Looking forward to diving deeper into the sidecar world. I owned a 2015 Ural Gear Up last year for about 4 months before I sold it. Had too much of my emergency funds invested into it, and I live in a small apartment downtown with no garage, so the idea of a car, 2-wheeler (Guzzi V7 II), and now three-wheeler included seemed a bit much for a single chap like me.
After selling the Ural, I bought a sidecar to add to my Guzzi. Figure if I can’t have 3 vehicles, I’ll make be more versatile, especially up here during these New Hampshire winters. The sidecar was previously attached to a BMW F800 GS.
The bike and sidecar are currently at the fabricator’s, waiting for the DMC mounts to be welded on and the rig put together. The welder’s hoping to finish up by end of next weekend (has a day job, so he can only go so fast). After that come the fun alignment adjustments.
Here are a few pics of the sidecar and bike. Shout-outs to Jay at DMC, Claude from Freedom Sidecar, the wonderful Hal Kendall books, and a few other notables for helping along the way so far.
At some point I’ll replace the heavy cast sidecar wheel with either another front or rear V7 wheel, which I’m in the middle of building and sealing for tubeless. Not sure 100% which wheel I’ll go with, but I’m leaning toward the 18” front over the 17” rear, since it’s probably a little lighter and adds a whopping 0.5” extra clearance—opinions appreciated.
I’d also like to switch the Kubota seat (or whatever it’s off of), for a folding option that will have storage under the seat cushion (I’m spoiled from the Ural). I’m currently considering screwing a universal or tractor bucket seat onto a Pelican-style tool storage box, that will then be secured to the sidecar bed.
Also—any links or nods toward rallies, resources, etc. in the northeast also greatly appreciated!
Cheers!
Dirk
Re sidecar wheel: I recommend you use the same size wheel and tire as the bike's rear. The bike rear tire will wear the fastest of the 3; the front should wear the longest; the car wheel in-between. If car and bike rear are the same size, you can switch them as the bike rear wears down, maximizing tire life.
Good luck
Duncan
