sadly a father and son team lost their life in the sidecar' TT this year, RIP, I raced sidecars back in the 70s, raced as a passenger for about 3 years then got my own outfit, now almost 80 years old I can still remember the Buzz

RIP to the 3 sidecar people who lost their lives at the Isle of man this week

This is the craziest motorsport of all. I think being the passenger is just impossible to imagine Fair play and respect for their bravery and skill RIP to those who lost their lives at this years TT, its sad, but they know what they are getting in to

In the 1970s my grandfather was a sidecar passenger, His name Francis Knights, he raced around Europe and also the TT, alongside Jeff Gawley, Helmut Schilling and also Roger Dixon. Absolute balls of steel that unfortunately I didn't inherit 😂. It's an honour and privilege to have known him. Beside sidecars were different to today much more basic and dangerous. I love they carried on the Motorsport it's like a monster it's bigger than the rest of us.

RIP Roger and Bradley Stockton, Father and Son sidecar outfit, 3 wheel channel was one of their sponsors, who passed away at this year’s TT. RIP to all 5 this year❤️

Respect to those that have the courage to partake in these sports and to their families that support them. I remember watching a work mate who's brother was a sidecar racer start training to be his brothers passenger after his brothers passenger was injured. He put in an amazing amount of work to build up his fitness, endurance, flexibility and strength to be able to perform well. When asked why he said he wanted to help his brother reach his dreams. When asked about the risk and his own family he simply said he trusts his brother and his family supports them because that's what families do

They do sidecar motocross too. That's always fun to watch and definitely worth a reaction.

Yep, thumbs up for a mini F1 sidecar reaction 👍 looks awesome

Hey Ian, I'm with you, too insane for me. Sidecars (and bikes) used to race at Bathurst up until about 2000, there's a lot of YT vids out there, it's pretty intense.

I’ve ridden and driven some hella fast bikes and cars in my lifetime… but no money in the world would make me wanna be a passenger on these things 🤯

I worked with a guy that raced as a passenger in the 50s and 60s with one of our sidecar legends Chris Vincent . He was one of the most friendly and unassuming guys I ever met .🇬🇧

Don't know about now but back in the day the passenger was called a swinger, because he swung around on the sidecar. Knew a guy from a bike shop who went to the isle of man with a sidecar team, was trying to explain what it was going over the bridges at 100mph with your helmet tapping the stones on the bridge. Not for me....

Posted this on discord ages ago, glad you got around to it. A friend used to build and race these and did well against factory teams. His father also built and raced and lost his life racing sidecars but did not deter Shane. Requires teamwork even more than rally.

Always loved sidecar racing. The teamwork between the rider and the passenger is amazing. Such a joy to watch. Still safer than going to school in the US.

Bit of info Ian , in 1923 a man called Freddie Dixon invented an outfit where the bike could lean toward the sidecar on bends , throwing additional weight onto the sidecar wheel , it also had a disc brake on the front wheel .🇬🇧

Hey man, glad you enjoyed my suggestion, i’m just now getting around to watching the vid since i just got out of basic but i love learning about extreme motorsports and what it takes physically and mentally to succeed in them.

I actually passenger a sidecar in scotland. I love every minute of it

The sidecar racers run at the Isle of Man. A father and son team just died this friday at the Isle of Man. RIP Roger and Bradley Stockton

In 70's a friend was a passenger for his brother for a couple of years. He said it was hairy especially down the old conrod straight at Bathurst, when the whole outfit was airborne at he end (before the chase). they had guts to do that . . . . Never knew about miniature sidecar racing though, it looks great.

Being a passenger is one of the mst physically demanding things I have done.

Imagine as a passenger in high speed a sidecar race, you accidentally sprain your wrist, twist your ankle or dislocate your shoulder while maneuvering your body from one side to the other... you're then in deep trouble! By the time you communicate the situation to your driver, it may be too late to avoid a crash.

just discovered your videos, I love them , Thank you for all the work you do to put it all together...

Any person who travels at speeds like that are friggen mental... hats off to them.

My boy friend took me to one of these sidecar races and we saw one did not make a corner and smashed into a brick wall both were killed it was horrific,this was in the 60's.

Bathurst Bike races...was awesome, wish theyd bring it back 🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🔥

I thoroughly enjoyed watching you experience this! For a time in my life I couldn't even watch footage of the IOMTT - Too dangerous, too crazy. Then bit by bit, I became accustomed to it and became knowledgeable about some of the riders, eventually in 2019 I made to the Island for the ManxGP which is like qualifying for newcomers to the TT - The TT is in June, the Manx in in August. The ManxGP includes the CLassicTT - same riders on older bikes, 1/5 as many tourists, more affordable hotel stays etc. The best part is the welcome, open paddock - super fan-focused, riders and crew right there to take selfies, answer all questions - it's the most amazing event for so many reasons. I'll be back from Oregon August 2022 - hope to see y'all there : -)

when I was little after seeing the sidecar racing from the music video "take on me", I used to think it was a joke. without doing my homework, I thought "oh the passenger is just gonna sit there and watch the whole ride? LOL" ...and Boy was I wrong... the passenger is absolutely amazing skilled...

Holy sidecar!!!!! Love the sidecars. Most of them are private and build their own bikes. Really just for the love of it. They call the non driver the passenger but i think they should be called ballast!

Nice reaction. I had a couple mates (we have lost touch now) who were a team in Motor Cross (Moto X) sidecar racing - now that really is mental!

You should know that outfits have been raced for as long as solos - they are not new. They have developed (especially aerodynamically) in the same way as racing motorcycles. A 1900's solo looks like a completely different beast to a 2020 example and the same goes for their 3 wheeled equivalents.

You can definitely do a part 2 on side car racing. There are crazy clips of passengers dragging their heads through the grass for the most weight transfer.

I remember as a young lad, going to Rowley Park Speedway to watch sidecar racing; it was on a circular track, and you would get sprayed with the fine gravel off of the track. They also had demolition derbies.

And he's only talking about the F2 category, imagine the F1 category that has 1000cc engines! But even so, these modern 4-stroke outfits don't hold a candle in terms of dangerousness to the 500cc 2-stroke era, when the engines were directly derived from the MotoGP bikes: almost the same power as today's litre engines but much more nimble and light. Those were the real widowmakers! Fun Facts about the F1 and F2 categories: on the F2's the engine is in front of the driver (or below, depending on how you look at it) but on the F1's the engine must be behind the driver, making the outfits slightly longer than the F2's. You know Motocross, right? Now imagine Sidecar Cross! Yeah, it exists, so hold your 'What's The Craziest Sport' ranking until you watch some Sidecar Cross races. 😉

An older friend of mine (now, sadly, no longer with us) was a racing passenger and even in his 70s he had a permanent limp due to a very nasty accident while racing, and that was in the late 60s, so these guys deserve the greatest respect, it is probably the most dangerous way to race in any motorsport.

Wow. Didn't even realise this was a thing anymore.

Glad you found this Ian. I''m no fan of the bikes...except when they have a moving lump of human helping them around the track. Always my favourite! 👍

12/10/1973 i was at Claremont speedway Perth Western Australia to see a really good friend of my family "Neville Gorman" race sidecar and he was the passenger, 1st race in 1st place second lap he came off and the sidecar in 3rd place hit him in the head killing him instantly i will never 4get that night. R.I.P Neville Gorman. 😔

On the "slower side of things" ... James May - one of the Top Gear/Grand Tour guys - built his own version of Motorcycle + sidecar ... from MECCANO, which is a children's construction set basically made up of small metal strips and tiny screws. There are also tiny electrical motors ... He did drive around the Isle of Man TT course during race week (during the closed hours) and managed to complete a lap together with his buddy Oz Clarke. It took them HOURS with frequent repairs on the go.

Told ya bloke this is where a crazy rider has that friend thats got the hold my beer attitude all the time honestly these guys are crazy and the level of athleticism for the passenger is off the wall ive always loved watching these guys rip around just that bit more due to the respect for what they are doing dont get me wrong tt superbike riders are crazy but these guys are basically wile e coyote level 👍🇦🇺

My uncle did this in the Netherlands & Europa 1975 untill 1985 with his first wife she was THE BAKKENIST ( PASSEGER ) Got his helmet as Birthday present. Uncle is still with us . Greetz poeloe

The magic of the tt races is that it kills people - it's like the ultimate gamble 🎰 for those that dare or are crazy enough to do it, and there's plenty of them!

Great stuff Keep it coming 💪

Every sidecar racer I've ever met has been lovely but also a special kind of crazy. They are a different breed.

They also do side car observed motorcycle trials. Loving the variety!

I've been in one as a passenger on a circuit in Belgium (Zolder). My ex used to race sidecars. It was a crazy experience!

finally, ive been waiting for this one

Brilliant me and my brother we were going to race sidecar back in the 80s

The passenger is JUST. HOLDING. ON.!!

Those passengers of the side car would have to have the biggest set of nuts hands down ,,, its like they are dancing on the back of that bike

My Dad Used to build and race these in NZ in the 70's when I was a kid .

I've heard "passengers" refered to as "slingers" particularly in a speedway context

I used to end up in the bar after bike races, and the thing that struck me was how all the sidecar racers were mates. They raced hard, then all hung out together afterwards. Good people imo, so it's always tragic to lose them.

that miniature sidecar racing is hilarious and cool at the same time ^^

Americans are stereotypically petrolheads, but outside of the US, we aren't exactly sitting on our hands with motorsports... We just don't pour everything into engine size.

When I was a kid in a little town called Collie in Western Australia they used to have a street race wk end bikes and sidecars.It was awesome people having house parties and on roofs watching,sidecars were the best and passenger has to have the biggest balls of all.Then insurance come in and it was gone🤬

I have always been a big fan of sidecar racing when I was younger we used to race BMX bikes with sidecars on them .

SIdecar race is like 2 dudes that come make a promise to confront the death, in TT isle of man is directly go throw the Hell and scape

In 1992-98 the legendary Suissauto engines was built in sidecars like this (Biland/Baltisberg) and won almost everything. They've been naturally aspirated 500cc V4 two-stroke engines, weighing around 80lbs (incl clutch and 6 speed gearbox!) and developed around 200hp. That's 400HP per liter displacement! Probably the most powerful naturally aspirated engine EVER.

Very good and informative video, wish same from sidecar offroad bikes.

Five racers in total lost their lives at the IOM TT this year. A father and son driver/passenger in a sidecar crash and a sidecar driver a few days before. Plus two solo riders. Rest in peace all those guys.

My wife's uncle use to race sidecars, we went to Brands Hatch to see him race a few times on one occasion his passenger did not turn up so he ask me to be his passenger I declined.

I am an old guy with 40 years of sidecar-riding experience, Street , not racing. I promise you something. The first time you drive a sidecar there are only two alternatives. After the first ride , or you are scared to death and never never will put yourself on this asymetrical contraption again , or you are hooked up on this drug , mastering this beast on each corner , break , acceleration or simply try to drive straight.

During WW II most armies used bikes with sidecars - one rider, one gunner to deliver orders, cards and so on. After WW II they were pretty common in Europe as cheap alternatives to cars. And the way humans work - if you have a vehicle with a motor - they want to find out who is the fastest...

Grass track outfits race on open fields marked out with tape as a the circuit. A must see.

G'day I was offered a chance to ride in an outfit around Phillip Island, Victoria. As fun as it would have been I'm not that brave.

My brother races sidecars in Australia 🇦🇺 very exciting to watch. Darryl Rayner of Rayner Racing

Hi Ian you should check out the sidecar racing on mount panorama from back in the day.

Ian l have seen side cars racing at Mt Panorama Bathurst during the Easter long weekend in my younger days when l used to ride bikes it was great

I had a go at swinging (being the passenger) years ago. I wasn't much good because I was just a small girl but it was HUGE FUN!!!

Bonkers!! Have ya seen sidecar motocross? Thats nuts too

There was a flash of Guy Martins face....he’s quite a character....maybe worth checking out some of his stuff.

My old man was passenger on a motocross combination (bike and side car). He was just as bonkers as me. Here's a peek! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i9FgaLmm29e7Zas.html And here's the Trials version kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pNVhZ5Ry252WlY0.html

That's Driver61 Nigel Mansells son. He's quick and knowledgeable.

Check out Australian speedway sidecars- no brakes, 1000cc methanol outfits. I was a passenger when I was younger. Then I built my own. Then I grew up.

As an ex club level rally driver, these guys has always had my respect, at least in a car you have a cage around you but as a sidecar passenger there is nothing

Sidecar pillion is by far the most dangerous position.

Another fantastic reaction

There are Side cars with 1000cc motors as well. Great video mate.

The first thing, in terms of danger from speed, that comes to my mind, is downhill longboarding.

Just found your video, pretty awesome take on sidecar racing. I was a pro passenger here in the US for three seasons, and a pro driver for 10 in the Formula 1 Sidecar class. It got me a spot in an episode of Mythbusters blasting down the Alameda runway in my sidecar at 180mph :) As far as how scary being on the back is, it's about 1/100th as scary as it looks on video once you're back there. In regards to the physical fitness required, it does help to be in good shape/cardio, but it all comes down to finesses and timing. Less is more, and knowing when to transfer the weight, where to, and why makes all the difference. You have to know the track just as good as the driver so you can both be fast. My R2 unit had motorcycle and automotive roadracing experience and we could rip like wonder twins. I have a bunch of my sidecar racing videos on my channel, consider me a subscriber.

The word 'telepathy' comes to mind. RIP to all those who pushed the boundaries.

To me both the normal bikes and the sidecar racing is just as crazy as each other at the Isle of man tt

There are always several people that lose their lives TT week, some are fans too. The sidecar bikes run full throttle like eighty percent of the time, the senior bikes are only at full throttle around fifteen percent of the time. I started watching it back in the early 2000s. It is by far the most dangerous racing on the planet.

Wish I could put a picture Up here Of what I do it's the absolute most adrenaline pumping sport and we use 1000cc bikes but On dirt track in Australia but still get to around 100 miles an hour on the straight cheers have watched y for a couple of years now and always enjoy your content and take On everything.

Now _that_ is a helluva workout!

I used to have a vintage BSA outfit. Bloody thing near killed me, when the sidecar mounts broke and it put me into the grill of a Mercedes. Over 3 months in hospital and a year off work. Scary things, outfits.

Love sidecars been a fan since 1968

love that race takes balls of titaum where one bad move you dead

First sidecar race I remember watching years ago was on a dirt track after the sprint car races and before the demo derby. Looked like fun. The speeds at the TT though? Screw that.

When I grew up, there was a "famous" person in my small village called Udligenswil. His name was Rolf Biland and he was a sidecar racer. In fact, he is the most successful racer of all times with 81 race wins.

You just can’t beat Europe for sheer motorsport’s variety and entertainment.

My brother was a passenger around Bathurst. Bikes and sidecars have been banned there for many years now.

Exciting.. dangerous... amazing... love it

I used to work with one of the nutcases that rode the sidecar, he did the Motorsport in the summer and worked as an electrician in the winter. He was a really nice guy who wasn't crazy at all😉, NOT.

These guys are made of different stuff and I’ve slightly more re respect for these guys than standard bike riders as the risks are soo much higher it’s a beautiful sport

The formula 1 side cart champ is Australia an lives in Melbourne Vic. Go Team Breeze !

Brits ride on a different side of the road to other Europeans, so racing sidecars came in left and right hand varieties. This made close quarter tussles dangerous, particularly on limited TT clearances, where corners were approached at different speeds. Check out classic TT footage to see the effect. Modern sidecars have car style steering geometry, whereas older outfits had basic Earles fork motorcycle type steering. The rider had to battle the combination round bends. Before kneeler outfits became popular in the 1960s, sidecars resembled normal bikes and the high centre of gravity threatened to throw the pair off at every corner. Those guys were absolute heroes.

I grew up with sidecar racing in the 1970's , it just seems normal when you've grown up with it...Went to the IOM twice at that time

My brother used to build racing motorbikes and his friend rode them. I wanted to get into sidecar casing but both he and my dad said flat out NO! They both rode motorbikes and my brother used to do up old motorbikes for a living. I was allowed a motorbike on the understanding I had the leathers, boots, gauntlets and a full face helmet as my dad came off once and the full face helmet saved his face and as he spun the leather ripped apart but never got to his hands.

Super dangerous but without doubt EXCELLENT