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sidecar for my wife

102758

backroads rider
I would like to make a sidecar for an older bike for my wife. Has anybody out there got any insight on this. What am I getting myself into.
 
Moved this to motorrad in the Garage. More appropriate forum and will receive better response.
 
Sidecars can be a lot of fun but to do it correctly, it won't be cheap. We have owned seven different rigs over a 26 year period. Three of them were EML kits from The Netherlands. Two were on R100's and required every nut, bolt and screw being removed from the donor bike to a new frame that was supplied with the kit. They handled really well. The other EML that we owned was on a K100 and didn't require as much work but did require a subframe that was supplied with the kit. All came with leading link, front forks and automobile tires. I did all of the work myself which was an adventure since they didn't come with any instructions. My wife got to the point where she rode the sidecar rig almost exclusively while her car sat most of the time. Today, EZS makes a kit that is very similar to what EML used to offer in the USA.

If you just want to hang a sidecar on a BMW, you're going to need a subframe to help handle the extra stress that comes with pulling a hack. Depending on what year/model of BMW you're planning on mounting it to, you may need a leading link front end (not cheap). I would suggest that you go here: http://www.sidecar.com/mbbs22/category-view.asp where you can ask questions and participate in discussions about sidecars with riders who own/have owned them. Then, you can make an intelligent decision as to whether or not you want to get involved. We thoroughly enjoyed our rigs but finally got to the point where I couldn't crawl around on my back like I did when I was younger to do the maintenance/repairs and finding a shop that was willing to work on a rig was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Good luck with your decision.
 
first, please take a moment to fill in your profile. That way if there is a member here who is into sidecars, and happens to live near you, he may be willing to help.
Sidecar.com has a lot of good info on selling, buying, setting up, etc of sidecars.
Side Car Talk on Yahoo groups has some very helpfull folks. Join that group.
Like others have said, most bikes require a good subframe to take the loads of a sidecar. Fork alterations also make a rig much more drivable. About the worse thing you can do is to buy a Velorex and and clamp on your motorcycle. (I'm not slamming Velorex, just the concept of slapping one on a bike without proper setup) If its not set up properly, Wife will likely hate driving it.
For $10,000 you can get a brand new Ural Sidecar rig, all set up and ready to go. Its fairly easy to spend that much on building a good Airhead rig. The Ural can be good for leisurely rides on back roads. Not really built for speed and long days on the road at USA type speeds.
I have a Dnepr sidecar on a R75/5 that is a fun and good handling rig. It has several mods to make it drive good: Stout subframe, modified steering triple trees that reduce trail, and lower gear ratio final drive.
 
I would like to make a sidecar for an older bike for my wife. Has anybody out there got any insight on this. What am I getting myself into.


A bunch of fun and adventure. Sidecarist are the best and always ready to give info and help!

+1 on:
USCA Web Site
http://www.sidecar.com/
Lot's of questions and answers:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

Excellent resources. BTW the USCA (United Sidecar Association) Sidecarist magazine is the only general sidecar print publication left in the US. If you'd like a sample copy let me know.
 
I got my first rig 3yrs ago after almost 30yrs on two wheels. What a Blast!!!
I'm not certain what you mean by 'for my wife'. Is it for her the drive or is she in the tub? If it's for her to ride, I strongly recomend leading link front end ($) or modified triple tree. Steering a rig with no steering mods can be pretty physical. With leading link it's like having power steering.
You can probably buy a rig for a lot less then it would cost to build. Look on ebay, IBMWR or the USCA web sites. Of course don't forget the Flea Market!
My first rig was basic, to see if I liked hacking. I did, so I upgraded to a K100/EML this fall. Now I have all the bells and whistles, at about half of what it would have cost me build it.
Buy and read (3-4 times)... 'Driving A Sidecar Outfit' published by USCA, writen by David L. Hough. It has rencently been updated.
As previous posters have stated, visit the USCA site for unlimited info.
'Once you go hack...you never go back!!!'
 
A bunch of fun and adventure. Sidecarist are the best and always ready to give info and help!

+1 on:
USCA Web Site
http://www.sidecar.com/
Lot's of questions and answers:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

Excellent resources. BTW the USCA (United Sidecar Association) Sidecarist magazine is the only general sidecar print publication left in the US. If you'd like a sample copy let me know.

I would like a copy my address is c davidson , 1717 Lakeview Dr , Eureka Il 61530 Thank you for the offer.
 
Just a thought

Let creativity be your guide.
 

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