Schwinn Panther build

Was planning on welding today but rain, so I started messing around with the sidecar idea. I have a trailer that I think would get more use differently, I'm going to have to beef it up a bit but there is a lot to start with.

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The trailer is too wide looking so I'll probably cut it down from the inboard side as well as lengthen it about a foot.
Not too sure about my woodworking skills, the finished product will probably end up looking like a mix of the Indian side car and this

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Saw this and thought about yer build maybe get an Idea ?
 

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Mabey square tubing for a body? The Internet probably has some ideas on beefing up trailers that you can alter to us for a sidecar, also how do you plan on mounting it?
 
BR how's San Fran ? I was planning a sidecar along time ago and most of the ground work is done as far as figuring everything out. When you get back we can get both bikes running.
 
I sure like that Indian Flxicar. Judging from how it sits it is not a rigid attachment, but can flex on turns (guess that's why it 'flex' in the name. I see that your bike is also going to be able to lean into curves. Cool.
I made my sidecar body from a seventeen foot Grumman canoe that had been mangled in a rapids. I cut it down to bike length, removed the keel so that it could be narrowed up and then made a square stern end for it. I have also thought that a smallish Kayak would work. It also occurred to me that one of those roof carriers for cars that have a kind of kayak shape to them might be modified into a sidecar body.

Was just wondering about some sort of leaf spring at the attachment to the bike frame to retard the amount of flex on curves. Mine is a rigid mount and I've debated with myself over whether to use rigid or flexible. The old Watsonian sidecars for bicycles at the turn of the century were flexible, but most of the motorcycles that came a little later were rigid which I suspect has something to do with greater speed.

Anyway, I'm always glad to see a sidecar being built and it will be a looker combined with your Panther.
SB
 
You know I was thinking, if someone could use a spindle from the steering on a gocart for the sidecar wheel, turn it 90 dagrees so the arm points down then connect that with balljoints to the bike frame . Now you have a side car that can lean in to turns. So early racing ones were also made with wicker to cut down on weight . I think you should motor it, how hard could it be.
 
Google Flexi sidecars. Also Google Flxible sidecars. The company went on to become the Flxible Bus and Professional car company. Professional Car is a fancy name for limo's and in Flxible's case hearses. That is spelt correctly. They spelled the name that way so they could patent the name. There may be some pictures of the patent they had.

Basically they did what Heritic suggested, On the sidecar wheel there was a pivot point that attached to the sidecar frame with an arm that was attached to the axle and pivot pointing downward. A tie rod probably with hiem joints on the end ran under the sidecar frame from the arm to the bike and attached to an arm pointing downward from the bike.

When you leaned left or right the wheel on the sidecar was pushed or pulled in the direction you leaned. Check out where they placed the sidecar wheel. There are two trains of thought as to whether you should have the wheel even with the back wheel or in a triangular position more or less between the two bike wheels.
I believe Flxible used the more triangular posistion where the wheel was in between the two wheels but you will have to check to see if that's right.

Looking forward to seeing this build unfold.

Steve.
 
Just looked up Flexi sidecars as it's written and there was part of the patent for the Flxible sidecar showing the way the hooked it up to the bike and sidecar wheel. Click on that and it will take you to more of the Flxible patent and some of the sidecars.

Again as Heretic said make sure the sidecar is light if you plan on carrying an adult in it. You may be balancing someone 200+ pounds as you lean to turn and the worst part is he may spill your beer that he is holding while you ride if you lose the balance of the bike and sidecar..

I made the Monark and sidecar lean and wound up flipping head first into the sidecar when I lost the balance and nearly wound up in the ditch. The sidecar was way to heavy for a leaning bike. Most of the Flxible sidecars are not much more than a light weight metal shell.

Steve.
 
Curt,
I may paint between the fins black, but I'm going tin less. I need to weld the intake manifold but I put the motor in the bike so another member could see how it sits.

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Thanks SB, a lot of inspiration and help from fellow members such as yourself during this build. I'm going through my parts stash and got some belts of various lengths I'll be putting out a package soon.
 
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