can i fit a sidecar to a Kwack GT550????

[cornish]

hi everyone, this is my first post so be gentle with me! I have a kwack GT550. it's been off the road for a few years. finances are an issue. but I miss my bike, my tiny person loves it already and we are both SICK of being utterly shafted by the hideous nightmare that is Public Transport. A car is out of the question for us & i'd rather have the bike anyway, so a sidecar is the way forward. I know very little about sidecars (other than the left-side/right-side issue). does anyone know if it is possible to fit a sidecar to a little GT550? If it is, is it as simple as buy one and fit it on or does it require major (and expensive) adaptations to the bike? are there any particular requirements to make it road legal or can i just whack any sidecar on there? any advice will be helpful cos, as you can tell, i'm completely in the dark about this. thank you. X

[Pete.]

Easy job, I fitted a jawa one to a CB250T when I was a teenager so I could ride a big bike on L-plates. Just offer the chair up to the bike and make some brackets. Put a light on the mudguard.

Fist time I went out on mine I forgot it was there and twatted a milk float with it
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[tatters]

Yes you can there was a GT750 with one on ebay last year, attaches on to the tublaur frame.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[cornish]

Wow! thanks you two, that was really fast! apparently you can get quicker than a kwick fit fitter, LOL! both really helpful too, thanks. . .and milkfloat made me giggle! X

[truslack]

The velorex sidecars would be good, easy to handle, easy to wire in, just watch out on left hand bends with them being so light!

Left hand version of a Velorex 562 would be perfect - clamp across the front down tube, clamp from bottom of down tubes, and struts from the rear shocks. It took me about a week to make all the brackets to fit a 562 to my Armstrong.
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not of direct help, but this might give you some idea of what needs to be done:-

https://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/TempPicture/MzSidecar.zip

It is the fitting manual for a sidecar onto an MZ.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[truslack]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not a clue I am afraid.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[stinkwheel]

Yes, perfectly possible.

BUT (note big but)

I would STRONGLY suggest you have a go on a sidecar first. They handle noting at all like a bike. In fact, it's stretching the useage of the word "handle" to near breaking point to use it for anything to do with a sidecar.

They roll, they tip, they shake their heads and generally fight you every step of the way.

In theory yes, you can have a sidecar fitted to any bike and just about any sidecar. It may take a small amount of engineering work to ensure you have brackets that will fit onto your particular frame.

Once the lean and toe-in angle are set properly, you can in theory ride away on it (I would get help with this from someone who knows about sidecars, getting it wrong can leave you with something that is literally unrideable rather than virtually unrideable).

I would say that fitting a steering damper is essential.

I would say that fitting square cross section tyres is highly desireable.

Fitting leading link suspension would be on the christmas list.

F2 motorcycles are helpful and suppliers of velorex chairs. Importantly, they would probably be happy for you to have a go on a combination round their yard to see if it is really for you:
https://www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk/sidecars.html

Watsonian squire are another purveyor of sidecars:
https://www.watsonian-squire.com/

@ truslack. It's mostly held on by a big rod that goes right through the frame and engine just below the footpegs. The rod moves in and out to set toe-in, the chair can be moved backwards and forwards on the clamp attached to that rod and there is a rigging screw up to the rear shock mount to set lean angle.
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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.

[Jenks]

[truslack]