Pride Mobility Sidekick User manual

www.pridemobility.com
1-800-800-8586
Exeter, PA
St. Catharine , ON
Owners Manual

2Sidekick
Read and follow all of the in truction in thi manual before you attempt to operate your cooter for the fir t time.
If you are unable to under tand any of thi information or require additional a i tance for et-up, contact your
local Pride Provider or call the Pride Tech Service Department at 1-800-800-8586.
The following symbols will be used throughout this Owners Manual to identify warnings and
cautions. t is very important for you to read and understand them completely.
WARNING! Failure to heed the warnings in this owners manual may result in personal
injury.
CAU ION! Failure to heed the cautions in this owners manual may result in damage to
your mobility vehicle.
Plea e be ure to fill out and return your warranty card. Al o, notify u of any change of addre o that we can
keep you appri ed of important information about afety, new product , and new option that can increa e your
ability to u e and enjoy your cooter.
Your Sidekick:
Body Color _______________________________ Serial #
Purcha e Date _____________________________ Option
Your authorized Pride Mobility Product Corporation provider:
Name___________________________________________________________________________
Addre _________________________________________________________________________
Phone___________________________________________________________________________
SAFETY GUIDELINES

3Sidekick
CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 5
II. SAFETY ......................................................................................................................................... 6
III. EMI/RFI .......................................................................................................................................... 9
IV. SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................... 11
V. DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................................... 13
VI. BATTERIES AND CHARGING ............................................................................................ 17
VII. OPERATION ............................................................................................................................... 21
VIII. COMFORT ADJUSTMENTS................................................................................................ 23
IX. DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY ..................................................................................... 25
X. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ................................................................................................. 28
XI. BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................................................. 29
XII. CARE AND MAINTENANCE ................................................................................................ 30
XIII. WARRANTY................................................................................................................................31

4Sidekick
Pride cannot be held re pon ible for any damage or injury incurred due to improper or un afe u e of a Sidekick
Scooter. Nor can Pride be held re pon ible for any damage or injury incurred during or re ulting from attempt to
follow the in truction and recommendation et forth in thi owner' manual or in any of the in truction di played
on or accompanying the product it elf. If you do not feel capable of afely following any of the in truction and
recommendation pertaining to your Sidekick Scooter, plea e contact your authorized Pride provider.
Copyright © 2000
Pride Mobility Product Corp.
COPYRIGHT
INFMANU1003/REV E/JANUARY 2001

5Sidekick
I. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Pride Mobility Product Corporation (Pride). Congratulation on the purcha e of your new Sidekick
Scooter. The Sidekick de ign combine the mo t advanced tate-of-the-art component with modern, attractive
tyling. We are certain that the de ign feature and trouble-free operation of your new Sidekick Scooter will add
convenience to your daily living.
At Pride, your afety i important to u . Please read and follow all of the instructions in this manual before
you attempt to operate your Scooter for the first time. The e in truction were produced for your benefit.
Your under tanding of the e in truction i e ential for the afe operation of your new Sidekick.
Thi owner manual i compiled from the late t pecification and product information available at the time of
publication. We re erve the right to make change a they become nece ary. Any change to our product may
cau e light variation between the illu tration and explanation in thi manual and the product you purcha ed.
A an owner of a Pride product, you are invited to regi ter your product warranty and enroll in the Pride Owner
Club. You may do o by filling out and returning your enclo ed regi tration card or by vi iting Pride web ite at
www.pridemobility.com. A a regi tered member, each time you vi it our ite, you will have acce to the mo t
interactive and hone t educational venue available today for people with mobility need , their familie , and friend .
From the cover page of our ite, click on the button that read Owner Club, to enter a page dedicated to current
and potential Pride Product Owner . You will gain acce to interview , torie , recreation idea , daily living tip ,
product and funding information, and interactive me age board . On the e me age board you are invited to
peak with other Pride cu tomer a well a Pride repre entative who are available to a i t you with any que -
tion or concern you may have. You will receive a free gift imply for regi tering with the Pride Owner Club.
We want to hear your que tion , comment , and ugge tion about thi manual. We would al o like to hear about
the afety and reliability of your new Sidekick Scooter, a well a about the ervice you received from your Pride
provider. Al o, notify u of any change of addre , o we can keep you appri ed of important information about
afety, new product , and new option that can increa e your ability to u e and enjoy your Sidekick Scooter.
Plea e feel free to write u at the addre below:
Pride Mobility Product Corporation
Attn: Technical Service Department
182 Su quehanna Avenue
Exeter, PA 18643-2694
If you experience any problem with your Sidekick that you are not able to olve, or if you do not feel confident in
your ability to perform any of the in truction contained in thi manual, plea e contact your local Pride provider.
Once you under tand how to operate and take care of your Scooter, we are certain that it will give you year of
trouble-free ervice and enjoyment.
The Pride Team

6Sidekick
A you begin to u e your Sidekick during your daily activitie , you will encounter ituation that, at fir t, may
require ome practice to negotiate on your Sidekick cooter. Simply take your time a you operate your Sidekick
and you will oon be in full and confident control a you maneuver through doorway , on and off of elevator , up
and down ramp , and over moderate terrain.
DOORS
nDetermine if the door open toward or away from you.
nU e your hand to turn the knob or pu h the handle or pu h-bar.
nDrive your Sidekick gently and lowly forward to pu h the door open; or drive your Sidekick gently and lowly
backward to pull the door open.
ELEVATORS
Modern elevator have a door-edge afety mechani m that, when pu hed, reopen the elevator door( ).
nIf you are in the doorway of an elevator when the door( ) begin to clo e, pu h on the rubber door edge or allow
the rubber door edge to contact the cooter and the door will reopen.
nU e care that pocketbook , package , or Sidekick acce orie do not become caught in the elevator door .
RAMPS AND OTHER INCLINES
More and more building have ramp with pecified degree of inclination. The e ramp are de igned for ea y and
afe cooter acce . Some ramp may have turning witchback that require good cornering kill on your Side-
kick.
nTake wide wing with your Sidekick front wheel around any tight corner . If you do that, the Sidekick rear
wheel will follow a wide arc. Do not cut the corner hort, and do not bump into or get hung up on any railing
corner .
nWhen driving down a ramp, keep the Sidekick peed adju tment dial ( ee V. De cription) et to the
tortoi e ( lowe t peed etting) to en ure a afely controlled de cent.
nNever drive your Sidekick acro the ide of a hill or diagonally up or down a hill, and do not top, if po ible,
while driving up or down an incline.
nAvoid udden top and tart .
Other incline may be natural or, if man-made, not de igned pecifically for cooter . Figure 1 illu trate your
Sidekick tability and it ability to climb grade under variou weight load and under controlled te ting condi-
tion .
FIGURE 1. MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED INCLINE ANGLE
SIDEKICK
2˚
3˚
6˚
250 lbs. 300 lbs.
200 lbs.
8˚
150 lbs.
II. SAFETY

7Sidekick
The e te t were conducted with the Sidekick eat in the highe t po ition and adju ted backward on the eat
ba e to it farthe t rearward po ition. U e thi information a a guideline. Your Sidekick ability to travel up
incline i affected by your weight, your cooter peed, your angle of approach to the incline, and your cooter
etup.
nWhen you approach an incline, it i be t to lean forward. See figure 2 and 3. Thi hift the center of gravity of
you and your Sidekick toward the front of the cooter for improved tability.
WARNING! Do not exceed the incline guidelines or any other specifications presented
in this manual.
DRIVING SURFACES
Your Sidekick wa de igned to provide optimum tability under normal driving condition ; dry, level urface
compo ed of concrete or a phalt. However, Pride recognize that there will be time when you will operate your
Sidekick on urface other than concrete or a phalt. For that rea on, we al o de igned your Sidekick to perform
admirably on packed oil, gra , and gravel.
nFeel free to u e your Sidekick afely on lawn and in park area .
nAvoid tall gra that can entangle the running gear.
nPacked oil and gravel, uch a driveway or road , pre ent no problem for your Sidekick.
nAvoid loo ely packed gravel and and.
nIf you feel un ure about a driving urface, avoid that urface.
nDo not operate your new Sidekick for the fir t time without completely reading and under tanding thi owner
manual.
nDo not carry pa enger on your Sidekick.
nDo not leave the key in the witch when your Sidekick i unattended.
FIGURE 2. NORMAL DRIVING POSITION FIGURE 3. INCREASED STABILITY DRIVING POSITION
II. SAFETY

8Sidekick
WARNING! Do not expose the electronics to any type of moisture at any time (rain, snow,
mist, or washing the scooter). Such exposure can damage the electronics. Never attempt
to ride a scooter that has been exposed to moisture until it has dried thoroughly.
WARNING! Do not operate or store the scooter where it may be exposed to inclement
weather conditions such as rain, snow, mist, and below-freezing temperatures (such as
storage on an outside car/van lift). Attempting to operate the scooter in such conditions
can damage the electronics and potentially result in loss of control.
WARNING! Do not operate a scooter in icy or slippery conditions or on salted surfaces
(i.e., walks or roads). Such use may result in an accident, personal injury, or adversely
affect the performance and/or safety of your scooter.
WARNING! Always protect batteries from freezing temperatures and never charge a fro-
zen battery. his will damage the battery and may cause personal injury. Attempting to
charge a battery in freezing conditions does not prevent a battery from freezing.
nMake certain that the eat i locked into place and that the key i removed from the key witch before getting
on or off of your Sidekick. Make certain that the eat i in a locked po ition when you are operating your
Sidekick.
nReduce your Sidekick peed when you are operating it on uneven terrain and oft urface .
nReduce your Sidekick peed when you are driving it around a corner.
nNever drive your Sidekick acro the ide of a hill or diagonally up or down a hill, and do not top, if po ible,
while driving up or down an incline.
nProceed with extreme caution a you approach the downgrade of a ramp or other incline and when driving near
a rai ed urface or unprotected ledge and drop off (curb , porche , tair , etc.).
nNever remove your Sidekick anti-tip wheel or modify the Sidekick in any way that i not authorized by
Pride.
nU e extreme caution when operating your Sidekick on bu y treet and in parking lot or hopping mall and
never ride your Sidekick where you cannot afely and legally walk. Con ult local municipal or tate agencie
with regard to operating your Sidekick on public roadway .
nDo not operate your Sidekick while you are under the influence of alcohol.
nCheck with your phy ician if you are taking any medication that may affect your ability to operate your Side-
kick afely.
nKeep your hand on the tiller and your feet on the floorboard when you are operating your Sidekick.
nMake certain that the tire are properly inflated (30 p i).
nNever u e your Sidekick cooter a a eat in a moving vehicle.
nMake certain that the Sidekick batterie are properly ecured when you are tran porting your cooter in
another vehicle.
nDi connect your Sidekick batterie if you will not be u ing the cooter for more than 48 hour .
nBattery po t , terminal and related acce orie contain lead and lead compound . Wa h hand after handling.
II. SAFETY

9Sidekick
EMI/RFI WARNINGS
Laboratory te t performed by the Food and Drug Admini tration (FDA) have hown that radio wave can cau e
unintended motion of electric cooter . Radio wave are a form of electromagnetic energy (EM). When electro-
magnetic energy adver ely affect the operation of an electrical device, that adver e effect i called Electromag-
netic Interference (EMI) or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI).
EMI/RFI FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
The following FAQ ummarize what you hould know about EMI/RFI. U e thi information to minimize the ri k
that EMI/RFI will adver ely affect your Sidekick.
Where do radio waves come from?
Radio wave are emitted from the antenna of cellular phone , mobile two-way radio ( uch a walkie-talkie and
CB ), radio tation , TV tation , amateur radio (HAM) tran mitter , wirele computer link , microwave ource ,
and paging tran mitter . Radio wave are a form of EM. Becau e EM i more inten e clo er to tran mitting
antenna ( ource of emi ion), the EM field from two-way radio are of pecial concern to electric cooter u er .
f EM /RF affects my Sidekick, what kind of motion should expect?
Thi i difficult to predict. The an wer would depend on a number of factor :
nThe trength of the radio wave .
nThe con truction of your particular Sidekick.
nThe location of your Sidekick (whether it i on level ground or on an incline).
nWhether or not your Sidekick i in motion.
The motion of any electric cooter affected by EMI/RFI can be erratic. The cooter may come to a udden top or
move in an uncontrolled manner. Al o, it i po ible for EMI/RFI to relea e the brake of an electric cooter. Some
inten e EMI/RFI can even damage the control y tem component of an electric cooter.
s there any way to know for certain whether or not radio waves are the cause of any unintended motion
of my Sidekick?
Unfortunately, EMI/RFI may be difficult to recognize, ince the ignal from radio ource are invi ible and may be
intermittent. However, the FDA recommend that you report all incident of unintended motion or unintended
brake relea e of your electric cooter to the cooter manufacturer and, if po ible, determine whether or not
there wa a radio wave ource nearby at the time of the incident.
One precaution you can take again t inadvertent motion of your Sidekick i to make certain that you or omeone
el e i not the cau e of the unintended motion.
nTurn off your Sidekick by removing the key from the key witch when you are getting on or off of your Sidekick.
nNever leave the key in the key witch of an unattended Sidekick.
By following the e tep , you greatly reduce the ri k of you or anyone el e inadvertently bumping the throttle
control lever and cau ing the Sidekick to move unintentionally.
Are all scooters susceptible EM /RF ?
Each make and model of electric cooter differ in it ability to re i t EMI/RFI. That i , each cooter ha a
particular level of re i tance to EMI/RFI. Thi re i tance i mea ured in volt per meter (V/m). A higher re i tance
level offer greater protection again t EMI/RFI. In other word , an electric cooter with a high re i tance level i
le likely to be affected by a trong radio ource than i an electric cooter with a low re i tance level.
III. EMI/RFI

10 Sidekick
What is the FDA doing about the problem?
The FDA ha written to electric cooter manufacturer and reque ted that tho e manufacturer te t their new
model of cooter to be certain that they provide a rea onable degree of re i tance again t EMI/RFI. The FDA
ha tated that all newly-manufactured model of electric cooter hould have a re i tance level of at lea t 20 V/
m. Thi re i tance level provide a rea onable degree of protection again t the common ource of EMI/RFI.
The FDA ha al o reque ted or recommended that:
nElectric cooter manufacturer clearly label new product with that product re i tance level or tate that the
re i tance level i not known.
nThe labeling or informational material upplied with new electric cooter mu t explain what the re i tance level
mean and warn u er about the po ibility of EMI/RFI and how to avoid it.
nElectric cooter manufacturer undertake an educational program to inform electric cooter u er and their
caregiver about the problem a ociated with EMI/RFI and about the action they can take to minimize the
ri k of EMI/RFI.
nWhile there i no exact way to tell if your cooter i totally afe, an immunity level of 20 V/m (May 1994) i
generally achievable and u eful. Thi product ha been te ted and pa ed at an immunity level of 20 V/m.
Adding acce orie and component or modifying the unit may change the u ceptibility to EMI/RFI.
What can do to find out if my Sidekick is likely to be affected by EM /RF ?
If you have had your Sidekick for ome time and have not experienced any unintended motion, it i not likely that
you will have a problem in the future. However, it i alway po ible that EMI problem could ari e if you are clo e
to a ource of radio wave . Therefore, it i very important for you to be alert to thi po ibility. The Sidekick
cooter meet or exceed a re i tance level of at lea t 20 V/m.
What can do to reduce the risk of my Sidekick being affected by EM /RF ?
Here are ome precaution you can take:
nDo not turn on or u e hand-held per onal communication device , uch a citizen band (CB) radio
and cellular phone , while your Sidekick i turned on.
nBe aware of nearby radio wave tran mitter , uch a radio or TV tation and hand-held or mobile two-way
radio . Try not to operate your Sidekick too clo e to tho e tran mitter . For example, if you are on an electric
cooter with a re i tance level of at lea t 20 V/m, you hould remain at lea t three feet from a hand-held two-
way radio and at lea t ten feet from a mobile two-way radio.
nBe aware that adding acce orie and/or component , or modifying your Sidekick in any way, may change it
EMI/RFI re i tance level and may make it more u ceptible to interference from radio wave ource .
What should do if my Sidekick moves unexpectedly?
If unintended motion or unintended brake relea e occur , turn off your Sidekick (by removing the key) a oon a
it i afe to do o.
f my Sidekick moves unintentionally, where should report the incident?
Call our headquarter at 1-800-800-8586 to report the incident.
III. EMI/RFI