Author Topic: The Sidecar Experience  (Read 4112 times)

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MrMike

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on: May 30, 2015, 05:51:04 am
A little late posting but I've been working on the house...

 Last weekend went to the Memorial Day Motorcycle Blowout in Gulfport, MS. Local TV news claimed there were over 10,000 bikes there and I believe it. Most of them were Harleys. It is held at a drag strip and they were having some serious competition. I was riding the Royal Enfield G5 with Kozi Rocket sidecar. It was a real crowd pleaser. Everyone seemed to like the bike and I must have told the Enfield story a hundred times. Got there late on Saturday and could not enter the competition for best of class. It would have been an easy win. I wondered all over the place numerous times and only saw one other sidecar rig. It was an older Harley with a homemade car. Looked like a rat rod. Had "Bandito" gang markings all over it. Never did locate the rider.

 This may not be the venue most of us would hang out at with the heavy drinking, bikini and wet t-shirt contests, etc. But it was a great opportunity to promote sidecars. Talked to several riders who expressed a serious interest in getting into sidecars. Handed out several tri-folds and who knows, just might get a response. Didn't even drink one beer and even had the bike blessed by the vice president of the local chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association. Very interesting experience over all.

 By the way, I rode/drove the rig from my home, about a 90 mile trip with the dog "Kozi" in the car. They would not let her in the show though. That dog is getting to be a real sidecar hound. Before leaving the house, took the bike out to wash it and she leaped into the car. Wants to ride every time I get the rig out. Also gave my daughter (aged 13) her first driving lesson on a rig. Did pretty good. Next time we will try shifting gears.
2011 G5 Deluxe w/Kozi Rocket
2009 V-Star 950 Tourer w/Velorex 562
1999 Honda VT 1100 T w/Dauntless Tandem


mc35803

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Reply #1 on: November 23, 2015, 02:40:30 pm
Just saw this.  Thanks for posting.  I have a Ural and am interested in hacking my C5.  Great looking rig!
Miles


rtillery02

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Reply #2 on: December 01, 2015, 04:18:13 pm
If I could locate a reasonably priced sidecar kind of locally, I'd buy it in a minute. so far they're all more expensive than my bikes themselves, but am always watchin the papers & such. She still tries, but my pup is just WAY too big to load up in my lap to ride any more.
Some Folks Grow Old & Wise, &
Some Folks Just Grow Old.


MrMike

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Reply #3 on: December 01, 2015, 06:51:32 pm
Who Would Have Guessed
     A week or so ago I took my son who was visiting from Washington state to the Classic Care Museum in Gulfport, MS.  There we heard talk about a vintage motorcycle show that was to take place November 15th on the Coast.  After a little investigation, I found out the Mobile Bay Vintage Motorcycle Club was holding their semi-annual show in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Who are these folks?  A little checking revealed some interesting facts.  They can be found at mbvmc.org and as they say on their website, they are a group of people “who love the art of vintage motorcycles.”  Sounds good to me.  After finding out the dues are “free” I joined. 
     Now I had to get to the show.  Since I wanted to fit in, I cleaned up the Royal Enfield/Kozi Rocket rig and rode it down to the show, about a 90 mile run.  Didn’t really expect to do much.  Hoped to meet some like-minded people and look at some nice vintage bikes.  Admission to the show was free (this gets better all the time) but if you wanted to compete, there was a $10 registration fee.  What a deal, I just wanted to look around and enjoy.  After some pleasant talk, the lady at the registration table talked me into entering.  But what class?  Certainly not vintage.  Not British (really) or other European.  Not made in USA or custom.  The only place it fit was “Original – Unrestored.”  So, I’m in.

     There were only two other sidecar rigs at the show.  One of them entered his Ural in the modern European class.  The other was piloting a Kawasaki KZ off road rig with a Sputnik sidecar. He was just enjoying the show with his two four legged companions.  We talked in detail about sidecars, touring and a host of other topics. 

     Had to stick around until 3:00 PM to find out who the winners were but I didn’t want to leave anyway with all that beautiful equipment to look at.  Turns out the Ural rider takes a trophy in his class and then, who would have guessed?  My very own Royal Enfield G5 takes second place in its class, and it’s a stock setup!  People did seem to flock to the bike and I spent a lot of time answering questions about sidecars in general and Royal Enfield in particular.  Over all it was a great day, even if the wife wasn’t too happy about being deserted. 
2011 G5 Deluxe w/Kozi Rocket
2009 V-Star 950 Tourer w/Velorex 562
1999 Honda VT 1100 T w/Dauntless Tandem


Ice

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Reply #4 on: December 01, 2015, 07:04:56 pm
 Congrats Mr.Mike !

 Glad you had fun.
No matter where you go, there, you are.


mc35803

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Reply #5 on: December 03, 2015, 01:52:15 pm
HoW cool is that Mr. Mike  :P
Miles