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A Bendy Joins The Forum

 
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Flexit



Joined: 29 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Gloucester, UK

PostPosted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:23 pm    Post subject: A Bendy Joins The Forum Reply with quote

Hi all,

Just joined the forum. 3 of us with a 1990 Pan Europena and Flexit. We do lots of European Touring and are off to Spain in August returning via a Leaning Sidecar Rally in Germany.



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bmcsheehy



Joined: 22 Jan 2005
Posts: 991
Location: Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would love to go for a ride with you, just to see your rig work.
Looks very interesting. Motorcycle Happy
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High Performance Sidecaring... ...There is nothing "HACKED" about it.
2006 ZX-14 / HANNIGAN HP.
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legalr



Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 163
Location: Wallingford, Vermont

PostPosted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bmcsheehy wrote:
I would love to go for a ride with you, just to see your rig work.
Looks very interesting. Motorcycle Happy


It's kind of a long swim to Gloucester, UK, Bill. Laughing Laughing Laughing That's so funny. That's so funny. That's so funny.
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legalr



Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 163
Location: Wallingford, Vermont

PostPosted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:30 pm    Post subject: Re: A Bendy Joins The Forum Reply with quote

Flexit wrote:
Hi all,

Just joined the forum. 3 of us with a 1990 Pan Europena and Flexit. We do lots of European Touring and are off to Spain in August returning via a Leaning Sidecar Rally in Germany.



Welcome aboard! I'm looking forward to your posts about Spain and Germany.
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Flexit



Joined: 29 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Gloucester, UK

PostPosted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry Bill,

I am a bit far away. However, there are quite a few Flexit's in the USA. Might be worth checking out the Flexit Owners forum to see if there is anyone local(ish) to you.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexitsidecarclub/

Regards
Frank

ps. I have applied for redundancy (31 years in HM Forces!). If I get it we plan to ship the oufit across to the US/Canada next summer... so you might still get a chance..... fingers crossed.
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Dar



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 349
Location: Ballston Spa, NY

PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A question for Flexit.
You said
Quote:
We do lots of European Touring

I am curious about your touring on the continent with your British rig (left side sidecar). I have lived (most of my life) in the US, and have visited Britain 3 times over the years, but I had my first chance to actually drive (an automobile) there only two years ago. It certainly felt very strange, from getting into the "wrong" side of the car to actually driving on the left side of the road, but I made it through the week that I was driving there with no mishaps. Except for driving the left wheels of the car into the left curb of the hotel driveway repeatedly, and almost taking my friend's elbow off - he had his arm out the passenger window and I almost scraped into a very close stone wall on a narrow country road.

In any case, the rule that I learned is that where you drive on the road determines the driver's position in the car (or sidecar rig)- the driver's side stays toward the MIDDLE of the road - anywhere in the world.

If you have traveled much at all on the continent, I'm sure you have driven on "the other" side of the road much more than my very limited experience, and so have made the necessary adjustments in your driving habits - rewiring of the brain cells as you pass over or under the Channel is how I imagine it. Obviously, staying on the correct side of the road is the primary concern - easy to do if there is other traffic on the road and you just stay with them, less easy if you're alone on the road and not really thinking about where you belong - at least in my experience. Another concern, I would imagine, is that if you are driving a vehicle which is not the "correct" configuration for where you are driving - a British car or sidecar on the continent or vice versa - would be when overtaking another vehicle. If the driver is closer to the side than to the middle of the road, you would have to practically pull into the oncoming traffic lane to be able to see around the vehicle you are trying to overtake, thereby putting your passenger at higher risk.

Any comments?

In any case, enjoy your holiday, and stay safe on the road.

Dar
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Flexit



Joined: 29 Jun 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Gloucester, UK

PostPosted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dar,

You guys across the pond need to get out more (only joking!!).

Riding/driving on the wrong side of the road is easy. I have lived in Holland, Germany and Norway with RHD vehicles (sidecar, car and minibus) I have also owned a LHD minibus in the UK. It takes but a few minutes to adjust once you have had a little experience.

My first drive in a LHD car was in a Chrysler Neon in Saudi Arabia. Apart from their mad driving!! the most difficult thing when I started was that when changing gear my left hand automatically wanted to move to the gear lever, but after about ten minutes my brain had adjusted.

There have been many days in the UK when I have driven my LHD minibus to work and then jumped straight into a RHD car to travel on work business.

As for overtaking, all you have to do is read the road (you can move over to either side on roads with bends) or on very long straight roads hang further back from the vehicle you are following to get a view past.
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Dar



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 349
Location: Ballston Spa, NY

PostPosted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even if you were only joking, you're absolutely right, we do need to get out more. Out of our own backyard to see a bit more of the world. Too many of my friends think nothing of flying from the East Coast of the US to the West Coast for a vacation, of maybe to the Carribean for an "exotic" location, but the idea of traveling in the opposite direction, to Europe, is completely out of their consciousness.

I have had the good fortune to be able to take three motorcycling vacations in Europe over the past several years, but have not made it to the UK with 2 or 3 wheels yet. Maybe next time... After my 4-wheel introduction to driving on the left side of the road that I described earlier, I have overcome the initial fear of doing something so completely new and "wrong", and think that I would be able to handle the experience on 2 or 3 wheels without too many problems.

It sounds like you have had plenty of experience driving on either side of the road, from either side of the vehicle, and that is what is important - enough experience to "train" your reflexes to respond correctly for the situation at hand.

Thanks for your thoughts on the matter.

Dar
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Dar



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 349
Location: Ballston Spa, NY

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Flexit,

I'm not sure if you are still reading this forum or not, but if you are reading this, I guess you might have returned...

Perhaps you might like to add some comments on the General Discussion page in the ?? about visiting Europe or possibly just the British Isles topic, concerning driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Seems we have a discussion going between a Yank and a Brit, both of whom seem to be letting their sense of caution overcome their sense of adventure.
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sidecarkeith



Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 336
Location: yorkshire uk

PostPosted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi flexit,

Welcome to one of the best sidecar sites I've been on.

Were invading this site Laughing
Together we'll get this lot to ride on the left side of the road Big Grin

I think here we have a fear of the unknown, and the need to be confident once you set off.
Once you've tried it you'll find the brain is wonderful machine that can adjust and adapt to almost any new condition quite quickly.
I think one of the easiest ways would be to find some empty land or better still dissused industrial estate and start driving on the opposite side of the road to the normal side.

Flexit are you going to any sidecar rallies in this country.

Keith
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