KLR Sidecar Mini Tours-your opinions?

I am in the final stages of setting up KLR sidecar tours and more advanced training seminars through our local community education program. I need your helpful insight and suggestions.

What I am looking at doing this year is the advanced S/TEP class which is four hours of classroom and about 5 hours of driving around the cones combined with a guided tour. The clients would drive( either their own rigs or renting one of mine) Saturday afternoon and again all day Sunday. The entire package would be a 9 hour training program followed by a day and a half of riding around Mt.Hood and the Columbia Gorge.

I plan to offer it as a weekend package training and ride together. I think it will have to be around $500 or $600, with bike rental as an additional charge. Bring your own sidecar rig, get the the whole deal at $500( or what ever it pencils out at). Use my rig it's $500( or whatever) + the cost to rent and insure the sidecar(That cost has been the big question-looks like & $150-200 including insurance but I am still negotiating).

Does that seem reasonable? Would it be something that you'd be tempted to do as a vacation? The price hasn't been set yet, but I think if I go lower than $500 I will go broke rather quickly. I might even at that price, if it isn't something people want to do. What do you think it would be worth?

Thanks for your help, I look forward to seeing your suggestions

I figure that by the time I got to the Columbia Gorge, I'd either know how to handle my sidecar or I'd be dead. However, there are many who'd prefer to fly in, rent the rig, and ride around for a few days. For them it would be nice if they could rent the rig for a few days more to make the flight worth it, travel around the northwest on their own for a bit.

I think you'd get a lot more interest in hosting 2 to 4 week tours into Alaska, maybe two per summer. For that trip I'd rather rent someone else's rig than endanger my own.

Pam

Hi Vernon

You got my feedback over on the KLR650.NET board. so now I'm trying to see if we can get our Cape Cod trip scheduled between the July dates you're thinking about and the White Mountain Research trip which is usually the weekend of the first Sunday in August. My wife reminded me that I am due to be a grandpa sometime in September... so shooting first for July as a first choice.

I cant believe somebody checked the the last 2 boxes of your poll.
I got to say that riding around on your KLR/sidecar hack at the Adventure Sidecar class was the most fun I've ever had on 2 wheels.
I bet tootling around the Hood River area would be a blast.. too bad you dont have any videos to show off the area..






Randy from Burbank

Yeah, I guess I need to get out and vid the routes.

This isn't a very good video, but it shows travelling West along the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge

<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=765124&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=765124&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/765124">Highway 14</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user371939">Adventure Sidecar</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Riding up Mt.St.Helens

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that looks great.I dont know if I'd ever get out there but it would also be a good way to test ride a klr rig

Hmmm,

Are you worried that the Gorge is too pretty and might be distracting? (I really need to get back there)

I think it's a great idea and probably would have done it before buying my rig. I'm in Michigan and if doing it, definately would fly in and rent a bike.

</P>
Hi Vern, That was just brilliant for us this side the pond in the UK that will never get to do such a great ride........Brilliant video........John W UK.

Is Amy doin' the cookin'?
little steep for my vacation budget, but I could justify it as training... wonder if I can get the Army to sign off on the tab?

Howdy All,

I would like to give an unsolicited two thumbs up to Vernon and his school. I ride a Ural and have not taken Vernon's class but I have ridden with him many times and know that he is an excellent instructor and hack pilot. Vernon please feel free to use any of my photos or videos that were taken during the "Black Dog" rallies we have competed in or any other stuff you think will help you get this on and off the road.

Thanks Dave(and the rest of youse guys too!)! I am excited about doing this and really hope I can make it work!

Take the poll(please and thank you)

Being a noob to hacks (just born 3 days ago) I think this is a great idea. Seems like a killer way to learn some of the finer points of driving a rig! Keep us posted Vernon!

bump

Hi Vernon,

Have you considered organizing a sidecar event, similar to the Dualsport NW, but geared to folks that already have Hacks. They could fly in and rent yours or ride their own. Run some rides around Hood, Adams, St.Helens, Gorge, etc. Present a few workshops, maybe a brewery tour, winery tour, whitewater river rafting......

We'll have to talk, I've been working on some tour routes in some of the same areas, but on 2 wheels.