Lately I have been really wanting to get a sidecar setup for touring. The problem is that most of them are too expensive for my budget. I would like to have a complete setup for around $3000 but that is the top of my range even if I sell my current motorcycle (which I don't want to do)
I was thinking I could get an older BMW toaster or K-series and a used sidecar to put something together.
This makes me want a Harley 
This one is pretty cool and the right price:
There was a GL650 Silverwing with a sidecar near me that I used to drive past on my way home from work. Totally lusted that old setup; I knew how to fix and maintain it and already had the spare parts. Great for taking the wife AND daughter for a ride.
Used to know a guy in IL that drove around with an old BMW w/ side car. His German Shepard used to ride in it. He (the shepard) had an old leather helmet w/ holes cut in it for his ears. very cool.
I have never seen a guy riding shotgun in a sidecar on the road. It has to be about as uncool as riding in the back seat of a convertible (although being a navigator on b-roads would be really fun in a sidecar).
MitchellC wrote:Not if it had a functional machine gun mountI have never seen a guy riding shotgun in a sidecar on the road. It has to be about as uncool as riding in the back seat of a convertible (although being a navigator on b-roads would be really fun in a sidecar).
And I bet the Dakar one is a Ural.
MitchellC wrote:I have never seen a guy riding shotgun in a sidecar on the road. It has to be about as uncool as riding in the back seat of a convertible (although being a navigator on b-roads would be really fun in a sidecar).
land speed side car team http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/LC8.jpg
http://www.race-uscra.com/trials.html Mid way down pic on the left is a freind Bob Manifold and his son on there trials rig. They've competed on the Isle of Man the past few years!
I hear the URAL bikes are pretty cheap, since they are direct copies of the originals for 6 decades ago. Some claim that they also require the TLC of 6 decades ago, though.
Why not build your own hack and stick it on a cheap '80's UJM?
It's hard to find a Ural under $4k, I could piece together a BMW rig for that. I could get the CB750 with a sidecar I linked to the first post but I would rather have a BMW because they are cooler 
Urals have come a long way in the past few years. 10 years ago i looked at being a dealer for them back then they were cheap and if you wanted to sell them and keep them from coming back you took them down and tossed out all the hardwear. do that and they lasted fine Now theres no need the factory has come along way.
I don't think they were Urals (but maybe they were), but there was a seller on ebay that had Russian BMW knock-offs, complete with sidecar for around $3k. They came in "kit" form, which just means they take the wheels and sidecar off.
Could be a Dnepr
An improperly setup sidecar is hellishly frightening. They will shake their heads, try to flip, and do all sorts of things that make unicycles seem stable.
I've piloted maybe 10-15 hacks in my few years in a BMW shop, and a couple of them were virtually unrideable. That said, the two worst offenders, both of which scared the bejeesus out of me, were bikes that weren't designed with hacks in mind, with universal chairs mounted up (poorly), with insufficient modification to the motorcycle to increase its stability. One was an XS650 with a Velorex chair, the other was an Enfield/Cozy combo.
I highly encourage you to do research into proper setup before embarking on this endeavor.
I have been reading about leading link front suspension. I also saw a thread on ADVrider about properly setting up a sidecar.
If I do make one I may look into building my own leading link fork, it doesn't look too difficult if you use the right materials and follow a known design.
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