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1Back to top Go down   Sidecar for BMW K1100lt  Empty Sidecar for BMW K1100lt Wed Sep 28, 2022 7:48 pm

wilsonneves

wilsonneves
active member
active member
Hi


I’m from Portugal
I have a bmw k1100lt
And I would like put a sidecar in my Moto.

Where I find it ?

It’s legal ?


Thanks a lot 

    

2Back to top Go down   Sidecar for BMW K1100lt  Empty Re: Sidecar for BMW K1100lt Thu Sep 29, 2022 2:46 am

jbt

jbt
Life time member
Life time member
Well...each  country has a proper legislation. So maybe here is not the best place to know what is legal or not in Portugal.

I don't know any sidecar maker in Portugal nor Spain. 
In France, there are a few remaining after the legal regulation/restriction. 
They all are very, very busy, so one year delay will be a minimum.
Expect a huge bill!: 12000 to 15000€. If you bring your own motorcycle, of course. Yes that's the price of a chinese new sidecar with motorcycle.

A part of this price is here due to the fact that BMW does not allows owners or builders to attach a sidecar on its bikes: so the builder has to follow an homologation process on its own name, long and expensive. For an simple owner, it's simply impossible, only societies can do it.
That's why we had 50 sidecar builders 30 years ago and only 5 remaining today with prices multiplicated by 6...
You'll find also builders in Germany (many), Nederlands (few but bigs, EML & EZS) ans UK.
In Belgium, you can simply add a sidecar with no legal issues at all, just as if it was a pair of side cases.

So, if you're not fond of paying this amount, consider the second hand buy...

I've had half a dozen side cars. I still have 3, é K, one old R. 
According to me: 
The basic configuration, with OEM forks and wheels, is cheap and gives a typical look. But riding this is not a pleasant experience. You have to reduce the fork trail to a lower value on 3 wheels, or turnig the handlebar will be terribly difficult. All the elements also suffer from lateral forces they're not design to cope with: fork, shocks, frame, wheel bearings...and rider skeleton.
It's amho mandatory to use at least an Earles front fork, stiffened shock springs and lower rims (13, 14 or 15 inche) which accept car tyres. Expensive modification, but quicly return on invest as motorcycle tyres won't last long on a side car. On my solo K1100LT, the reat tyre lasts an average 3000 km. And it's a swiss version with lowered torque and power...imagine on a side car! On my K1 with a side car, the car tyre lasts...well, I never changed them since I bought it 5 years ago.
Then other solutions of front leading link also exist, with double triangle configuration or a swinging arm bolt on a chassis next to the engine and pivot in the rim. These solutions gives an excellent road handling, no efforts on the bar and easy cornering. And eventually they're not much more expensive than an Earles fork.  I recommand it. 

Are you prepared to deal with an unstable, unpredictable, impossible to repair in a garage, unable to split lines machine? (but a machine who will provide unmatched driving sensations and will instantly light up a smile on the passers-by face)
But, before anything: did you try to ride a sidecar?
It's the very first thing to do. Maybe you'll instantly love it, maybe you'll hate it forever. 
But try it before...


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Let us enjoy the transient delight
That fills our fairest day.
    

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