So, I got another sidecar and I haven’t sold the other one yet. Shame shame shame. The garage is FULL. I need to develop an emergency evacuation map for people to escape should the need arise. It’s like a maze walking around all the motorcycles. I really need to have a GARAGE SALE. But for now I’ll just tell you about the adventure I had acquiring the new rig.
Its a 2017 Kawasaki KLR650 with a Sputnik (as in Russian) Sidecar. I found it on the Adventure Rider Forum. As most folks know I am very familiar with KLRs and the rig was assembled by a guy that had built 4 or 5 sidecar rigs prior to this one. He was asking a fair price and we discussed the deal on the phone a couple of times before I decided to send him a deposit.
Previous Owner’s picture – Thanks…
The rig was located in Prescott, Wisconsin (notice the snow in the picture) about 40 mile from the Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport. I would fly to MSP and the owner would pick me up and we would drive to his home in Prescott where the machine was located. If everything was in order, I would give him an envelop full of hundred dollar bills and I would be driving (you ride motorcycles and drive sidecar hacks) it back to Texas.
Well, everything was in order and I left Prescott around 4:30 PM on April 19 heading south. If you made a straight shot south to Coldspring, Texas it appears to be about 1100 miles. I planned to swing over to Edmond, Oklahoma on my return to visit my sister, so that would extend my trip to 1500 miles by the time I got home.
I planned a route that would keep me off Interstates and allow me to enjoy the two-lane roads through mid-America’s farmland. I would be stopping in Austin, Minnesota, Chillicothe, Missouri, Joplin, Missouri, Edmond, Oklahoma, Canton, Texas, and home. There is very little to photograph along most of the planned route and what pictures I took were with my cell phone.
The only pictures I took were along Route 66 that goes through southeastern Kansas. This is a section of the Mother Road that I had never ridden, and it was not really out of the way. It’s only about 19 miles, but well worth the time to ride it. Kansas has done a good job of making this an interesting side trip. Since I was already on Route 66, I just took it all the way to Edmond.
One mile inside Kansas – The Mother Road
Galena, Kansas – Took this picture for my Grandson Ben
The wind was the only weather related obstacle I had to deal with until I got all the way back to Texas. Then I go wet, real wet, had to ride in the rain for about 200 miles. When I stopped for the night the bottom of the new sidecar had about 2” of water in it. There is a drain hole in the bottom, but the alignment of the sidecar placed it behind the water collection area. One of the first things I did after getting the rig home was realign the sidecar to the motorcycle. It was not level and the wheel was positioned about 4” to far forward. Handles much better now, but the drain hole is still in the wrong place.
Now that we are home I have ridden it about 1000 more miles. It’s a lot of fun and creates a conversation everywhere I go with it.
I’ll try to be more timely with my next update, but adventures are not everyday events. Stay tuned.
Later, Bud…
Bud's Latest Adventure - Motorcycles, Sidecars, and Alaska ! 