a cloth thing under the helmet, that covers everything but my eyes, just so people don't get worried by the grinning idiot riding by.