You all know about motocross on two wheels, right
Well today, we’re adding one more! Welcome to sidecar motocross in Gueugnon, on three wheels!”
OK, so Gueugnon is a little bit more than just a regional sidecar motocross event
because among the fields and Charolais cows, it’s more like planet of the apes,
with the European elite of three-wheel motocross.
This is international sidecar motocross with 12 countries competing to be the best
it’s the crème de la crème! But first of all, what is a sidecar motocross bike?
- A sidecar motocross bike is pretty unusual. Unlike a motorbike, as you can see, it’s got 3 wheels…
- Ooh, so that’s the difference, there’s an extra wheel?!
- Also, there’s 2 people on the machine, as opposed to just one in motocross,
- and then there’s the extra power – you really need some big engines on these machines.
There are 2 groups, the 2-stroke one and the 4-stroke one. For the 2-stroke bikes, most of the sidecars are around 700cc
and they can reach up to 80-90bhp
And the 4-strokes are about 760cc, but people tend to keep the exact sizes secret
that’s just all part of the mystery.
Although KTM and Husqvarna also produce big 4-stroke engines,
you might be wondering where these huge 2-stroke engines come from…
Well, they mainly come from Germany
the manufacturer Zabel makes these big cylinders using old Maïco engines.
Now we just need to fit this massive engine to a chassis which is just as weird,
with an Earles fork, and it’s time for a rollercoaster ride!
Having looked at the sidecar from every possible angle, it is safe to say that it is a pretty weird machine.
Like a big grasshopper, with the sidecar sometimes on the left, and sometimes on the right,
perhaps there’s a political reason behind it…
I've seen sidecars on left or right, why is there a difference ?
The British always like to be different, so they put the sidecar on the left
The French, Dutch and Germans put it on the right.
Is it an advantage ?
The world championship involves 16 races and depending on the circuit,
it can sometimes be an advantage to have the sidecar on either the left or the right.
You don't have two sidecars, depending on what track you ride ?
No, no.It would be too complicated for the coordination.
In terms of the physics of it all, there are 3 points of support, like with a normal sidecar.
But we’re not even sure whether the laws of physics apply to this discipline which looks a little bit unstable…
we have a pretty good idea of how to steer a motorbike.
But a sidecar, that’s another story
OK Nicolas, show us how you hold on down there?
For a left-hand turn, the rider obviously needs to turn the handlebars,
shift his weight a little bit, and I will get as low as I can, which helps get good grip and to get through the corner as quickly as possible
It all depends on the type of corner: sometimes you just need to move your weight like that and you go through the corner.
For right-hand corners, it’s more complicated: you put one hand here and another one here and you need to get as low as possible.
So is a sidecar a car which is missing a wheel or a motorbike with one wheel too many?
The goal is to get as close as possible to the way you ride a motorbike, so that the passenger is at one with the rider.
When you get to that stage, it means you have really understood how it works.
- So in the couple, who’s the lazy one?
It’s me!
I think being a sidecar motocross passenger is one of the toughest sports in the world,
Obviously, it doesn’t look like a relaxing sport,
especially compared to lawn bowls or chilling in a hammock!
However, it’s not just tough guys involved, there’s some women who compete too,
some in the sidecar and some who ride, like Emma Moulds
The atmosphere at an international sidecar motocross event is not quite the same as at a MotoGP.
No massive trucks here, you fiddle with the bikes under canopies in full view of the public,
you eat outdoors with whatever you can get your hands on and you can get access to the riders.
As for the spectators, they really go all out to support their team.
A wonderful melting-pot of languages and colours, with freely-flowing beer as the common denominator.
It’s to be expected when you have tough countries like Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Latvia…
And to deal with issues about money, you can pay for everything here using “Dardons”!
It’s a team sport, with three teams per country and two races per team.
You take away the worst result then you work out which country comes out on top.
Our brave French riders didn’t let themselves down, cheered on by the crowd,
but up against the best in the world, any hopes of finishing on the podium were soon dashed.
Especially after the best French team had to retire…
Sidecar riders really are as hard as nails.
You need to be tough and also have nerves of steel
to get through two 30-minute races hanging on to a flying pneumatic drill!
And in the end, it was the Belgians who came out on top, and now we know why!
So is this the secret to why the Belgians win? It’s not just beer in there then?
Yes !
It's not only beer ?
As for France, they finished 6th.
But there’s one nagging question which we really need to get off our chest:
can you do a back-flip with a motocross sidecar?
No, no, no back-flips for me! No chance…
What about a front-flip then?
No, I’m too old…