hello to all,
i am so new to sidecars that i do not even have a rig !!! But am very anxious to purchase one. My question is i am 280 lbs 6'2" and my wife is 180 lbs and 5' something what kind of bikes should i be looking for to pull the sidecar and us without a problem. I have been told to look at the late seveties models like kz1000, suzuki gs850 for the best bang for my buck and have no power issues at all. Can i use something as small as a kx750?? anyways after the purchase of the bike and sidecar we will be taking it on a long distance trip so i need something with highway speeds as well.
sorry for the infinite questions
thanks again
justin
welcome to the SC madness! you will love it!!!
this is a loaded question ;o)
you will get 10 different answers.
i would say the main thing you would be looking for is a bike with 1000CC or greater, and a driveshaft, for low maintenance on the trips. also , for the weight you will be hauling, nothing less than a 1000 CC engine. yamaha 1000, 1100, , Goldwing 1100-1500, BMW R100, BMW K100. would all be great.
the SC you will need will also have to be a hefty size..able to accept loads of passenger AND stuff you will be storing in it.
also bear in mind the ease of entry,,some passengers have difficulty getting in or out of various SC's.depends on the agility of the passenger. some can get in easily , but have a hell of a time trying to get up and out.
If you were traveling alone an 850 would be fine, but not with passenger and a loaded SC at highway speeds. remember, cruising speed will drop a lot with a SC and passenger attached. more power is always better to have.
look for a complete rig all ready to go, if possible, and see from there what you need later.
A small bike would not serve your touring desires well as a couple.
I'd look at 1100cc's or larger. Most pre '83 models are usually quite reasonably priced (Before Memorial Day when prices jump for the season).
Earlier Honda and Yamaha models are usually the easiest to find needed parts for at the dealers.
A 1300cc Yamaha Venture or Venture Royale would make a very good touring rig. The GL1100's are another good hack puller. There are lots of those around.
For your sidecar consider ease of entry and exit as a primary consideration. Then adequate room for the passenger and stowage. Seats can be changed or modified for comfort but these issues cannot be altered easily.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Since you are in Dallas, wander over to Fort Worth and talk to these guys:
Perry's Motorcycles & Sidecars
(Former owner of BMW of Fort Worth.)
816 South Sylvania
Fort Worth, Tx. 76111
817-429-9922
Fax 817-338-1353
Hours 12-6 Mon
9-6 Tues-Fri
9-2 Sat
perrysmcsc@yahoo.com
www.perrysmotorcycles.com
Sidecar Name: EML, Velorex, Hannigan, Dnepr, Cozy, etc.
Other local options here: http://www.sidecar.com/Maps/texas.htm
Originally written by jmick01 on 4/11/2007 12:13 PM
hello to all,
i am so new to sidecars that i do not even have a rig !!! But am very anxious to purchase one. My question is i am 280 lbs 6'2" and my wife is 180 lbs and 5' something what kind of bikes should i be looking for to pull the sidecar and us without a problem. I have been told to look at the late seveties models like kz1000, suzuki gs850 for the best bang for my buck and have no power issues at all. Can i use something as small as a kx750?? anyways after the purchase of the bike and sidecar we will be taking it on a long distance trip so i need something with highway speeds as well.sorry for the infinite questions
thanks again
justin
I'm close to your size. About 5 years ago I bought an XS850 Yamaha with a Dnepr sidecar. With the sidecar empty I could maintain Interstate speeds, but with any weight at all in the car it was difficult.
I would agree with the folks who say go for a Goldwing or something similar sized.
Our current outfit is a Valkyrie and a Ural car. With it I can maintain 75 and 80 MPH with my wife in the car and a well loaded trailer behind. When you look at prices, remember that connecting an orphan sidecar to a motorcycle can cost as much as $500 to maybe $750. Sometimes it's more cost effective to look for a rig that is already assembled.
Take a look at some of the bikes for sale here. Here are just a few of the ones listed here.
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=4336&posts=1
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=4187&posts=4
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=4159&posts=2
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=4035&posts=11
Wow...what a great turn out of answers, i appreciate all the comments and advice. The one that everybody keeps saying is get a bike thats over 1000cc so thats what im going to do. im lookin at the kz1000 1978 model or a suzuki gs1000. they both appear to of sturdy frame geometry and seem large enough. any body else have some more advice. oh and i have contacted perrys.
thanks
justin
Originally written by jmick01 on 4/11/2007 8:37 PM
Wow...what a great turn out of answers, i appreciate all the comments and advice. The one that everybody keeps saying is get a bike thats over 1000cc so thats what im going to do. im lookin at the kz1000 1978 model or a suzuki gs1000. they both appear to of sturdy frame geometry and seem large enough. any body else have some more advice. oh and i have contacted perrys.
thanks
justin
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Either of those will do well for you. We have had two rigs based on different XS1100 Yamahas and they did well. A person can get decent power from these types of bikes at a very resonable price. Never can have 'too much' power when pulling a hack around.
I'm really happy with my XS1100 based hack. Stock pipes on it. With the change to pod filters and a pipe is there a big power leap to be had?
hello to all,
as of a few days ago i bought a 1976 GL 1000. So now i am in the market for a sidecar to attatch on to it. I would prefer a Velorex 565, but anything similar would probably do.
thanks again
justin
Originally written by Lunatic on 4/11/2007 10:36 PM
I'm really happy with my XS1100 based hack. Stock pipes on it. With the change to pod filters and a pipe is there a big power leap to be had?
I have messed with the exhaust some with little results but that was out of necessity on one rig. It was still a four into two setup though. Never changed air filters. There is an XS11 club site where you may be able to get soem good feedback though.
Pesonally I feel I can go faster with a quieter exhaust and get less 'trophys' from the boys in blue that way too 🙂
I don't have a drive shaft, but my Harley / Ural rig can cruise at 60 to 80 mph all day long. I weigh 205 & Momma is (well not small) and we tour the western eleven states, with the mountains, flat lands, & rolling coastal hills to the tune of 250 to 600 miles a day. It just depends on the sights to see that makes up our minds on the miles. I did not beef up the suspension on either the bike or the hack. But then again we do our "camping" in motels, not tents, so we may not carry as much as some of the other guys do on there trips. Welcome to the BROTHERHOOD OF THE 3RD WHEEL. Hope to see you on the highways & byways God Bless
thanks for the info....my wife and i are going to tour with the bike starting in tx and turning around in vegas.... the kicker is we will be doing this riding all in december/january, so if anybody has some suggestions for winter riding i'll need it.
take care
justin
Originally written by jmick01 on 4/18/2007 11:04 AM
thanks for the info....my wife and i are going to tour with the bike starting in tx and turning around in vegas.... the kicker is we will be doing this riding all in december/january, so if anybody has some suggestions for winter riding i'll need it.
take care
justin
Justin,
You may want to begin a new thread and title it 'winter riding tips' or somenthing like that.
yeah ill start a new thread on winter riding...
thanks
justin
Never can have 'too much' power when pulling a hack around.
I Have 1000cc Suzuki VStrom which has adequate power. As I type this, I am in Memphis. on my way to Kentucky yo get a sidecar installed on a GoldWing 1800.
A lot will depend on how you plan to use the rig. If you will be taking trips (as we do) the power/torque equation might be more important. I wanted something that I could load for an extented trip and ride interstates at 80, up and down the hills with no problem.
Good luck, you will love sidecarring
greg
