Hi all-- Just wanted to introduce myself and ask a quick question or two. I've been riding for a while now, and within the next year or two, I plan on buying or building a dual-sport sidecar rig for daily use. (I'm just plain bored with cars at this point. I thought about getting rid of my car altogether, but a few emergency trips to the vet for the dogs convinced me that I should probably have a car around, even if I rarely use it.)
Why dual-sport? I live in Montana, and most of my rides end up going over large sections of fire-road and dirt roads. I'm not a major off-roader, but I seem to always wind up on unpaved roads. Plus, I'd like to use the rig year-round, and they don't always plow the streets very well around here.
Which brings me to my question: Which motorcycle should I start with? I talked to Jay at Dauntless Motors, who mentioned that I should definitely start with a motorcycle that's comfortable for me as a 2-wheeler, 'cuz if I don't like it with two wheels, then I won't like it with three.
At this point, then, I'm leaning towards an older BMW F650. I had a 1997 as my first motorcycle, and loved it. With only ~40hp, though, I wonder if this would have enough power for commuting & "around town" riding. (I'm not a speed freak, but I believe that slightly aggressive driving tends to be a little safer--the best way to avoid an accident is to not be around when it happens . . . )
Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.
What kind of sidecar do you plan on using?
how big are you?
do you plan to use this rig on major highways????/
A good guy to get in touch with would be Vernon Wade (the Red Menace) through his web site www.adventuresidecars.com. He's about as dual sport sidecar oriented as they come! And very knowledgeable.
Probably a Ural sidecar, though I'm open to suggestions on that as well. I'm 6'4", about 230lbs (without riding gear). Major highways are negotiable--I'd prefer a rig that is capable of safe speeds on highways, but I don't think I'd spend much time there.
Originally written by Reardan Tom on 12/8/2005 12:27 PM
A good guy to get in touch with would be Vernon Wade (the Red Menace) through his web site www.adventuresidecars.com. He's about as dual sport sidecar oriented as they come! And very knowledgeable.
Yeah, Vernon is actually selling his Triumph Tiger rig (details on his website), and I emailed him earlier this month about it. Then I realized that I just can't afford another motorcycle this month . . . 🙁 But his setup looks great, and I'm sure it won't be on the market for long!
(BTW--Vernon, if you're reading this, when are your classes going to be next year? I'll probably sign up for one of the classes offered by the Evergreen Safety Council, but I'd rather support the members here.)
You're talking a 1,000# machine with you aboard. That's asking quite a bit for a little F650 on the highway and in the hills. By the time you factor in wind resistance and friction drag of the rig, you may spend a lot of time shifting gears to keep up a decent pace.
I set up a nice F650/Bavarian Classic rig for a 130# girl who wasn't an aggressive rider and that was just adequate for her. I believe her husband's rig was an 1150 Beemer which seems about right for a pilot your size.
An underpowered rig isn't much fun (or safe) whether you're on or off road.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecar
The Ural engagable 2WD drive models Gear-Up and Patrol are certainly worth a look at:
If you haven't already done so...
If you join the Ural Web Board (forum) there's a bunch of die-hard midwesterners that really wring these things out. There's also some wild video clips of just how 'off-road' you can get.
(Yes I do have two Urals, and yes I'm a bit biased - but not stupidly so!)
-matt
BTW,
You've probably seen them - but if you haven't, these are neet:
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com/dualsportsidecars.htm
Thanks, Lonnie & Matt. I've also thought about a Patrol or Gear-Up, and that's actually why I thought an F650 might be okay as well. They've got similar power (though the Ural might have slightly more torque--I can't remember how many ft-lbs the F puts out).
A bigger dual-sport is probably the route that I'll end up taking. (At this point, though, I've been mulling over the idea for so long that I seem to change my mind every week or so about what motorcycle would be best.) I've even considered buying another Cagiva Gran Canyon, and mounting a car to that! It'd certainly be different, and I know that I'm comfortable on the Cagiva for all-day rides . . .
I'm on a Honda GL650 with a Ural sidecar. The power is alright on the highway. It tops out at 80 mph. Like you I see a lot of dirt roads in Idaho. I've been thinking of picking up a KTM 900. I also ride solo a lot, so a platform with a box is all I need for a sidecar.
We have mounts for many different dual sport type bikes, Many can be seen in the dual sport section of our web site www.dauntlessmotors.com
If you do not see what you are interested in we still may be able to help. Only a small sample of the sidecars we have done our on our web site.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.daunltessmotors.com
866-638-1793
Covington WA
Originally written by motojosh on 12/8/2005 10:38 AM
Yeah, Vernon is actually selling his Triumph Tiger rig (details on his website), and I emailed him earlier this month about it. Then I realized that I just can't afford another motorcycle this month . . . 🙁 But his setup looks great, and I'm sure it won't be on the market for long!
(BTW--Vernon, if you're reading this, when are your classes going to be next year? I'll probably sign up for one of the classes offered by the Evergreen Safety Council, but I'd rather support the members here.)
Hi! Urals make about 40hp and are just barely adequate-good for off pavement and low speed stuff, can haul a load if you take it slow, less good at highway speeds and throw in a heavy load or a hill and they can be a real struggle at speed, but just fine if you stay off the freeway. I would expect the same of the F650, with
the added advantage that you could adjust the gearing to match your intended use. I have seen a few rigs based on that bike which were very sweet and some of them did some long road trips without complaint. Could be a real good rig. More horsepower would open up more options to you-the Triumph IS still for sale by the way 😉
I haven't set the schedule for Adventure Sidecar classes yet but will probably do 4 or 5 classes from May through September. I have the driving field arranged; need to get my second instructor, some bikes and insurance lined up. I will post a schedule in January.
Thanks again for the info, y'all. Mark, if you're ever in the Missoula area, I'd be happy to grab a cuppa coffee or something. Lotta good roads between here & Hailey!
