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EESTI ELU reedel, 8. aprillil 2022 — Friday, April 8, 2022
Nr. 14
Sidecar motorcycles: a leisurely ride for two, or a sport for daredevils? Vincent Teetsov When it comes to niche sports and small vehicles, the sidecar motorcycle, or külgkorviga mootorratas, is a vehicular combination that doesn’t get much attention. When it does, it’s often for comic effect. In a 2013 video for Comedy Estonia, British comedian Bill Bailey delivered a satirical monologue about motorcycles with sidecars being the future of public transportation. Interspersed with vintage footage, he joked about the city of Tallinn inaugurating a new system where “motorcycles with sidecars will drive the streets instead of buses, trams, and trolleys,” proving to be a much more enjoyable, athletic commute. With the old motorcycles shown requiring a push start and precarious leaning out of the sidecar to make turns, “active cooperation is further needed, as otherwise, one could easily fall out of the sidecar,” he explained. Other safety precautions suggested were “clothes suitable for the weather conditions and a helmet, or in the absence of a helmet, a saucepan.” In this alternative reality, the first route opened was from Pirita to the centre of town. Here, joyful riders and drivers received “flowers and souvenirs” in gratitude for trying out the new way of getting around.
It’s certainly the perfect commute for a gearhead couple or two co-workers in a rush for their 9:00 AM presentation. As Harley-Davidson tells the tale, the sidecar was first conceived of in France in 1893, for bicycles. The Rogers Sidecar Company was the first to manufacture sidecars for motor cycles, and Harley-Davidson followed suit in 1914. Sidecars were used by combatants from numerous nations (including Canada and Estonia) during the First World War, the Estonian War of Independence, and the Second World War. But if a vehicle can move with speed, you can bet someone will race with it, too. Through the archival vault, you’ll find plenty of daring, adrenaline-hungry drivers and sidecar riders who have competed in Estonia. Documen tation of early Estonian sidecar races started to crop up in the 1920s, with curious crowds circling around the likes of Herbert Krasting. In the 30s, racetracks such as Tallinn Hippodrome and Pirita-KoseKloostrimetsa Circuit were frequented by champions like Harald Perten and Helmut Sum berg. The latter venue was also popular for motorcycle races during the Soviet occupation. In 1949, the sidecar motor cycle scene spread wider with the creation of the Sidecar World Championship. It’s a motorized sport with a riveting
Continuing in the Soviet way That Kargu Karla is a very wily, sly fellow. Two weeks ago he wrote about fake news in his humour column (Karla kalendrisaba EE #10) in a way that made a reader of a certain generation more than smile. For you had to know whom he was talking about. And why Karla reacted the way he did. One of his best feuilletons, perhaps ever. I doff my chapeau in praise. Karl Vaino, born in Siberia to Estonian parents – who went there for economic reasons, were not deported by anyone – was the quintessential Soviet, chosen to lead the Communist Party as First Secretary in Estonia. His spoken Estonian was so poor that he almost never spoke at the required public appearances during the occupation years in anything but Russian. Apparently, the one time that Karl Vaino attempted to speak in the language of his ancestors it was so risible that even the press, sworn to present the party/propaganda line, had a hard time keeping a straight face. This, by the way, has been corroborated by many who the undersigned met in the declining years of the Red Terror Empire, working in media. Vaino’s death in
Moscow was reported last month, no exact date provided. Kargu Karla made it simple, actually. It has been long known that Vladimir Putin’s chief of staff is Karl’s grandson Anton Vaino. Hence boss of the presidential administration and thus Putin’s right-hand man. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, 50 years ago in February, there is no readily available info about whether Anton even speaks Estonian or if so, at the level of his grandfather. It is disturbing that this family legacy is being continued. Anton Vaino, as a short internet search will prove, started out as, perhaps just like his forebear, ambitiously. As a sycophant, in other words. Now he holds an important position, and every Estonian should feel shame about his heritage, as what his boss is doing is Ukraine is beyond war crimes. Unjustifiable murder of civilians, read: children and women, on the most spurious of excuses. Deluding Russians. The absurdity of a demonstration in Moscow last week claiming support for regaining the former lands of both the tsarist era well as the Soviet one boggles the mind. Let there be no doubt – desinformatsiya and propaganda
style of physicality. Like Formula One and a gymnast’s pommel horse joined together. To be clear, leaning out of the sidecar isn’t for show. It’s essential to get around sharp bends. Riders will hold onto a bar affixed to the sidecar. They hover close to the ground, sometimes with one leg planted and one leg out in the air. Meanwhile, the driver leans forward and flat with their knees bent. The engine is behind them. They change gears and operate the brake with their feet and reach out to the handlebars at the front wheel. Together in their streamlined motorcycle-sidecar combo, the driver and rider duo can travel up to 260 kilometres per hour. Thus, there is a lot at stake here if a rider falls or the motorcycle crashes. Especially treacherous is the Sidecar Tourist Trophy race on the Snaefell Mountain Course of the Isle of Man. On this course, an alarming number of racers – over 250 – have died since the first TT Race in 1907. It’s a serene location, yet, it’s peppered with hundreds of corners and potentially fatal obstacles. In addition to paved circuits, sidecars drive off-road, such as those in the FIM Sidecarcross World Championship, which started in 1980. Though, the races have a different feel. Just as on paved circuits, the driver and rider must cooperate and line up their movements.
rule. The average Muscovite probably has no clue about what is taking place in Ukraine because of censorship and almost total control of the media by Putin’s administration. It was scary to read that among the songs performed was Made in the U.S.S.R, an obvious take-off of the Beatles classic, which, of course, was Back in the U.S.S.R. This song, performed Friday makes no bones about Putin’s delusional goals. He not only wants Ukraine “back” – but also more. The lyrics of the rock song are explicit – “Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, that’s my country”! Chillingly, the first verse ends with the words “and the Baltic States too”. (The lyrics are available online. The song was first performed in 2005, 17 years ago, proving the entrenched mindset. And it is popular.) How long until he turns to the Caucasus? And, as the last weeks have proven, NATO, fearing the nuclear threat, can do nothing. So this ominous song may be a sign of things to come. To add to this misinfor mation is the mind-boggling full-page article that appeared last week in the Toronto Star. Allan Woods was in Riga, Latvia, a NATO member, thanks be to God. He reported on the
Sidecar motorcycle champions A. Petrov and L. Denisenko, racing in 1949. Photo: the National Archives of Estonia
However, they tend to tear around more aggressively, go over jumps, and catch air. Motors sputter and smoke. Crashes happen frequently, causing gridlock and mayhem on the circuit. And Estonia has provided quality circuits for these gutsy races. In 2021, Lange Moto keskus in Tartu County hosted the World Sidecarcross Cham pionship. This championship had its fair share of drama, like the others. Early on in race one, a crash caused big blockage on the course. There were a few close follows between competing sidecars; one of which resulted in a tumble into the dirt. At the end of race one, the Estonian-Finnish duo consisting of Kert Varik and Lari Kunnas came in fourth place. In eighth place was the Estonian-Latvian duo Gert Gordejev and Kaspars Stupelis. Race two’s start was more furious and drivers went around
the first corner with no problems. The risks caught up to drivers, though, such as when driver Ijen Kops and rider Paul Horton flipped, throwing Horton under their sidecar wheel. Somehow, they carried on regardless. In addition, drivers were apt to get their wheels stuck deep in the tire tracks left in the dirt, meaning they would both have to get out and push to get back to racing. In the end, the winners of the championship were Marvin Vanluchene from Belgium and Robbie Bax from the Nether lands. Both types of sidecar motorcycle racing are alive and well to this day. It’s not likely to replace buses or streetcars, but it’s a type of motorsport with acrobatic movements and sticky situations that leave viewers hanging off the edge of their own seats, wondering what’s going to come around the next corner.
outcry and rubbish, nonsense interests at heart. The same can that ensued when the director of certainly be said about his the oldest and largest Russian grandson Anton Vaino. It is not theatre outside of Slavic coun- pleasant at all to acknowledge tries chose to publicly support that a very key figure at the Ukraine. This in a democratic, Kremlin is an ethnic Estonian. free country, just as Ukraine is. A final point. At the time of The only difference in the Putin’s ascension to the belligerence (a word that has its presidency of Russia in 2000, roots in the Latin word for war) The Economist correspondent was that words were the Edward Lucas, long a friend of weapons. Support for Putin the Balts, warned about Putin’s expressed in Riga? Really? evil intentions. Lucas, who merits following on Twitter, Then again, Latvia has an unfortunate red history. Many, wrote a very important book not merely Russian speakers, that should be read even after supported the Bolshevik “revo- the fact. “The New Cold War: lution” (orchestrated by Western Putin’s Russia and the Threat to bankers). Lenin and his hench- the West” appeared in 2014. men succeeded thanks in no The same year that Crimea was small part to the Latvian Red annexed. Will the West never Rifles. A military unit that learn? As we nervously and empabrought fear and terror everywhere. A comparison with the thetically follow the outrage of SS and the Gestapo is appro military aggression – yes, these priate. Without the Red Rifles are war crimes –, not knowing the civil war, which is what it how these economic sanctions, was in fact, might have had a with which the Western leaderdifferent outcome. That pending ship seems only too willing to Western assistance, but vested continue, we must, as a cominterests lobbied for non- munity loudly speak out for involvement. A brutal empire Ukraine. emerged. Many key Soviet When the city of Richmond leaders, both political and mili- Hill, north of Toronto, with a tary were ethnic Latvians over large immigrant Russian the decades. population, sees every May 9th Which brings us back to the obscene demonstrations by two Vainos. Karl cannot be dis- young men (!) wearing Soviet missed from the history books paraphernalia, waving the but he never had Estonian (Continued on page 11)
