I am new to this group, but glad to find a Sidecar forum that seems to have some long term history as well as good info.
I am a 50 year rider of just about anything, mostly large tour bikes. Sidecars is a new approach for me, along with also trying trikes, both as aging health issues says its time and I really have no desire to quit motorcycling.
Ive been lurking about for a few years, doing lots of research and coming up with ideas for this build. A few years back my long time riding buddy gave me this 76 Gl1000 that he had bought new in 1976. When I got it, it had not run in about 36 years. 31k on the clock. I decided to take this bike down this path of the Sidecar approach as I wanted to do something with it different.
Naturally the bike had to be taken down to the bare bones due to being stored for so long. New tank was ngle carbneeded, and if you can imagine it, its been done. BUT this is not just about resto, but also modern mod.
My friend, long ago had converted it to a single car setup. A mod I personally have done a few times. The gl1000 purists of course not fond of this, but at the same time most are not fond of it because they don't know much about how to custom tune carbs. My friend was also a close acquaintance of Smoky Yunick back in the day....If you know, you know....if you dont you never will. I myself learning carb tuning as a young teen when that was just the type of stuff young men learned....Anyway, this one is a one of a kind heated manifold, weber 32/36 that runs great, and thats all I have to say about that.
If your going to travel on a bike, many advancements have been made since the 70's that make travel much more reliable as well as still easy to work on. Electric fuel pumps, Electronic ignition and much higher voltage coils (Dyna S), Alternators. Mine has a custom GL poorboy conversion using a Geo alternator, putting out a constant 14+vdc and of course much higher wattage availability for what ever. All bulbs have been converted to LED, and I have completely rewired the bike to include a full relay/ fuse panel for near all devices. The OE harness still at its core, but where the OE was mainly just a few fuses and no relays to handle the loads, now all that is part of this bike. Audiovox Cruise control....gotta have that or a throttle lock if your gonna travel. Suspension is upgraded to Progressive both front and rear, and my friend had already put a more reliable and smoother GL1100 forks on it. Tires are tubeless running on very rare 7Star aluminum mag rims. GL1100 higher bars, and control converted over to GL1800 controls as there are lots of switches for many things that the 76 never had.
As for the sidecar. I picked up a Motorvation FormulaII with electric camber control for $400 a few years back. Have already fully restored the frame and tilt motor assembly. I am still in the process of reworking the tub.
BUT, im doing something with the tub that I've seen several talk about, over several SC forums, but nobody ever attempt to do....Convert it from a fixed tub to a tilt front tub....I enjoy doing things others say is impossible. This was not actually very hard to do, other than the design of the titling steel mechanism. All that I did I will share with pictures and try to explain as best I can. The tub it self was by design setup from day one to be either fixed or a 2 part. A top shell was glued to a bottom shell, then the seam sealed over with fiberglass. Splitting the two and cutting the access line was the easiest part of the build. Getting all the angles proper for the tilt function, that was where lots of math/physics/trial & error came into play.
As for the mount for the GL1000. ALSO another subject for which there was very little info on the web. A few pictures here and there, as well as at least 1 company. DMC sidecar I think it was, that wanted a small fortune for a few plates. As stated have researched all this for a few years. I have followed John sweet on Facebook for a few years. John and his family having been in the SC building business since near the beginning of SC's. John shares everything there is to know about how to build SC's from scratch to anyone that wants to take the time and read his postings. Using his guides as well as pictures of GL1000's with SC's I created my own mounts using 3/8" plate steel. That info I also plan to share here with any future searches to find. Needless to say, after following his build advise as well as his info on how to setup Wheel lead, wheelbase, toe-in & camber. My very 1st trail ride just around out 10 acre field was perfect. So much so, I put more gear on and went for a 1 hr ride around our county. The rig handled perfectly. From there been getting serious busy on the tub/tilt build as well as the overall appearance of the complete rig.
Well enough of a introduction about a build. Will soon follow with pics and details of the GL1000's mounts I built as I am about to remove all that for painting as the trials went perfect, as well as the details about the tub/tilt build.
Thanks for having a nice forum to share such info for future generations of the sport.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
Wow great to be able read of your experiences so far.
Look forward to the pictures.
5hanks for sharing.
Need to take more pics of the actual mechanical details, but this gets the idea in my head started. Base mostly naked bike pictured. It does have full Vetter fairing/lowers as well as full Samsonite luggage (not pictured but will be part of finished project)
, then an introduction to converting a Motorvation Formula II from a solid tub, to a flip.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
European in Alabama @mkc1962, there is another sidecarist doing the exact same sidecar modification right this minute.
He is Pokie, on the ADVRider hacks forums, and he lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is quite the fabricator, well known for his quality work.
https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/prince-of-lost-causes.1855093/
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Cool....but looks like a much easier tub to split and mechanize....Splitting was just some measuring and about 2 hours of slow cutting. The mechanizing took several designs and weeks of trial/error. I contemplated doing similar to what his pictures show, BUT I had a few pictures found online that clearly showed this one could be left with the bottom intact vs the Drop area. But very few if any pics actually showing the mechanism. A few moments in the living room Recliner brought the solution to light.
time to head out and continue sanding. Painted the tub yesterday prior to striping work, now need to prep all the bike parts for paint.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
Should be a great rig.
Is there an extra lip involved on the bottom section to stop water and stiffen it?
Love that Honda.
Did not know that BUT, my design incorporated such added due to issues with the top hitting the bottom during lifting and my way of making it happen AND keep water integrity at the nose.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
It would involve an extra strip of maybe say 3 inch wide Ali fixed/sealed inside the bottom section and overlapping the top.
So water at least has to go uphill to get in.
Rubber seals optional.
That's the full 2c
The top of the tub overlaps the bottom of the tub by about 1.5" everywhere but in the very front. By factory design I assume, the two haves of the tub were overlapped before they were glued and glassed over. If you take your time and cut it the way I did, that overlap remains. To properly split this tub was not just a straight through cut. It was a vertical cut behind that lip as my picture depicts using the oscillating cutter to cut the factory glue line. Then inside the tub you make a very thin depth horizontal cut to go through the glassed area but not through the lip. Yes I slipped in 2 very small spots, but repaired those with glass/resin before the paint work. once I determined the safe depth for the cut I wrapped my blade with blue painters tape to act as a depth gauge.
In the very front I had to cut down the original fiberglass joint/cut line a bit so as the two parts would not rub as the top is flipped. I also came up with a dual pivoting spring assisted hinge area ( hinge is also made from 1" square tube) that helps the entire Top tub go forward In that area at the same time it is going up. I came up with the idea for that while sitting in my living room recliner and noticing how the leg section of my recliner went forward as it went up.
I added a second wall about 1.5 - 2" behind the original front lip that is the proper height to near give me a seal across the entire front. Going to top that new wall lip with a seal like this, that will completely seal off that area when the top tub is down.
As for sealing the circumference of the tub. As stated, the top overlaps the bottom by about 1.5". My overall tilt mechanism is a 1"x1/8" steel square tubing frame, 1 for the bottom half, another for the top half. when down they lie on top of one another. For the water integrity I plan to either provide some sort of seal at the top edge of the bottom/top/tub overlap area, OR put a layer of 1/16" x 1" rubber glued to the bottom of the perimeter of the top tub 1" square tub frame Bottom/top/tub
Will add more detailed pics to this mechanical tilt mechanism description as I start to reassemble the tub. I just painted the tub 2 days ago, and now prepping all the bike parts for painting, Then all will get the very labor intensive time consuming striping that I still have to design for the total package. Kind of hard to in my mind see all that till its all in color. Bike parts will stay true in design to the OE 76 Goldwing striping, but uniquely different. But the Fairing and sidecar, still thinking on that.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
Mike @mkc1962, is it necessary to use the Vetter fairing and panniers ? There is something akin to purity in the naked 1976 GL-1000.
Your project, your time and money. If it were mine, I would ship the Vetter fairing and panniers back to Craig Vetter, postage due at his end, and if you need his address, let me know, as I know Craig Vetter.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Mike @mkc1962, is it necessary to use the Vetter fairing and panniers ? There is something akin to purity in the naked 1976 GL-1000.
Your project, your time and money. If it were mine, I would ship the Vetter fairing and panniers back to Craig Vetter, postage due at his end, and if you need his address, let me know, as I know Craig Vetter.
I myself have always l liked them (Fairings) and DO NOT enjoy naked bike riding but only for a few miles. I mostly Long distance travel and have no desire to travel without one., I know and have communicated with Craig on a few occasions myself.
This GL1000 is nothing about purity, especially tech related. And I Myself really don't care what purists think, as I have met and debated with quite a few mainly on the subject of single carb setups that I have personally successfully run for decades...Most hate it, because they have no clue as to how to set one up. But to each their own, I say,
The Panniers/saddle bags are Samsonite, not Vetter (those I dont like)
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT
Mike @mkc1962, I agree with you on the single carb setup....it is much better than the original carbs, especially for better power and smoothness out of that engine.
If you "DO NOT enjoy naked bike riding" then you would not be interested in the NANMRA...North America Nude Motorcycle Riders Association.
To join, you have to ride naked, or almost nekked...from Empire, Nevada to Gerlach, Nevada.
You are allowed to wear boots, and a helmet.
Two Million Mile Rider
Exploring the World in Comfort
Soooooo…. Miles are you admitting membership in this club?
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Well your detailed description of how you split the body shows a lots of experience.
I won't offer any more ignorant advice.
Liking where you are heading.
Mike @mkc1962, I agree with you on the single carb setup....it is much better than the original carbs, especially for better power and smoothness out of that engine.
If you "DO NOT enjoy naked bike riding" then you would not be interested in the NANMRA...North America Nude Motorcycle Riders Association.
To join, you have to ride naked, or almost nekked...from Empire, Nevada to Gerlach, Nevada.
You are allowed to wear boots, and a helmet.
single carbs work great on the old 4cyl wings, IF one knows how to tune carbs. They can be finicky to start when cold, but run as good or better than the OE once warmed up. Of the 3 ive had with singles they all tend to get about 45mpg at hwy which aint half bad. Anybody that has ever owned oe of the very early GL's with the metal on metal slides knows how finicky they can be about cold starts too.
LOL....nope, like my skin too much to be caught dead nekkid on a naked. Have been down once and got up and walked away due to proper gear. I'm a full gear rider whether 30 or 100 deg, and figure 3 wheels can be involved in a wreck too so have no plans to change. Was on the NGW site for a while, but just not much activity there, but still pop in on occasion. Gotta check out this NANMRA you mention for laughs, but surely not my bag...have ridden that part of Nevada a few times, but thankfully never seen any plucked chickens on bikes.
Mike
1976 Honda GL1000 & Motorvation Formula II
2009 Honda GL1800 Roadsmith
2022 MotoGuzzi V85TT