"A Bird in the Hand" take 2. DR650 Deadtail Bobber, now with a sidecar

[Hurco550]

A bare tube frame sidecar with a racecar seat would look good. A "bomber" type seat would go well with the bike.

A bomber seat has definitely been rattling around in the back of my head for this. I haven't completely decided on the "body" yet either. In my mind I've gone back and forth between a hand made aluminum deal and also thought of a tube frame with a seat like you said. Whatever it is needs to be low, small and simple. This one has been a bit of inspiration too.

 

[ridesolo]

...Whatever it is needs to be low, small and simple...

And kid friendly?

 

[Hurco550]

And kid friendly?

I suppose I ought to take that into account too eh? Lol

 

[doc_rot]

View attachment 237274

that looks like a racing hack with a lawn chair but no grips behind the driver seat or anywhere really so definitely not raced, or probably even ridden with a passenger since the wheels are uncovered. I have never ridden in something so low but i have to guess you would catch a lot of rocks on the street. i like the canoe idea. what about a wheel barrow flipped upside down?

 

[Hurco550]

that looks like a racing hack with a lawn chair but no grips behind the driver seat or anywhere really so definitely not raced, or probably even ridden with a passenger since the wheels are uncovered. I have never ridden in something so low but i have to guess you would catch a lot of rocks on the street. i like the canoe idea. what about a wheel barrow flipped upside down?

Yeah those are valid. Of course mine will have a smaller wheel and an enclosed fender on it. Likely a windshield of some type too. Heck it may end up looking nothing like that at all haha

 

[ridesolo]

Yeah, I'm sure the wheel needs to be covered. I can attest to it; stupid me w/ the ceiling fans in the RV and in the shop. I've learned that even if I make a deliberate mental note to "BE CAREFUL, DUMMY! inevitably if I get up near it and leave it running I'm sure to get too close. It stands to reason that an open wheel on a sidecar would be about like having no guards on a saw or meat slicer!

 

[Hurco550]

Did a bit of work today. I'm probably posting pictures too soon for it to really look like much of anything, but I decided to make a temporary chassis to do some testing on this thing. So much of this is new to me as I've never ridden a hack setup at all, specifically a leaner, and mounting one to a hardtail is even more uncharted of territory from any reading I've done. So this rig will mount up to the struts coming from the heim joints via 4 split collars, and I will make a wheel mount that will bolt into the holes. This way I can play with wheel lead, toe in, track width and even do a few mockup wooden bodies to make sure I don't mess up too badly with geometry before welding out the final frame. I'll also eventually make up a mockup suspension and be able to throw some weight on it to make sure it behaves as it should. It's a lot of extra work, but I'm hoping it yields the best possible performance and safety for the final iteration.

 

[Maritime]

keep up the great work!

 

[john83]

Badass!


Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON

 

[Hurco550]

Thanks fellas.

Got the bulk of the mockup chassis done today. Still have to finish machining the split collar clamps. It looks bulky but it's sub 20 lbs. Turned out neat looking even though it'll likely end up as scrap by the end of the project lol

 

[ridesolo]

I'll be happy to help you test it out, but I insist on some kind of floor before I'll willingly be a monkey!

 

[doc_rot]

that looks stout. the holes seem like the perfect application for dimple dies. nice work!

 

[Rider52]

Lovely work. It would be a shame to put it in the scrap pile.

 

[cbrianroll]

Your scrap looks better than my final completed work

 

[JustinLonghorn]

Your scrap looks better than my final completed work

You took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Maritime]

Yep.

 

[Hurco550]

Still piddling away on this thing.
I made up a set of collars and spacers to accept a set of high speed bearings with a 3/4" bore instead of the small stock units. The swingarm will likely just have one stud coming out so it needed to have a pretty stout axle.

I also finished boxing and and welding out the rear strut.

This gets you a bit better of an idea of how it mounts under the bike.

I made up some quick and simple struts that clamp on to the tubes just to be able to play around with clearances before I start welding anything solid or shortening up the main tubes.

And sorry for the poor video quality, but you get an idea of lean ability and how it will steer at least.

https://youtube.com/shorts/gB1p8n2rfWg?feature=share

 

[ridesolo]

Looks good. Too bad the bike and hack can't tuck in closer together but w/ the bike leaning down into the bucket on right turns your passenger wouldn't appreciate you leaning down onto their lap. Dumb question: If you found you needed a little more stability would filling up those two tubes w/ dry sand (or something similar) be an option? Just thinking that maybe some low weight might help plant things?

Sitting here thinking too much: I know the hack wheel leans as well, will you make some kind of steering mechanism so that the wheel leans AND steers a bit or will it just lean?

 

[Hurco550]

Looks good. Too bad the bike and hack can't tuck in closer together but w/ the bike leaning down into the bucket on right turns your passenger wouldn't appreciate you leaning down onto their lap. Dumb question: If you found you needed a little more stability would filling up those two tubes w/ dry sand (or something similar) be an option? Just thinking that maybe some low weight might help plant things?

Sitting here thinking too much: I know the hack wheel leans as well, will you make some kind of steering mechanism so that the wheel leans AND steers a bit or will it just lean?

Thanks Buddy. It will tuck in closer to the bike a bit more than it shows in the picture, maybe a couple of inches, but that is a "down fall" of a leaner over a fixed hack design is that you have to have more clearance for the lean towards the hack.

I also have a line on a neat body that I may go check out after work. Ill post up a picture if it works out...

Also, from everything ive read, you want fixed sidecars to have a bit more weight to them, but leaners you want to be as light as possible, so thats what im going for. If I do it right im hoping for the whole rig, including subframe to be sub 80 lbs.

 

[ridesolo]

I also have a line on a neat body that I may go check out after work. Ill post up a picture if it works out...

Also, from everything ive read, you want fixed sidecars to have a bit more weight to them, but leaners you want to be as light as possible, so thats what im going for. If I do it right im hoping for the whole rig, including subframe to be sub 80 lbs.

Anxious to see what you come up with...

I can see what you're saying about the weight. You'd want a stiff hack to stay planted so more weight would help. A flop hack will have gravity to its advantage and no adverse leverage pulling on it, unless you lean too aggressively.