2018 UNITED SIDECAR ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL RALLY
BY GLENN C. MCGOVERN
MOTORCYCLE TRIAL ATTORNEY AND MSF BASIC INSTRUCTOR
[email protected] • 1-800-721-3992
Definition of sidecar: side-car(sid’kar’)n.
1. An extraordinary form of transportation that brings diverse people together
for a multitude of reasons, the most prominent being sheer enjoyment!
That definition of a sidecar eloquently describes what the sidecar
mode of transportation really means--- it is just pure enjoyment.
Sidecars became very popular in the 1920’s when motorcyclists wanted
to take their entire families with them. Sidecars were extremely common
before the Ford Model T as a cheap family mode of transportation. Today,
sidecars are still used to transport families and partake in social activities.
Never drove a sidecar? No problem. There are several sidecar schools
available in Lufkin, Texas and Orlando, Florida that offer sidecar classes
and certificates. I attended the school in Orlando and rented a sidecar
for the course before I took delivery of my Triumph Cozi sidecar.) Here
is a link for more information on certified instructor sidecar courses:
http://evergreenmotorcycletraining.org/sidecar-training/step-national-
schedule-training-locations/
The United Sidecar Association (U.S.C.A.) had its national rally June
14-16, 2018 in Rising Star, Indiana. The U.S.C.A Rally is the best place
in the world to see and learn about sidecar rigs. At any U.S.C.A. Rally,
there are educational seminars, sidecar group rides, a dance with live
band, breakfasts, luncheons and dinners. There are also sidecar games
that require coordination between the rider and “monkey” or sidecar
passenger. The games include a scoping up roadkill course and a reverse
gear race. T here are plenty of activities for the whole family.
The United Sidecar Association is an independent, not-for-profit
organization of diverse people from all walks of life who share in a
common interest—motorcycles with sidecars. The U.S.C.A. was founded
in 1976 in the Chicago area, but now has members throughout the U.S.A,
Canada, Mexico and throughout the world. (For more information on the
U.S.C.A. and membership information see http://www.sidecar.com/
default.asp) Note you do not have to own a sidecar to join. But warning,
after your kids go to one you will be forced to buy a sidecar rig. Do it and
you will not regret it. I have had so much fun with my 11-yr. old daughter
Elena and her Corgi dog in our sidecar. Priceless!
I had been asked to return this year to the Rally to speak to the group
on what I had learned about motorcycle safety after over 40 years
of racing and handling motorcycle litigation and being a MSF Basic
Motorcycle Instructor. I put together a PowerPoint presentation that was
enjoyed by the group. (If you have a club that would like me to give the
26 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | August 2018 | www.thunderroadslams.com
same speech, just email me at [email protected]). It was the
best attended National U.S.C.A Rally to date in the history of the United
Sidecar Association. The location and facilities were really superb.
There were are sidecar enthusiast rigs from all over the U.S., Canada,
Mexico and as far away as Japan. (No, the Japanese family did not ride in
but flew in!) I was impressed how many members traveled to the Rally
in two sidecar rigs. One sidecar rig for the husband and his dog, and one
sidecar rig for the wife and her dog. Kids and dogs in sidecars just seem
to go together! I am always impressed by the long distances traveled by
members who camp with their sidecars at the event. One group was
from Mexico that rode in!
The Rally campground was on the winding, beautiful Ohio River. The
closest major city was Cincinnati, Ohio but there were many picturesque
small towns like Rising Sun with quaint ice cream parlors, local pubs
and restaurants in the area. There was a beautiful Rising Sun Casino
nearby for those who did not want to camp. If you have the opportunity
to go to a future U.S.C.A. Rally, I recommend you take your motorcycle
or sidecar and camp, as they always have beautiful camping facilities
in scenic locations filled with beautiful sidecar rigs. It is a wonderfully
diverse group. Their members ride in in all sorts of sidecar rigs that vary
from Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooters with sidecars to large Harleys with
sidecars. Indian Chiefs and BMW’s are also quite popular as are Urals.
(Urals have two-wheel drive for mud and snow as well as a reverse gear)
During my speech we had a very interesting discussion about the
differences in perception of the public of motorcyclists on two-wheels
and motorcyclists in sidecars. I knew from our many motorcycle focus
groups I did for litigation that people generally do not have very positive
attitude about motorcyclists on two-wheels as they perceive them as
adrenaline junkies and high-risk takers. Sometimes car drivers are even
discourteous or hostile to two-wheel motorcyclists. But people are
always extremely courteous and even happy to see sidecars and respect
them. You cannot get someplace on time in any sidecar, as you will be
talked to by motorists at every stoplight or gas stop and asked many
questions or hear about when they rode with their dad or grandfather
in a sidecar as a child. Most people have fond memories of such events. If
you have a child or a child and a dog in the sidecar, you will attract a lot
of attention getting a lot of thumbs up along the way! Even police give
you thumbs up!
Sidecars are statistically safer than two-wheeled motorcycles. If you
research the major motorcycle accident studies like the Hurt Report
or COST 327 European motorcycle accident studies, they all show that
there are very few reported sidecar accidents compared to two-wheel
motorcycle accident. Even failure to yield by cars to sidecar accidents are
extremely rare.
One big advantage of sidecars if that third wheel that adds stability.
Our northern friends do not mothball their sidecars in winter when it
snows. Sidecars can operate on icy roads quite easily. The Urals have two-
wheel drive and are designed to operate in mud and snow off-road.
The third wheel also means sidecars do not steer like two-wheel
motorcycles do. Two-wheel motorcycles counter steer. To go left you
push on the steer right and to go right you steer left. Sidecars, when the
sidecar wheel is on the road, steer like cars. To go left you steer left and to
go right you steer right. This is really less complicated than it sounds. You
adopt quickly with some good instruction under your belt. But do not
operate a sidecar on the street without some prior instruction.
The U.S.C.A. Rally was a wonderful event as usual.
There is an annual Louisiana State Rally in Bunkie, La. in October. The
2019 U.S.C.A National Rally will be in Couer d’Alene, Idaho July 25-28,
2019. See you then. Look for Elena, Erika and Jules the Welsch Corgi with
dark Doggles on in a Triumph-Cozzi Rig!
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