Sidecar?

[bigoilbob]

Thx 4 pix. I was not trying 2B a wise guy. I know I miss stuff from time 2 time.

It's a head turner, but U wouldn't get me in. I know little about these, but even on licensed, capable motorcycles I would want a sidecar wheel brake, suspension, a credible engineering review that it was safe, and buzz that it was a cool ride. Those Russian sidecars (what's that brand?) interest me because the 3rd wheel is driven and they are built for rough service. I heard the bikes leak oil though.

MY MB passenger rides behind me, on my motorized tandem, with all wheels braked and and (almost) all of the loads properly pre-engineered. No offense, but this looks kind of puny for 200# at 20+ m/h.

 

[desertsteve60]

What about this? It looks interesting but I wouldn't let my kid near this thing wo a helmet and maybe a set of shoulder pads etc.

 

[bigoilbob]

@desertsteve60 Great pic, and I can understand a dad wanting 2 give his kid a good time. But IM with U - even if the sidecar did not overstress the bike frame. Which I think is likely. Dad's good heart overloaded his common sense.

These don't interest me personally, but would like 2CF they can figure out a kit build that would not compromise bike frames that are designed 2B no stronger than necessary, 4 light weight.

 

[siouxindian]

here is a link to a maytag car body you can use as a sidecar tub. just build a frame put on this body two cool!
http://www.enginads.com/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/91905/cat/all

 

[Loose Nut]

I built a sidecar for a bicycle and it was a huge disappointment. I came away with the realization that you must have a pivot system that allows the bike to tilt on corners. As mentioned by others, turn without leaning sucks. It also places a sideload on the wheels that they were never intended to experience. Also keep in mind that both sidewalks and streets are built an an angle, or with a crown to allow water drainage. Without a pivot system, you are forever ridding at some odd angle. Anyway, my 2 cents.

 

[bigoilbob]

@Loose Nut

Don't most motorcycles equipped with side cars and those new 3 wheel cycles ride at angles on crowned roads? Not a rhetorical ?, as IM ignorant of the intricacies of m'cycle sidecar construction. IM also not disputing at all the bad feeling it gives you on a sidecar equipped m'bike. You have been there, I haven't. But is there something different between sidecar equipped m'bikes and m'cycles that would make the latter more comfortable to ride? Again, IM NOT arguing with your experience, and thanks for sharing it (need 2 repeat as there has been a lot of thin skins on the forum lately). I just want 2 learn more about this.

 

[Loose Nut]

No thin skin here Bob. As I understand it, motorcycles generally have pivoting joints between the bike a sidecar. You can do it with a bicycle, but it's a more weight and complexity than I was looking for. I just google imaged "sidecar mount" and some were simpler than others.

On another note. Walmart is selling a bike with sidecar (kinda) http://www.walmart.com/ip/20-Impakt-Sidehack-BMX-Bicycle/12554957

 

[Loose Nut]

The Russian sidecars with a driven rear wheel are Urals. I think also sold under other names. They were produced for decades on using a BMW plant that Stalin took from Germany after WW2.

 

[fasteddy]

Haven't been on here for a couple of years but here is a bike and sidecar I built. The first pictures are of a sidecar frame I made for a friend who put a cut down canoe on it for a sidecar. Mine has a wooden sidecar on it with a restored 1952 Monark Super DeLuxe. If your really into an adventure you can go back to see how I built it. There are 298 photos so be warned.

Have a question? Please ask.

Steve.

http://s866.photobucket.com/user/speedydick/library/

 

[fasteddy]

My sidecar was originally built to tilt but I didn't like it. The problem was that the sidecar was build to be heavy because the electric hub motor drive wheel was on the sidecar and I wanted the traction. Bad mistake because the wheel would push the sidecar into the bike and and then try to force the bike to go sideways.
Because the sidecar was so heavy there was a constant fight to hold the bike upright as the sidecar weight was trying to pull it down on right turns and pull it upright on left turns. Impaired balance made it unmanageable so I made it a solid mount.
I have not noticed any problem with the crown in the road and I have heard of that many times but never had a problem with it. I was warned to toe the sidecar in 1/2" and tilt the bike to the left 2 degrees to make it travel properly and it seems to have worked.

My opinion and only mine is that if you have a 200 pound passenger in the sidecar and the bike tilts you will find out pretty quick why most of the sidecars are ridgedly mounted.

Steve.