Notice the word driving as opposed to riding. Unless this key word is understood at the beginning, sidecar touring can be tricky.

Perhaps the thing to keep uppermost in mind when you start to drive the rig is that the outfit must be steered when cornering. The solo scooter is leaned into corners and steering is accomplished largely by shifting body weight. This is not true with a sidecar. It does not lean and negotiating corners is almost strictly a matter of pulling and pushing the handlebars.

A novice should approach his initial sidecar with a passenger in the sidecar. There is a world of difference between driving and outfit ladened versus unladened. Straight line driving is the easiest but you will notice an odd but perfectly normal tendency for the scooter to wag its head back and forth at slow speeds. A firm grip on the handlebars neutralizes this and after a few hours it ceases to bother you. Scooters with steering dampers help control this condition.

Cornering is where most first-times get into trouble. The left hand turns are great (on right hand mounted sidecars). In fact, an unwary novice can get into trouble by taking a left turn too fast because when turning left, centrifugal force comes into play and forces the sidecar to the road surface.

The right hand corner is a whole new ball game (on right hand mounted sidecars) Centrifugal force, your friend on left hand turns, becomes your foe turning right. It tries to lift the sidecar and you have to counter with some body english (movement) and a SLOWER speed. At anything but a crawling pace, the right hand turn can most easily be negotiated by leaning slightly into the corner, applying some front brake and rolling the throttle simultaneously. It sounds awkward and it is initially, but this technique allows the scooter to pivot around on the sidecar wheel with a minimum tendency for it to lift.

Practice is the key to developing into an accomplished sidecar pilot. Temper that practice with a liberal dose of caution and common sense and soon you will be flinging your outfit through the corners like a veteran.

Another important consideration is to remember that you have some extra width to jockey around so give cars, curbs and other objects a suitable distance.

Remember all these hints should be considered even more if the sidecar is empty. With no passenger, the outfit is lighter and right hand turns should be made with extra caution. Adding some ballast to your empty sidecar, such as a sack of sand, can help prevent the potential difficulties of driving with an empty sidecar.