What would you think of adding a light sidecar frame and a box to a 1981 Yamaha SR250 Exciter to carry traffic cones and supplies for a MSF program? Riding would only be on campus access roads at less than 20 mph with the longest ride being about 3/8 mile to the gas pump.
Right now we tow a little trailer behind the Exciter to move supplies, typically 3 to 4 dozen 12" tall traffic cones, our training cones, tool kit, and miscellanious other stuff. I don't know how much it all weighs but it's a pretty heavy load. It should be plenty of ballast.
My instructors have expressed an interest in making a sidecar rig out of an Exciter to use instead of the trailer. The 250 cc engine has a lot of low end grunt, and we can change a sprocket if more grunt is needed. The frame seems stout enough, although it might be a little small for optimal mounting. The group has the talent and tools to modify the exhaust and build subframes and brackets if needed.
What do you think? Is this crazy or perhaps workable given the limitations in distance and speed where the rig would be used?
Lindsey
Why not? It sounds like a fun project!
If you haven't taken a S/TEP class, you probably ought to. Even though a training lot is the perfect place to figure things out for yourself, you will have MSF students asking you questions and you want to give responsible answers in that venue, even though it is not what you are teaching.
I agree with you 100%. Training would be a good thing, both so we don't kill ourselves and so we can answer the inevitable questions intellegently.
The problem in Michigan is the lack of S/TEP type training availability. Per the listing on this web site, the nearest class appears to be outside Chicago, about 4 hours away. I sent a note to that provider about a week ago but haven't heard back yet.
I'm heading to Crawford Sales this morning to buy a copy of a sidecar book that Terry said was written by David Hough. It has some training exercises in it. Two of my instructors are experienced sidecar riders. If we can't get formal S/TEP training for at least some of the crew, we'll home brew something using the exercises in Hough's book, the Hal Kendell manuals available on this site, and the experiences of our two staff members plus whatever advice we can get from other experienced sidecar folks in the area.
I expect that there will be many lessons to be learned. I'm tickled that my staff are interested in trying something different and challenging.
Our two wheeled season is just about to start. That will keep everybody busy until September. That gives me 6 months to figure out how to do this, how to pay for it, and to find the needed parts. I'm thinking that we can add the sidecar during the winter between the end of the 07 training season and the start of the 08 season.
This could be an interesting adventure.
sent you a pm
Sounds like a great idea. A little thumper hack would be a HOOT.
We give S/TEP courses in Louisville, KY. We have two small sidecar outfits we use on the range, both powered by 250's. Unfortunatley the sidecars are no names. For MSF range use I would think you could rig a flat bed sidecar with rails to haul the cones etc. and a 250 would do very well. The only watch out would be the light weight when empty, however, with the slow speed you would be moving, I doubt it will be a concern. We fill a collapsable 5 gallon plastic water jug for ballast when needed.Call me if you are interested in the S/TEP course in Louisville. The next one is April 14-15. 513-752-7105TubCinncinnati
