| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
Figured BB & D would be the best place to post this, seems to be some hack appreciators here. In four short months, 2011 is shaping up to be the year of changes for us. Sold our Triumph Thruxton, but filled its spot with the X. Bartered to put the Blast in a new home where its pilot gratefully has cut his fuel bill by 75% using it as a commuter, and is now a believer in the magic of simple thumper technology and the solid handling of Buell. He now "gets" why we love these bikes. Sold the City-x (sniff) to make room for additional girth to the Uly (adding givi side cases to the X). It all boils down to "what will we really use?" Looks like hubby is going to be transferring to another location, which won't require us to relocate....yet. After all those changes this year, and all the depressing stuff I hear/read about, it's time to start planning a fun project. Since 2008 we have wanted to hack the beemer. For our family, a sidecar has many practical applications, and would still get better gas mileage than our car. The K75, in all its quirky glory is a very "hackable" machine. I understand how to operate a sidecar, and know which ones that have features I like and don't like. I know people who can attach them. I just don't know what size/weight limitations I have with a 750 cc motorcycle and I don't want to fork out a bunch of money and be stuck with something that does not work well. I've read David Hough's Driving a Sidecar Outfit book multiple times but need to do some additional research. I may also post on ADVrider, but if any of you have any experience/advice, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thanks-BeLinda. | ||
| Union_man |
I want one too! This one...   Drool! | ||
| Strokizator |
You can put a sidecar on just about anything. Back in the early 60's my dad had a Cushman scooter with a sidecar. Top speed was only about 45 but it was fun. I think I heard that even the new Urals top out around 55 mph so you need a different frame of mind when you're riding. To me, there's nothing cooler than a dog riding in a sidecar. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
+1 on dog in sidecar. We don't have a dog, but would borrow one,and outfit it with these: http://www.aerostich.com/doggles.html | ||
| Itileman |
Look HERE | ||
| Glenn |
Hi, Here's a picture of my other bike, a BMW K100RS with a Flexit. The sidecar is an articulated or "leaner", i.e., when the bike leans the sidecar follows. There were only about 175 of these ever made and they are no longer in production. It has been quite a project for me to make my own brackets to mate to the Beemer and ride well which it does now. I just got it painted to match my bike in a Cadillac White Diamond pearl color. Wife and I love it!      | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Cool. Thanks Itileman and Glenn! ADVrider is a place I've lurked but never posted, but a ton of info there. I visited the hack section a while ago, but now its way more pertinent! Glenn-that is a gorgeous rig and thanks for posting the close ups of the connections. So cool you and your wife enjoy it together. More?'s: How much does the sidecar weigh? Does it seem to stress the engine? Do you ride it in less than ideal or even wintery conditions? This is still early in the game, so we are putting our list of expectations together. If my 11 y.o. son had his dream rig, it would have: * Air conditioning in an encapsulated car (like a cockpit) * Reclining seat, for napping. * Power source, so he could surf the web on a lap top (may be less of a priority if we get a smart phone he can use). He does not realize we are not getting a tricked out Hannigan for our first sidecar! Think an RV might be a better option for him?  Thanks again guys! B. | ||
| Dpb |
Check with Mary at motorvation.com | ||
| Smokey3644 |
I'd like to find a side car for my Road King, don't ride it much anymore but want to keep it. I have two springer spaniels and they are always looking for a place to get on when I go for a ride. I like the idea of a car that leans with the bike, saw one on a 30's Harley in the Black Hills a few years ago. | ||
| Towpro |
Glenn, what are those switches between the bike and Hack? Injection seat controls? | ||
| Hooper |
"Woo hoo!" "Arf!"  From this thread: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651750 | ||
| Glenn |
Hi, Towpro, the red lever you see will lock the sidecar and bike and stop the leaning. It is good for parking and slow speeds only, like in a grassy field, etc. It is actually a welding clamp and it presses against toothed racks in the bottom and top chains and locks them together. There is also an electrically operated canopy that runs in the track you can see on the sides. It is not the best, but today I got it working quite well. Fltwistygirl, you want a rigid hack to be able to run all year round. A number of crazies run them in the snow. I'd do it if I had one and probably will someday ... can't get enough bikes! Riding one is completely different than a regular bike but great fun! I took a weekend course a few years ago and loved it. I would recommend the same. You can wire it up with communications, heated gear, light, plugin for computer etc. I have communication and plug for heated gear in mine. | ||
| Sparky |
The Flexit is an awesome "leaner" with quite an advanced mounting system and other features. I had an Equalean Deluxe sidecar (full canopy model, also a leaner) first on my Honda GL650, then later fitted to my Harley FXRT. The Equalean's mount system, an American company's innovation, converted to the Tri-Bar Mount on the Harley, was fairly primitive compared to the Flexit system but, regardless, it worked! The rig was most fun when ridden through twisty curvy roads with all the other bikers when on a run. There was no problem keeping up with the 2-wheelers with that rig in the fun stuff, even to the point of scraping pegs! It never failed to attract attention. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"A number of crazies run them in the snow." I would sign up immediately to be one of those crazies. As a "semi-sorta too young to be a full on snowbird" with no immediate plans to live in one of those snowy winter climates again, I am keeping my mind and options open in case his next job move takes us back to a climate with four actual seasons, instead of our current "too blasted hot, leaf raking, and remember to to cover the plants tonight" seasons. "I took a weekend course a few years ago and loved it. I would recommend the same." I may be an instructor for one of those weekend courses, just not in your neck of the woods. If it was a Sidecar/Trike (S/TEP) course, that is one of the curriculums I am certified to teach, and I love everything about teaching those classes. The interesting thing is every side car pilot I've ever had in my class has either already owned, or was very knowledgeable about, Buells. | ||
| Glenn |
Yup, it was a S/TEP course in southern Virginia. Excellent course and instructors. The last day they let us have a little fun "flying the cars". Pics of me doing so ...    | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Very cool. Glad to hear you had a fun experience and enjoyed your instructors. When our school got certified for that curriculum in '08, there were only about 160 of us instructors nationwide so it's very neat to hear from someone who has taken a S/TEP class here on good ol' badweb. Are those pictures of the training rig for the class? How many others in your group attempted to fly the car? (Message edited by fltwistygirl on April 23, 2011) | ||
| Glenn |
Thanks! They provided the rigs which was one of the attractions for me. Everybody in the class was given the chance to fly the car. The pictures are of me, not the instructor. I found that once I got it up, I could do right and left hand turns. They let me run all over the parking lot for five minutes or so. It was great! | ||
| Timberwolf |
Is that a 250 rebel with a sidecar?  | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Is that a 250 rebel with a sidecar?" That's was it looks like to me, Timberwolf. After hacking a Suzuki GZ 250 for our training rig, and living thru broken spokes and multiple other wheel related repairs on the bike, our schools owner put the sidecar on a Chinese made training bike with solid wheels. Much more forgiving of novice riders learning to fly the car. | ||
| Uly_man |
The K75 has been used many times with a side-car rig and works well. I recall that you can, could, buy a bolt on side-car rig but the bike is now so old you may only be able to get a used unit. Side-car bikes are a lot of fun but for me that is all they are. For a practical form of transport, for 3 people, I would suggest a simple car. Much safer for children. Just me though. | ||
| Zac4mac |
This thread just caught my eye and sent me running all over the place - Thanks All! Isn't a Ural a remake of a K65? if so would that be a good route to pursue for your K75? Glenn - awesome engineering project you have there. I had to have more info and found a good bunch here - http://www.bmwmotorcycletech.info/flexit.htm | ||
| Glenn |
Yes Timberwolf the class hacks were all Rebel 250s. They were actually a lot of fun. Sparky, Cool on the Equalean Deluxe sidecar! I have a friend that has one now. What made you give it up? Time to get another? | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"The K75 has been used many times with a side-car rig and works well. I recall that you can, could, buy a bolt on side-car rig but the bike is now so old you may only be able to get a used unit." That may be something for us to be on the look-out for. Thanks! "Side-car bikes are a lot of fun but for me that is all they are. For a practical form of transport, for 3 people, I would suggest a simple car. Much safer for children. Just me though." No plans to sell the car anytime soon. In the rare occasions where the three of us need to be one place at one time, it is almost always most cost effective to hop in the car. Not always the most fun though. Can't ever see all of us on a K75 hack, not with the way our son is growing. If taking two bikes,there would always be at least one Uly in the equation. "This thread just caught my eye and sent me running all over the place" That's one of the beautiful things about badweb, for me anyway. It gets ya thinking. Cool link, thanks for posting. B. | ||
| Hughlysses |
You could always "keep it in the family"  :    Original post: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=17&post=853586#POST853586 | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Wow Hughlysses, that is quite the monster rig. A frankenhack of sorts. Looks like a bunch of fun. Just like what we did with motorcycling, we're going to start small and manageable. There's different paths to go with three wheels, I think some off-roading capability would be great for camping, and I wouldn't mind something that would do ok in some snow. I don't see it taking the place of either of our Ulys, it would be in addition to. It'd be great to find an all around utilitarian hack version of our Ulys, and by that I mean it does everything and does it fairly well. May eventually mean a Ural, just not quite sure yet. | ||
| Road_thing |
 Fun stuff. rt | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Roadthing- That is a great set up and who could not be smiling with a ride like that? Nice t-shirt too! My favorite looks for a hack are the mid sized beemers and triumphs. Classic. Proper. Urals are really cool looking too, but in that dirty utilitarian way. | ||
| Billy_bee |
I should have never sold mine. So much fun...except in Los Angeles traffic. Then, it is the worst of both worlds b/c you are too wide to split lanes and the chair is lower than a 22" wheel on an Escalade. Scary for the passenger. 750 is enough to haul around a small chair. Your K75 has more power than my R75/6 did. But look for a light chair, like the California Companion I had on mine. Glad you read the book. I did too, but I was still unprepared for how the thing handles. Took me a few days to really get the hang of it.  (Message edited by billy bee on April 25, 2011) | ||
| Road_thing |
FTG: Mike, the gent at the controls of the BMW outfit, is a master machinist who adapted the Ural chair to his BMW, then built the Earles fork himself. In his garage. Can't tell it from a factory setup--the guy is good. You should see his Norton:  Makes the one I have for sale look like a rat bike. rt | ||
| Hangetsu |
Looks like he had the pipes ceramic coated. For me, a Brit twin just aint right without that deep purple through light straw discoloration in the headers. | ||
| Road_thing |
Not sure about the finish on the pipes, I don't think he's fired it up yet. Could just be chrome that hasn't seen heat. rt |
