To keep me of the street next year I plan to build or restore a sidecar for my 16H.

Before I start this project I have some questions about sidecars: Where sidecars fit to WW2 bikes and what where the manufacturers names of the sidecars. Is there documentation, photo's and drawings with all the right measurements available somewhere on the internet?.

Your help is well appreciated.

Henrie

I just bought a 1956 Watsonian to be fitted to my M20, which is this winter's project. I think I have most of the fittings needed but I too would very much appreciate any info which might be forthcoming, toe in, sidecar wheel lead, lean etc, from other's experience (I have none!!)
Cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

Hello Henrie/Pete. They certainly did have military sidecar outfits. Mostly used by the RAF on BSA's and Norton 16H's. Here is my own 16H outfit.
The sidecar used was the 'Swallow model 8'... BSA used the Swallow chassis and Norton used there own chassis.
I'll email you both with some WW2 pictures.
For British roads the lean out should be around 3/4"-1" likewise I think the tow in of about 3/4" for a light chair would be adequate. A heavy Norton Big 4 outfit has a massive tow in of 2". Ron



Ah Henrie what is your email address?

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Dare to be different......





From a set purchased from the IWM in the 60's when it still used film.....

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

Is that also a bren gun spare barrel on the gunners partition? Blimey it could almost take on a Pzkpfw1 and win!

The one I like best though is the Big4 3" Mortar carrier combo - mobile heavy firepower on call!

email (option): c.coxon@blueyonder.co.uk

Ron, my email address is: h.groeneveld16@chello.nl

email (option): h.groeneveld16@chello.nl

Am I right in thinking that with the sidecar on the left of the bike (i.e. UK style) I will need to have the bike lean in towards the chair instead of outwards as I will be riding on the “wrong” side of the road here in Germany? I understand the usual lean out is to compensate for road camber, is this correct? What do all you folks in Holland etc do?

Cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

The leanout of the bike is not so much to compensate for road camber but to help conteract the drag of the side car. Leaning the bike in would be ok on a steeply cambered road but on a flat road and there are many in Holland, you will be fighting the drag of the sidecar. I used many outfits touring Europe in the 60s and 70s and never found the need to alter the standard setup.Give it about 1 inch lean out about 1to 1 1/2 inch toe in and side car wheel lead about 9 inches, less lead makes it easier to turn left at the expense of turning right so a good figure is around 9 inches.

It is my understanding that the lean out is purely to compensate for the road camber. The sidecar wheel tow in is to reduce the drag of the chair. There has been some debate about the lean out with other sidecar users that I know. Some of them prefer to set their's up with no lean out at all. I think this is what I would do. You then have the option to use the outfit anywhere. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Thanks for the responses.
It just occurred to me that I have a mate her with a sidecar on his Road Rocket and he tells me he has "lean-in" on his set-up. Looks like I'll just have to try and find what works for me. However with no sidecar experience this may well entail a few "off-road" excursions anyway.
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

A good resource for sidecar theory, operation and much more, is Hal Kendall's page at http://www.sidecar.com/Hal.htm

It also has downloadable copies of the two Ixion "Reminiscences" books which, had I known that earlier, would have saved me considerable money (although you can't easily read loose A4 pages in the bath ).

ChrisJ

what a great site! Now I will have something to read in the bath as well
cheers
Pete

email (option): petercomley@web.de

Hi Pete. I take it your friend is driving a RHD outfit on German roads? In which case some lean in would seem appropriate. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Correct. Although due to his fondness for german beer when he gets on the outfit the whole lot leans in a variety of alarming directions.

email (option): petercomley@web.de

email (option): welbike@welbike.net