Hello All,
I just found this site and have some questions regarding a side car setup. I have a 1974 BMW R90/6 that I have owned for almost 20 years. About 6 years ago I purchased a 1974 American Eagle side car from a neighbor. The car is in great shape and has about 2000 miles on it-couple of paint chips, no wear in the seat, tires look new, chrome structure and mounting brackets and the original installation manual. The bike and side car have been sitting in my garage for the past 6 years and now I want to attach the side car to the bike. I want to use the rig for day to day errands around town- 1 to 2 miles maximum. I think it will be a fun and interesting way to get around for short trips.
My concern is if the original mounting brackets will damage the bike frame. I have read (from mounting bracket after market manufacturers) that using the original mounting brackets will will twist and bend the bike frame over time. The bike will have poor performance if riden without the side car.
Is ther any truth to this?
Thanks,
Gary
The '74 Beemers do not have a full perimeter frame and the best way to mount a sidecar without problems is with special bracketry or a sub-frame. The easiest for most folks is to purchase commercial sub-frame mounts from one of the vendors listed here on this site. The original sidecar mounts will then mount to the sub-frame safely without worry of damage to your frame.
Lonnie
