sidecar

[Aitch]

Where does one find sidecars????? Thought might be a good way to get the kids on the road without scaring em too much!

[Ixion]

Where does one find sidecars????? Thought might be a good way to get the kids on the road without scaring em too much!

Trademe. There's a Watsonian and a Steib replica hanging around at the moment. And about three bikes with chairs attached.

Big issue though will be sorting out fittings and alignment. Setting up a chair is a black art, and getting it right is critical to the thing handling.

There must be somebody still alive who knows how to do it but finding them is another matter.

Also modern bikes don't have sidecar lugs on the frame - and in a sense, don't even have a frame. And even once bolted on , heaven knows what those forces would do to an alloy frame

But, they're out there so it must be possible.

Good luck and good hunting.

[Motu]

They are a bit thin on the ground,but there is a small dedicated group involved - just walk up to any sidecar rider and ask about his bike....make sure you have a couple of hours to spare first though,they do go on a bit!

[Aitch]

They are a bit thin on the ground,but there is a small dedicated group involved - just walk up to any sidecar rider and ask about his bike....make sure you have a couple of hours to spare first though,they do go on a bit!
So you gotta get the whole history of sidecars before you can get a phone number of a good sidecar guy?

[Pixie]

There must be somebody still alive who knows how to do it but finding them is another matter.


Good luck and good hunting.
Classic and vintage enthusiasts?

[Ixion]

Classic and vintage enthusiasts?

Kerry at Motohaus appears to run a BMW with a chair on it. So he may know, or at least know who does know.

Though I think BMW alignment was different to Briddish stuff. And Jappers are probably another matter again. Let alone Jawas.

[Motu]

I was at Motohaus yesterday and saw the early BMW outfit - that is a JB outfit,and Bill Reid (spelling?) who is the ''B'' of JB was working in a corner down there at one time,I don't know what Bill is doing these days,but Kerry will know some contacts.

I was around following the development of the JB sidecars,saw Bill's first chassis and suspn set up in his shed,knew the guy who made the moulds etc.John,the ''J'' from JB is still in his hire shop in Henderson I hear,but don't know what he's into.I had the first JB outfit,but didn't buy it new,I was the second owner.....a child/adult.

I'd sugest an open chair,an open chair will get the passengers involved in the ride,you can talk,pass the drink and sammies,good fun.I really wanted to get another outfit for the same reasons,take my boys out,both at a time on a bike,share some fun and adventure.I was looking at the Chang Jiang at Katikati,it has a Ural front end and strengthend spokes.But it was still too much money for something that needed to much work.

[Ixion]

When I ran one , years ago, Busmar double adult, I set it up myself. Read everything I could find on the subject, played around for ages with plumb-bobs and spirit levels and long planks and Gawd Knows Wot. Back then chairs were still common (especially in England) so there was still a lot of info around - even articles on setting up in the motorcycle mags. But I don't think I did it right.

And I had the advantage that the A10 was a recognised sidecar bike, and had all the lugs and stuff built into the frame. The early airhead BMWs had them too. Don't now, the Whale hasn't got any, I looked. Pity really.

How you would do it on a Jappa , Heaven Knows. I'd be quite worried about twisting or distorting the frame, imposing a lot of loads that it wasn't built to take. The old Briddish frames were very heavy, but sidecars were part of the reason for that.

[Ixion]

The shop next door to MOTOMAIL Seem to have a few sidecars outside at times.Give them a call,maybe able to help.
I think their the Motorcycle surgery or sumint like that.

Yeah, that's Motohaus - Kerry. Motorcycle Surgery is in the same building but different business (I think).

Surely must be someone on KB who runs a sidecar (raod going one I mean)

What about a roadgoing kneeler ?. Would that be legal I wonder. Can't see why not, nothing in the rules about it .


Oddly, you don't have to get a WOF for a sidecar - you can take the bike through solo, get the WOF then bolt the chair on. Silly, when you have to have a WOF for a trailer. I guess they're so rare the bureaucrats missed them

I did once take the BSA, with sidecar on it, through the Glenfield testing station. Blew the mind away of the testing guy, he couldn't figure out how to test the combo. Couldn't do it as a car, but the usual bike test routine didn't work either. He kept muttering "I've never done one of these before "

[Ixion]

Contact Lee Rusty, he's still into chairs an had quite a few.
Got some good stories to.
Like Motu said,take some spare time with you.

Good thinking that man. Have an orang-utan.

And his is currently on a Honda, too (I think) . So he might know about doing them on Jappas.

[pete376403]

There is a place in katikati that imports and sells Velorex chairs and may have others
Sidecars New Zealand, corner State Highway 2 & Lockington Road, RD 2, ...
Call Kurt in Katikati on 07-549-4438 AH or Email: countryengineering@xtra.co.nz

[Holy Roller]

Try a Flexit chair way too cool

[crashe]

Check out:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=15719

and talk to shadowace95 he has just had one stolen.... but should know about sidecars.

[Smorg]

Try a Flexit chair way too cool

Oh my god its hideous :puke:

[Motu]

Try a Flexit chair way too cool

I don't know how that one is set up - but I've ridden an outfit made in NZ that had telescopic top links...it was a farm hack,and you could set it up to traverse a slope,locking the links at the desired angle.But the guy who had it (on a AG200) used to ride it on the road with floating top links,I had a ride of it and it was bloody dangerous.A bike turns with countersteering,left to go right etc....but a sidecar is like a car,and you can't mix the two forces - it dumped me on the ground several times.

[Holy Roller]

I don't know how that one is set up -

Simple design shouldn't be too hard to make up if one wanted to fabricate it. :wait:

Could be a future project but have to focus on the trailer at the moment.

[Motu]

I see,very good....all the forces going into the lower mounts,chains and gears,all very smart and complicated....I like.