All about driving a stroller

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An atypical car that does not like to walk straight and refuses to turn
- Our Safe Driving Tips

An atypical car that does not like to walk straight and refuses to turn

Our Safe Driving Tips

There was a time when everyone (or nearly everyone) knew how to drive a stroller: the stroller was a working-class family car that didn't have enough money to buy a small car. In the West, the decline was signed in the early 1950s, when governments decided that the working classes were entitled to a private car and launched special industrial plans in their respective countries. And so 2 CV Citroën and 4 CV Renault, Fiat 500 and 600, VW Coccinelle, Austin Minor put the sidecar on the index, with the exception of the countries of the former Soviet bloc, where the Urals, but especially MZ and Java, resisted until the fall of the Wall, and then replaced Skoda and Dacia.

Because dare to admit the truth: the stroller is useless. It takes up space, does not tilt and makes driving more difficult. This is why it is important in today's motorized terrain, which tends to be standardized. Because life is too short to drive sadly, isn't it? And his appreciation of the general public's sympathy is a constant source of surprise.

Today you probably noticed two things: strollers are rare (the French market is estimated to be 200 new units a year, almost half of them Ural), and they are mostly driven by experienced bikers, proudly dressed in Barbour and a floral beard. This means that the sidecar is the car of those who have already visited the problem of motorcycles, and that if it is not very useful, the sidecar remains a great vehicle for traveling far or simply, living on the road in a different way.

Contrary to the opinion of many, all three wheels are not a guarantee of stability. A retro or neo-retro motorcycle weighs 200 kilograms; the equipped rider is often at least 80. On the other hand, a basket on a chassis weighs between 80 and 100 kilograms. So we have 75% of the weight on both left wheels and 25% of the weight on the right wheel if the side is solo. For a passenger or luggage, the share can increase to two-thirds / one-third. In any case, the side remains an unbalanced machine. His good behavior is due to his understanding of the balance of mass, her geometry, and above all, the center of gravity! This last point is extremely important. The side placed on 18-inch wheels (Ural T) will have very different reactions than the other side placed on 19-inch wheels (Ural Ranger), while in the minds of the general public they are very close in mind, if not are identical.

In fact, this article excludes "small wheel" sides (14 inches or less), sportier or even straight "track".

Go straight, the party doesn't like it too much ...

You might think that going straight is the easiest thing. It is already necessary to understand the logic of the side, the unbalanced car par excellence: when you accelerate, the side stretches to the right; when you brake, it pulls to the left (with the exception of the Ural 2015 disc brakes on the basket, which do a bit of flying sausage when braking).

Unlike a single motorcycle with a single track, the side will suffer from road violations, asphalt deflection, potholes, various defects. He will wave his hand, live. It's up to you to find the right balance between firmness (keep him on the road) and freedom (have him dance the samba, which is part of his DNA). Faltocar is constantly embraced in a ballet of clumsy sensuality.

To turn left, you need to force a little (but not too much)

To turn left, it is enough to turn globally, and the side follows the path after a small moment of resistance. We understand that the more abrupt we are, the sharper the reaction. Before the opening of the critical moment: by pressing on the suspension of the basket, the side can touch the asphalt with its nose in a slow turn, which is not without unbalancing everything.

As always, movements must anticipate and break. A small additional dose of inhibition will allow you to naturally step to the side one by one; it is up to you to take responsibility for the rest of the operation.

The side doesn't like to turn right (and you should respect that)

Attention: a moment of stress! A right turn will fold in the sense that it includes a mass transfer, which can, in an extreme situation, raise the basket to the turning point of the machine. In other words: and paf, dog house!

The problem is that when this happens, there are many other solutions left besides getting out of the trajectory, and that the reflex is to brake (which increases the likelihood of getting out of the road) while speeding up and exaggerating the mass carry on the basket. he eventually turns. Yes, it's a lock.

We have seen that acceleration stabilizes the side by forcing it to pull a little to the right: so we have to take advantage of this state of affairs by sacrificing its corner entry speed, energize the side chassis by turning, with the left arm extended to its maximum, and then accelerate gently. aiming at the exit from the bend and trying to have

Conclusion: different but intense pleasures

On the neo-retro side, housed on 16 to 19-inch wheels, performance can't be. These atypical cars are entirely designed to be walked at a quiet pace, knowing that these few basic rules outlined above will be challenged according to the profile of the road, hairpin turns, turns. In the case of 2-wheel drive parties such as the Ural Rangers, the lack of a differential limits this practice to clean crossing or extreme conditions.

Even more than on a motorcycle, the sidecar requires real humility and requires thousands of kilometers of practice before you can feel comfortable and relaxed on the road. In any case, it is highly recommended to introduce an introduction to driving through an association such as IniSide.

After that, you will discover another way of getting around, such as a car fan, which would decide to go only on Front Traction and take only abandoned departmental cars. Another pleasure, just as dense.