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Sidecars.. help/info needed please

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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 23:55 - 29 Jun 2005    Post subject: Sidecars.. help/info needed please Reply with quote

Right basically... im considering a small sidecar cos i wanna be able to take my dog with me away to places, he is only a little staffie so not much room needed but an enclosed sidecar with opening window on the side is the kinda thing im thinking of... i understand it will destroy any handling of the bike but if it means i can take my dog with me away for weekends i wont care at all..., does anyone know of any reasonably priced small "universal" sidecars or equivalents ?

thankyou
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mistergixer
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PostPosted: 23:57 - 29 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, they are called 'cars'. You may have seen them on the road.
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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 00:04 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laughing Laughing nice one clever person.....

I have 2 bikes to use... so one will be the weekends away riding in the countryside one... and the other my hooliganism bike and most the time im happy to just ride around at a nice gentle pace n enjoy the view...

PS i cba to do my car test... far prefer the bike
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mr.z
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PostPosted: 00:06 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sidecars are horrificly expensive, £3000 is cheap for haveing one fitted (a basic one) and its perminent, you can't take them off they need to be welded to frame parts e.t.c. Needs doing properly or its potentially very dangerous... fittings are specific to the bike, just bolting them on is not enough either.

Not too sure if you'd need to pay £500 to have the bike tested as its such a serveer modification to the bike???

Better is to buy a bike with one attached, seen cx's with them on go for under £1000.

OR

A trailer, wont cost much more than £200 or so to get one, modify it to accomidate dog, have a linkage to the bike made.. have extra carrying capacity too, This can be removed easyly, dosen't affect handleing too badly either, again its gonna need welding on really, how would depend on the bike..

I'd love a sidecar but only if i had another bike without one...

p.s. understand about the car thing, my mums a driveing instructor but if i have a car licence it will get to the "oh well theres no point you haveing a bike now" Middle Finger to that.. if me and the girlfriend have a small one a sidecar will be doable Razz
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Last edited by mr.z on 00:09 - 30 Jun 2005; edited 1 time in total
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veeeffarr
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PostPosted: 00:07 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Found some links for you Smile

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/sjwwood/links.html
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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 00:10 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

mr.z wrote:


Better is to buy a bike with one attached, seen cx's with them on go for under £1000.

OR

A trailer, wont cost much more than £200 or so to get one, modify it to accomidate dog, have a linkage to the bike made..


I saw a bandit 600 with a welded on towbar set up the other day come to think of it Wink much better idea i guess... thanks for that Smile Ahhh well looks like i will be needing to buy another bike to try n fit in the garage Laughing Laughing Laughing
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Vespa
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PostPosted: 00:11 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

.

Last edited by Vespa on 02:45 - 01 Nov 2005; edited 1 time in total
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mr.z
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PostPosted: 00:14 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is the trailer that a mate has, here it is in sweden!

Bonus is you can take it off in 1minute, could even have another non dog trailer Razz Ive seen them made for dogs before, with perspex glass bits on the side for it to see out of...
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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 00:24 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool I know my dog will love it aswell... i have stuffed him down my jacket for quick trips in the past n he loved it... hes got bigger lately and he isnt the most comfortable thing to have down ur jacket Laughing Laughing
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 01:57 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

mr.z wrote:
Sidecars are horrificly expensive, £3000 is cheap for haveing one fitted (a basic one) and its perminent, you can't take them off they need to be welded to frame parts e.t.c. Needs doing properly or its potentially very dangerous... fittings are specific to the bike, just bolting them on is not enough either.



Yah bollocks is all I have to say for that. I ran a combo for three months not long after I passed my test. I took the chair off when I bought the bike then fitted it back on after.

You'll get a second hand Squire chair for a 100-200 quid.

Takes ten minutes to remove, rather longer to fit (maybe a couple of hours).

They clamp to the frame, no welding required. You adjust the angles with rigging screws, brackets can be easily fabricated with bits of steel plate

You DO have to get the toe-in and lean angles millimeter perfect or you'll come a cropper. This can be done by trial and error. If you get it wrong, it simply will not go round corners.

OK all that rubbished , a sidecar is cheap and reasonably easy to fit.

BUT

They are a complete pig to ride. If yuo have never ridden one, try a shot of one before even considering riding one about. They are the most dangerous vehicle you will see on the roads. A full-on combo designed as such isn't bad but a normal chair on a standard bike is a complete bitch.

You have to accelerate round left handers and brake round right handers (now imagine negotiating a roundabout), you have to steer them round corners and you need huge forearms to get them to change direction at-all. They have nothing at all in common with riding a solo motorbike.

There are two ways to go.

1) Bolt a small, light chair (eg a Squire) to a heavy bike. Fit a steering damper and some avon safety mileage tyres.

2) Spend a fortune getting your bike modified with leading link suspension or Earles forks and car tyres, fit a big huge chair. Consider hub-centre steering.

Never take it for-granted or assume you know how to ride the thing or it will turn ropund an bite you. I should know and have scars to prove it.

A trailer, as has been suggested, would be safer and easier.
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yambabe
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PostPosted: 02:00 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

What Stinkwheel said. In fact, I was just about to post some very similar comments when he beat me to it!
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binge
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PostPosted: 02:23 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure on legal terms. But why dont you get a top box for your bike (One big enough to fit your dog in)...

And cut a hole in the top of it, just big enough for your do to beable to stick his / her head through. Cool
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mistergixer
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PostPosted: 02:26 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for my rather sarcastic post.
I can't get my head round sidecars:
They lack the weather protection of a car, but loose the manouverability of a bike.
Seems to me to be a loss on all fronts.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 02:26 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get one of these. Thumbs Up

https://www.bagster.com/photosshowroom/1083774557ANIMAUX%20grdephoto%20showr.jpg
https://www.bagster.com/en/moto/showroomview.php?id=15
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mr.z
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PostPosted: 02:57 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Where i'd been led to understand the pricey nature of the sidecar was from a guy who builds them and rides several outfits... this would be option 2, bolting one on you'd be allot braver than me!

Yes a slight hint of poo that post, apologies there, but they do have a bit of a reputation (my dad had one too), haveing anything but a full setup is gonna be scarey stuff, even done proppery they are still evil to ride, the quick dirty way imo is as dangerous as viniger soaked sandpaper bog roll.

Love the doggy bag Thumbs Up depending on how big your dog is haveing him on the tank makes allot of sense..

Like binge said you could make a hefty top box, again depends on size/weight, provided its "safe/secure load" than i'm sure there would be no problem there (cant be too weighty mind, or squirmy)
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veeeffarr
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PostPosted: 09:14 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bear in mine that he would be extremely vulnerable in a top box if you came to crash though Sad
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lap_time
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PostPosted: 10:09 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lol - when I saw the title I thought you were talking about F1 and F2 sidecars...started reading and thought 'wtf does this guy want to take a dog on a sidecar outfit for?!'... Laughing
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biggerjohn
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PostPosted: 11:19 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just though I would mention a chap I meet a few years back that had modified his top box for his dog.

He did a lovely job he made the box taller and set up a hole with wind shield for the dog to look through on the top padding inside and out (he was also concerned about binning it with the dog) but best of all the dog loved it and would get into a right strop if he was been left behind.

So it is all doable it will just take a bit of imagination
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 13:14 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Siggi wrote:
Anyone remember the sidecar rig with a flexible connection that allowed the bike to lean?


A sidewinder. They are totally minimalist and were only made to exploit the loophole that allows learners to ride any size bike providing it has a sidecar attached. A lot of people used to have them when I was at school attached to FZR600s with L-plates on.

You can't really put a load on them, they are pretty much just there for the look of the thing
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“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.
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Sadie
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PostPosted: 13:52 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting thread for me, because I was considering a sidecar outfit so that I could transport my dog also. This is as much because she loves bikes as it is about transportation.

However, mine is a wee bit too big at seven and a half stone for a tank bag, and I wouldn't be happy with her in a trailer so it will be a sidecar if anything.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 16:04 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

There was a Blackbird at Bassets Pole last year with a top box modified to carry a dog. Much of the lid cut away, and a point to clip the dogs lead to inside the box. The dog seemed quite happy.

Or you could just do what I saw in Australia, which was a guy on a BMW K100 going down the freeway at about 120kmh with his dog stood on the petrol tank, just holding itself on by wedging its nose under the bars. The dog was not tied to the bike. Suspect in the UK this would not be looked on favourably (this was a large bike run to Philip Island, and this guy was one of the marshalls).

All the best

Keith
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mistergixer
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PostPosted: 21:08 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

I saw a guy riding in Seoul S. Korea with a pet monkey sat on top of his lid.
Just wished i'd had my camera ready.
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TheShaggyDA
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PostPosted: 21:44 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about a trailer? Bit easier to connect/disconnect than a sidecar. There's some on the F2 Motorcycles site.
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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 23:52 - 30 Jun 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

from what ive been told over the past day a trailer would be a lot more suitable for what i want and a lot easier to ride with it attatched

So maybe a cheap trailer to convert would be a better idea Question
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satans_BIG_helper
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PostPosted: 00:01 - 01 Jul 2005    Post subject: Reply with quote

TheShaggyDA wrote:
How about a trailer? Bit easier to connect/disconnect than a sidecar. There's some on the F2 Motorcycles site.


Cheers for the link Cool, ive got in touch about a towbar fitting for the bike Wink i think i will make my own trailer looking at their prices Laughing
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