I’m big into motorcycles. I love motorcycles. I commute, run many of my errands, go on vacations, and race.
Using a motorcycle with a sidecar to transport your kids will in no way be more efficient than a small car. A motorcycle big enough to move a sidecar that will carry two kids will get way less than 50mpg. Additionally they’ve got all the disadvantages of both a motorcycle and a car. They’re big, unprotected, and difficult to handle. And a good one is not cheap. You’d be better off with a Civic.
I’ve had a sidehack in the past and I agree with you on all points. My kids loved going for short rides in it but no way should one be used for regular transportation.
There’s also the tip-over factor to consider in case of evasive action; a right hand mounted rig and a sudden swerve to the right for example and vice-versa for a left mounted rig.
Even normal cornering has to be done with a bit of care to keep that sidehack wheel on the pavement.
I have been operating sidecars for long time. Yes, they are fun in their own right but a small sporty car handles better and gets better fuel economy. Sidecars usually reduce the gas mileage by one-third, not to mention the handling. Sidecars are fun but they are not motorcycles.
Agree that a side car is fun, but not necessarily a good “daily driver” for transporting kids even in an area like Southern California. My '03 Civic gets 35 mpg overall and I’ve owned a bunch of motorcycles and got from 35 to 50+ mpg depending on the size and hp of the bike. A bike with a sidecar would get about the same or less mpg as my Civic. It would need to be filled with gas more frequently, a 5-6 gallon tank on most cycles compared to 12 gallon on the Civic. Side car safety for kids is way below sitting in the back seat of a Civic.
I regularly commute on a MC, and NOT a sidecar, or trike. Both of those options, as previously noted, are unstable, and generally much more of a safety hazard, especially for transporting your kids. Further, I’ve read statistics (which I don’t currently have time to research), which indicate the risk associated with driving motorcycles vs. cars is increased 20X.
While others have noted the fuel economies, as someone who commutes about 30K per year on my bike, there’s also the expense of tires and brakes. Different from a car, I get at best 16K per set of tires and brakes (that’s actually far better than most), and so I spend nearly $2,000 a year on tires and brakes (both are far more expensive than the average car.)
Stay Safe!