Time for a sidecar?

[Moooools]

Call me crazy but I have decided to build a sidecar..... On top of the rest of my projects

Problem is, my starting point (a VT 250 with one f*cked cylinder) is currently in Taurunga. Are there any bucketers up around that way that will be heading somewhere down this way some time soon? That would be ideal.

The plan is to remove and blank off the farked cylinder (leave the whole thing unbalanced and see what happens. ) lower the thing and add a sidecar. To be perfectly honest I have no idea whether this will work. My extensive research (google images) only managed to reveal that sidecars are cool.

And before you say it I do realise that motorbikes make horrible sidecars. But it was cheap...

Anyway the main point of this thread is getting me my bike. And me avoiding a roadie. Anybody?

[Arronduke]

wow.... this sounds like a lot of work and real cool.
Will be watching with interest.

VT250 with a blanked off cyclinder..lowered... interesting.. wheelborrow wheels added and a banana seat .. oh and don't forget the chopper flap... now your talking..

[koba]

I had ideas on the VT thing years ago too, only coz I had one and could get more for virtually nothing. (What they are worth). It wouldn't be ideal, heavy build and all that but it may still be better than some lumps out there.

I'd ask around Welly buckets and see if you can get an gander at Speedpros old one (Skid has it now). Ask nicely enough and you may even be able to arrange a burn on it.

I know where another one is parked up but I'm not sure it will be going anytime soon.

I'd say it would be alot (too much for me!) of work however you do it. It may be easier to start from scratch with small wheels and all if you are going to go to the effort anyway.

[Moooools]

I would start from scratch but the biggest issue for me is the welding. So the less structural welding I can do the better. I should be able to tack up the frame and then send it to an engineer to finish.

It will end up pretty heavy but relative to the weight of the rider and passengers an extra few(hundred) kgs shouldn't matter.
I might go for some smaller wheels. But I am not that fussed at the moment. I will see how things go. The less time it takes me to get on the track the better.

It won't be pretty, but should be a bit of fun.

[Dutchee]

Not sure there's any bucketeers that way (Tauranga).

It's not an area Henk and I go to often (last time we went that wayish would've been around 5 years ago, to actually SELL a bike). If we were heading that way, chances we'd be on road bikes and unable to pick up. Basically I'm saying, you all may think Auckland a hole, but I find some areas of NZ comparable and can't really ssee any reason to venture there.

[koba]

I would start from scratch but the biggest issue for me is the welding. So the less structural welding I can do the better. I should be able to tack up the frame and then send it to an engineer to finish.

Good approach, best to know ones limits.

Do put learning to weld on your list of things to learn though, its a very handy skill to have.

[Henk]

Sidecars are sodding awesome by the way.
Guy up here used to turn up with a couple and I'd swing off one at every opportunity, drove one once, bugger that.

[Moooools]

I have learnt to weld a little (good enough to make myself a megaphone; wasn't pretty though). But the only welder I have access to is the school one. And given I don't take any subjects to the workshop I have to pressure one of the teachers into letting me used it. Plus it is a rubbish welder.

I think I will just tack it up at school and then take it out to Phil in Stokes Valley and get him to do the rest. Perhaps in exchange for some parts that he wants.

[F5 Dave]

As to getting on the track, atm we run with kart days. Not so sure they will want to give another slot away. Esp if there are less than 10 competitors.

So where will you race it? Just saying.

[Moooools]

Moving to Auckland next year. So it is more for that than racing this year.

Hopefully they won't mind me taking it for a few laps around the track when I am out there testing. (have a key now). Although I wouldn't put it past them to say no.

[Moooools]

Well I received the bike a couple of weeks ago and stripped it down last weekend.

Got a bit of time this week so I whipped the engine down and split the cases.

The vt250 might just be the easiest engine in the world to turn into a single. It has separate cam chains for each cylinder. Each head is fed with oil from an external oil line with a 10mm banjo on each end so I should be able to get a short brake hose made to replace the current 1-2 system. The water pump is all external and I will just need to devcon up the hole that feeds the front cylinder with water and bobs your uncle. (oh and bore it out and get a bob weight made for the crank.)

The engine work is looking much easier than I originally thought. Project sidecar is all go.

[Moooools]

Things are progressing.

The engine is back together minus a piston and con-rod. In its place is a clamp on weight with the same mass as the bottom half of the old con-rod, which will hopefully balance it reasonably well. Thanks to Phil from valley engineering for that one.

The rear cylinder has been bored out to 64mm so it is now a 142cc single.

In place of the old 1 to 2 oil line is a braided 1 to 1 line that ENZED made up for me. $40 and very helpful people.

The water feed to the front cylinder has been blocked off with epoxy putty.


The forks have been lowered 80mm and now that it is on 12" rims I have actually run out of ground clearance. I need another 50mm or so. Bugger.

Rims are just on there for mocking up purposes at the moment. Starting to look like the basis of a sidecar methinks.

[fi5hy]

Your one sick little boy. Keep it up looks good.

[pete376403]

An interesting project would have been to start with the V twin as you did, but use the dead cylinders conrod to make a balancer like Ducati did with the Supermono (not suggesting it would be easy or anything)

[Moooools]

Ahhh yes that would have been cool. Buuut $$$, Time and having to mill out part of the dead cylinder to get the con rod and con con rod to fit. I still have a long term use for that cylinder.