I'm looking into acquiring my first bike, and so I'm doing my research now. I will preface this with the following statement: I am a new grandmother (41), and I will want to be able to allow my granddaughter to ride with me in a few years, after I'm more experienced. I also have a strong preference for cruisers, as folding up like a jackknife is a bit tougher on the knees than it used to be. With this in mind, I'm shopping with an eye towards being able to have the bike modified to carry a sidecar rig.

My absolute dream would be to have a vintage Indian Chief with sidecar; well, that's out of my price range at the moment. However, after doing a bit of shopping, I've come across the Kawasaki (yeah, I know) Drifter, in both 800 and 1500. This bike was designed to be an Indian clone, for those of us who can't yet afford the real deal. According to the consumer reports, the 800 is designed to be more comfortable for the vertically challenged (5'2", right here), and has many ease-of-riding features. I am looking at the Champion Legend sidecar, as it's got good consumer reports, and the fender style looks like it'll be a good match for the fender style on the Drifter.

Now, here's where I open it up for the potential smackdown; does anyone here have experience with the Drifter, or know anyone who does? Anyone here have experience with sidecar rigs, and the pitfalls thereof? I'm looking for real feedback - I will not be offended by observations and comments meant in a spirit of positive input.