wheelchair motorcycle sidecar

Wheelchair Motorcycle and Handicap Motorcycle Add-Ons


BraunAbility Customer Finds Same Freedom in Wheelchair Motorcycle as Personal Vehicle

 

As technology continues to advance for people with physical disabilities, more people are seeking them out – everything from exoskeletons that help a user with lower-level paralysis walk independently to wheelchair motorcycle options. That’s right – a wheelchair motorcycle exists. And there are several other handicap motorcycle add-ons that could have everyone blasting AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” as the wind whips through his or her hair.  

We talked to a BraunAbility customer who was a big motorcycle fan and had a wheelchair motorcycle sidecar to support the love he had for the open road. Kristofer Jaques wouldn’t call himself a thrill seeker, exactly. The feeling he’s chasing is freedom. 

“It was the feeling of freedom even while being in a wheelchair,” said the 34-year-old Ontario resident when describing his first ride on his accessible motorcycle sidecar.  

For years, Kristofer sought out technology that let him more fully participate in life – including a BraunAbility vehicle and an accessible snowmobile. His parents were bikers and a younger Kristofer would ride on the back.

When this was no longer possible, the trio began brainstorming ways to bring the sense of freedom on the open road back to Kristofer. They briefly considered fabricating a handicap motorcycle from scratch before deciding there must be a product out there to meet their needs. Surely they weren’t the only ones searching for a wheelchair motorcycle?   

Eventually, they discovered the DMC Sidecar, a product that was perfect for the three of them to continue their joyrides together.

“It’s like a rickshaw with a ramp on the back. Similar to my BraunAbility van, it has tie downs that secure me before we take off,” Kristofer said.  The DMC Sidecar has working turn signals and brake lights and is mounted securely to the motorcycle. 

DMC Wheelchair Motorcycle Sidecar Features 

  • Bike specific (for most models) sidecar mounting hardware
  • A manual ramp for wheelchair access
  • A Brembo disk brake system
  • Turn signals and brake lights
  • Swing arm suspension with a Hagon shock

The cost for one of these wheelchair motorcycle sidecars is listed as $8,295, a value that is truly priceless to Kristofer, who continues to take the bike out in the summer 1-2 times a week. 

Accessible Motorcycle Sidecar Accessible Motorcycle Sidecar
Accessible Sidecar and Motorcycle Accessible Sidecar and Motorcycle

Now, Kristofer is busy creating a disability expo to make finding accessible technology easier for people in his home province of Ontario.

“We looked everywhere for a handicap motorcycle and there just wasn’t anything out there,” Kristofer said. “With a disability expo, all of it could be in one place.”

Kristofer is looking to partner with local companies like Provincial Chrysler, who sold him his BraunAbility van, and others to bring all the accessible technology and services someone with a disability may need to the Ontario area. 

It's so much more than a motorcycle. It's almost the exact same feeling I got when I got my accessible van. Nothing else really compared.

- Kristofer

Wheelchair Motorcycle Styles

 

Other wheelchair motorcycle and sidecar styles are available.

For example, Kristofer uses a method of sidecar in which the motorcycle retains control of the steering and acceleration. There are also adaptations that allow the motorcycle to be operated by the sidecar occupant through a handlebar operation or steering wheel operation. 

Mobility Conquest created Conquest Trikes, a wheelchair motorcycle that accommodates a driver and their wheelchair with a locking mechanism that has a push button release. According to the site, the Mobility Conquest trike is a “melding of a high performance motorcycle and an F1 race car,” with a top speed of 105 mph. However, a limited run of motorcycles were built and now ordering is challenging. 

Liberator Trikes makes custom three-wheeled trikes for “bikers underserved by traditional motorcycle manufacturers.”

The designs are less integrated than the Mobility Conquest handicap trikes with welded support pieces and a frame that is angular and open for a non-traditional bike design. Like a BraunAbility side-entry vehicle, the Liberator comes with a removable passenger seat in a tandem seating arrangement. A V-8 engine gives the Liberator Trike a boost of power, and their custom design means every bike is unique to its owner. 

Like a handicap motorcycle, a handbike or motorized third-wheel attachment for your manual chair allows you to enjoy the benefits of a power vehicle when you need it, while preserving the convenience of a manual chair when you don’t. Batec Mobility offers a wide range of electric handbike styles from every day urban use to off-road trail use. Find more information on their models and specs here

However you choose to get out there, be it a wheelchair motorcycle or an accessible vehicle, we hope the feeling of freedom that our friend Kristofer is always chasing will be found on the road ahead. Happy traveling! 


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