Sidecar query

[cosmo]

Thinking about fabbing a frame and body. I'm well-experienced in sidecar mounting, last was a Goulding (30's) to an M20, custom mounts all the way. So, no problems that way.

But, what I need are dimensions, as in track width and O/A length of a double adult car, such as a Watsonian.

Pics would help, too, particularly interior shots. Watsonians in the Chicago area are as rare as Budweiser Light at Oktoberfest.

Any and all information is entertaining, as well as possibly useful.

Thanks,
Cosmo

[Mustang]

But, what I need are dimensions, as in track width and O/A length of a double adult car, such as a Watsonian.



Any and all information is entertaining, as well as possibly useful.

Thanks,
Cosmo

can't help on info for the adult side by side double but .............

track width on my single california sidecar on the tiger is :

Track width = approx 53 inches c/l to c/l of wheels
overall width = left handlebar end to side car extreme right side is 59 1/2 inch

sidecar wheel lead = 9-12 inches works pretty dood on a tiger
                                i am at approx 10 1/2
toe in = I am running at about 1 1/4 inch toe in and the rig seems to like this as left or right turning is pretty damn good and even empty the chair is pretty good on most right hand turns

I've had her up to 85 mph with this setup and is nice and stable

[cosmo]

Thank you.

Those figures are almost exactly what I used on the BSA/Goulding, and it, too, is a wonderful ride. Took me awhile to understand what Goulding were doing with the mount system. A 3 point, and quite unusual in today's light. But it works a treat.

California S/Cs I have done work upon, there's one not 6 blocks away. But too small for my needs, plus I am considering making a box sidecar to swap with the double adult.

Life would be easier if I were normal...

[Advwannabe]

Define 'Stable' please Mustang. I had my first drive of a chair on the weekend ( CB1300 with leading like Front suspension). According to the second test rider who is experienced with devil bikes it was a well set up one, but I found it anything but stable.

I actually think that a chair makes sense for an allroads bike like the Tiger, but the experience freaked me out a bit. Does riding one of those things ever become second nature and does your brain automatically reset when you jump back on a two wheeler?

All I could think of during my hours exposure was "can't relax, devil bike will kill me, can't relax, devil bike will kill me"

[cosmo]

Maybe I'm the wrong one to comment.

My brain runs to oddities like a Citroën 2CV as a daily driver, in the USA; motorcycling year-round, in Chicago; and such like.

Yet, to me, a well-sorted outfit will run straight at cruise, and require just more effort to turn. Never a sensation of wanting to injure.

But to get there requires more than just bits. It requires the bobs, too.
Frame to chair mounts really should be welded, you CAN tell the difference. There really should be no consideration to converting back and forth: it's now a three-wheeled conveyance, and that's it. And the chair should weigh 1/3 of the motorcycle. A 'Wing should have a 350 pound chair, really.
The above BSA has two of the three, and the mounts are really over-engineered as they are bolted onto the frame (customer insistence). But, they bolt to BOTH sides of the frame where possible, and feed loads to both sides at all locations. This is very important.

These are the items that 99% of sidecars fail upon. And until you ride one that has all the above, you'll not really know the thrill of sidecarring.

Cosmo

[chairhead]

Define 'Stable' please Mustang. I had my first drive of a chair on the weekend ( CB1300 with leading like Front suspension). According to the second test rider who is experienced with devil bikes it was a well set up one, but I found it anything but stable.

I actually think that a chair makes sense for an allroads bike like the Tiger, but the experience freaked me out a bit. Does riding one of those things ever become second nature and does your brain automatically reset when you jump back on a two wheeler?

All I could think of during my hours exposure was "can't relax, devil bike will kill me, can't relax, devil bike will kill me"

One big mistake bike riders make is the assumption that riding an outfit is
just like riding a bike,its nothing like it :D ,don't get me wrong,you still have to change gear ,pull the brakes and so on but that's where the similarities end.
Two good friends of mine both good bike riders thought they could jump on my outfit and take it for a spin :) ,after the first one came back pale faced and shaking the others enthusiasm had faded somewhat but he still he took it for a spin,he too came back pale faced and said "you are f**kin mad to ride that".
Ive been riding outfits now for about 7 years and i am still learning,i can tell you the moment you get over confident is the moment your outfit will kick you in the nuts and then bite you in the ass, :twisted: they are on the other hand fantastic fun and i will never be without one, so Advwannabe,
being freaked out is a perfecly normal reaction to riding an outfit for the first time the freaking outness will fade with every ride.......trust me

[Mustang]

what chairhead said ....................and I myself have no problem going back and forth between the hack and a 2 wheeler ..............the hack is cool you just need to learn how to drive it , notice I said drive not ride .

[Advwannabe]

Thanks for the reassurance fellas, the guy who owns the CB1300chair was new to it too.

As I said, a Tigger with a chair makes a lot of sense as an all roads bike.
Cornering is a big part of why I like travel by bike, but being out there in the landscape is a big part of it too.

I can see a well set up Steamer with my wife in the back, dogs in the chair going bush for a few days :D

*Edit Oh and keep it down in here. If the government finds out how much fun these things are they'll ban 'em for sure!