Aluminum Vs Fiberglass

If there's a lot of humidity in your area, Fiberglass doesn't rust or oxidize. Fiberglass is a lot more forgiving if bumped or scraped, whereas metal will dent, especially aluminum.
No known safety advantage to Aluminum, steel, or fiberglass.
Fiberglass will burn, but not too easily.

Lonnie

In my experience having owned each, I prefer fiberglass.

First, it doesn't dent. Second, it's easier to repair damage and repaint. Third, the tendency not to heat up as much in direct sunlight vs. steel with the same color is a monkey comfort consideration. Fourth, well layered and braced fiberglass does not tend to resonate or drum as metal does for lack of a better descriptor. Of course, bad or thin fiberglass will be bad just as really well constructed metal bodies are good overall. Also, depending on the environment and exposure some metals rust whereas fiberglass doesn't.

The ol'saying ... The Devil Is In The Details ... appears applicable.

These are generally the two schools of construction ...

How about wood?

Just kidding

Here is a link to our web site where we have an article on just this http://www.dmcsidecars.com/metal-vs-fiberglass-sidecar-bodies/
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

I read that. It's very informative and helps a lot in my decision making process. Jay, are the DMC sidecar bodies made from fiberglass?

From my boat building experience:

If you do your own work, go with what you're more comfortable fixing. Fiberglass repairs require less expensive tools than metal repair. Quality work, regardless of material, requires skill in working the material.

If you're home brewing, metal is faster and cheaper than wood or fiberglass, wood smells the best.

If none of the above applies, don't fret the material, go with what pleases your eye and wallet. In my 2.5 years of trying to learn everything there is to know about sidecars, I don't think that I ever read one sentence about a person complaining/commenting that they should have gone with a different tub material.

On every other aspect of sidecars, ask a dozen people, get two dozen answers, all of which are loudly, and often heatedly, defended! 🙂

All of the sidecars we build are hand laid fiberglass done in house with high quality resin's and extra layers of cloth where needed.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

I been trying to find someone who is unhappy with their sidecar and then determine what causes that unhappiness. So far I have had no luck in that quest. Everybody I talk to about them are happy with what they have. It makes it very confusing for me. Right now I am waiting for my unemployed wife to find a job. Then I will be able financially to make the move. In the meantime, I'm just gathering info and trying to decide what to do when the time comes. All input and suggestions are considered.

One thing I have recommended to prospective sidecarists is to try driving one (if possible). Just to see the difference from solo biking and find out if this is something you really wish to pursue.
If it's still a go then I suggest finding a used sidecar rig to start with, as opposed to buying new at top dollar just to find later it didn't meet your expectations, or sidecaring didn't meet your expectations.
One can easily trade up later when you know what your specific needs are.

Lonnie

I agree with Lonnie but thinking back to the first time I rode the Ural I'd purchased that was Hal Thompson's old rig- I'd thought up to that point I wouldn't enjoy a sidecar but was doing so with the thought perhaps my wife would continue to ride with me. Had I not already purchased it and hauled it home from Salem OR, the difference in the ride was enough to have scared me away. If it would have been a borrowed rig, the first few miles would have convinced me I was correct in not wanting to go to three wheels. That was quite short lived and my thoughts rapidly changed to seeing it as a whole new thrill. My wife's mind was made up however and she truly wanted to quit the whole motorcycle thing. My Boxer, Archie, found it was a thrilling as I did and there was no going back. It's been several years now and Petey is my third sidecar sidekick.

I can not really help you much since I have a Ural, russian steel body, and a GS rig with a fiberglass CSC Friendship II body and an aluminum cargo body and all three seem to work just fine for me in their own right. The Steel Ural tub is almost bullet proof and the fiberglass tub is nice for traveling but not so nice when off road dragging it over rocks so I put the aluminum cargo tub on when I know I am going to be doing a lot of serious rock dragging.

And it gets dinged up.

Yep, that's why the cargo tub is a $75.00 aluminum truck box and recycleable.

Trying to get someone to badmouth anything that they purchased and still have is always a challenge. I tend to think that it is human nature to not speak ill of one's own decisions, unless the flaws are painfully obvious to all.

In the last 8 months or so, I've read as much as I could and read thru many posts on sidecars. Also talked directly to owners or previous owners of rigs that I found were for sale. Here's some of the anecdotal comments I've collected.

Indian sidecars, Inder, Cozy, etc., were just okay years ago and have gradually gotten better. The sheet metal is very thin and can crack at stress points with use. The welds were ugly but they seem to be getting better at it.

Urals, at least the older ones were crude in their construction. Been told that the same car made by CJ has better welds, fit and finish. So, something to keep in mind when buying used. I personally noticed that the passenger grab rail on the Ural cars looks more like a piece of scrap iron that was run over by a train, straightened, reshaped and welded in place. At first I thought it was just that first car I saw. But every one of them has been like that.

Early rigs like Steib, do not have suspension for the chassis, just for the body. So every jolt that the car wheel gets is transmitted to the bike.

My personal opinion of metal versus fiberglass based on personal experience (and not with sidecars) is fiberglass is easier to work with and more forgiving. Metal stretches when dented and tricks need to be known and used to shrink the metal. Welding, brazing and tin knocking skills are required, along with the special tools to make metal flat and smooth unless you want a Bondo-baby. Fiberglass is easily patched and sanded smooth. I think it also lends itself to unique mods much better than sheetmetal. FG should as a rule be lighter and stronger per pound than steel. All these comments are from a repair or modification POV. If you were to build a car from scratch, I would think that sheetmetal would be easier. Wood would probably be the easiest, and then you could fiberglass it.

Remember, except for the comments on metal vs. FG, these are paraphrased comments from others. I'm a zero sidecar experience guy. I'm still looking for a rig as well. I just might build my own as a therapy project. If I do, it will probably be from 1/4" Luan mahoghany plywood. I would then fiberglass it, or just coat it with epoxy resin to weatherproof it. I've also considered making one from sheet metal. But I don't have any large metal forming tools like a break or a set of rollers. A final option would be frame and fabric like a vintage airplane. Could probably even do it using fiberglass cloth and then put the resin to it.

regards,
Rob

I been trying to find someone who is unhappy with their sidecar and then determine what causes that unhappiness. So far I have had no luck in that quest

I have always had fiberglass and been very happy with it.
MY COMPLAINT is that so far my big Sidecars have not had a brake on them 1985 Oxford, 1987 Cambridge
I strongly suggest a brake on the sidecar, electric trim/tilt would be nice also.
Ron