Field Trip to Champion Sidecar in Garden Grove

So today was my first day taking the land barge on the 405 freeway. The plan was to get to Champion Sidecar in Garden Grove CA, to get some new parts. We wanted to get a new windscreen that was tinted, and replace the rubber weather stripping, some snaps and other miscellaneous small parts. I was just going to pick up some parts and bring them home for Frank and I do do the install ourselves.

The ride down was uneventful, I did not have any problems. But on the way back, I definitely had a moment where I was on a right hand curve, and I felt that I just couldn’t keep the bike in it’s lane. That was not a good feeling. Because the bike doesn’t lean, it kinda messes with your mind, and you sometimes feel that the whole thing is going to tip over. It is just weird, and hard to explain, something that you have to experience.

Anyway, the folks at Champion Sidecar are all fantastic and very helpful. Frank had called ahead to make sure they had the items in stock. And they where able to do the install on the new windscreen for a reasonable price, so after a few texts with Frank we decided to let them do it. This was a great thing, because they do this sort of stuff everyday, and did it in less than 2 hrs. It would have taken us much longer. They were also nice enough to let me watch during the work, so I got to see everything they did, and talk about all the parts.

The guy who put the sidecar on originally still works there and he remembered it. So we talked about it. One of the sales managers even gave me a tour of the whole facility, and explained the step by step process of how they fabricate, sand, paint and cure all the trikes and sidecars. Not only that, but I got to take a peek at some beautiful classic cars that the owner stores there.

A fun morning! I got the sidecar all spiffed up, got a tour of Champion sidecar facility, and still made it back intake to pick up the kids in carpool!

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