Projects Three wheels instead of four

I realize this is OFF TOPIC ... but I wanted to show off what I built as my last years winter project.


I have owned several motorcycles when I was younger and had 3-with a side car attached. I haven't had a bike since I sold my last one in 1981.
Going into last winter I didn't have anything lined up to work on. So I started digging thru all the junk stored up in the barn that was left over from past projects.

I use to have a 1956 BSA that got hit in the rear and I still had the frame and****le.

Other BSA parts in the barn included: gas tank, 2-tool boxes, 18-inch rear wheel and a pair of mufflers.
Also a girder front forks, brake pedal and rear luggage rack for a 40's military bike.
There was also part of a 1949 Simplex Servi-cycle frame.

My son gave me a 1976 Yamaha XS650 frame, engine and rear wheel that he picked up from some where.

...... So with this pile of parts, I started building a bike.

I have always liked the looks of the old bikes from the 40's and 50's, so that is what I wanted to make mine look like.

I used the steering neck from the BSA and the engine cradle from the Yamaha to build the frame. The hard tail is made with steel tube and
the axle ends off the Yamaha swing arm.

I laced the 18 BSA rear wheel to the Yamaha rear hub. I machined the "Yamaha" name off the engine side case and machined both side cases
to accept a round BSA emblem.

Bought a 21-inch Suzuki front wheel, speedometer & speedometer cable off ebay. Also got the front & rear fenders, handle bars, seat,
head lite & tail lite bracket and foot boards off ebay.



Frame welded up with BSA neck and Yamaha engine cradle using home made welding jig.






21 inch front wheel and 18 inch rear wheel. Tool box on this side holds the battery and voltage regulator. This view shows the 3 Hime joints to attach the sidecar frame.



Rear fender is off a 50's BMW. Tool box on this side is for tools. Foot boards are remanufactured units for a 20's Excalibur. Leg guard is off a Servi-Cycle.




I wanted to make an air cleaner that fit with the "old" looks of the bike rather than just put two paper cleaners on the carbs.
The air cleaner housing is made out of 2 inch diameter copper plumbing fittings. The filter is for a 2-barrel carb.


The openings fit onto the carbs with the stock Yamaha rubber sleeves. The air cleaner is then held in place with a steel strap bolted to the rear frame tube.


This is the air cleaner housing painted.



Sidecar frame is made out of pieces from an old lift truck roll cage. The sidecar step is an old horse drawn buggy step.
Bought an 18 inch Honda rear wheel to use as the sidecar wheel and a Harley rear fender to use as the sidecar fender.





The brake on the sidecar wheel works with the rear brake on the bike.
Or it can be applied by itself to****ist in making right hand turns.


I used a fiberglass nose off a go cart to build a side car to go on this bike. The bottom, sides and back are made out of wood.
The whole thing is covered inside and out with 4 layers of fiberglass. There is a storage area behind the seat.






Painted sidecar body with windshield attached.




Painting the "tins".




Bike and sidecar frame painted.
Springs for the sidecar body are off a 70's MGB car.



The finished project.









I'm using the 56 BSA****le because the numbers match the numbers on the neck. I also have the same numbers stamped into the engine case.

 

That's a sweet project. Nice job!

 

Looks like good summer fun. Might be a bit cold this time of the year.

 

Very nice.........you captured the look. Made my day!

 

Great ride. I have a soft spot for older British bikes, and a couple of my friends have bikes with sidecars. One is an old Harley, the other is a Ural. My friend with the Ural drives his in all weather, and plows through the heavy snow in 2WD.

Really nice job! It looks great.

 

Pretty damm neat out of a pile of parts. After owning a few sidecar outfits myself I do think a little more front brake wouldn't hurt. Although it probably works as well as what was on a 46 350 Ariel Red Hunter ridged/Velorex rig I had.

 

Gotta love it! Rode British bikes up untill I got out of Highschool. Wish I still head some of the Triumphs I had in the back of my old shop!! Just be carefull, sidecars tend to be a handfull if not set up right.

GOOD JOB!

 

Wow that is amazing ! I wish I had that type of ingenuity to build something like thay. Would you consider selling it.. ?

 

Actually .. yes.

I haven't gotten around to putting a license and insurance on it since I built it.
I built it more as an investment rather than something to use.
Ive ridden it up and down the road a few times. It rides really well but doesn't idle well. I need to put rebuild kits in the carbs as they have been sitting since the mid 80's.

I'm thinking of rebuilding the carbs in the spring and listing it on ebay.

 

WOW ! Damn nice job !
Enjoy the fresh air ride !

 

you really captured the classic look on the bike,i had a few of those 650's yamis, make sure the carb manifolds are in real good shape, could be some of the idling problem

 

Fantastic!!! That has to be one of the best blending of two into one I've seen. I would saylong may you ride it but it seems that you are going to sell it. But while you have I'll wish you the best. Now that you have it done do you think you could help me get mine done?

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Bet they'd love to see this over at the Jockey Journal?
A fine forum for motorsickles and the like.

 

pretty damn cool.

 

off topic or not i like it. way cool and excellent craftsmanship. i love that side car

 

amazing ingenuity.....love it

 

Great job. You should be proud.

 

Beautiful job!!!!!

 

Very Cool. I have built many sidecar rigs over the years. For safety please get rid of the U bolts and add a upper rear mount.

 

You really think so?

Those U-bolts are DOT rated for 3500 pound trailer axles. I can't see the hack putting any way near the stress on them that a trailer would hitting pot holes and other road hazards.

This is the 4th sidecar that I've built for myself and I've built 3 for other people. I built a rig for a good friend of mine back in 1973 for his Matchless.
He still has the hack ( mounted to a Harley now ) and rides it a lot and there has not been any problems.

I think the U-bolts will do just fine. Factory built units have run this same design for a very long time.

 

I would be concerned with the pipe rotating or moving.

 

Neat stuff.

 

i like it!
especially the air cleaner plumbing!

 

i'm bringing this back just 'cause it's so cool.....................................

 

This is off topic but it does all most make it with 3 wheels and a hell of a lot of imagination Looks good

 

Shit, how coulod that possibly be O/T for here? That's the epitome of hot rodding - so what if it's a scoot? The sidehack adds bonus points, in my book! That's cool as hell!

 

wow, great little project, and nice work.

 

Now that is cool! Great job both in design and engineering. The guys over at Jockeyjournal would love it too.

 

You should post this on 650motorcycles.com and Jockey Journal!!!!!! WAY COOL!

 

Off topic and way COOL! Great project.