Author Topic: Sidecars  (Read 49986 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Nortonist 592

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1510
    • http://www.artfv.com/design/fashion/
Sidecars
« on: March 03, 2006, 10:27:09 PM »
I don't know if there are any sidecar fans out there.  This is mine.  I'm building it for El Mirage.  500 Weslake speedway engine for power.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2007, 11:29:02 PM by Nortonist 592 »
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.

Offline Salty Blaster

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 37
Sidecars
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2006, 09:20:51 AM »
That's wild! How about a run down on particulars, your expectations and more photo views. Is that hub steering? Hard to tell. Looks like fun. Good luck.
Go faster, just don't eat the salt!

bak189

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2006, 11:30:11 AM »
Your sidecar looks great....what are you using for power????
We have been running a "chair" since 1978....has been lots of fun for us, and 4 records todate.
How does your passenger ride in the platform??.....after all sidecars must have a passenger....or it would not be a sidecar....it would just be a bike with a "wheel on a stick"

bak189

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2006, 11:33:59 AM »
Sorry, you did indicate Speedway Engine.....at 70 years old one does not alway connect the eye's and brain...sorry

Offline 1212FBGS

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2532
    • http://www.motobody.com
Sidecars
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2006, 01:55:44 PM »
are they gonna let ya run that go cart tire on the hack side? needs an H rating ya know. the tech guys gave ya some crap at the nov race bout it were ya able to get a waver or somethin'?

jprovo

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2006, 01:58:54 PM »
Nice Sidehack, it's really interesting.
How small is the wheel for the chair? I thought that is had to have an 8" rim...

bak189

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2006, 02:44:45 PM »
You can run a 5 inch wheel on the chair and use a Goodyear front runner tire like the ones they used on the Top Fuel dragsters of old.
We were the first to use one on our outfit (it was Hell getting thru Tech back in 1989) we have been at 187mph with that tire....no probems
P.S. That 187mph was on pavement in France (1991) with a passenger in the chair.

Offline Nortonist 592

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1510
    • http://www.artfv.com/design/fashion/
Sidecars
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2006, 04:06:43 PM »
Thanks for the kind words.  I'm a computer neandertal and putting this on here was an experiment that surprisingly worked.  Hence the lack of any details.  The motor is a short rod Weslake speedway motor.  The trans is a laid down Norton [early 50s].  The frame is home brewed.  109 3/4" w.b., Chopped up Kawasaki forks with an Austin mini wheel, Triumph back wheel and some BSA frame bits.  The sidecar wheel is a 5" kart wheel and tire.  I down loaded a lot of info from Bridgestone as to the tire.  And it was approved.  I made a partial run last July at El Mirage [turn out].  I was using a Tiumph trans.  One forward, four neutrals.  Should have listened to my Dad.  I run an earlier Weslake in my Norton and it has run 123 at El Mirage so I'm hoping for at least that and with a bit of luck, better.
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.

jprovo

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2006, 04:50:47 PM »
Using a cart tire or the Drag front tires makes sense.

Good luck with your rig, it looks like it will do well.

jprovo

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2006, 04:52:06 PM »
187 Mph as a passenger on a sidecar sounds crazy. What kind of event was that?

bak189

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2006, 07:58:29 PM »
Hey James....It was a
Speed Trial in France by the town of Chinon on a closed public road
with a 1/2 km shutdown.....only had the rear brake I ran at Bonneville.....barely got it stopped before the barrier...in Europe one uses a passenger in the chair like all REAL sidecars should have....interesting fact: I ran the same gearing that got me a Bonneville record at 160mph + on salt....ran 187mph on pavement....
talk about wheel spin.....the outfit was Kaw. KZ powered w/turbo and gigle gas...could have gone faster but would not have been able to stop in time. Ah, yes the good old days....living past glory!!!!
P.S. You should have seen the white face of the passenger when she took off her helmet....almost caused me a divorce...but we are still together todate 35 years.

Offline JackD

  • NOBODY'S FOOL
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4684
That is not the way I heard it.
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2006, 08:53:44 PM »
Bob
She said your face was the white one and she kept you on your promise you would never do it again.
And that time she believed you.
Tell them about the passenger simulator that you guys ran on the chair after Elmo decided
 you can't have a passenger any more.
"I would rather lose going fast enough to win than win going slow enough to lose."
"That horrible smell is dirty feet being held to the fire"

bak189

  • Guest
Sidecars
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2006, 11:25:40 PM »
Jack D is trying to get me in trouble....BNI let us run passengers until 1987 (152mph)
then the officials said
" no more passengers" it is my understanding Elmo G (how are you doing these days Elmo????) was involved in this decision......so when we build a streamliner sidecar in 1991, it was build with a full passenger platform (we had plans to run it in Europe)...in order to keep the full Airo-effect we put a
mannequin in full leathers strapped on the platform and called it "Elmo".  To this day BNI will not allow passenger......However, there is hope...it looks like the
BUB Event for 2006 will allow "two up" as per AMA/FIM rules.

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Sidecars
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2006, 12:47:11 AM »
Quote from: bak189
so when we build a streamliner sidecar in 1991, it was build with a full passenger platform (we had plans to run it in Europe)...in order to keep the full Airo-effect we put a
mannequin in full leathers strapped on the platform and called it "Elmo".


Now I don't mean to offend anyone and with the current rules I would probably build a sidecar streamliner like is presently being done, but come on these "new" sidecars are about as far from what I envision a sidecar class to be as allowing a streamliner to run as a lakester.  Why not make it so they would actually have to encapsulate or hold something that would be in the shape of a real passenger.

They are pretty neat pieces of engineering :D , but not sidecars in my point of view :? .

c ya, Sum

Offline JackD

  • NOBODY'S FOOL
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4684
Way back when
« Reply #14 on: March 07, 2006, 01:05:24 AM »
When SCTA decided to eliminate the monkey the rules were changed to keep them a sidecar
 and not to a class A bike with a tag wheel.
I believe the rule said "The operator must demonstrate they can be accommodated aboard
the sidecar to guarantee a minimum size."
 That kept the entrant from establishing the validity of the sidecar with an undersized person for inspection.
The tech guy (not me) changed it to the tag wheel outfit and even produced the minimums at El Mirage
 so that he could get #1 in points against a bike that never existed in the World.
 After establishing the minimum minimums he went back to the Board and tried to get even those reduced.
 I guess he was suitably embarrassed and it did not go down even more.
It was not down hill from there but along the path and with the credibility to match.
"I would rather lose going fast enough to win than win going slow enough to lose."
"That horrible smell is dirty feet being held to the fire"