So you’ve just learned how to drive a motorcycle, and you’re thinking a sidecar shouldn’t impose much of a challenge. I mean, the controls are the same and you even get another wheel, so you basically can’t fall. Piece of cake really! Well, not exactly. A sidecar is, in fact, one of the only vehicles out there that is asymmetrical. It will behave differently when turning left or right. Acceleration and braking come with their quirks respectively, and if we’re talking about braking, don’t ever brake hard in a curve if you entered a little fast! The sidecar could be up in the air in a second or you could pivot on the spot!

You might think that sidecars are a bit too much, but after mastering a few easy steps they could be a lot of fun. Here are some basics that you need to know:

Note that these apply to sidecars with a chair mounted on the right.

Easy with the brake

Front braking through a right corner will cause the handlebars snapping left.

Loaded front

The front wheel takes a lot of load under hard turns so it’s beefed up.

Left-field

If you accelerate too hard in a left hander the bike’s rear wheel could lift. Throttling off helps in these situations.

Follow the car

Applying gas will make the outfit go in the direction of the sidecar.

Lifting the sidecar

Accelerate hard into a right corner and the sidecar’s wheel will lift. The motorcycle has more to travel than the car, so be sure to apply more gas for a right (if the sidecar was on the opposite side this would happen when going round a left).