Saxon7 wrote:This is all a very long time ago of course.......so long ago that the cops still rode Triumphs.

Now they ride radar and speed cameras. Fish in a barrel. Brings it in far easier.

AL-58 wrote:All DJPs had Mini wheels, so did all HRD Grand Rallies.  If it was a British mag wheel it could be a Minilite.  In Australia it's far more likely to be an ROH Contesta (local copy basically).  I have a Contesta on my HRD.

For that stud pattern there is a 12" wheel from the last of the real Minis that runs a low profile tyre.  I've been trying to get one for the right price for years.  There's also a 13" Moke wheel, but you wont get it under the mudguard.

As an ex-Leyland apprentice myself and having a father that worked for BMC/BL/Leyland Australia from '58 till '76 my brain is full of it

Al

It is a 10" inch Minilite , and came with a ROH centre cap Al . I'm sure it was a 110 PCD stud pattern as well.

I've not seen the ROH cap, Ed. Must be hanging out at Beresfield still. :As are  maybe two of the wheel nuts.

Ed wrote:

AL-58 wrote:All DJPs had Mini wheels, so did all HRD Grand Rallies.  If it was a British mag wheel it could be a Minilite.  In Australia it's far more likely to be an ROH Contesta (local copy basically).  I have a Contesta on my HRD.

For that stud pattern there is a 12" wheel from the last of the real Minis that runs a low profile tyre.  I've been trying to get one for the right price for years.  There's also a 13" Moke wheel, but you wont get it under the mudguard.

As an ex-Leyland apprentice myself and having a father that worked for BMC/BL/Leyland Australia from '58 till '76 my brain is full of it

Al

It is a 10" inch Minilite , and came with a ROH centre cap Al . I'm sure it was a 110 PCD stud pattern as well.

What I'm saying is that ROH did not make a Minilite wheel.  Minilite is an English brand.  ROH in Australia made a lookalike that they called a Contesta.  There is no such thing as an ROH Minilite.

That said the word Minilite does get used as a bit of a generic term but there is still no ROH Minilite.

If it was important, and its probably not.  ROH is probably cast into the wheel somewhere, possible in the rear of one of the spokes.

Al

It's not important to me. It just needs to do its job.

So, spring has sprung here in Guyra ( more or less) and the weather has warmed up enough to at least do some prep for painting. Might let it warm up a few more degrees before I do some actual colour coats. Still more prep to go before top coats of course.
Have spent  some time cleaning up the instrument panel and switchblocks etc without becoming too OCD about it. Some new grips certainly in order...the bars aren't perfect but they'll do for now. The tank sitting on the bike right now is from Klompy. It's given me food for thought in regards to colours.... hmm... but I think I'll stick to my original plan. ( You know... the one I've changed my mind about, about 19 times)
Looking for some naked bike type blinkers that will mount on headlight brackets. Any suggestions  for some decent sized ones?

looking good Seanie

Thanks Charlie,
Progress is slow... but hoping to get a few things done in the spring and summer.
Sean

Hey Sean, when I nakedised my K1100 I used standard K Bike rear indicators mounted to the homemade headlight brackets.

Since they are rear units they angle up very slightly but were not hard to fit - just made a drill template from the original rubber mounting gasket. Might work if the headlight brackets you intend to use have enough space for the footprint of the indicator.

I don't imagine it would be hard to find a set if you keep an eye on the cafe project section.

Cheers

Thanks Gaz, that's a good idea I hadn't thought of! I have a spare set on the donor bike.
Cheers,
Sean

SO yes... spring has sprung and the days are warmer here in Guyra and the paint less likely to run onto the floor.
It's now almost a year since I got hold of this project and progress has been slow for a number of the usual life-getting-in-the-way kind of reasons.
I had thought I'd be able to ride it to this year's Northern Tablelands ride but alas we are nowhere near completion; I'll be on the Triumph again.
Still.. the bike runs, I've tidied up the frame and fittings and now have managed to get a few coats of paint on the bike: the sidecar body still requires work to be ready for painting but I'm hoping I'll get to it very soon.
After that it's tyres, brakes, a rear wheel adaptor, oh and actually fitting the chair to the bike.

Looks quite lovely there in that second picture Sean!  Even without the sidecar    Just for pure interest sake, what does a side car do to the mileage on a K?  Same as pulling a trailer?  Enjoy your getaway to the Northern Tablelands

Hello Woodie,
To be honest, I don't remember what sort of mileage I got with the last one.... better than the Triumph though. The Triumph gets about 30mpg.
Still... I always figure, you don't buy a Rocket III for its fuel economy.....and it does have a 24 litre tank. There is a significant difference in fuel economy on the Triumph between cruising along at 110kmh and 120+kmh.
I'll let you know what I get with the K100...I know this sidecar will weigh more than my last home made job...so I will expect a little less economy but will still get decent range at respectable touring speeds... 100-120 or so.
Fun factor will be large though.

Woodie wrote:Looks quite lovely there in that second picture Sean!  Even without the sidecar    Just for pure interest sake, what does a side car do to the mileage on a K?  Same as pulling a trailer?  Enjoy your getaway to the Northern Tablelands

I have a very heavy sidecar (123kg or 270Lbs), and the mileage is between 30 to 40 mpg (7 to 9 liters/100km). I usually have to refill every 200km.
As soon as you go over 110km/h, this is when the mileage decrease.
Once, I was on the highway following friends on solo bikes and going at a speed of 125-130, the gas consumption went up to 11 L/100km. 

Saxon7 wrote:SO yes... spring has sprung and the days are warmer here in Guyra and the paint less likely to run onto the floor.

looking good seanii

I was watching one of the Indiana Jones movies again last weekend with my son and it had a motorcycle chase scene with an R75 rig.  I asked him if he would ride in one and he said yes!  He is adamant about not getting on the back of the K100.  And then, coincidentally, I happened to see a side car for sale on Kijiji    Not likely to happen anytime soon but these sidecar threads are now getting quite interesting.  Shame!

I know this one for sale in Nova Scotia:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-touring/truro/bmw-mc-amp-sidecar/1382723345?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

The rig has been fitted with an electric shifter. The previous owner was missing a leg.
When he died, his best friend(The actual owner) bought it, but never really used it.
I am sure there is a possibility for bargaining.

 Go on Woodie, no point trying to fight the urge, it will wear you down. Everyone should have a scare chair.

So did the leg go missing before or after he got the 'scare chair'?     

The trouble is that a sidecar rig would actually be the fourth version of a K that I want. These would be in addition to the current lone horse in my stable.  Folks will have to be giving them away to prevent an inevitable divorce in my household.  But don't stop with the tempting.....

Woodie wrote: The trouble is that a sidecar rig would actually be the fourth version of a K that I want.

Good news, Woodie! This rig is made with an R100. Nobody can accuse you of being obsessed.

Yep, definitely saw that it was an R and I want some (one at least) of those too!  I can't find a picture of it anymore but someone has customised a K to look like an early R (R60 maybe?) all in black.  Maybe a retro K in the Robmack/Romestant style would also satisfy that particular craving.  But in all honesty, I want an R because one ride on an R65 at age 18 was what got me here 

Progress remains slow. It's more than a year now since I started this project and still it remains awhile away from completion. On the other hand... it won't be too long now before it's ready to be actually fitted together. Just need to sort out some running issues and some brakes. :-) I put an incredible amount of hours into repairing the fibreglass fuselage, yet it remains short of the mark in my opinion. There were just so Many dents, pinholes and other imperfections that I simply couldn't get the proper symmetry around the rear of the body. In the end I have decided not to be so precious about it.... it's supposed to be a bike to take me on the many back dirt roads here for my fishing trips etc. Beari

ng that in mind, I'm calling the shell pretty much finished as far as paint is concerned.

So whenever you're ready Sean, we can do something about the upholstery.  Diamond buttoned red velvet was what you wanted?

Al

Sequins. I'm thinking sequins on that red upholstery.

Could use Swarovski crystal buttons for a little pizzaz

So the gold lame look is out then?

Gold and silver together?  You must be crazy!

I have used Red metalflake vinyl before today, It might be a bit difficult to locate these days though.

Being so close to Glen Innes, there's always the obvious stylish choice:


Al

AL-58 wrote:Gold and silver together?  You must be crazy!

I have used Red metalflake vinyl before today, It might be a bit difficult to locate these days though.

Being so close to Glen Innes, there's always the obvious stylish choice:


Al

or perhaps just the flanny shirt designs .....giggles

better ask seanii which ones he prefers ......lol

Thankfully, * mops brow, the seat etc is in pretty good condition.  

A couple of stickers from around the place to cover some of the 3,000 dentsa and holes still visible   brighten things up

Right then...

Easy then....just bolt together with no instructions.

ah !
at last the bike frame appears

ill guess that you and steve will be anxious to get assembled and make notes ?

Hey Sean, did you end up getting a car wheel adaptor for the rear of this? I'm asking because a mate has a 1150GS rig and is looking for an adaptor, and it seems likely that it would be the same or similar. If you have we might do a run over and have a look one day if thats ok with you.

Hello Phil,
Both Steve Mepham and I got them made up courtesy of Packo over in SA. You're welcome to pop over and have a look.
Don't have a pic to hand, sorry
Cheers
 Sean.

Whats your phone number? I seem to have lost it with a couple of phone changes.

How did this project finish up?

Have you finally gotten the chair on?

I love chairs, had a couple of rigs with original Westcar steel chairs on smaller bikes. The westcar being steel construction was extremely light.

One of the bikes I owned originally belonged to Richard West, the founder of Westcar. It was a Honda CB250 and it was his around town rig in Blackheath of all places, bit hilly for the Honda 250 but I had it in Penrith and could get it to 80kph. I used it as my work bike, I had a brand new Honda 750/4 F2 for my primary bike in the day (I was 17) ..

The Honda 250 Westcar outfit was featured in a 75 Two wheels December Christmas special on outfits and the small rig wasn't a bad around town bike at all.

My ex wife has a west car in bloody nice condition laying under her house (or it was in nice condition when placed there). I offered her something for it but she wanted way more and I told her where to put it, she wanted more for it than I paid new (many years before) where it was also colour matched to the bike and came with a fitted frame (and fitted). I didn't need the frame, it wouldn't have fitted the application because it had non adjustable main linkage arms.

I'd thought about putting a chair on my old Honda CX500 to carry my son around who is hearing impaired and has an imbalance. I didn't like putting him on the back of bikes.

Hello LeoG,
Well, this project has embarrassingly turned into the world's longest attempt at getting a sidecar on the road.
Took a little while to get the bike running well, with the help of some other members, and I got the cosmetics done reasonably quickly, then life got in the way of course, and some things are not within my skill set, such as making up a subframe etc.
Packo, another member, arranged for a couple of us to get rear wheel adaptors made up, which are very nice indeed and things progressed slowly... when I say slowly, it took more than a year to  get the subframe done.
At this point, all that is really needed is to cut the mounting lugs on the sidecar chassis to relocate and fit the chassis to the subframe, another job beyond my skills. After that there will be sea trails etc before it's fit and ready to ride on longer rides, which is the kind of riding I prefer.
Should have it on the road by christmas., though which one, I can't say.

I met Richard West once when I was looking for a sidecar to put on my Rocket III. At that stage he was in Gosford, but had stopped making chairs at that point. He was a very interesting bloke to talk to a a font of useful information; the kind of person slowly disappearing from the world of bikes and outfits, sadly.

I believe Richards son is now making the chairs. They have a web page but there's very little in the way of information on the page, sadly.
I watched as Richard made the sidecar my ex missus has under her house, back in 1976, my guardian was having it made and we spent 2 days with Richard and his family, staying at Richard's place in Blackheath. He was the nicest of gentlemen and his son was very involved in the building of the chair in their little factory.

Richard was an amazing engineer and used to do all of the original radiators for the very old cars, radiators and front grilles. He was an amazing craftsman and people came from all around Australia in the day to have Richard replicate the items.

A friend (same friend who owns the K100LT I'm doing the panniers for) has an ST1100 Honda with a DJP or the other heavy glass unit I can't remember the name of (Ron Hurdiss?), wait, that may be the DJP or the HRD, I can't remember but I knew Ron back in the day, he was a Penrith local and I grew up in Penrith (he was/is older than me).

I know I can't get into the things with long legs and that big dash panel, that's where I thought the Westcar was supreme, plus the lack of weight in the steel construction.
I have a photo here of my old Honda 250 with Westcar, somewhere. I grew up learning to ride chairs when I was around 12 and have loved them ever since. I'm now 61 and a bit (actually, that's 34 and a bit, I've just had a very hard life, lol).