I have had a BMW R75/6 rig with a velorex sidecar. It had a dauntless subframe. You do ned a subrame and a good steering damper, but a well sorted out airhead rig is excellent. I rode mine for two years and the new owner is probably enjoying it as we speak.
My daughter got older and wanted a new rig. Since I just bop around, I found an old Ural that needed some serious work. Now that I have it well sorted out, I can tell you (and its blasphemy cause I'm a lifelong BMW rider) yes, the Ural is way better for pulling a chair. They don't go fast (big deal) but I way prefer the leading link suspension and dedicated mounts.
But an airhead final drive? Cmon, anybody who says what this guy is saying just plain doesn't know anything about motorcycles. I will take half the fluid out of an airhead drive, attach a Ural and chair on a chain and drag it halfway across the state on flat tires. What a joke. There has never been a finer and stronger drivetrain made for a motorcycle ever.
Yes, airhead brakes totally stink for pulling a chair... but so do any other manufacturers 1970's brakes. If I were doing another airhead rig, I would buy an Earle's fork bike from the 60's that already has sidecar attachment points.
But I'm very pleased with my ural for my own needs and I do like it all overall more than my airhead rig. WHen stuff starts going wrong with the bike thoug, I'm going to miss that airhead reliability.
Here's my BMW rig, you can see why I like the Ural more. Way nicer chair and appointment for way less money
Brownw3 - 7/26/2011 2:33 PM
... the Ural is way better for pulling a chair [than an Airhead]....
Interesting comments Brown, as I've had conversations with a former Airhead rig owner now Ural rig owner that said the same thing: The Airhead is a better bike, but the Ural (frame, leading links, etc.) is a much better sidecar tug, adding that the Ural would be great if had an R90 engine w/5 speed transmission w/reverse.
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
I'll even get crazier. My Ural is a 1998. It's a 650. I'm a big guy and my daughter is only 9 but a shade under 5'4" . The Ural is childs' play to work on, and pulls us around tracking straight as an arrow at 55 MPH. Does anybody need more than that?
Maybe they do, but I don't. Now My BMW rig was super, but the chair was a joke. I have a $4000 price limit for a second bike (my daily rider is an R1200GS BMW) My Ural Rig, as pictured, I have a total of $3000 in it and that includes the license plates! ANd it looks way cooler and more retro.
I have 4 speeds and reverse, and that's plenty for safely toting my girl around
if people hadnt been running sidecars on BMWs for many years i may pay more attention to the opinion. if i got a second sidecar an old BMW with a sidecar would be a choice .
dead sidecarists,sadly we know the answer to that.inexperence and lack of training ,improperly set up sidecars [poor handling] and people in cars running us over.i think in the motorcycle family exploding rear drives would be a topic talked about even by old life long harley riders like myself if they were killing riders.
