Bucket Sidecars

[onegoodrun]

Gidday everyone, this is my first post and I'll admit I'm a newbie to the world of Buckets! But hey, you have to start somewhere right?

At High School, we have built some sidecars with single speed 110cc engines in them, aswell as a ton of aircooled and watercooled pocketbikes. What happens is at the end of the year, heaps of schools get together for a race meeting at Manfield Racecourse.

At few weeks back we took the sidecars and bikes to Taumarunui for a thrash around the track. The trouble now is that my friend and I are addicted. We want to do sidecar racing next year, but because we will be out of school, we can't race with them.

So, I thought, Bucket Sidecars would be the way to go. My question is, is there a set of rules for us to build our sidecar to? Such as engine size etc etc Also, how many people race bucket sidecars in NZ?

I look forward to hearing your replies,

Cheers
Alex

[Henk]

Rules for bucket sidecars are here

http://www.mnz.co.nz/download/2010_M..._Miniature.pdf

They are an absolute blast but unfortunately there aren't that many around at the moment. There is a guy who comes on here occasionally

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/me...p/28119-Gazzza

who has a couple and has been to Mt Wellington a few times but not for too long, and one that I know of in Wellington but I'm not sure how often that runs. There has been talk by a couple of guys up here about building chairs but I'm not sure how long before that will come to anything. Bucket chairs are an absolute blast but the bad news is that there aren't that many around any more and those that are about don't run that often.

[onegoodrun]

Cheers for those rules. They don't seem very restrictive which is good I guess, plenty of scope for us to try out our engineering skills

That's a shame that not many people run them. Well, there may be another two to hit the scene next year. I would love to come watch the ones that are around race at some stage to see how they do things. It's one thing to watch them on youtube, but to see guys doing it for real is another. My friend and I try our best to shift our weight around in the corners and use the brakes as little as possible, but if anyone has some tips, they would be neat to hear!!

[Buckets4Me]

There has been talk by a couple of guys up here about building chairs but I'm not sure how long before that will come to anything.

yep after the monster engine is finished and the 50's are built then the 100cc bike for Robert to start on I'm sure Team E.S.E will get around to the sidecar they have been talking about. I didn't miss any other projects that come first did I

[Henk]

JC has made some noises.

[Buckets4Me]

JC has made some noises.

would be good to see some more out there
am keen to get one going myself with (see how good the son can hang on)

[koba]

Cheers for those rules. They don't seem very restrictive which is good I guess, plenty of scope for us to try out our engineering skills

That's a shame that not many people run them. Well, there may be another two to hit the scene next year. I would love to come watch the ones that are around race at some stage to see how they do things. It's one thing to watch them on youtube, but to see guys doing it for real is another. My friend and I try our best to shift our weight around in the corners and use the brakes as little as possible, but if anyone has some tips, they would be neat to hear!!

There isn't any regular events around Fielding/Palmy way at the moment but there are a few regular competitors who come down to Welly. I'm sure that if there was a big enough pool of riders developing up that way something regular or semi-regular could end up happening on the kart track or manfeild back circuit...

[onegoodrun]

I'm not too worried about going to welly or roys hill or wherever, it will just make life more interesting!! Anyone from the Manawatu will tell you they take any chance they can get to get out of the region!! There will definitely be me and my mate building a chair, and we are trying to get some more of the boys keen on it. You gotta be a special kinda crazy for the sidecar game

[Henk]

If you get this off the ground and start racing keep us informed. I know Gazza was trying to sell one of his at one stage, the reasons I didn't buy it are largely logistics, nowhere to keep it and no way to haul it around.
If you are running chairs somewhere I may reconsider or try doing a lease deal with him for the away meets, love the away meets. Apex

[onegoodrun]

Plan at this stage is to have one ready to race for next year. I will keep you guys informed as to how we get on with it. There seems to be plenty of enthusiasm for sidecars, but just no-one seems to be getting stuck in? Perhaps it will take a couple of newbies to rev up the old boys?

Get into it!!

[Bert]

I'm not too worried about going to welly or roys hill or wherever, it will just make life more interesting!! Anyone from the Manawatu will tell you they take any chance they can get to get out of the region!!

Thats a bit rough Alex!!! nothing wrong with the manawatu as long as you like wind and rain....

There will definitely be me and my mate building a chair, and we are trying to get some more of the boys keen on it. You gotta be a special kinda crazy for the sidecar game

Special yes, crazy only some of the time....

I know of a couple (bucket chairs) sitting in sheds (including full fairing molds; jigs) in the manawatu; waiting for the day that sidecars return to the fold.

Firstly I highly commend Roger's efforts in developing this course at FeildingAg. What a cool way to get students interested in actually doing something really cool other than playstation!!

Those high school days look like a f##ken hoot; I have offen wandered if there is some oportunity to do something there; maybe a central bucket meeting with the minibikes on the back track; enabling exposure to cheap bigger bike racing (buckets) options; which i doubt many would know about. Once you have the bug it never leaves...

Good on you Alex; keep us informed on progress.

[onegoodrun]

Roger said to me today that if I got into racing chairs, he would come back to it!! I'm going to hold the old boy to that!!

Yeah he's a good bugger. He's right into getting us into the competitive spirit too. We give him shit all day long and he loves to dish it back. We take every chance we can get to get the sidecars out and take 'em around school. Good fun.

If a couple of guys wanted to give a demo of their buckets at the NZ Secondary Schools Mini Moto Championship in October, I'm sure Roger would be more than happy. Just give him a bell.

The thing with Manfield is it is bloody dear to hire the track for even a day. I know 'cos I've heard the expletives coming from a few peoples mouths!! But it sure is a good venue, if a bit open for the pocketbikes, even with a few hay bales thrown in for chicanes.

[Henk]

If you're going to do another Taumarunui session let me know. It may be possible to get some bucket folk along for a thrash about and if anyone gets keen to try a bucket I'm usually pretty relaxed about letting people ride mine, some others are the same.

[Bert]

Roger said to me today that if I got into racing chairs, he would come back to it!! I'm going to hold the old boy to that!!

Yeah he's a good bugger. He's right into getting us into the competitive spirit too. We give him shit all day long and he loves to dish it back. We take every chance we can get to get the sidecars out and take 'em around school. Good fun.

If a couple of guys wanted to give a demo of their buckets at the NZ Secondary Schools Mini Moto Championship in October, I'm sure Roger would be more than happy. Just give him a bell.

The thing with Manfield is it is bloody dear to hire the track for even a day. I know 'cos I've heard the expletives coming from a few peoples mouths!! But it sure is a good venue, if a bit open for the pocketbikes, even with a few hay bales thrown in for chicanes.

O'dear, its too soon to start another new project. hummm I'm sure I'm going to think about bucket sidecars all night now..... We use to have sooo much fun.

I'm sure there would be plently of people that would put their hands up to show off the F4/F5 class to promote the sport.

[onegoodrun]

Yeah cheers man. I'll have a chat with Rodger and seen when we are going up next. We are pretty keen for a crack at Roys Hill too. You reckon we could maybe bring our 110cc school sidecars up to one of your meets at Roys Hill for a bit of a play?