What sidecar for R60/5

Welcome George! There have been several posts just recently about attaching sidecars to 70s and 80s beemers. Check out these threads:
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=2820&posts=15
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=2739&posts=5
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/thread-view.asp?threadid=2592&posts=16

I know there are more there, but never fear. Lots of folks here with chairs on rubber cows (The affectionate name for post /2 beemers) you will have no shortage of information to sift through. Again, welcome.

You will need a sub frame for this bike, We make sub frames, we also are the Ural importer and have these sidecars in stock. Your R60 will pull a Ural but not at highway speeds. Our Kenna would also work but it does not have the classic lines.
Let me know if we can be of help.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.dauntlessmotors.com
866-638-1793

The Ural seems like it would be too heavy for the Beemer R60/5....not weight wise, but power wise.
If you dont mind cruising at under 60 , it will be fine, but get frustrating later. you will be rowing thru the gears on hills and twistys.

but you still need to meet the SC = 1/3 of the bike weight, with driver on it.
I have a '73'R75/5 had a terraplane SC and it was ok on the highway, with passenger. cruise at 70 all day, pushing it, but I'm not sure how the 600 will handle that.

Hi Jay,
Thanks for the quick response. I'm a retired old fart so speed isn't my big concern. I thought about buying a complete Ural sidecar rig and I've read that most dealers recommend that you stay off of the freeways with' em. I'll just be using mine to just putt around town on. (I've got a R1150 RT for the long distance stuff) I like the retro appearance of the Ural sidecar and thought it would look good on my R60/5. My two biggest concerns are the mounting system and getting the thing stopped. I used to regularly ride a Harley sidecar rig and I know that if it isn't set up properly it can be miserable and sometimes terrifying. Like I said I wont be doing any high speed maneuvers on this thing but I would like to have a quality mounting system that I could install. Would the R60's brakes be up to the task in this situation? Do you think that the R60/5 Ural combination would fit my situation or should I forget it and seriously consider buying the complete Ural rig?
Thanks,
bikergeo
George Edler

You really dont want a Ural bike......stick close to home if you do...sidecar is OK. stick with your Beemer, if you have to. lots more dependable.
this advice I get many times from Ural Owners...they are fine if you dont plan on highway cruising...and you will once you get the rig set up properly. cant stop going!!

Welcome to the group. I can relate my experience with my 1972 R75/5. I have been attached to a Bender Florin sidecar for thirty years. The stated weight of the chair is close to 200 lbs. and with my tools etc. it is over that. It is a heavy sidecar that pulls adequately with my 750. That is to say that on the freeway my top speed is about 75 mph solo if there is no head wind. Acceleration is not fast and I generally shift in the 4000 rpm range. Climbing long gradual hills gets you down in third gear and greater inclines can have you dropping down into second and that's with my 750. Your 600cc BMW you would be asking a lot of something as heavy as my Bender or a Ural. If you realize that you would be risking your life out on the freeway and want to live dangerously in the slow lane, go for it. But I would certainly opt for a larger bike or much lighter sidecar. Let's talk about stopping. My rig like yours has front and rear brake shoes. I do not find them to be a problem as long as one is very observant and does not expect disk brake stopping power. I like to say that you should start planning your next stop after pulling away from the current one. With that said, I have had some panic stops and survived without a disaster. It is critical that you have the sub frame recommended by others on this site. Mine was purchased from the Iowa Sidecar Co. which I believe is out of business. The key thing is to strenghten the frame of the bike for the stress and weight of the sidecar. My hookup is via two lower ball and socket joints and two upper fixed mounts. The lower sub frame has attatchment points at the two engine mounting bolts passing from one side of the frame to the other. One upper mount connects to a bracket that ties the two front down tubes together. The other connects through the connection of the rear sub frame via a shaft that ties both sides of the frame together at that point. The stock tool box no longer can be used. I have seen no evidence of damage to the frame of the bike. You will get the inevitable tire wear and the final drive and splines of the bike will see a lot of wear. I have had a new spline put on the drive twice now. It is not that expensive of a repair if you send the unit out. It is simply the consequence of adding a sidecar to something that wasn't designed for it after BMW got out of the sidecar mount business. I love the handling of my rig and do not think that all of the fancy front end modifications are necessary to enjoy riding with a sidecar. My only two concessions to suspension changes were heavier front springs and heavier rear shocks. In summary, go out and get yourself a 1920s era Indian rig or Henderson or Harley and really turn heads. That's my story.

The Ural will work out fine on this bike but will be slow, I had a /7 for quite a while, lots more power but a nice match. The Ural sidecar comes with a drum brake which would help stop things.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.dauntlessmotors.com
866-638-1793

I have a '73 R75/5 i bought new. I have a subframe on it with a very sturdy upright part it goes up to the area below the seat, and back a few inches, clamping on the upright and the rear frame member on the rear upper section with no cross bar between rear frame members. I Use the stock tool box with no problems ,and no problem with the bike frame flexing.
the 2 front downtubes already have a crossbar connecting them just below the steering head, and do not need the extra cross bar to connect them.
I realize stronger is better, but in this case not necessary.

Originally written by onabender on 3/21/2006 6:47 PM

The lower sub frame has attatchment points at the two engine mounting bolts passing from one side of the frame to the other. One upper mount connects to a bracket that ties the two front down tubes together. The other connects through the connection of the rear sub frame via a shaft that ties both sides of the frame together at that point. The stock tool box no longer can be used.

 

I have a '75 R60/6 with Jupiter sidecar that I'm just finished getting on the road. I have the Dauntless subframe. It's great around town, hauling the kids to school, running for ice cream, going to soccer practice, etc. I took my father in it up to Bob's BMW a couple weekends ago for their sidecar day and found out how underpowered it is. I weigh 170#. He only weighs 160# or so, and I figure the sidecar is about 220# or so. It rides nicely at speed, but it doesn't have the grunt to handle the weight, uphill stretches, and headwind. We didn't go on the interstate.
Still a lot of fun and plenty of power when riding the slower speeds around town.