Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Da'mit goes to market

Time has come to put Da'mit on the market.  We have had a great run together, Da'mit and I. Great adventures, new vistas, wonderful people met, interesting stories and distant lands visited.

The history we made together was unforgettable. And now....


... and now it's time for someone else to ride the horizon with Da'mit.

Have posted her for sale on Houston Craigslist. The price is negotiable.  As I slowly remove the many custom add-ons and extras, the price will be adjusted accordingly. To get the most bang for your buck, let's talk before I remove too many extras. 

Here is the link:    http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/4585774119.html

In case you are wondering, there is another sidecar rig waiting in the wings for my attention and long distance riding. Ride the Horizon II..........?

Some have asked if I will ever go back to riding two wheel motorcycles again. Cause for a pause... as two wheels can do things that sidecars can't and visaversa. Just as mules are better at somethings than horses. It all depends on what the job is you want done. Select the right tool for the job and everything goes easier. Right now, the job I want to accomplish requires a sidecar rig. 

Sidecar rigs are more complicated and more demanding to ride than motorcycles. Motorcycles are relatively easy to ride - it's a motorized bicycle. Once up to speed, just lean to change your direction. The motorcycle rider and the motorcycle are linked, united against the road. The trick is to keep the motorcycle upright as road conditions and traffic can put you down fast. Real fast. 

Sidecars with its three wheels is more connected to the road than to the rider. Every road bump and dip causes the rig to jump or drop, which is felt by the rider. To turn requires a constant effort in pushing and pulling on the handlebars to make the rig go around a bend. Plus the rider must shift his weight to one side or the other in order to keep all three wheel in contact with the pavement. Particularly on right hand turns. Right hand turns taken too hot creates a situation known as "Flying the Chair".  The sidecar can and will come up in the air making for a very unstable rig. For some - panic time. The experienced sidecar riders practice flying the chair regularly on a closed course or parking lot. Then if and when it happens on the road, they don't panic and overreact causing and even worse situation.

The constant pushing and pulling, plus having to moving your weight from one side to the others, then  add in the constant jarring from the road surface makes for a tiring experience when riding all day. It is more physically demanding to ride long distances in a day on a sidecar than on a motorcycle, or even in a car. Maybe that's why sidecar riders are too tired at the end of the day to party or have fun. 

Many motorcycle safety instructors rank riding by the level of rider involvement require to safely handle the machine. Small lightweight motorcycles are the easiest, then heavy cruisers or big adventure bikes, followed by Trikes and finally sidecar rigs. 

Like any skill, it is a simple matter of learning the skills necessary to correctly operate the machine and then practice until those skills become second nature. Up until two years ago, I had never ridden a sidecar rig. Now I feel confident to ride anywhere. Of course Da'mit had a lot to do with helping me reach that skill level. She will help the next owner to learn too.


Nite Da'mit...

3 comments:

  1. Really makes me wonder what's next...

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  2. I bet it's a 2014 Ural! I guess the plan to sell it in South America after completing a previously attempted journey got changed?

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  3. Now who was it that said... "life is like a box of......."? Or was it ..."like peeling an onion....."?

    Journeys too tightly planned are no fun and don't allow you to enter opened doors of opportunity. Focus on where you want to be, not necessarily on just one route to get there.

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