Tire Carrier for Sputnik

That's a bit of a poser.
Due to the flimsy trunk lid attachments of the Sputnik your spare mount will have to either go from the frame around, through, or behind the body. If one had a tank or fuel cell in the sidecar trunk the opening lid could be eliminated and the tire mount could be installed within the rear sidecar body with just the mounting flange visible.

Lonnie

look here in the albums.
HTTP://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=35&currentpos=2

I made a subframe below the sputnick frame. on the right behind the sidecar wheel is a lawn tractor battery. In the center is a tool box and on the left is a loop than can carry several tires between the sidecar and bike. This loop is rugged enough to also be used for a cooler or the front of a broken 2 wheeler can be tied down for an emergency tow. (towed one over 75 miles)

In front of the sputnick frame crossover is a 5 gallon gas tank that uses a low pressure pump to fill the bike's gas tank. In the photo next to the one I linked you can see the gas tank filler in front of the sidecar step along with the double sided swing arm that mounts the same front wheel the bike uses and the disk brake off the rear. The bike is an 81 r100rt bmw. Also barely visible under neath it all and in the photo to the left of the linked on is a sway bar.

In the end it added 40 or 50 pounds when the gas tank is empty- low and mostly to the rear and right side where the weight is wanted and I gave up about 3 inches of ground clearance. The rig still sits higher then needed for street and dirt road travel.

Pretty cool Todd :-)I once added an extended rear 'bumper' to a modified Velorex 562 we had. It was similar to a truck bed and was able to haul a couple of tires. If I can find a picture I will post it.
I have attached a picture of a similar deal we had on our Motrovation.This one incorporated a trailer ball and was used mainly to carry a cooler. Worked good for those who wanted to hitch a short ride around
rallies too:-)

Hello Larry,
the Sputnik is a sheet metal s/c comparable with my former MZ S/C.
There I had a reinforcement plate in the botomn of the trunk with a nut welded to it. And from below the sidecar I screwed a fitted back wheel (with a dust protection for the drum break's space) right into the nut. (summer trial without spikes for dirt / winter trial tire with spikes)
Beside that later I had a sheet metal mounted below the frame for not to grab snow and branches in the woods.
There would be still a lot of space inside the Sputniks s/c frame (not in the MZ s/c) for a gas reserve that would be well protected by the sheet metal.
Enjoy the trip.
Sven Peter

I just recalled that I had the trunk's sheet metal like a sandwich between 2 stiff sheet metals, 4 tiny M5 or m6 screws in the corners and thick bitumen paste in between to get a good sealing and vibration damping.
Sven

Thanks everyone for your ideas and advice. I'm having a tilting tire carrier made using the existing top frame pipe - the one that looks like a roll bar - and it's two corresponding mounts as pivot points. Using this design I'll be able to tilt the rack up and forward to an over-center position where it will remain while I open the trunk in the opposite direction. The fabrication shop is going to make stops to support the rack in the down position and also to limit the forward travel in the "tilted" up position. Rubber straps (ala Jeep hood) will be used to secure it in the down position and I will make oak strips mounted across the frame. Cost will be right at $200 for everything which isn't bad for a custom made item. If everything goes to schedule it should be finished and installed April 24th. It anyone would like I'll post a couple of pics when it's completed.

Best - Larry

Did you check out what the metal loop is attached to? On mine it is screwed to the plywood in the seat, not very substantial.

These Sputnik "roll bars" were called "tent supports" in the past.
I have a spare one with brackets if anyone is interested.

Lonnie

Mine are bolted to the inside of the tub via a steel bracket making it a very secure mount. Thanks for mentioning it though, it could have been a problem if they were attached to the plywood seat assy.

I wonder which came first, plywood or steel? In looking at the lower front of the right hand fender there is a number stamped (#885416) which may be the serial number. To the right of that the number 95 is also stamped, possibly the year of manufacture. I don't know if a list exists with this type of information but it might be of interest to know if there is. Anyway if you have a moment take a look and see what differences there are between the two and let us know.

Best,

Larry

Hey Lonnie,
Any idea of a price on yours? Just in case I totally screw up turning mine into a rack mount?
thanx
LL

PS - Somewhere around here I have the fabric top that goes with the bar, it's nearly as useful as the lap robe that came with my bimmer airhead...

$45.00 plus shipping should do it for the bar and brackets.

Lonnie

I finished the luggage rack / tire carrier today, strapped a couple of tires to it and hit the road. It seems to work fine, the unit tilts up out of the way so I can open the trunk and locks in the down position using the two rubber Jeep hood retainers. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out and it even came in a little under budget. If anyone is interested in how it was constructed let me know and I'll try to answer your questions. Here's a few pics of it, and thanks again for everyone's advice and suggestions.

LL

That seems like a fair price.
LL

Interesting disc break on the sidecar, that should make a good job.
(if the bike's back wheel has hydraulic disc too)
Regards
Sven Peter