Greetings - I am the proud new owner of a BSA M20 (which I traded out for my old Dnepr K750). I miss my sidecar and am trying to find a period correct one for my BSA (or at least one that will safely attach). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am in the USA. Thanks!
Over here the M20 was most common with two types of sidecar. For the family man a saloon type like the Watsonian Maxstoke or with a box sidecar in the hands of an AA (Automobile Association ) patrol man. If your car broke down you phoned the AA and they sent a Patrolman (mechanic) out to get you going. Back in the fifties he would have arrived on an M20 with a box sidecar containing his tools and spares. The bike would have a handlebar fairing and the fairing , tank and sidecar would painted bright yellow. With luck I've posted a few pictures to give you an idea. The taxi sidecar is made in the USA so I'm told. The bikes are actually M21's but you get the idea.
Sid
Sidcar - 1/26/2015 5:04 PM
Most M20's in the forties were for Army Despatch Riders so a military sidecar like that on the aural wouldn't look out of place. Over here the M20 was most common with two types of sidecar. For the family man a saloon type like the Watsonian Maxstoke or with a box sidecar in the hands of an AA (Automobile Association ) patrol man. If your car broke down you phoned the AA and they sent a Patrolman (mechanic) out to get you going. Back in the fifties he would have arrived on an M20 with a box sidecar containing his tools and spares. The bike would have a handlebar fairing and the fairing , tank and sidecar would painted bright yellow. With luck I've posted a few pictures to give you an idea. The taxi sidecar is made in the USA so I'm told. The bikes are actually M21's but you get the idea.
Sid
Thank you Sid! Love the pictures and appreciate your knowledge. Are you aware of anyone reproducing these sidecars? Do you know which ones were commonly used with the Army Despatch Riders? I've been sorting trough cyberspace looking at old photographs and don't see many military BSAs with sidecars.
Home Guard exercise with Lewis guns, 1941. Sidecar looks almost homemade.
The "School Bus" sidecar is still available from Watsonian. http://sidestrider.com/
Most army M20's were used solo. The main sidecar outfit for the army was produced by Norton, a militarised version of their Big4 some of which had sidecar wheel drive (see picture). If your M20 was made in the early Forties it is quite likely to be ex War Department, the frame and engine numbers are usually prefixed WM.
I don't know what the shipping costs would be UK to US but period sidecars come up on ebay regularly, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/watsonion-westminster-sidecar-on-a-canterbury-chassis-/121554813272?ssPageName=ADME:SS:SS:GB:1120
Of course the sidecar would be on the wrong side for you.
Sid
Sidcar - 1/27/2015 3:57 PM
Most army M20's were used solo. The main sidecar outfit for the army was produced by Norton, a militarised version of their Big4 some of which had sidecar wheel drive (see picture). If your M20 was made in the early Forties it is quite likely to be ex War Department, the frame and engine numbers are usually prefixed WM.
I don't know what the shipping costs would be UK to US but period sidecars come up on ebay regularly, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/watsonion-westminster-sidecar-on-a-canterbury-chassis-/121554813272?ssPageName=ADME:SS:SS:GB:1120
Of course the sidecar would be on the wrong side for you.
Sid
wow this group blows me away, that my friend is some serious fire power. I want one .Even if it is on the wrong side. diverdown
Super cool. Looks a little bit like Santa's sleigh! Trying to figure out what is riding on the seat in the sidecar? Thanks again for the info, Sid.
I don't think it was that successful. The the sidecar wheel drive had no differential which made the handling decidedly interesting if the ground was anything but soft and I think there was a good chance of the driver losing his front teeth on the butt of that machine gun. The Jeep made it redundant and I expect most soldiers thought that a good thing.
Don't forget to keep us up to date with the M20 story (and how about a picture or two).
Sid
what is on the seat looks to me like a lift to enable the passengers shoulder to fit against the butt of the bren gun while he is sitting on it, possibly adjustable.
Hi Sidcar, when I was at RAF Bentwaters back in the 50s I was getting some high price gas at the local service station and I told the owner that I was looking for a motorbike on the cheap and He said lets go back to the barn and look. We walked back to his barn and all I saw was a pile of hay over in the corner but he grabbed a pitchfork and started jabbing it in the hay and finally it clinked on something metal so we started kicking the hay out of the way and there lay an ex WD sidevalve Norton. I told him I probably couldn't afford to buy it but he said how about 15 pounds. I bought it and rode it all over England. I couldn't believe my luck to get a motorbike that would run for such a small price.
Hi Bob, those were the days. The same Norton would now cost you £7000-8000 or more. The WD Norton was a good bike if you weren't in a rush. Built like a brick outhouse.
What do you ride now?
Sid
Yes, those were definitely the days! I have a Harley sportster 883 with a freedom cruiser.
