The Next Best Thing to Riding Your Own...

 ... is becoming a sidecar monkey.

With my motorcycle still in storage the next best thing is shamelessly soliciting a ride from the famous URAL handler Dom whom we had the privilege to host before he would leave civilization for the cold wild tundra.

The handsome orange motorcycle/sidecar combination named Valencia offers a whole new perspective on riding, and it almost feels like riding in a convertible sports car, if it wasn't for the motorcycle gear.

 Shadow Riders

I want (need?) to get in as much riding time as I can, so I show him the way to Alouette Lake (50 km one way) in the Golden Ears Provincial Park through effective punch and point. This specific means of communications works perfectly, and an hour later we stop to enjoy the lake and mountain vistas (No, I still can't name them, so let's stick to Mount Bob, Roland Peak and Martha Heights).

With me out of the sidecar the next thing I watch is Dom rolling down the boat launch to find out if his hack is amphibian.

Just kidding! In fact he is looking for the perfect position to pose with Valencia, while I am waiting for the Kodak moment in which the brakes of his URAL would give way...

All goes well though, the brakes are holding, and I force Dom at gunpoint to pose for a picture, hence the face...

To test out the sidecar's capabilities I guide him and Valencia further into the forest to the "Rambo-Bridge", and with impeccable precision Dom managed to hit every single pothole on that short stretch of gravel road.

His attempts to shake me up left me completely unimpressed, though. The sidecar seat is not only safe and comfy but special shock absorbers help preventing any spinal damage. For all I know it is a perfectly smooth ride.

Dom in action... no wait a minute, does he ride with his eyes closed? Maybe Valencia knows the way...

Three hours later... and we are still riding. The light is fading and it is rapidly getting cold. Not for me on "my" monkey seat, though. I just hide under the cover and all is well.

A ride in the sidecar, especially with an experienced rider like Dom is FUN, capital letters! I enjoyed every minute of the 3 1/2 hours, and could have gone much longer.

If you like motorcycle riding but don't ride your own, forget about going pillion, get somebody with a hack! It is the next best thing to riding your own, honour bright!

Thank you, Dom for this unforgettable experience, and thanks to your wife Martha, who had sent you on this trip of a lifetime. Drive safely, and don't get hit by moose or bears. By the way I hope you will find your way to Alaska without the map you forgot on our dinner table... 

Roland and I genuinely enjoyed having you over and sharing our views on world, life and (yes, it is indeed a hobby of those bloody Krauts...) politics. Please know that you and your family will always be welcome whenever, wherever...