“I ALWAYS HAD THIS FEELING IN THE BACK OF MY MIND THAT SIDECARS WERE COOL, AND SOMETHING I’D LIKE TO TRY”
Riding a motorcycle is a thrill. It’s all about balance and power and requires a special skillset. With the proper training, enthusiasts new to motorcycling can look forward to years of enjoyment. But what if you’ve spent a lifetime riding a powered two-wheeler, and no longer feel as confident as you once did?
Options exist, including fitting a sidecar to a motorcycle, investigating a three-wheeler such as a Can-Am Spyder, or moving to a trike. Before we take a look at the choices, let’s take a journey though history.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, inventors were coming up with ways to increase the passenger carrying capacity of a powered two-wheeler. A forecar attachment had a wicker chair with two wheels either side of it, with the single wheel out back. Forecars saw a measure of success at the turn of the last century, but it wasn’t long before the forecar gave way to the sidecar.
According to author Jo Axon, writing in her book , “The earliest known sidecar-type passenger carrier for fitting to a two-wheeled vehicle was produced by an unknown maker for a pedal cycle in 1893. It consisted of a sparse frame supported on one wheel, a saddle and a footrest. A great many motorcycles were produced during the 1890s, and sidecars and sidecarriers designed to accommodate passengers and merchandise appeared in increasing numbers soon after 1900. Trailers, detachable forecars and tricars also appeared, but by 1910 the motorcycle and
