Winter 2012

Oy Vey!

On the list of labor done by your mechanic, if the words “Oy Vey” are included, you can be sure that the task wasn’t as easy as he had planned. The dictionary defines “Oy Vey” as Yiddish: short for “Oy Vey iz mir” Oh woe is me! Because some might not believe it, I can provide that part of my sidecar installation bill for your viewing and laughing pleasure. Apparently, the brakes were a real chore.

     If you’ve been reading the Code of the Road for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve been away for a while. Sorry about that, but I’ve got an excuse; I’ve been sidecaring. You can click on the Archived Codes and read all the details, or accept the following summary.

It all began in December of 2009 when I promised my daughter and wife I’d buy a sidecar for the ancient Goldwing so we could take family trips on the motorcycle instead of leaving behind our daughter or my wife. Try as I might, I couldn’t find one or get the bid settled on one near Metro Atlanta. As fate would have it, I found one in Butler. In my zest for purchase, bidding at 2:00 am and thought the rig was in Butler, Tennessee, just two hours from the house. In the morning, after a cup of coffee and sunshine, I discovered the hack was in Butler, Wisconsin and I had won the rig for only $900. So, after a trip to greater Milwaukee, I was the proud owner of a Vetter Terraplane.

That pretty much gets us up to speed.

Once getting the hack back to Atlanta, I had to find someone to install the rig on the bike. Sure, I’m the American Family Handyman, able to repair cars, motorcycles, toilets and most household appliances without duct tape, but never having handled such a job and I’d be risking the family with the outcome of the handiwork, I’d search for some pros to get it done. So, how to find a sidecar installation wizard? Check the web.

I searched the Georgia Sidecar Club and United Sidecar Club (www.sidecar.com) and spoke with members about where to go to get the job done. Without exception, by this I mean, unanimously, as in without a mention of anyone else, I was told time and time again that the only people to trust to get the job done right were Dean Graham and Nathan Mende at Boxerworks BMW in Watkinsville, Georgia. I called the shop and spoke with Nathan who told me that Dean had installed a Terraplane on a Goldwing before and would be glad to take a stab at it.

In March of 2010, my wife drove my truck with sidecar in the back as I piloted the Goldwing for her final voyage as a single girl. Once at Boxerworks, I met with Nathan and gave the instructions of what the wedding ceremony needed to include. The Terraplane would be bolted on using three workman-like mounts, the electrical connections would be made using the motorcycle’s existing trailer wiring, the brake would be linked to the rear brake of the bike, oh and change the dry rotted tire also. So, how much will this cost and when will it be ready? “Gee, I donno, we’ll get into the job and know for sure.” Oy Vey!

Near the end of April, I called Boxerworks and spoke to Nathan again. “Just checking on the progress of the work. How’s it going?” I asked. I was told that the new owner of the Vetter mark had mounts that would work to perform the wedding ceremony, but the owner was in the process of moving to a sunnier locale. This would cause a delay to get the components. Oy Vey!

At the end of May, I got a call from Boxerworks asking if I wanted to make the trek back out to Watkinsville to get the bike and use it, as they wanted the room in the shop. Adding that they hadn’t been able to do much by way of the ceremony because the aforementioned Vetter owner had moved from some great distance and was apparently not using a vehicle to assist in the move. I imagined an older man pushing a Barkalounger from upstate New York to Miami and then returning to get an end table, then walk back. Yes, I was told it would be an indeterminable amount of time before they got the needed mounts. Well, Watkinsville is a nice town, but not really a destination if you know what I mean. The two hour drive from my house in metro Atlanta and the fact that I had other bikes to ride made the trip seem silly. I gave permission for my Goldwing to play spend the night at the mechanics house. Oy Vey!

 June came and went with no news from Watkinsville. Oy Vey!

In July, I got word from Dean that the parts were in and work was beginning in earnest. I asked about how much it might cost. “Still no idea, we’ll see what it comes to. Hey, would you mind if we cut part of the passenger floor board off?” Oy Vey!

Finally, August came and a very tired Dean Graham called to say that the work was finished and the marriage ceremony went well, although there were a few burps along the way. I asked about the bottom line. What I got in response was an enumeration of difficulties encountered; like the mounts that were supposed to fit correctly didn’t quite fit, so some welding had to be done. He continued, the brakes were difficult to link; the electrical wasn’t as easy as he had hoped and the hack’s brake caliper had to be rebuilt. “O.k., what’s the damage?” “Um, $3,300 or so, but we might be able to polish off some of the labor cost.” Oy Vey!

The good thing about the project taking several months was that I had plenty of study time to prepare myself to be a sidecar pilot. I knew before riding that during acceleration, the rig tends to pull to the right  due to the drag of the sidecar. When braking and slowing, the rig will typically push left due to the momentum of the sidecar. Left turns are easier than right since the centrifugal force of a left turn pushes the sidecar into the ground, forcing the sidecar tire to gain more traction in the turn. Right turns were tough because the same centrifugal force causes the entire rig to lean outside the turn, lifting the sidecar off the road, called “Flying the Cart.” Flying the Cart is cool when you intend to do it, with room to straighten out to get the sidecar back on solid ground. However, when unplanned, Oy Vey!

My wife and I made the two hour trip to sunny Watkinsville. I met with Nathan, talked about the set up, paid the bill and took my first sidecar ride. Leaving the parking lot, I felt the odd sensation of turning a motorcycle without leaning for the first time in my life. It was as unnatural as tits on a bull. I made a couple right turns and even pulled into a cul de sac and tried to fly the cart, but I was being too cautious to pull it off. I rode the mile back to the shop, kissed my wife before she began her return trip home and spent the better part of the next hour talking to Nathan.

We sat in the shop area of the motorcycle dealership, listening to Car Talk on NPR and having our own discussions on all things motorcycle related. I learned that Mr. Mende is a unique character who affirmed that the best hands in the sidecar wedding business belonged to Dean Graham. We both love motorcycles and enjoyed the banter. He’s a longtime sidecar pilot and our conversation included plenty of morsels of advice that I digested well and still carry with me today. All too soon, it was time to go and I was off to learn to ride a sidecar. What better test than a two hour ride home? Oy Vey!

Ever cautious, I determined that I’d need to put four tanks of fuel through the motorcycle before allowing passengers aboard the new rig. I rode about 600 miles, mostly problem free, although I suffered the most common new sidecar pilot’s issue, smacking the occasional curb with the sidecar’s tire. I even flew the cart a couple of times. To combat unintentional flying, I added a 50lb bag of sand to the trunk of the sidecar. The added weight did settle it down a bit. Despite never having piloted any other rig, I’m convinced that mine is the best. Well balanced, finely tuned, no vibration at speed, only some minor shimmy at speed transitions through 20 MPH of so. But of course, I’d like it. Having spent so much money of a motorcycle that was worth less than the LABOR to add the sidecar, I’d admit idiocy if I were to claim the project a failure of not of value, so of course I liked it. The true test would be the first family trip.

Well, they loved it! We took an afternoon ride over Burnt Mountain, stopping along the way to make sure that all was well. The only issue my 10-year old daughter had was the fact that the windscreen deflected all the breeze and there were no vents, making the black Terraplane a hot ride! After a couple hours in the garage, the American Family Handyman had created an air conditioner out of an old ice chest, computer fan, battery, on/off switch, PVC pipe for a vent, a few cups of ice and voila-Air Conditioning!

I won’t tell you that it’s the best thing in the world, but it’s riding with my road loving and living family. Our adventures have stretched from the local ice cream shop to all day affairs out of town. We’ve ridden by day, by night, even a little rain (and yes, it’s dry under the canopy in the Terraplane). I’ve taken just about everyone for a ride in the sidecar too. It’s quite a crowd pleaser! My mom, my sister-in-law, even some of the guys at work, everyone seems to get the idea that a sidecar is fun!

The question I get from everyone is this; “Was it worth it?” Let me answer it this way, what’s the price of your word, a promise to your daughter? Mine is somewhat more than $4,000 and I’d do it all again tomorrow for the joy of taking us all for a ride! That’s not to say that I’m selling all my other motorcycles, no thanks! I’ll keep them all. As a matter of fact, I just completed a “Saddle Sore” Iron Butt Ride aboard, “Heidi” my BMW R1150RT and will share the tale of that 20-hour, 1,032 mile ride with you next time.

Until then, Ride Safe!

Hawk

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Last modified: May 8, 2007

Code of the Road

 In the sport of motorcycling there are unwritten pieces of knowledge passed from rider to rider. In the Code of the Road, Hawk Hagebak shares these pieces of knowledge for you to read at your leisure. Hawk will answer your questions, share some experiences and provide you with motorcycling travel tips that will compliment your already extensive knowledge of the coolest form of transportation in the world.