Micro-Hacks: Spice Up Your Love Life!
MICRO-HACKS: SPICE UP YOUR LOVE LIFE!
EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, miniature motorcycles are all the rage. We’re not talking about batterypowered kid’s toys, but ⅓scale—or smaller-gas-gulpers designed for full-size adults. Choppers, dirtbikes, repliracers and quads are popping up left and right. Now, there are even sidehacks.
Sacramento, Californiabased West Coast Mini Sidecars (www.westcoastminisidecars.com) is leading the charge on the three-wheeled front. Dealer Dan Meister rides and collects motorcycles, but along with fiancé Suzanne, gets his on-track kicks racing fiberglass-bodied, steel-framed micro-hacks.
Powering this tandem asphalt-skimmer is a liquidcooled, 40cc, two-stroke Single manufactured by Polini in Italy. It utilizes an 18mm Dell’Orto carburetor and starts easily with a quick pull on the recoil starter. Meister claims 12 horsepower at the crankshaft for the $3999 star-spangled model we sampled. (A 6-bhp air-cooled model sells for $3099.) There’s no suspension, the only shock absorption coming from the sidewalls of the 6.5-inch radial slicks. Cable-actuated tripledisc brakes handle stopping. Top speed is about 30 mph.
With a wheelbase of just 29 inches, the little rig doesn’t offer much room for rider and monkey. The pilot kneels over the unpadded “seat,” his boots dangling over the back end of the machine. The monkey simply climbs on “the chair.” There’s a small handhold located near the expansion chamber’s aluminum silencer. For added security and greater ease of movement, Meister has devised a handle-equipped Xtype harness worn by the rider.
Zipping along just 2 inches off the deck, my wife Megan and I had fun getting used to the engine’s pipey powerband; Megan let out a giggle with every wrrrrrp! For me, the real fun was trying to get the rig to drift through comers. As anyone who has ever ridden a hack can attest, the passenger plays a crucial role in the handling. Megan was forever moving around in an effort to transfer her weight to the inboard side, minimizing the chance of a mid-turn flip-over. At one point, we got a little carried away, with Megan nearly dragging her helmet on the concrete curbing lining the inside of the comers. Next time, we’ll velcro a knee-slider to her helmet!
Given the space constraints and all the physical effort required, five-lap stints around the 14-turn, 8/iothsmile Grange Motor Circuit (www.grangeracetrack.com) in Apple Valley, California, were all we could muster at one time. After that, we felt as though we were tying ourselves in knots, and had to pull into the pits for a break. Of course, cramped quarters can have its advantages. If you and your spouse need some one-on-one time, make her the monkey on your back! Mark Cernicky
