Bought and mounted a Velorex on my '78 BMW R100RS (1000cc). Not sure who came up with the mounting system, but it was horrid, came apart and near rammed me into a wooden utility pole. It was all I could do to corner, and it followed every dip, rise, groove in the road.
Replaced the mounting system with DMC's setup. It has a decided solid feel to it, and a lot steadier ride. I still feel a slight pull to the right, which I perceive I must pay attention to. Nothing major, just needs constant attention. Roads here have a decided slope to get rain water off the road into gutters and drains in a hurry. We are prone to short lived heavy thunderstorms and rain storms dumping water quickly.
I also must put decided effort into turns, although nothing like before the DMC system was put on. Makes me feel like a few months on the rig and I'll have Schwarzenegger biceps. I am learning not to over-correct with too much push/pull on the bars. Almost went motorcrossing doing that, and a couple of times got the hack wheel up. (Car is weighted with some bricks while I look for a better method of carrying the extra weight when no passenger is in it.
Anyway, if you folks want to weigh in on this, it would be appreciated. If this all is likely a figment of my imagination, or an over perception, likely I can learn to live with it.
Almost forgot, the hack and the DMC system were installed with a whole lot of help and work by a fellow who has years of side car riding.
Ride safe
Sarge
For lighter steering you need to reduce trail on the front of the bike. To reduce trail the front wheel needs to move forward by a couple of inches. When my wife ran a 1978 R100S we off set the forks forward by 2.5 inches leaving the trail at 1.2 inches. This made for very light steering. We had to have these clamps made for us in batches of 10 at a time. The last batch took over 5 years to sell so we no longer have them made, also the machine shop that was making them for us is out of business. We are thinking about making some thing similar using water jet cutting but have not moved forward with it yet. I have heard Perries sidecars offers a set up to reduce trail. I have no first hand experience with this. Side-effect use to do a set up, they no longer do. Unit sidecars in England makes a leading link, We also make a leading link however with our set up you need to change over from the ATE brakes on the front to Brembo brakes and with the Brembo brakes you will have to either had BMW snow flake wheels, Lester wheels or we must make spacers to move the rotors away from the wheel and then make a wider swing arm.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Thank you for the reply and information.
Got a chance this morning to test the strength of your system. I was rear ended sitting at a traffic light. The hack took the impact.
Minor damage to the back of the sidecar.
I trepidly drove the bike on, as I was about 1/2 way to my destination when struck, and it was around 5:30 AM. I was quite pleasantly surprised, as the mounting bracket seems no worse for the incident. It is as tight as when first put on, and I did not have any problems the remainder of the ride.
I will be giving it a thorough going over, but expect to find nothing.
I am impressed.
Sarge
Sarge
Well. a closer exam found that the rivets holding the top/bottom of the shell had been popped out from the rear-ender.
Talked with the fellow who mounted the unit, he said it was all the way back. The bracket on the bike and car would not mate, so heavy washers were added to align the brackets.
I noticed on the mounting system there was a piece or spacer that fit in one of the u-joints, it came with the bracket I bought from DMC. The other u-joint had none, and that u-joint is coupled to another from the tube bracket coming from the hack. There is no piece in that u-joint.
The fellow who added the side car for me was not sure if there was supposed to be a spacer in both the u-joints. Not even sure if the bracket coming from the car is even the correct one. I am going to try and do a picture of the setup.
More I think about it, the more convinced I become it is a wonder I wasn't badly injured or killed when that original hookup failed.
Should have the pix tomorrow or next day.
Will this forum accept pix?
Sarge
Low definition pix are easily attached after posting. There is a lower box (Attach file after posting) you check to attach them after posting to the forum. Different utilities are available, but I just resize my images so they upload quickly. Works for me.
Sounds like the spacers you mention are for U-clamp mounts that are to protect the frame from crushing or deforming when the when the eyebolt (or clevis bolt) is tightened down. Most bike frames have thin wall tubing that can be crushed if too much torque is applied to a clamp type frame mount.
Lonnie
We call the spacers "slippers" and they should have been in both clamps. The only way they would come out is if they were not tight enough in the first place.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793
We call the spacers "slippers" and they should have been in both clamps. The only way they would come out is if they were not tight enough in the first place.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793
For whatever reason, one of these "slippers" is missing. Is this an orderable part?
Sarge
Yes we make and stock these.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
