Solo to Sidecar by STD

[Bruin]

Koncretekid, I'm sure you'll find some group you can help, check your local bike shows, there are always a couple charities struggling to draw people to their booth and a nice bike like yours would be a help. I once loaned out a bike to a wounded veterans group and they used it as a draw at all kinds of outdoor events.

Of course if you paint/decorate your bike to match the organizations theme they love that.

It's garage season!

[Bruin]

Oddly, the '70 Triumph 250 wouldn't start. And then it would. And then it wouldn't. Turns out that the 3 way Stop-Run-Stop switch was positional. From the upper off to run settings it started fine. But from the lower off to run it wouldn't start. I took the switch apart and found a contact corroded over and a spring the switch floats on frozen by rust. I cleaned everything up but won't be able to test it till I get a new battery on board.

I registered for the Bub/Motorcycle Speedtrials.  Does my sidecar copilot need to do any paperwork or just show up with approved gear?

[Old Scrambler]

Brian............just thinking...........don't actually know...........I would be prepared with all info required for the rider.........especially the health info........and something good for the PA system.

[Bruin]

Tucker's 250 Trump had spark on the lift, I topped off the fluids, took it off the lift... and no spark. Checked out the usual suspects but the elusive blue lightening didn't return until I broke down and reassembled the disconnect kill-lanyard switch. I had to drill the mount screws out but it was actually pretty clean for being a six year salt veteran. Cleaned and lubed it and got the spark back. After sitting 10 months and a valve replacement, the 44 yo gal started on the first kick. Yahoo!

Now I can get my bike on the lift, get it running, and finish converting it to a sidecar rig. There might be some dramatic suspense, the bike and the rig are being built half a nation apart and won't be joined until we meet at Bonneville.

[JimL]

You can do it.  In 2011, I hauled out a larger engine for our shaft drive bike from Colorado.  That sounds simple enough, but it was a different engine both in displacement and physical size, and different main engine mount locations.  I brought some "various" steel and my son fabbed up frame brackets, longer engine mounts, etc.  We had to seek out enough generator to run the MIG, but it worked out fine (current MPS-PG-650 record).

There are lots of helpful folks out there, or we wouldnt have got it going.  I'll be watching for your runs on the internet, this year.

Good luck, ride safe.
JimL

[Bruin]

JimL  To try and get cycle and hack to match, we are building to a template. The theory being, build the hack mounts to a template, and ship the template to me where I'll then mate the mounts to it. With built in adjustable fudge factors.

[Old Scrambler]

Fudge-factors are allowed.................clamps.........not welds...........with turn-buckle adjusters.  Try to minimize the suspension sag on the bike. Your front suspension on the bike must be sturdy.........including the wheel. Any amount of side-flex (frame; fork; wheel; tire) will require toe-in adjustment that may work well at certain speeds.......and not so well at others.

[Bruin]

My copilot Harry sent the mounting blocks for the sidecar. Being half a country apart we got them to fit by... 1. I sent him scale drawings and lots of pictures. 2. I sent him a section of the frame tubing as a fit dummy. 3. Harry sent the parts he and Shobe made attached to a template of the sidecar frame. We forgot to allow for the existing weld beads on the joint we are mounting to so a little creative grinding was required but the fit is spot on. Next, welding them on.

[Bruin]

The sidecar mounts are welded on and painted. The fuel tank, pump, and battery are mounted. I moved it back from the exhaust pipe and I'm going to put a shield between them.

I needed to test the new fuel system. After sitting since Bonneville last year the old one lunger actually fired up on the first kick. Happy dance!

[Old Scrambler]

What did you expect??? Its a HONDA

So your ready and more than 2-weeks to go......................we have a lot to do, but hope to test-fire both bikes next weekend

[Bruin]

The stiffen the forks I made a brace for the legs. It is more hefty than it looks. I can't get my wheel fairing/fender on over it but for our test run I'll consider safety over fasty. I will try to fit a regular fender on the brace to keep the spray out of my kisser. I fashioned a shield between the exhaust pipe and gas tank and slipped an adjustable pipe extension over the end so we can play with the exhaust length tuning. Oh, and spent too much time crafting a wooden exhaust plug.
Time to get serious about the fairing.

[Peter Jack]

Hate to advise this but dump the fancy wood exhaust plug and get a rubber ball or make one out of plastic or maybe aluminum. If you travel through rain on the way to the races you'll know why I give this piece of advise. It comes from experience. Remember, wood swells when it gets wet.

Pete

[Bruin]

Rubber and wood jokes aside, I see the wisdom in your suggestion and rigged a rubber plug. Effective and appropriate... but no soul. LOL Reports from Seattle hint that the sidecar is now welded up. Can't wait to try and fit bike and hack together, that will happen at Bonneville.

[Peter Jack]

Sorry to rain on your parade so to speak but we had eight of them to get out. It wasn't a happy time! 

Pete

[Bruin]

For the most part anyone looking won't see much of the work I did this year. Didn't get past lowering the gas tank onto the bottom rail, gearing it down for the new 1 mile drag strip rule, and affixing the sidecar mounts. I wanted to tweak the exhaust but ran into fitting problems that will require a pipefitter. I also wanted to craft a new fairing but that seemed a bit horse before the cart to make it before I got the sidecar mounted. I am looking forward to seeing if two things built half a country apart will actually fit together.

Wife Tucker is going high tech. I got her a tachometer and she promises to read it.

See ya on the salt. ~Brian