Side Car

[maplehawk]

Anyone mount a side car to a 2 gen venture?

[Eck]

its something you dont see every day, but Ive seen photos of side cars mounted to RSV's..

[BOO]

Here you go and it's for sale.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-Royal-Star-1999-Yamaha-Royal-Star-Venture-with-Sidecar_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50045QQihZ011QQitemZ320111678311QQrdZ1

Jerry

[skzoid]

I have one mounted. I bought it through Ebay. It ws on an 87 Goldwing so I had to contact the manufacturer (Champion) to get the bike-side mounts - $675 plus shipping, oops they forgot the steering damper, that will be another $35 plus $25 for shipping and I still had to beg for installation instructions. But hey - it only took 7 months to get everything from them. Great sidecar - too bad Champion doesn't offer customer service.

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j54/Danlapan/Halloween2006/th_HalloweenMotorcycle2006013.jpg

[Eck]

Boo,

Im surprised that his Venture has enough electrical power (charging system) to operate the extra lights on that side car.....

bet its running at max output all the time.

[BOO]

Eck,

I've seen a lot of talk about the charging systems on the RSV but some people push it to the so called max and get away with it.

I think a lot of the reason is the guys use the heated vests gloves etc in the winter so the oil don't get as hot during the cold weather.

What do I know? I,m just a nail bender.

Jerry

[Guest Bob [Tigerman] Kirby]

OK someone tell me if I can realy run VW tire on the rear of my rsv

when I get my sidecar mounted.

Thanks.(Tiger man)

[muffinman]

Anyone mount a side car to a 2 gen venture?

Yes 1Rooster just had his sidecar mounted the day before Vogel it is a nice looking rig.

[Carbon_One]

Yes 1Rooster just had his sidecar mounted the day before Vogel it is a nice looking rig.

His is a Velorex model. Not sure which one thou I'm thinking it's the 562 model. Could be very wrong there.

I've been eyeing a few of the different companies who make them too and besides the Velorex models I liked the Texas Side Car Ranger too.

Here's a couple links to them -

http://www.velorexusa.com/index.shtml

http://www.texassidecars.com/

Larry

[Bob tigerman Kirby]

Texas sidecar co. is where I am getting mine.

Its close to me(60 miles) and also I checked them out from top to bottom. They are a small hands on co. that realy cares about there work.

The man that designed the car and the mounting system is all about looks,functionality and above all Safety. The ranger mod. I am buying is

roomy sleak looking,with great body lines. No I dont own the Co. ha ha.

They are worth checking out. And by the way their web site has some nice pics of a Midnight venture with the Ranger mounted on it.

:080402gudl_prv:

[Carbon_One]

Texas sidecar co. is where I am getting mine.

Its close to me(60 miles) and also I checked them out from top to bottom. They are a small hands on co. that realy cares about there work.

The man that designed the car and the mounting system is all about looks,functionality and above all Safety. The ranger mod. I am buying is

roomy sleak looking,with great body lines. No I dont own the Co. ha ha.

They are worth checking out. And by the way their web site has some nice pics of a Midnight venture with the Ranger mounted on it.

:080402gudl_prv:

You'll be getting one nice rig there, Bob

If I hadn't made the decision to convert to a trike I would have bought the Ranger model myself. I was very impressed with them and the company.

Larry

[SteveW]

I'll be installing a champion sidecar on my 2005 RSV next week. It looks like it should be a nice match for the bike.

[WilCruise]

I've got an old Velorex that I found on Craig's list last year. Haven't gotten around to mounting it yet - needs a couple of minor mods. I planned to set it up to go on & off both the 1st & 2nd gen. Maybe over the winter, but more likely next year before I get around to it.

[greg_in_london]

Hmmm - a Velorex 562 sidecar designed to go onto a Czech two stroke motorcycle weighing less than 400lbs and producing twenty something horsepower on a (very) good day and put it onto a 750lb motorcycle producing 97hp according to the book.

 

Assuming the models are the same as in the UK - it's way too light.

 

Besides which, the rear lower fitting is designed to go clear through the motorcycle (a 12 or 14mm diameter bar as I recall). Most people who use these sidecars try to replace this with a short bar attached by an eye bolt to the motorcycle, which provides no rigidity.

 

Anything is possible if you want to do it right (including making the outfit as wide as possible) but be aware that apart from fittings flexing, you are likely to bend the sidecar wheel spindle/stub axle the first time you corner enthusiastically.

 

I've had these sidecars on a few Jawas, a GT380 and a GS550. It was too lightweight for the GS550, but okay for the others.

[1rooster]

Hmmm - a Velorex 562 sidecar designed to go onto a Czech two stroke motorcycle weighing less than 400lbs and producing twenty something horsepower on a (very) good day and put it onto a 750lb motorcycle producing 97hp according to the book.

 

Assuming the models are the same as in the UK - it's way too light.

 

Besides which, the rear lower fitting is designed to go clear through the motorcycle (a 12 or 14mm diameter bar as I recall). Most people who use these sidecars try to replace this with a short bar attached by an eye bolt to the motorcycle, which provides no rigidity.

 

Anything is possible if you want to do it right (including making the outfit as wide as possible) but be aware that apart from fittings flexing, you are likely to bend the sidecar wheel spindle/stub axle the first time you corner enthusiastically.

 

 

 

I had the Velorex sidecar on my 99 RSV for about a year now and over 12,000 miles and no problems.I live in the mountains and hardly ever get to ride straight roads.All the roads here in Western North Carolina are twisties.Like Steve I added 100 pound weigh to the sidecar and love the ride.Besides that,my wife loves riding the sidecar so I guess it is here to stay.LOVE IT

[greg_in_london]

Hey - I didn't say that it can't be securely attached, just that if you try to copy the original fittings, it is easy to get it wrong - and I've seen a few.

 

If you have a choice, ie before you fit it, and can choose between a lightweight chair that you must add 100lbs weight to and a heavier, more substantial, sidecar that needs no weight, I would recommend the stronger sidecar.

 

Please do keep an eye on the sidecar wheel spigot, though. Some early velorex models had a 10" wheel and I would suspect quite a strong spigot. The later, more common, 562 models had a 16" wheel and a 14mm diameter wheel spindle/spigot. As this is supported only on one side, enthusiastic cornering, especially while braking, can very easily bend it. In fact it is so weak, that you can straighten it by hammering it back through the housing.

 

Yes, I bent one when it was attached to a 350, cornering in the snow when I slid into a kerb and another on a GS550 when spinning it around in a car park, checking I was happy with the fittings.

 

Maybe you'll be fine as long as you don't let me have a go.....

Right, now I'm off to the London Sidecar Club rally.

 

TTFN until after the weekend.

[PBJ]

Instead of the 562 I'd like to recommend the 700 model. It ahs a high back seat with a lockable compartment and comes with a nice vinyl top. I have one on my XS1100 Venturer. The answer to the bottom mounting bracket is to make a bar steel adapter that you can hook onto the centerstand mounting bracket. Does the RSV have one? if not then attach the bracket to the frame under the bike. this gives a very stable mounting point for the bottom bracket.

 

As far as mounting up the Velorex to two different bike I would seriously consider buying a second set of mounting bracket and permanently install a set on each bike. Getting mounting brackets right and set is a time consuming process and once on you're done you don't want to be removing them. An excellent source of information is Hack'd magazine. they've been publishing excellent mounting information for years and usually have back issues available for you.

 

Also as far as the weight and electrical problems are concerned one answer takes care of both things, Mount a car battery behind the seat and run cables to the bike. You'll have the ballist weight you'll need and the extra electrical power to run the extra lights on the bike and the chair. i learned this trick from a guy pulling a Henderson sport chair on a Honda St1300. Since I made the conversion I haven't had anymore electrical problem with my rig. See car tires aren't the only car parts we can use on our bikes.

 

Getting the chair mounted is basically based on the type of roads you generally ride, there are compromisesto make. Having ridden with a chair for over ten years I can tell you it's a ball, a little scary at times but with practice you can keep up in almost any situation. if you need help let me know.

Edited July 11, 2008 by PB&J

[greg_in_london]

Well, back from the rally and there was someone who had picked up a cheap velorex chair to nail onto a honda 400 - something the right size for it.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/greg_in_london/sidecar%20rally/DSCF2045.jpg

The first thing to say is that he had done exactly what I said with the lower rear fitting.

Holding the sidecar and the backof the bike it was easy to move the fitting a quarter of an inch or so. Not the end of the world on a lightweight outfit, but potentially enough to make much more movement over time and maybe snap one of the eyebolts.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/greg_in_london/sidecar%20rally/DSCF2053.jpg

He had made most of his own fittings, which were basic and crude, but should be strong enough.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/greg_in_london/sidecar%20rally/DSCF2054.jpg

The second thing is that it let me take a couple of pictures of the sidecar wheel. It really is only strong enough for light use. Here's a picture from the side

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/greg_in_london/sidecar%20rally/DSCF2046.jpg

And here's one from under the sidecar.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/greg_in_london/sidecar%20rally/DSCF2047.jpg

Even on a bike that weighs less than 400lbs he needed ballast in the chair.