Sit and operate the motorcycle correctly
Ride astride the saddle, with your feet on the front footrests. Keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times; normally use both to maintain full control, except where a lawful action requires one hand. Keep every wheel in contact with the road. A wheelie or similar stunt conflicts with that duty.
Do not let yourself or a passenger hold onto another moving vehicle. In the same traffic lane, ride in single file except while overtaking another motorcycle. Two motorcyclists may not overtake the same other vehicle at the same time in that lane; each lane is treated separately for this rule.
Passenger seating and limits
A motorcycle learner may not carry a passenger. For a rider who is lawfully permitted to carry one, the motorcycle must have an engine capacity exceeding 50 cc and the passenger must use a securely attached pillion seat or a sidecar. A pillion passenger sits astride with feet on secure footrests. Brief the passenger before riding so that unexpected movement does not interfere with control.
No more than two people may ride on the motorcycle itself, excluding the sidecar occupants. Do not carry more than two adults in the sidecar. These numerical maxima do not permit overloading, unsuitable seating or a passenger who cannot use the provided equipment safely.
Fit and fasten the protective helmet
The rider and passengers on a motorcycle, motor tricycle or motor quadrucycle, including a sidecar passenger, must wear a protective helmet designed for that use. It must fit properly and its chin strap must be fastened under the chin. Carrying the helmet on an arm or resting an unfastened helmet on the head is not compliance. The rider must ensure that a passenger younger than fourteen complies.
A narrow statutory exception permits travel without a helmet only for the special motorcycle satisfying all three conditions: approved SABS 1430 restraint anchorages for driver and passengers; an interlock preventing movement unless they wear the belts; and compliance with Annex II of SABS 1440 for steering-mechanism behaviour on impact. The 2012 manual incorrectly presents this as a prohibition on helmets and omits the impact-standard condition. It is not an exception for an ordinary motorcycle with a belt added.
Attach the sidecar correctly
A sidecar must be attached to the left of the motorcycle. It may not be attached to a motorcycle with engine capacity below 50 cc. Notice the boundary: attachment is not the same question as carrying a passenger, for which the manual requires an engine exceeding 50 cc.
Check the complete outfit’s width, load and handling before road use. The sidecar does not remove the need for prescribed helmets or make a motorcycle eligible to tow another vehicle.
Keep view and control clear
Do not carry a person or animal in front of you. An object in front is permitted only if it is non-bulky, securely attached or in a suitable carrier, and does not obstruct your view or interfere with complete control. Use suitable secure luggage carriers rather than balancing loose bags on the controls.
Check clearance through steering movement and the load’s projection. A bag that is acceptable while the handlebars are straight may trap a lever when turning. Secure the contents as well as the container.
Motorcycle load dimensions
Measure motorcycle projections from the specified axles or wheels, not from the edge of the saddle.
- No more than 600 mm ahead of the front-wheel axle.
- No more than 900 mm behind the rear-wheel axle.
- No more than 450 mm to either side of the wheels.
- On the sidecar side, no more than 300 mm beyond the outside of the sidecar wheel.
Worked situation
A motorcycle has exactly 50 cc engine capacity and a sidecar on the left. The attachment threshold alone is satisfied, but the manual’s passenger condition requires capacity exceeding 50 cc. Do not treat permission to attach the sidecar as permission to carry a passenger.
The ordinary road rules still apply
Use the headlamp by day and night, maintain both braking systems, comply with the motorcycle tyre requirements and obey the same signs, signals, safe-following and overtaking duties as other road users. Motorcycle-specific rules add to these duties; they do not replace them.
Sidecar axle position
The sidecar must be on the left with the centre line of its axle within the motorcycle’s wheelbase. This additional positioning requirement is separate from engine capacity and passenger seating. An attachment behind the rear axle is not made lawful merely because it is on the left.