Sidecars

[truslack]

I've been thinking about making a sidecar for the MT500, preferably without doing any irreversible damage to the bike.

Is it as simple as building up the chassis and clamping it on? Obviously it needs lights on the rear, but what about brakes? I know very little on the subject, so any information would be useful. I'd either be building a box section chassis and welding sheet steel on, or getting a fibreglass body off ebay.

Thoughts/ideas/criticism welcome, anything would be useful.

Thanks

Mark
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[stinkwheel]

The toe-in and lean angle needs to be millimeter perfect or a sidecar won't go round corners. Most people attach them using rigging screws so this can all be adjusted as necessary.

I'd suggest looking at lots of pictures and so-on first but they can be fabricated from scratch.

Also be aware that riding a sidecar is nothing at all like riding a bike. In fact, it is one of the scariest vehicles you could drive. It's a balance of inbalances. You have to steer round the corners but the bike responds by wanting to countersteer and lean. As a result, turning left makes it try to lift the chair, turning right makes it want to lift the bike. You have to accelerate round left handers, brake round right handers.

You need a brake on the sidecar wheel activated by the rear brake pedal. If it has a drum brake, you just need to rig a way of attaching two cables to the lever. A bit trickier with hydraulics.

You will also be wanting a steering damper, a fork brace and square cross section tyres.
https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/imm016.jpg
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Cigaro]

Sidecars scare the absolute shit out of me.

The pure thought of the physics of riding one makes me start picking roadrash out of my skin.

Edit: is that guy on the left rolling a spliff?

[stinkwheel]

[b-f-c]

Head over to:

Ratbike forum - few guys on there have built there own
https://www.network54.com/Forum/598839/

ADV - again few homebuilts on there
https://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=56

[virus]

Sidecars are great fun once your used to them, but the 2 main things to remember is, they handle nothing at all like a solo bike, and its about a weekends work to convert it back to a solo so you cant really pick and change if you want the sidecar on or not.

Cheers
John
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[stinkwheel]

[virus]

Scott, why do you think i stick to the actual sidecar now rather than riding it?

I was tempted to ask mouse for another go at the freezeup, but a snow covered hill is not the place to learn.

Cheers
John
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[truslack]

sorry, not had much time to post over the last couple of days.

It looks like it's gonna be a lot more complicated than what I thought. Why the steering damper? I thought you'd use the wheel to turn more as opposed to leaning?

Thanks for all the help.

Mark
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[virus]

Im not too sure, but trust me a steering damper is necessary if you want to go over 10mph. the one I rode had 2 and still shakes like buggery if your not used to it.

I believe its down to the lack of drive on the sidecar wheel (driven sidecar wheels are illegal in the uk)

Cheers
John
____________________
own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[stinkwheel]