THEY CALL IT “TRI-SIKOL”
March 12th 2009 00:00
I suppose anyone who have seen a World War II movie would have had, at least, a glance of a motorcycle with a side-car.
That kind of contraption had different variations over time in different countries.
In Thailand, they find a way to put the motorcycle in the front middle section of what was supposed to be the side- car (thereby making the side-car the vehicle itself) and called it “Tuk-tuk.”
Well, ok so “Tuk tuk” can also be found in India, Sri-lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. Actually, they are in many asian countries.
In the Philippines, the evolution of the motorcycle with side-car was not as massive. Local side-car makers added a roof on it and that became the standard design.
All the other innovations were minor such as lowering the side-car's center of gravity or enclosing the entire side-car in aluminum body and providing it with a door and a few glass windows, plus of course a stereo system of its own! But essentially, it remained a motorcycle with a side-car.
Locally, we call them “Tricycle” and they are practically all over the Philippines. Of all the variations that I have seen so far, however, the most unique is the one they built in Pagadian City, Philippines.
Nope, it's not the Philippines version of a rocket launcher and neither is it a model of a new space craft that will probe for intelligent life in Mars. It is an ordinary side-car attached to a motorcycle that ferry passengers to and from Pagadian City suburbs.They call it “Tri-sikol.” Just an assimilation of the word “Tricycle” to the local dialect.
Local folks said the “Tri-sikol” was built that way to adapt it to the local road conditions which are mostly uphill and downhill.
They expalined that if they lowered it like in other areas the front bumper will always hit the pavement in sudden inclines of the road when going uphill, and the side-car itself would be bowing too low when going downhill thereby punishing the shock absorbers in the front wheel of the motorcycle.
Well, I am not from there (I only went there for another leg of that promo tour of a Telco which I mentioned in my “Tamak and Buko Pandan” story) and all their “Tri-sikol” are built that way. I don't see any point of arguing with them.
That kind of contraption had different variations over time in different countries.
In Thailand, they find a way to put the motorcycle in the front middle section of what was supposed to be the side- car (thereby making the side-car the vehicle itself) and called it “Tuk-tuk.”
Tuk tuks of Thailand. Source: Wikipedia
Well, ok so “Tuk tuk” can also be found in India, Sri-lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc. Actually, they are in many asian countries.
In the Philippines, the evolution of the motorcycle with side-car was not as massive. Local side-car makers added a roof on it and that became the standard design.
All the other innovations were minor such as lowering the side-car's center of gravity or enclosing the entire side-car in aluminum body and providing it with a door and a few glass windows, plus of course a stereo system of its own! But essentially, it remained a motorcycle with a side-car.
Locally, we call them “Tricycle” and they are practically all over the Philippines. Of all the variations that I have seen so far, however, the most unique is the one they built in Pagadian City, Philippines.
Tri-sikol in its daily grind
Nope, it's not the Philippines version of a rocket launcher and neither is it a model of a new space craft that will probe for intelligent life in Mars. It is an ordinary side-car attached to a motorcycle that ferry passengers to and from Pagadian City suburbs.They call it “Tri-sikol.” Just an assimilation of the word “Tricycle” to the local dialect.
Now, you didn't really think those people inside are the modern day astraunauts did you?
Local folks said the “Tri-sikol” was built that way to adapt it to the local road conditions which are mostly uphill and downhill.
They expalined that if they lowered it like in other areas the front bumper will always hit the pavement in sudden inclines of the road when going uphill, and the side-car itself would be bowing too low when going downhill thereby punishing the shock absorbers in the front wheel of the motorcycle.
Well, I am not from there (I only went there for another leg of that promo tour of a Telco which I mentioned in my “Tamak and Buko Pandan” story) and all their “Tri-sikol” are built that way. I don't see any point of arguing with them.
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