Motocross Action tests a 660cc TM Sidecar!

#motocross #motorcycle #racing
Motocross Action tests a 660cc $20,000 sidecar. Are you a mind reader? Can you predict people’s actions and decisions? If you can, chances are you would be good at sidecar motocross racing. Yes, you could have your own mentalist stage show in Las Vegas and make millions, or use your telepathic powers to save the world from evil, but you wouldn’t have as much fun as racing sidecars. he sheer weight and power of riding a sidecar on a motocross track is intimidating. The WSP chromoly rolling chassis, which costs over $9000, and 660cc four-stroke TM engine (based on a bored-and-stroked TM 450MX engine) are the meat and potatoes of the bike. With the bike weighing 400 pounds dry and the riders around 350 pounds combined, that is a total weight of 750 pounds that the 660cc TM four-stroke has to pull around the track. The Italian-built engine pumps out 72 ponies. That would be unmanageable on a solo bike, but with the power focused more on torque than horsepower, it was about perfect for this sidecar. What’s it like to race a sidecar motocross rig? Believe it or not, it takes two people to control a sidecar. They are joined at the hip. The person who steers the sidecar is called the driver, even though there is no steering wheel. The passenger isn’t really a passenger at all. He is working incredibly hard to keep the sidecar rig balanced out and aimed in the right direction. Don’t call the passenger the “monkey.” That is a derogatory term given how important the passenger is to the success of the team. As we blasted down the starting line and headed towards the steeply banked Talladega first turn, I remembered Gert Van Werven’s initial advice when I asked how to get it around the big Glen Helen track. He said, “Just pin it!” When he said that, my eyes lit up and I looked over at Josh with a big grin on my face. So, I got on the gas hard coming into the Talladega first corner, and I could hear Josh yelling, “Slow down!” I ignored him and kept the throttle pegged. As we blasted up the banking, I had the handlebars turned as far right as they would go, but the sidecar kept going straight. I thought we were going to fly over the lip of the 70-mph Talladega banking. Just before we flew off the track, Josh saved both of us by leaning off the side of the bike to distribute the weight to make it turn. We both started laughing hysterically. It was partially from the thrill and partially from the fear. Thankfully, we were still in one piece. t was incredible how powerful the bike was. The 660cc powerplant put serious power to the ultra-wide 140 rear tire. The handling was awesome-that is if Josh and I were in the right positions. After every lap that we clicked off, Peter and Gert would pull us over to give us some pointers. It was Josh who was getting the most instructions. To me, the instructions were a blur, but for Josh they involved moving faster, leaning farther out of the sidecar, putting his arm around me in the left-hand turns, where to put his feet, how not to burn himself on the scorching hot exhaust and, most important, not to fall out. When they told Josh not to fall out, I giggled, only to have them turn to me and say, “If he falls out, you are on your way to a big crash when you get to the next corner.” My job was easy. I just twisted the throttle, but I wasn’t about to tell Josh that. It is really hard to put into words how much fun this experience was. Riding a custom-made $20,000 machine that has all the power you need at your fingertips is a serious adrenaline rush. Having a good friend working with you to experience the same fun together is also quite the rush. Thanks, Gert and Peter, for the lessons, and Ralf for letting us break in your new ride.
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