Sidecar Sidebar

The sidecar: 

" A one-wheeled car for a single passenger, attached to the side of a motorcycle."

         Rarely seen in real life, but frequently found in television and movies, the sidecar seems to sacrifice style for companionship. Lets take a trip on the way back machine and pay homage to some of the more memorable sidecars of the past several decades:

1. Darkwing Duck's Ratcatcher:

Anyone who was a kid in the nineties will remember Darkwing duck's Ratcatcher, a motorcycle which actually managed to make sidecars look cool. Well, as cool as anything driven by a duck can look. Ideally suited for hauling children into dangerous situations! SIDECAR FOR KIDS!

2. Wallace and Gromit 

Maybe not so iconic as the Ratcatcher, Wallace's motorcycle with sidecar for Gromit has its own charm. Somehow sidecars seem less ridiculous in the British context than in the American. Why is that? Then again, it is Wallace and Gromit . . . SIDECAR FOR BRITS

3. Edgar's Putt-putter

Another iconic sidecar: the sidecar used to kidnap the cats of Disney's 1970 film, The Aristocats. This is a clear instance of a sidecar being used for EVIL. Throw in two dogs, a haystack, a bowler hat, and an umbrella, and all hell breaks loose. SIDECAR OF DOOM!

4. Sirius Black's Motorcycle:

This motorcycle, originally owned by Sirius Black is first seen in the possession of everyone's favorite gigantic beard, Hagrid. The Harry Potter Wiki can describe it better than I do: 

"Sirius Black's motorbike is a 1959 Triumph Bonneville T120, ordinary-looking Muggle motorbike with a sidecar, though this is deceiving: it is much larger than its average counterpart, emits a very loud roar, and can fly. It is large enough to accommodate Hagrid, ahalf-giant, and still can carry an ordinary-size person in its sidecar, and can fly fast enough in to compete in speed with a broomstick. It has a kickstart^[1]."

MAGICAL SIDECAR

5. The original Batcycle

. . .Oooooh the original Batcycle, featured in the 1966 live action television series. Unlike its successor Batcycles, this one (barely) leaves room for Batty's trusted sidekick, Robin. I know seeing Robin riding with his knees to his chin makes me take him more seriously. Anyone else? The dynamic duo indeed. BEST SIDECAR EVER?