Sidecars Are Sideways All The Time -
A Modern racing sidecar is an exciting mixture of motorcycle and car that will catapult its rider and passenger to nearly 200mph whilst sliding and squirming all the way through the corners - you can't miss this action at Mallory Park's International Sidecar Festival this Sunday 28th October.
Four-times and reigning World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves is headlining the Festival on his LCR Suzuki GSX-R1000 and he is looking forward to battling sideways with his rivals in the races on Sunday.
Reeves said: "A Sidecar weighs 230kg, has 175bhp and will go from 0-60mph in 2.5seconds and hit a top speed of more than 180mph. They are quick and with a third wheel they are more forgiving than a solo motorcycle, but the fact is that to drive them fast you need to be basically sliding everywhere to steer."
The passenger has to move around the bike for traction and weight distribution but as well as that there are a host of settings the driver can use to get the most speed from his outfit.
"The third wheel has no suspension but you can move it around six inches back and forward," explains Reeves. "The further forward allows you to put more weight on the rear for traction. The further back the more weight is on the front for braking and handling.
"The real skill is keeping the bike in a straight line. Anyone can throw a sidecar into a corner and slide but that is losing time. The fine art is getting it to progressively slide - anyone can make it drift but a good rider keeps it going forward.
"Sidecars are sideways all the time, it is how they steer as they are such unequal machines, you can't turn left as fast as a right hander. Other things you can change are the trail, rake and tyre temperatures. There is front and rear suspension as well, so to get it set up can be as complex as a solo bike."
Reeves and his passenger Ashley Hawes have had a near perfect year with victories at home and abroad and are looking for a fun weekend to finish the season; but are expecting close races. Sean and Mark Hegarty are expected to lead the challenge on their race-winning Suzuki package.
There are a host of classes and trophies to keep everyone entertained on Sunday at Mallory Park with Reeves taking on the best in Britain in the Open Class. Other exciting races will be the F2, Classic and Vintage sidecars, all with healthy entry lists and a friendly paddock welcoming spectators to the Friendly Circuit. Tickets cost 15 on the gate with under 14s going free of charge.
