11-02-13, 05:24 PM
Hi again Christo, I wouldn't worry too much about hijacking threads in here mate .. I think it's this social networking sort of chat thing that helps to keep the FOC-U group so buoyant.
Interestingly (for some) it's quite hard to find a good sidecar outfit in every day use in the UK .. cross over into France and there are thousands of them .. pop down into Spain and you'll see nothing. I read somewhere that there are less than 100 outfits in the whole of the country. I've only ever seen one Spanish Outfit in over seven years .. bit of a sad old wreck used by a farmer.
By contrast .. on the Annual International Sidecar Rally patch up in Luxembourg last Sept we had 1.600 outfits from all over the world. Just thinking of the guys in here who fancy trying a long haul holiday trip on their bike .. the bloke who got the 'Longest Distance to Get There' award had ridden his outfit from Japan
via Mongolia with his tiny little wife in the box .. they got a lot of very respectful bowing.When I was considering the Spanish Dancer idea I wanted a flash, more modern looking chair (sidecar) but no one in France would build me a 'Left Hooker' (UK style with sidecar on the left). So I had to go to EZS in Holland who build one off Left or Right handers to order .. but with the more traditional sidecar body shapes, that are actually made in the UK
and round we go again.My outfit is (as you've seen) a UK spec job and is on British plates, road tax and insurance. I'm more English than ever these days 8) The reason for riding on the wrong side of the road and on the wrong side of the vehicle is so that the rig can be sold for something close to it's true value in the UK .. when I snuff it :\ . I've already got Mike GTX (Falcon 269) booked to ride the Spanish Dancer home :b for me. That should slow the bugger up a bit on the twisty bits. Military type Advanced organisation rules.
I also have to have a good ride-out by myself to get the outfit 'home' around June time every year for the MOT and I normally do a loop of the UK to visit people .. and scrounge free B&Bs. Not so daft some of us old farts.
Happy Days and Stay Safe now Y'all
Trev (The Polar Bear).