Author Topic: Mounted a sidecar (Read 3750 times)

Hog Head · **on:** September 28, 2021, 04:33:22 am

While not legal, as with a lot of things in Thailand there is zero enforcement, and sidecars are very common. Almost without exception, they are locally made contraptions mounted on Honda Waves, and used to haul about noodle vendors and the like. There is one local manufacturer of canoe style fiberglass hacks in Bangkok, but not that well engineered nor proportioned. I was lucky enough to find a used Cozy for my 650.

I had to fix it first including:
Custom brake
Interceptor 18" alloy rim, on a Honda hub, with stainless spokes and tubeless tire conversion
Replaced all the bolts with stainless
LED head and spot light - LED to match on the bike since the pic
Proper bare metal re-paint that does not fall off and uses primer
Raptor liner inside and on the belly pan
Brooklands screen on a bespoke mount
Tenax fasteners on a Sunbrella tonneau
Seat with gel pad insert to match the custom bike saddle since the pic
TIG over the bird shit stick welds
YSS steering damper
Fork brace
and a few other small mods......

Pipe on one side, and centre stand removal simplified the mount, but still not happy with the 2 sliding joints and am going to change that next.
This weeks job is a larger front brake

A LOT different than riding a bike!

Haggisman2 · **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2021, 06:40:27 am

Beautiful looking set up, I may eventually attach a chair to my Interceptor.
Did you have to lower you gearing at all, I would have expected 1 tooth of the front sprocket.

gizzo · **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2021, 07:22:11 am

That looks great!

Hog Head · **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2021, 07:44:32 am

Quote from: Haggisman2 on September 28, 2021, 06:40:27 am

Beautiful looking set up, I may eventually attach a chair to my Interceptor.
Did you have to lower you gearing at all, I would have expected 1 tooth of the front sprocket.

No I have not geared it yet and still in the test ride and more importantly the learning mode on how to drive an outfit.
Wife is only 50 kg at most and sidecar weights about 85 kg

Haggisman2 · **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2021, 08:56:53 am

It is a very different way to get around. If your rig is set up well it will travel in a straight line on normal roads. Handling will change depending on road camber, load in the sidecar, wind and speed. Just take your time learning how to pilot your new ride, I used to have a great time with the 2 sidecar rigs I had years ago. I had a Suzuki GS750 outfit for about 3 years, then a Yamaha RD250LC with a light weight chair attached for 2 years.
Enjoy

CPJS · **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2021, 08:57:13 am

Probably based on this.
https://www.watsonian-squire.com/royal-enfield-overview/royal-enfield-sidecars/

Hog Head · **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2021, 09:01:35 am

The other side with TEC pipe. That moved all the exhaust from the hack side (RHD here), and allowed the now unneeded centre stand mount as a pick up point for the hack mount

Hog Head · **Reply #7 on:** September 28, 2021, 09:03:27 am

Quote from: CPJS on September 28, 2021, 08:57:13 am

Probably based on this.
https://www.watsonian-squire.com/royal-enfield-overview/royal-enfield-sidecars/

More likely Steib - Cozy has distant connections to Stieb, not Watsonian
http://sidecarestonia.weebly.com/sidecar-history.html

Hoiho · **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2021, 09:38:00 am

Looks like they were made for each other.
Does the bike handle better with a passenger than without?

NVDucati · **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2021, 10:05:12 am

I'm very impressed with the depth and reflection of the paint and polish. Black is so hard to do right.

Hog Head · **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2021, 10:15:05 am

Quote from: NVDucati on September 28, 2021, 10:05:12 am

I'm very impressed with the depth and reflection of the paint and polish. Black is so hard to do right.

Thanks

Cozy paint was pretty shoddy
I bought a decent Iwata gun and painted it in the driveway. Local made basecoat + clearcoat, wet sanded and polished. Chassis is acrylic mono-coat in case I need to touch it up, or moify the mount to the bike. Truck bed liner inside and the under belly
Mudguard was matched to the bike guard.

Should have polished the bike for the pic, and have done so now!

Hog Head · **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2021, 10:19:34 am

Quote from: Hoiho on September 28, 2021, 09:38:00 am

Looks like they were made for each other.
Does the bike handle better with a passenger than without?

I hope so as lifting the wheel is a sphincter puckering experience so far. The wife has only been slowly around the golf course on it but I will put a sandbag in the hack for the next test ride
Can't wait to get good enough to lift the chair at will!

Haggisman2 · **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2021, 10:36:39 am

If you think the chair wheel lifting is scary, wait till overcook it on a right turn, use the front brake too hard lifting the rear wheel of your bike.
I had to pull over and stop after doing that, took a little while for my heart rate to stabilise. Another lesson learned never to be repeated.

gregrb41 · **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2021, 02:40:28 pm

Enjoy the ride, like you say it's nothing like riding a bike (or driving a car for that matter) but once you've cracked it you'll find you can really hustle things along.

ideola · **Reply #14 on:** September 28, 2021, 03:06:13 pm

That looks right proper!

GravyDavy · **Reply #15 on:** September 28, 2021, 05:44:35 pm

Very cool!

bluebus · **Reply #16 on:** September 28, 2021, 10:38:49 pm

a right smart set up mate.

Blazes Boylan · **Reply #17 on:** September 28, 2021, 11:19:20 pm

Kudos! It might not be altogether safe but it's certainly beautiful.

GravyDavy · **Reply #18 on:** September 29, 2021, 09:48:57 pm

Coincidentally, I just saw this at my dealer a couple of hours ago.

ideola · **Reply #19 on:** October 08, 2021, 05:49:19 pm

Have you / will you consider a leading link front fork arrangement?

Hog Head · **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2021, 03:50:55 am

Quote from: ideola on October 08, 2021, 05:49:19 pm

Have you / will you consider a leading link front fork arrangement?

That depends on the direction of my big brake project. The big brake mod can be accomplished with either wider yokes to gain clearance at the wheel spokes, or a bit of thoughtful design and machine work, using the standard yokes and forks. I am well down the thoughtful design path, but still keeping wider yokes in mind as this would allow me to not only fit a big brake, but engineer in more trail for the sidecar. If I take this route, then I will not make a leading link fork

I test fitted a 4 pot front calliper and big rotor to the bike months ago. This all got put aside due to the sidecar and a couple of other concurrent projects, but I am back on/off the RE brake project now. I will finish the big brake project, with the goal that a mechanically inclined rider can bolt it on to a stock bike.
I just made a new ABS ring to simplify clearance issues and negate the need to machine the fork leg. I likely will test fit this latest reiteration in the next week or two

beavis69 · **Reply #21 on:** November 26, 2021, 08:29:48 pm

Quote from: Hog Head on September 28, 2021, 04:33:22 am

While not legal, as with a lot of things in Thailand there is zero enforcement, and sidecars are very common. Almost without exception, they are locally made contraptions mounted on Honda Waves, and used to haul about noodle vendors and the like. There is one local manufacturer of canoe style fiberglass hacks in Bangkok, but not that well engineered nor proportioned. I was lucky enough to find a used Cozy for my 650.

I had to fix it first including:
Custom brake
Interceptor 18" alloy rim, on a Honda hub, with stainless spokes and tubeless tire conversion
Replaced all the bolts with stainless
LED head and spot light - LED to match on the bike since the pic
Proper bare metal re-paint that does not fall off and uses primer
Raptor liner inside and on the belly pan
Brooklands screen on a bespoke mount
Tenax fasteners on a Sunbrella tonneau
Seat with gel pad insert to match the custom bike saddle since the pic
TIG over the bird shit stick welds
YSS steering damper
Fork brace
and a few other small mods......

Pipe on one side, and centre stand removal simplified the mount, but still not happy with the 2 sliding joints and am going to change that next.
This weeks job is a larger front brake

A LOT different than riding a bike!

It's indeed a lovely outfit. I hope you're enjoying it.

Yes different compared to a "solo" bike that's for sure! I never let anyone drive mine unless they have experience with them. After riding solo bikes for years, I decided to take a course (Evergreen sidecar/trike class) before committing to the sidecar thing. They say that driving as sidecar outfit is more difficult for a motorcycle rider than one who has never ridden. I find flying the chair great fun. The monkey, depending on the monkey, may feel otherwise. Kids love it.

I found it such fun that I didn't ride my solo bike for years, just collecting dust in the garage. I hope a new RE with rejuvenate that. When I took the solo bike out a few years ago, I forgot to put my feet down at a light and almost dropped it!

Hog Head · **Reply #22 on:** November 27, 2021, 02:48:06 am

Took a better pic:

Hog Head · **Reply #23 on:** December 06, 2021, 05:51:02 am

Royal Enfield front brake upgrade is now fitted
Larger Brembo 330mm rotor, Brembo 4 pot calliper, and Brembo RCS15 radial master cylinder with a few custom designed and machined parts to make it fit. Uses the stock yokes and lines with the ABS function retained.

Rick Dangerous · **Reply #24 on:** December 06, 2021, 05:31:59 pm

Nice brake upgrade! I'd be interested in that even without the sidecar. Where did you order the parts from, Brembo directly?

Anyone know if there is a US distributor for RE Sidecars? Would be interested in adding one that i could somewhat easily detach with a little wrenching.

GSS · **Reply #25 on:** December 07, 2021, 01:36:09 am

Very impressive! Nicely done!

Hog Head · **Reply #26 on:** December 07, 2021, 02:47:57 am

Quote from: Rick Dangerous on December 06, 2021, 05:31:59 pm

Nice brake upgrade! I'd be interested in that even without the sidecar. Where did you order the parts from, Brembo directly?

The goal was to develop a low cost system using standard components, with significantly better performance than stock. That goal was achieved.

You are going to need both common Brembo components plus a few custom designed and machined parts.
Brembo 330mm floating rotor from a Ducati Scrambler 800
Brembo P4 - 65mm axial mount calliper with pads of your choice - I like EBC-HH for the street
Brembo RCS15 radial mount, front master cylinder
Bespoke calliper bracket
Bespoke rotor spacer
Bespoke ABS pickup ring
Bespoke ABS sensor mount

There are 2 versions of this Brembo P4 calliper:
The P4-30/34 uses (2 x 30) + (2 x 34mm) pistons, and 2 pads for a 6.9% increase in piston area compared to stock. Not a great improvement in piston area, but with the 3.125% torque gain with the larger rotor, EBC-HH pads, better 4 piston calliper design, and the Brembo radial master cylinder, it is a marked improvement over stock. Given street tire limitations, most riders would be happy with this lower cost approach, while high GVW, hack riders, track use, or bench racers might want the P4-34.

The P4-34 uses 4 x 34mm pistons, 4 individual pads, and a more rigid triple bridge design. Clamping force is in part a function of piston area, so not only is the 34/34 version more “powerful” but additional initial bite is provided by the 4 pad configuration. This 34mm calliper has a 20.2% greater piston area than stock. Add the 3.125% torque gain with the larger rotor and this is a significant improvement.

The P4-30/34 calliper with 65mm mount was supplied OEM on several Ducati, Aprilla, and Guzzi (BMW???) models, and readily available on the used market - I paid 100 USD for the black Guzzi V7, 5000 mile example in the pic. A new calliper comes with Brembo pads, and is not that expensive when compared to the commercial upgrade kits.

The P4-34 calliper is in demand as used for a popular Ducati upgrade, therefore not easy to find used. I bought a new one for my heaver hack equipped bike.

The Ducati Scrambler 800 is an entry level bike, so the rotor is commonly available used. New rotors are available from several brands, including some with lighter aluminium carriers, and wave leading edges. A 125.00 USD used purchase with only 3000 miles

I bought a new Brembo RCS master cylinder, and if going this route, make sure you get the brake light switch, lever, fitting, and reservoir. The nice folding lever is black. You will need a generic 10mm LH mirror mount. All in, will be about 350 USD

That leaves the bespoke parts to make it all work. I made a few extra sets so contact me if you would like to proceed with the mod.
The ABS ring is at the plating shop now, and once I get it back and see the quality, I can calculate the cost for the custom machined parts. A LOT cheaper than the commercial alternatives.