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New guy needs help getting sidecar for Bandit 1200

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and sidecars. I'd like to get a sidecar for my Bandit 1200 so that I can get a dog and be able to have it ride with me. Plus it would be nice to be able to get the groceries, etc. Mostly because I think they're really cool and I've wanted one for quite a while now. There are two sidecars I'm considering right now, an old Jawa (basically an early velorex) or a Dnepr. The Jawa has the advantages of being close to me and it's cheaper, but it needs a bit of work and is quite light. The Dnepr would need to be shipped out to me but it is in better condition and is a heavier sidecar which might be better with my big bike. Would the Jawa be ok if I added some weight to it or should I go with the Dnepr? I don't know which one I like better, probably the Dnepr. Also, how fast is it safe to travel with a sidecar? I'd be doing a lot of small mountain roads but also a fair amount of faster highways.

Things I'm planning to do with it is to put a disc brake wheel on it and maybe an air spring or shock to make the setup adjustable while riding.

Thanks everyone!

Dave Riffel

I think you would find the Dnepr to be a much better sidecar for this bike. The Jawa is a fine sidecar and the older ones like the 560 series tend to be a bit better then the newer ones as the rear lower mount does not slip like it can on the newer ones but these sidecars were still designed for smaller bikes and really are not suited to a bike as heavy and powerfull as the Bandit 1200
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com

Thanks for the advice, Jay. I'll probably end up going with the Dnepr for this project. I'm a little concerned about being able to go freeway speeds, though. Living in California I need to be able to drive at 75mph with short jaunts up to 85, just to keep up with traffic on the freeways. Does this sound appropriate for this setup? Can this combination be made safe for higher speeds? Thanks again,

Dave

Yes it can be made safe however with the Dnepr I would change out the wheel bearings, true the wheel as most if not all of the Dnepr sidecars the wheels are less then round and consider a different tire then what is on the sidecar. Many of the Dneprs I see do not have DOT aproved tires.
If I can be of help we are just up in the Seattle area and often pick up and drop off bikes all up and down I-5. We also have a customer coming up from LA in the next few days with an empty trailer who could haul your bike if you wanted us to do the install.
The Dnepr does not have an adjustable front lower mount. What we do is to cut the stock mount off of the frame and weld in an adjustable mount that we make.
If you are going to mount the sidecar your self we do not have a bike specific mounting kit for your bike but do offer a wide selection of hardware to help with your mounting needs.
Let me know if I can be of help.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
http://www.dauntlessmotors.com

Thanks again, Jay! I'm planning to run a Honda Ascot front wheel on the sidecar. It's a comstar and will give me the option of running a radial tubeless tire, a disc brake, and good modern bearings. As for the install, I'm fairly mechanical and my Dad is a professional welder so between the two of us I'm hoping we can get it mounted. Getting everything set up correctly may take some time as I've never dealt with sidecars and will need to find out about placement in relation to the bike, toe-in, camber, etc. I'll definitely be in touch for the mounting hardware, at the least, and I greatly appreciate the advice! Thank you muchly!

Dave

http://www.gespannservice.de --> Gebrauchte

The Jawa would definitely be way too light for the Bandit, whether the Bandit is in stock, or modified (tuned) condition. The Ural sidecar would be a better, but still not totally ideal match for the Bandit .. it may still be on the light side.

In your post, you haven't mentioned whether your's is a first or second generation Bandit. Keep in mind that the first generation Bandit's suspension is basically marginal from the factory in terms of adjustability and overall quality. The second generation Bandit's suspension was improved, but it isn't all that much better. You will want to upgrade the front and rear suspension to adjustable/spring upgradeable aftermarket components, regardless of the chair you buy. As stock, the Bandit puts out ~100 rwhp, and it's stock gearing is fine for pulling a chair, but for a little added oomph you might want to go up two teeth on the rear sprocket. Expect accelerated tire wear on both the front and rear end of the bike.. the Bandit is not kind to tires, if you've done any performance mods to the bike at all (is there any 'stock' Bandits, unmolested by their owner soon after leaving the showroom floor? A rare bird indeed if your's is one of them).

Otherwise, the Bandit is a good candidate for a sidecar tug, but be aware that you do need to match the sidecar to the bike in this case. Too light, and the handling and stability of the outfit is going to be suspect. If you've got any performance mods at all (ie a Dale Walker Stage 1 / 2 carb kit, etc) then a heavier outfit works to your advantage in keeping the rig stable when you roll on the throttle even semi aggressively.

My setup is a Hannigan Astro, a fully enclosed, aerodynamic 'touring' sidecar weighing about 280 lbs usually seen on heavier touring bikes like a Goldwing. The bike has plenty of power (130 rwhp) to handle this heavy sidecar, but i've had to, and continue to make changes to the bikes setup, due to the oversized dimensions of the sidecar. My rig is probably considered heavier than is ideal and somewhat mismatched, but it's easier to compensate for a heavy chair by beefing up the motorcycle, than it is to beef up a lightweight chair to attach to a heavyweight motorcycle. My rig is good for an honest 100 mph, or 85-90 mph sustained with my many performance, suspension and engine cooling changes.

My $0.02 worth of wisdom, but may be considered worthless by others .. 🙂

Good luck

Hi guys,

Anderl, Thanks for the pic. That is one cool bandit rig! I kind of envisioned mine being like that.

Bill, thanks for all of the good advice. It really makes a lot of sense to get a heavier sidecar for this bike. It will eventually have great suspension and be pumped up to maybe 125+ hp. I'll have to do some more thinking about it though. I'm getting concerned about how much this is going to cost now. Plus I live at the end of 32 miles of twisted, heavenly road and am just not sure a sidecar is going to be fun or safe on it. Thanks again for all of the advice!

Dave

Bandit,
All that for $0.02 ? It's got to be USD, surely not Canadian funds. LOL

Lonnie