Interesting statement:
"We No Longer Offer The Velorex Sidecar.
Due to "Our Safety First Policy" the Velorex
Company asked Us To Stop Selling Their Product.
Sorry For The Inconvenience"
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/Sidecars/velorex_sidecar.htm
I wonder what that's all about ?
Perhaps it is simply Double Speak to say that Velorex is just too expensive to import now ????
I suppose Jay would be the best source of the correct answer on this question, if he is willing to share the nitty-gritty that is. 😉
Who's safety policy? Dauntless or Velorex? The quotes around "our safety first policy" make it ambiguous.
That's one of the oddest statements I've ever seen a company print.....
......like a grocery chain saying: Due to our "safety first" policy our chickens have asked us to stop selling them because of a Salmonella outbreak....
Originally written by Concho on 4/30/2008 4:09 PMInteresting statement:"We No Longer Offer The Velorex Sidecar.Due to "Our Safety First Policy" the VelorexCompany asked Us To Stop Selling Their Product.Sorry For The Inconvenience"http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/Sidecars/velorex_sidecar.htmI wonder what that's all about ?
Concho, I'm trying to remember, wasn't it your bike that Dauntless wouldn't sell you the rig or mounts or something to do with the Velorex connecting to your 1300 because he felt it was too light of a sidecar for your bike? If that is the case, it would appear possibly that Jay seems more concerned with safety than making a buck on selling any equipment for any bike set up AND maybe Velorex will sell anything to anyone regardless of the combination! If my memory is correct, two thumbs up to Jay for taking the hire road, IMHO (If my memory serves me correctly) L
I spoke with Jay today and he said that he and the Velorex distributor had a parting of the ways because he wasn't selling Velorex sidecars.
Jay started dealing in the Velorex line as we were leaving the Puget Sound area but limited his sales to his own imports except for smaller bikes. He has never been a Velorex fan per se and like so many others has equated their current products to the old 560's and 562E's that were designed for 350 to 500 Jawa motorcycles, Not realizing that (unlike most manufacturers) their products have evolved to serve the current Cruiser Market.
I must agree with Jay in that the Velorex line is not applicable to the newest heavy cruisers and largest Tour motorcycles that are on the market these days. These really big bikes demand a much stronger platform than the Velorex line can provide. However the Velorex's, when installed on most of the present day cruisers and vintage machines are still the best most "Affordable" sidecar in todays market in my estimation.
Big bikes need big sidecars, that's a given.
Lonnie Cook
Northwest Sidecars LLC
Boise, Idaho
Vendor of Velorex and other fine sidecars
Linda wrote: "Concho, I'm trying to remember, wasn't it your bike that Dauntless wouldn't sell you the rig or mounts or something to do with the Velorex connecting to your 1300 because he felt it was too light of a sidecar for your bike?"
Correct, he refused to sell me mounts to fit the Velorex to my VTX1300,
however, he wanted me to return it to Velorex and buy and equally light
sidecar from him. What is the difference between a Velorex with a 100 lbs.
of ballast and a 205 lb. Sputnik or a 227 lb. Ural sidecar? Not much of
an argument. He stated that a customer/friend was killed when his VTX and
Velorex rig failed to negotiate a turn and hit a vehicle head on. Pure and
simple pilot error. Anyway, he lost the $500.00 sale and frankly, I would
never consider buying anything from him again as his logic won't hunt.
Lonnie,
Thanks for the input from your discussion with Jay, better than any speculation.
Linda
I too tryed dealing with Jay, I do not feel he is an honorable man. The price on his site was different than what he told me on the phone. Sort of a bait and switch settup. I do love the used HitchHiker I found.
Just talked to Jerry at Dauntless. He told me (1 hr. ago) will not selling the ural side car's but they do have their own version coming out in about 5 weeks but in fiberglass and some what lighter with a American made frame and Box.rudyr the new guy
Wasn't Dauntless the sole US source for Ural sidecars? Wonder if the problem is that Ural doesn't ssem to be sending unattached sidecars to the U.S.
Dauntless was the importer for a while. There is none now for sidecars only.
For $60K up front you can import the next 18 URAL sidecars.
Lonnie
My Velorex 700 was purchased from The Wark Shop (a dealer I can not say enough good things about)and my subframe came from Jay because Lowell Neff was going through a bad period and returned my deposit check after a six month wait (his choice as I was willing to wait longer for what is reputed to be the best). I also bought my steering damper from Dauntless. Jay and his wife both went above and beyond with the transactions. They even sent me pictures and diagrams for a brake hook up. Short version is I have no personal bad experiences with Dauntless Motors but I resent this new announcement that makes it sound as if the Velorex is inherently unsafe. I believe he should include an explanation with his announcement or maybe I should notify Velorex and let them deal with it?
Kurt
We will be coming out with a metal version sidecar along the same lines as a Ural very soon. Body modifications will be possible when ordered. Body will be powdercoated black or white with basic color options offered.
The body is also avaiable in aluminum. This one can be bare aluminum or powdercoated.
Quality Frame is made in house of 1 3/4" x .120 mandrel bent dom round tubing MIG and TIG welded.Suspension will be coil over shock with a torsion bar and manual titlt adjustor as options.
Initial pricing will be less than 4k. More later.
See attached:
