Cosy side car

For offroad work I don't think I'd go Cozy. I'd prefer the 563 Tour Velorex. Better suspension, better QC, better fit and finish all around.

Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars

Hack'n - 5/11/2013 9:52 PM

For offroad work I don't think I'd go Cozy. I'd prefer the 563 Tour Velorex. Better suspension, better QC, better fit and finish all around.

Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars

Thanks for that info.. I guess I left out a very important piece of info.. I'm cheap and could not afford the 563 unless I got a super deal on a used one.

The Cosy I'm looking at, I can have for around 1200. I'm also thinking of building one.
Hope that all makes sense.. lol

It is not too heavy, but for off road work you will need more ground clearance. I have a DR 650 with a Ural hack. It has the ground clearance and the ruggedness. Think about Russian roads.

As for power, it has always had enough power, Butt, and this is a big butt, getting a larger rear wheel sprocket is a plus. Not because the engine doesn't have enough power, but because of control tractability. Off road there will be occasions when you will want to go real slow so as not to bounce your bottom frame or engine on rocks. The lower drive ratios allow you to do this without slipping clutch, especially if it is on an up hill.

I tried sprockets of 4 different sizes and am happiest with a 49 tooth rear wheel sprocket. The original only had 42. I tried 43, 46, 48 and now at 49 I am where I want it to be. Your killer kaw will have similar ratios so I would recommend going at least five or six teeth larger with a 200 pound sidecar or heavier.
Get a more comfortable saddle too.

The Cozy is the wrong sidecar for this, It will not hold up. I had to weld one back together at the black dog enduro as it broke. We have done many KLR rigs, I have owned several. We make a mounting kit as well as a leading link front end. Our Enduro sidecar is only $2995, and our M72D is $4995. These come with bike specific NOT universal mounting hardware and work very well on the KLR.
If you want to run the Cozy, you will want a proper mounting system as if you just clamp to the frame on the KLR the down tube tends to break. We make a mounting kit however the Cozy lower mounts need to be changed out requiring welding. You would need in addtion to our mounts two weld on clamps/cross braces. $75 each, two clamps, $65 each, two bosses $65 each and two hiem joints $40 each.

Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

jaydmc - 5/13/2013 10:19 AM

The Cozy is the wrong sidecar for this, It will not hold up. I had to weld one back together at the black dog enduro as it broke. We have done many KLR rigs, I have owned several. We make a mounting kit as well as a leading link front end. Our Enduro sidecar is only $2995, and our M72D is $4995. These come with bike specific NOT universal mounting hardware and work very well on the KLR.
If you want to run the Cozy, you will want a proper mounting system as if you just clamp to the frame on the KLR the down tube tends to break. We make a mounting kit however the Cozy lower mounts need to be changed out requiring welding. You would need in addtion to our mounts two weld on clamps/cross braces. $75 each, two clamps, $65 each, two bosses $65 each and two hiem joints $40 each.

Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

The reason I'm not buying a ready made setup, is I can't afford it..LOL
I appreciate the info, but I really must build as much of this as I can. I may get some parts from you though.
What did you have to weld back together on the Cosy? Was it the frame or the car?
thanks
Jim

Phelonius - 5/12/2013 1:30 AM

It is not too heavy, but for off road work you will need more ground clearance. I have a DR 650 with a Ural hack. It has the ground clearance and the ruggedness. Think about Russian roads.

As for power, it has always had enough power, Butt, and this is a big butt, getting a larger rear wheel sprocket is a plus. Not because the engine doesn't have enough power, but because of control tractability. Off road there will be occasions when you will want to go real slow so as not to bounce your bottom frame or engine on rocks. The lower drive ratios allow you to do this without slipping clutch, especially if it is on an up hill.

I tried sprockets of 4 different sizes and am happiest with a 49 tooth rear wheel sprocket. The original only had 42. I tried 43, 46, 48 and now at 49 I am where I want it to be. Your killer kaw will have similar ratios so I would recommend going at least five or six teeth larger with a 200 pound sidecar or heavier.
Get a more comfortable saddle too.

Thanks for the info. I like what you have done with your setup. Especially the seat cover.. LOL
I'm not too worried about the ground clearance, as I can raise it up. I have not seen the frame on the Cosy yet, but I'm sure it can be worked on to improve it. Or, maybe just replace it.

I understand the gearing and will change it to something better suited to off road.

I'm just in the planning stages and can use all the help I can get, so thanks again,
Jim

I had to fix the poorly thought out mounting system that comes with the Cozy sidecar. You will want to buy at least the upper front mount as it is tricky to design your self as you do not want to clamp to the down tube on this bike.
If you are buying a Cozy you might by the time all is said and done be closing in on the cost of our Enduro sidecar $2995 with mounts or our rolling chassis with mounts $2495, The Chassis set up (our kenna type frame) ships fed ex for about $150 to most places.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793

Myself I was once thinking about to use my Jawa's Velorex 560 sidecar for to add to the KLR650, which I just bought for this use.
But the Velorex 560 is way too low and light for the KLR. Quite possible that it will be the same case with a Cozzy s/c.
Then I thought seriously about Jay's enduro sidecar.

Then came the big BUT: after only 2300km as solo I suddenly had the hole tail in my hand...somewhere up in the mountains in the middle of nowhere at about 2000m above sea level or higher in soft clay. (6000ft)
That made me recapitulate and analyze well the KLR's structure.
For my taste and local high mountain range the 1st gear of the KLR even with the biggest available back sprocket might be still too long.
The frame will need a real strong subframe and appearantly there is not much space between tank and frame for a full loop subframe.

So right now I mount a Husquarna TC450 engine into my Jawa 350 rig, hoping it will withstand the 49th horse, the nut which connects handle bar and seat...and keep the KLR as a solo bike.
Sven

If there isn't too many place under tank, there is always possible to place it higher. In one of my bikes I had to move tank about 2" higher to have place for subframe.

Do you need passenger sidecar or only cargo one? Think about used Russian sidecar frame (especially if it needs restoration) with some trunk/boot made from any crate 🙂 It can cost 1/10 of whole sidecar.

KLR isn't too strong for offroad sidecar? If there is no need for passenger tube on sidecar (only for luggage or dog) there is simple "patent" to gest frame stresses way lower than with classic triangulation. Try to mount lower points of upper struts as far from bike as possible, like in my setup (not my idea):

If I made it standard way with the same materials, tube walls etc, it would bend&brake after first few miles. This way made, and I could get 100pounds on sidecar and ride in any terrain that engine could haul it.

Compare upper photo with standard upper struts mounts (upper struts represented by blue bands):

and think what forces try to bend the sidecar in my "big triangles" setup comparing to standard one.

That was my inspiration for first rig:

Slightly harder to get right geometry (toe-in, lean-out) because od four struts to regulate and because change in one parameter always make chanke in other, but you could make it one time and eventually re-setup in case of some error. But this design includes all elements that I would recommend to you for "heavy duty - light weight - small cost" offroad rig. Excellent triangulation, one lower mount, square tubes, simple design&build, two-sided sidecar swingarm. Velorex (especially used one, older) can have 15mm axle, that can be too small for offroad. With two-sided swingarm, you could use even 12mm one with better effect. If you use 15mm axle for 2-sided swingarm, it will be far more than enough. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=680239 - here you have whole thread about this sidecar. Cheap and robust one.

Finally something like this:

I don't know how experienced you are, but you always may try to fabricate your own sidecar. That was my way and I'm really happy with that. I'm also cheap/poor - my whole rig costs less than typical sidecar alone.

Long time ago that I saw or heard a räng kläng kläng. I used to call the MZ 250 the only adult 2 stroker until I got my Jawa that had better torque and used only 40% of the gasoline.
The idea with the tank lifting for the subframe is good, but then I will not be able to get on the seat any more. Already now it akes frequently when I have to bow over the tank on the steep slopes.
Autch,
Sven

jaydmc - 5/13/2013 11:18 AM

I had to fix the poorly thought out mounting system that comes with the Cozy sidecar. You will want to buy at least the upper front mount as it is tricky to design your self as you do not want to clamp to the down tube on this bike.
If you are buying a Cozy you might by the time all is said and done be closing in on the cost of our Enduro sidecar $2995 with mounts or our rolling chassis with mounts $2495, The Chassis set up (our kenna type frame) ships fed ex for about $150 to most places.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793

I understand what your saying about the money involved, but this is therapy for me, as well as fun.
I'm 69 and have a bunch of time to work on this, not as much money at one time.. lol
How much for the upper front mount?

The way we make our upper mount for the KLR, it we clamp to the spine of the bike with a bar that comes out the vent grill on the tank. It has two support arms one going back to the rear frame hoop where the exhaust system is secured, the other goes down to the upper bolt where the frame can be split at the bottom of the down tube. This forms a "tripod". If you just clamp to the down tube the tube tends to crack next to the clamp.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793

jaydmc - 5/14/2013 1:57 PM

The way we make our upper mount for the KLR, it we clamp to the spine of the bike with a bar that comes out the vent grill on the tank. It has two support arms one going back to the rear frame hoop where the exhaust system is secured, the other goes down to the upper bolt where the frame can be split at the bottom of the down tube. This forms a "tripod". If you just clamp to the down tube the tube tends to crack next to the clamp.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793

Thanks Jay,
Jim