Welcome aboard, Jerry! You'll find a couple of other members here with over a million lifetime cycle miles. I'm not one of them, but I applaud your continuing determination!
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
my name is dean and i live in northwest washington.
I've built a couple of sidecars for the saltflats but this is my first outfit for the road.
I'm combining a suzuki gs500 (50hp, 440lbs) with a velorex560 chassis carrying a camper set up (180 lbs full of gear).
Besides finding the rides and rallies I am also trying to find out about running spacesaver spares on the rear and car. I found a thread between CCJON and Drone but it is a few years old. I was hoping for some more current info/experienes and maybe a long term review on the success/ failure from Ccjon.
I'll have to learn to add photos. Thanks
Greetings @sidecars-ally Dean! Two more posts and you will be able to add photos to your posts. Looking forward to your contributions. I'm going to tag @ned (drone) and @jan-2 here to attract their attention to see what updates they have on the spacesaver tire question as I've never heard of it.
That said, do tell what you've got in mind.
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Thanks for the welcome everyone.
I live live just south of Bellingham in the lovely village of Sedro Woolley
Hi. My name is Mike Lydon. I am arbalest on ADVRider and arbalest04062 on SS. I am a member of Riders of Southern Maine, formerly the BMW Riders of Southern Maine. I really have only ever owned two sidecar rigs. My first sidecar rig was a 1983 NEVAL MT10-36, full time 2wd sidecar rig. This rig started out as a flathead 2wd Dnepr. It was imported to England by two brothers (appropriately named NEV and AL) where the flathead motor was replaced with the 650 OHV motor. Dnepr did not offer a 2wd OHV motorcycle in 1983. The brothers somehow got the rigs through DOT and EPA testing. The bike came with a single SU carb. The motor would idle, or run on the main jet. You could not have both. The original owner mounted two 30mm Dells. It would run, however the valves liked to stick in the bronze valve guides and spit out the valve caps. The machining of the motor was horrible. I drove that rig for three summers an 1500 miles. I figure that rig cost me $4/mile to keep on the road. I was hooked on sidecars but could no longer put up with constant breakdowns and expensive solutions for bad quality control. I put an R60/5 motor into the Neval. I drove it for a season with the R60 motor, then swapped out the R60 cylinders and pistons for R80 cylinders and pistons with R75/5 heads. WOW! What a change. I rode the wheels off that thing for about four years, and decided (stupidly) to sell it to build a rig that was suitable for highway use. I went through an 85 K100 solo and then got a BMW R90/6 solo. I rode that for a while, but I really missed driving a sidecar, so I added a subframe, a Ural sidecar frame (bought from an inmate on ADVRider), and a Chang tub that I had for just such an endeavor. I was back on a rig! I have been driving that rig for nearly ten years. It is a perpetual project as I am always modifying something on it. So, the is much more detail involved between the lines is better told in person.
I also host an annual Southern Maine Sidecar Social in August. This past August we had fourteen rigs attending. August 2025 will be the Fourth Annual Southern Maine Sidecar Social.
I'm looking forward meeting all of you in June.
Perpetual project...... .classic.Hi. My name is Mike Lydon. I am arbalest on ADVRider and arbalest04062 on SS. I am a member of Riders of Southern Maine, formerly the BMW Riders of Southern Maine. I really have only ever owned two sidecar rigs. My first sidecar rig was a 1983 NEVAL MT10-36, full time 2wd sidecar rig. This rig started out as a flathead 2wd Dnepr. It was imported to England by two brothers (appropriately named NEV and AL) where the flathead motor was replaced with the 650 OHV motor. Dnepr did not offer a 2wd OHV motorcycle in 1983. The brothers somehow got the rigs through DOT and EPA testing. The bike came with a single SU carb. The motor would idle, or run on the main jet. You could not have both. The original owner mounted two 30mm Dells. It would run, however the valves liked to stick in the bronze valve guides and spit out the valve caps. The machining of the motor was horrible. I drove that rig for three summers an 1500 miles. I figure that rig cost me $4/mile to keep on the road. I was hooked on sidecars but could no longer put up with constant breakdowns and expensive solutions for bad quality control. I put an R60/5 motor into the Neval. I drove it for a season with the R60 motor, then swapped out the R60 cylinders and pistons for R80 cylinders and pistons with R75/5 heads. WOW! What a change. I rode the wheels off that thing for about four years, and decided (stupidly) to sell it to build a rig that was suitable for highway use. I went through an 85 K100 solo and then got a BMW R90/6 solo. I rode that for a while, but I really missed driving a sidecar, so I added a subframe, a Ural sidecar frame (bought from an inmate on ADVRider), and a Chang tub that I had for just such an endeavor. I was back on a rig! I have been driving that rig for nearly ten years. It is a perpetual project as I am always modifying something on it. So, the is much more detail involved between the lines is better told in person.
I also host an annual Southern Maine Sidecar Social in August. This past August we had fourteen rigs attending. August 2025 will be the Fourth Annual Southern Maine Sidecar Social.
I'm looking forward meeting all of you in June.
This is Fred from Central New York. Ive been riding for a very long time and just acquired my first sidecar (Rocket from Pakistan?), which was crated, as partial payment on some work and am interested in mounting it and taking some of the stress off older legs 🙂
Hello All,
New to the forum and Jerry said I’ll have to make some posts before being allowed to post pix. Sooo..
My name is Bob, married to Jody, down here in Pearl River, south Louisiana. We’ve been riding together since she convinced me to buy a big HD Ultra Limited 4-5 yrs ago. I’ve been riding my entire life, even before I could walk my Dad would put me on the gas tank of his various BSAs and Triumphs. I have the pix. I grew up in the California desert and was always on mini bikes, mini Hondas till my first motorcycle at 10. I’ve never been without a bike since. I’m in my mid 60’s. Up until this bagger purchase she was always hesitant to ride with me due to most of my bikes being crotch rockets, she got a little better once I picked up a BMWK1100LT, but the real comfort was not there for her. (Great bad weather bike BTW.) Hence the 2020 HD Ultra.
We’ve made many long trips, and when loaded the bike get’s considerably (top) heavier and harder to handle at stops, especially when there’s gravel. About 3 yrs ago we fell over at a stop on the Tail of the Dragon, stopped traffic due to an accident on the road ahead of us. Don’t stop on banked hairpin turns and expect to touch the ground with both feet. Slow motion fallover. She wasn’t the same after that. Always worried when we’d stop. So…. I explained my proposal. She loves traveling on the bike, so a Sidecar makes sense. She approved.
So after ordering a Ranger from Texas Sidecar Company in Aug. 2024, it arrived last week. It’s still in the crate, I’m building a carport for it + Bike. In preparation for the install, that I’ll do, I’m looking into a reverse gear kit, tires, etc.. Ideas, opinions, anecdotes welcome.
As for ever seeing a sidecar rig down here in the deep south, can’t say I ever have. Last one seen was at the 2024 BBB rally in Eureka Springs AR.
I’m planning for there to be a sidecar, local soon. My HD dealer is even excited.
Looking forward to being part of the community.
Bob
Welcome, @bobh BOB! You just missed a fall meetup that was located at the intersection of AR, TX, LA, OK. I think they called it the ArkLaTexOkie Rally. Sounds like they want it to be a regular, recurring event.
Two more posts and you can start attaching pics to show us your devious plan!
CHARGE!
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
Welcome. 👍Sounds like a plan.. #1
I like your avatar picture of the Horsehead nebula. Are you into astronomy as well?
Hold my keyboard and watch this! 🙃
Even the HD dealer is excited?
The wife likes it?
But you get to pilot it?
Win all around.
I prefer the term to pilot it.
I mean you can even fly the chair.
And it's body is called a boat.
Welcome to the wacky world of sidecars.
Thank you for the warm welcome gentlemen.
@scott-h - yes I'm into lotsa stuff, Astrophotography included. The pic in the avatar is one I took.. over 5 nights. At some point I'm sure we'll have a discussion on Astro..
And yes I guess the whole plan for three wheels started when she mentioned that perhaps we should get a trike. Another discussion. But it all worked out for the best!
I'm really looking forward to this new adventure. I like making new friends and I've been told that a sidecar will introduce an x factor into people approaching the rig wanting to talk. True?
GM
Thank you for the warm welcome gentlemen.
@scott-h - yes I'm into lotsa stuff, Astrophotography included. The pic in the avatar is one I took.. over 5 nights. At some point I'm sure we'll have a discussion on Astro..
And yes I guess the whole plan for three wheels started when she mentioned that perhaps we should get a trike. Another discussion. But it all worked out for the best!
I'm really looking forward to this new adventure. I like making new friends and I've been told that a sidecar will introduce an x factor into people approaching the rig wanting to talk. True?
GM
We didn't have a get-off moment, rather my wife had a stroke in 2018 that has left her with right side weakness. Getting onto the bike was never easy for someone with short legs. She also has type 1 diabetes so a low blood sugar moment would require some life threatening actions to render aid, even on a trike. Thus the decision to explore sidecars.
Best side benefit? The wide ranging group of enthusiasts!
Illegitemi non carborundum est!
