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Sidecarcross racing, also known assidecar motocross, is a branch ofmotocross. While regular motocross riders use solo machines, sidecarcross involves a different type ofmotorcyclechassis operated by a team of two people: a driver and asidecar passenger. The earliest records suggest that sidecarcross began in the UK in the 1930s.[1]
Just as with road outfits, early sidecarcross outfits were little more than a solo bike with a sidecar[2] attached to itsframe by metal tubes. As the sport developed, sidecarcross outfits became more integrated, although most retained a tubular structure rather than amonocoque chassis. Sidecarcross outfit configuration tends to echo national road outfits, with the sidecar fitted to the "nearside": UK sidecars are on the left, and European ones are on the right. Once riders are used to one arrangement, they seem reluctant to adapt the other layout. Many sidecar outfits (particularly the heavier ones) haveleading linkswingarm frontsuspension, as conventionaltelescopic forks are less capable of absorbing thestresses incurred.
Several sidecar manufacturers (for exampleVMC,Bastech andEML) inEurope make special chassis, usually with corresponding shocks, except for the engine, wheels, plastics, and other components from commonly available large-bore motocross bikes such as theHonda CR500,Kawasaki KX500, and large KTMs. There are also specialised "monster-size" 2-stroke engines such as theMTH 630, and 700ccZabel which are made just for sidecar motocross racing. The Zabel and MTH are currently the top engines in the World Championship. HOCOB manufacturer of VMC chassis won the FIM award for the best manufacturer motocross sidecar 2007.
Sidecarcross is carried out in the same way as regular motocross on broadly similar tracks. Just as with roadoutfits, the handling of sidecars is very different from solos, as the driver cannot lean the outfit in the turns to counter thecentripetal forces. Instead, to ensure the outfit does not flip over, the passenger must lean out from the sidecar as much as possible in corners. The passenger (sometimes known as the "monkey") moves his whole body around continuously, and plays a much more physical role than the sedentary driver.
One of the most important aspects of sidecar racing is teamwork; the world's top sidecar teams have been racing together for many years.
AWorld Championship is held over several rounds at top motocross venues throughout Europe, with a season-endingSidecarcross des Nations. The sport is very popular in Western and Central Europe, but the sidecarcross scene inNorth America andAustralia is much smaller. The most successful sidecarcrosser in history is ten-time world championDaniël Willemsen ofThe Netherlands. However, since Willemsen won six of his titles with four different passengers, the most successful team isKristers Sergis/Artis Rasmanis.
Each country also hosts amateur-level championships. In Belgium, for example, these include the VMCF, VLM, and MCLB federations. Notably, the MCLB federation organizes one of the largest amateur sidecarcross events each year, run byDe Verre Ginstecrossers, with over 100 sidecar teams competing across two days.[3]
There is also the European amateur championship IMBA which consists with riders from different European amateur federations namely the MON (Netherlands), VMCF (Belgium), AMCA (GB), UFOLEP (France), NRMF (Russia), SAM (Switserland), DAMCV (Germany), DMCU (Denmark), CAM (Czech Republic) & CSEN (Italy).
