Supersides

I've just discovered Supersides. Holy crap, these things are crazy.

Their website: http://www.superside.com/ Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhqW2Ff2V1A#t=0m55s. Check out the asphalt to butt clearance at 2:41.

We need road-going Locost versions of these things STAT.

um..... you need testicals AND buns of titanium to be the ballest on one of those things

Holy Kevlar Underwear Batman!!!!

I'm surprised we only saw one of them fall off....

Any idea where I can find some tech on those things? I know they have raced sidecars for a long time, but these are a whole new ball game. Rider must be a total athlete.

Holy crap.

I wonder if the driver and sidecar pilot are in radio communication with each other?

Here's some trackside and on-board footage from the Isle of Man TT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaEx6N4uVGE

Let's not forget that being the guy in the sidecar is a "gateway motorsport:" look what happened to Denis Jenkinson....

That would be far more awesome if it were husband and wife teams. Or big brother/little brother.

jg

while being completely nuts, is there any advantage to it?

Are they faster than similar powered superbikes?

I did some YouTube research and found that for the majority of video'ed superside crashes, very few of them were fatal or even what I'd call "bad" crashes. Now obviously this can be very different from real statistics, but considering how exposed the siderider is, you'd think they better getting knocked off on a regular basis.

cwh wrote: Rider must be a total athlete.

That's what I was thinking. That would be an incredible workout...just pray you don't cramp up.

PHeller wrote: while being completely nuts, is there any advantage to it? Are they faster than similar powered superbikes?

I'd say that they were just different ....

PHeller wrote: while being completely nuts, is there any advantage to it? Are they faster than similar powered superbikes? I did some YouTube research and found that for the majority of video'ed superside crashes, very few of them were fatal or even what I'd call "bad" crashes. Now obviously this can be very different from real statistics, but considering how exposed the siderider is, you'd think they better getting knocked off on a regular basis.

I would think any collisions between bikes would result in at least one siderider getting fingers or hands crushed

Any meaningful comparos on lap times? Lot's of races run at Isle of Mann.

PHeller wrote: Are they faster than similar powered superbikes?

Looks like a little slower, but still 115MPH average over 112 miles(3 laps) is not too shabby.

CATEGORY RIDER (S) BIKE YEAR LAP TIME AV SPEED

SUPERBIKE TT

(6 laps) John McGuinness 1000 HM Plant Honda 2009 1:46.07.16 127.996 mph

SUPERSPORT/

JUNIOR TT (4 laps) Ian Hutchinson 600 Padgetts Honda 2009 1:12.56.58 124.141mph

SENIOR TT

(6 laps) Steve Plater 1000 HM Plant Honda 2009 1:45.53.15 128.278 mph

SUPERSTOCK TT

(4 laps) Ian Hutchinson 1000 Padgetts Honda 2009 1:10.57.54 127.612 mph

SIDECAR TT

(3 laps) Dave Molyneux/ Dan Sayle 600 DMR Suzuki 2009 58.59.28 115.132 mph

That style of sidecar motorcycle isn't new...I remember seeing substantially similar bikes racing in the early 80s, and I believe what really started the whole evolution from 'conventional' sidecar/motorcycle combinations was when some guy in England essentially took the body and one wheel off a Mini-Cooper back in the 1960s.

For those of you interested in seeing old school sidecars in the northeast US, you might want to attend the New Hampshire Vintage Festival on May 21, 22, 23-2010. Lots of "classic" sidecars (plus vintage race cars). Since these are vintage sidecars, they are a little less sleek, but in a way, they seem more grassroots.

There seems to be a fair number of husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend teams. I've been a regular at this event for five years and it's always great fun watching the "outfits" with their athletic "monkeys". For more info, see:

http://www.vrgonline.org/

Here's shots from the '09 NH Vintage Festival Spun out and push starting Taking the "escape road". Since thre are some Brit bikes here, some are "right hand drive" and some are "left hand drive".

More photos:

http://vintageracer.tripod.com/nhms09.html

Street legal ?

Team Andrew Fairbank and Kat Collins at Mid Ohio earlier this year, looks like an unreasonable amount of fun.

For me, this looks like it would be a great way to incorporate sailboat racing techniques into motorsports.
That chick in the photos above can really hike!

That looks like such an awful idea hahahaha

I've wanted to be a monkey since the first time I saw a VHS tape of Isle of Man sidecar racing. I'm kind of heavy and gangly for the job compared to the typical jockey sized people doing it, but I bet it would still be fun just the same.

Bryce