Old Guys V twin & sidecar

[indian22]

It's so good to hear from all of you guys and thanks to Curtis, Measure twice and to all who've responded to my "dead thread" bumped to life by el Tom de Rubicon for, it seems to me, good reason at this time of year.

Merry Christmas to all!

Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

Same to you!! God bless all and those that are ill, and ailing...........Curt

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

el Tom de la Rubicon Merry Christmas to all and stay well to enjoy the Holiday.

 

[Tony01]

el Tom de la Rubicon Merry Christmas to all and stay well to enjoy the Holiday.

Yeah buddy

 

[indian22]

Well I'm getting back to my dead thread V-twin sidecar build. Pulled out the half finished frame and suspension parts (torsion spring) for the side hack and rethought what I now have to work with.
I'm long past the Yamaha 250 V-twin concept (which I no longer possess) and the side car mounted,with an electric motor in the side car frame to power reverse the rig.

I now have a V-twin electric (The Ol' Crow) which has a reverse function on the controller. Not at all useful for the cycle alone but just the ticket for a side car rig and really simplifies the car fabrication. The Sportsman flyer frame is robust enough for a lightweight sprung frame attachment car. I plan on the body being pretty small in length, height and width. Very low ground clearance to match the bike and a 17" cycle hub, wheel and tire, all of which I have. as you can unders I paid for all these parts years ago for this project so time to actually build and mount it!

I'll post parts photos again before the assembly actually starts.

For you very patient long time followers of my threads thanks for your patience on this six year start, stop and change directions project. I can almost hear some others saying "Yeah I heard that before" fair enough to think or say that, because you have!

I have enough stainless sheet to build a few car bodies with, but have to do one first. I've not got any good wood to lay a body to however, but have a cabinet maker friend who can set me up if I provides the patterns. He can make quick work of cutting it out.

I do have a space in the shop issue for both building and storing this rig, but I'll figure that out as I go.

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

This is exciting news Rick. Your new side-hack plan coupled-up to the Old Crow sounds like something which can be achieved fairly quickly. Looking forward very much to seeing the results. I'll be sure to follow your progress - 'cause there's zero headway being made at my end. Came down with my second bout of Covid nine days ago after I returned home from doing the weekly shop at the supermarket. Quick in-and-out and a dash round with my trolley - but that was enough to take a Covid hit. So much for my up to date vaccines. My last bout of Covid in June left me floundering for months and I was hopeful I'd turned the corner and could soon get back to building stuff, but for the last eight days I'm back to being a wheezing wreck again. No sense of taste, smell, super-achey tendon/muscles in my legs, less than zero appetite but with a permanent parching thirst I can't seem to quench. Been another week of bed/sofa/bed/sofa. Tested positive a week ago yesterday but yesterday's Covid test proved negative thankfully.

I'm excited to see the leccy V-twin sidecar project back near the top of your build queue once again. Can't wait for the updates to start trickling in.

Just a thought. Might you consider using lightweight square aluminium tubing for some of the sidecar body's framing? Couple of years back I created several robustly braced, double skinned, flood prevention barriers for our converted barn home in Netherton. Using fully riveted/adhesive construction and fitted into channeled frames with butyl rubber seals they worked so well that neighbours and a local builder asked me to make bespoke versions for their properties. Fun to design/build and I reckon I'd use a similar technique for any alloy-bodied sidecar I planned to build. Man, I sure miss the workshop/studio/garage space I enjoyed at our Netherton house. Nothing other than lounge space available to me here in the Alnwick apartment. But at least I'm still able to build stuff....when the spirit is willing.

 

[indian22]

Hi Pete. Reading of your recent illness with concern for you, as your previous bout with Covid was so drawn out and severe. Speaking just for myself here: I don't bouce well anymore, let alone bounce back. I consider my recent Covid a relativly mild annoyance, all considered, yet several weeks later I still feel the effects. Take care of yourself first of course, projects will wait for you.

Your property was such a beautiful place to live. You were very blessed to share it with your lovely wife.

I too am excited to get back to this postponed task. I always smile when I encounter a side rig and have always thought them extremely cool. I like your suggestion for using aluminum stiffeners and rivets of which I have copper, aluminum and steel. When combined with a proper adhesive they perform beautifully. I really don't want creaking or popping sounds eminating from my hack, bike or me!

As I age the prospect of transition from bike to mobility chair, scooter or trike are all quite distasteful options of transport in my considered opinion. It's an ego thing to a degree, but also a way to enjoy getting around and putting a smile on others faces as I pass.

Having a reverse e motor controller makes this so much more practical for public parking and storage. Plus not having any concern for staight line road speed is freeing for side hack alignment purposes. Handling at under 20mph isn't as critical as it is for highway speeds.

Your correct Pete this should progress pretty quickly as projects go. It's another no paint wanted, but patina required build. Character not perfection preferred. To be ridden and not for display only concoction of metals and attitude!

Still just having fun...

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

Don't fret 'bout me Rick. Pretty sure my symptoms fit the long Covid scenario. It'll just take a bit more time to recover. Don't we all at this stage of our lives.
Be great to see a riveted ali sidecar on your Ol Crow. I'm sure you're already aware of them, but the biggest aid to rivet construction is Clecko Pins (pic below). Whoever came up with them in the aircraft industry deserves a mention in dispatches. I'm sure I mentioned it before, but they were indispensible for precise body panel alignment on my Aero Cycle Car trike project. Also those flood barriers, which although not discernible in the photo in my previous post, featured rivets every two inches. Shame they spent their entire time hung on the garage wall and were only installed into the driveway openings when there was potential for flooding.

 

[indian22]

Pete your tri car was great. So are Clecko fasteners and your right it's a genius idea for sheet metal projects. Salt lake/dry lake streamliners are my first recollections of their utility outside of the aviation industry.

The louvers on your build reminded me that I should have a set of dies for this and for dimples as well. I will look around for them. I sold my sheet metal roller and dies, but Harbor Freight has them for small panels really cheap. Actually work well but slow and limited capacity.

Since the Crow's tank is a flat side coffin style. The hack might look better without compound curves. Stay flat and rivet panels in a simple geometric fashion.

My thoughts on this side car is to keep it a bit primitive, simple and utilitarian as was exemplified in some of the very first racing hacks some of which featured a bit of sheet metal, though most were just frame work. Kneeling hacks for racing rather than the usual seated affairs for daily transport. Extremely low slung with minimal ground clearance and pre tilt wheel designs , which were later modifications used for racing hacks. Quite short, no leg room or wind screen and very low bodywork, perhaps 15" in sheet metal height. I don't want it to look comfortable enough for a casual hitcher to beg a lift in. Not a taxi and not for hire!

So aim is for a unique side hack and not something I would expect anyone else to build more than one of, including me. I almost forgot. It should look over a hundred years old.

Those Ali's are pretty cool but I'm thinking one off design for this one.

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

Rick, bodywise, you might find inspiration from this shorty-style sidecar pic from my photo album. Obviously yours could sit far lower.

 

[indian22]

Thanks Pete that length is close to perfect and I really like the simplistic lines with the rear body blending into fenders. That had not occured to me. Actual body height isn't too bad, but ground clearance is probably 12" higher than I envision, but my frame and wheel diameter would allow for that. I also like the idea and look of the body not extending much if any past the rear of the body.

The passenger grab/assist bar is close to ideal. All in all a nice design with some very appealing elements Pete. Thanks again for bringing it to our attention.

I've a spare wheel and tire for a rear mount on the body and this design would allow a spare to be fitted. I'm not considering a "trunk" as a feature for the car. Since the body will ride so low there's no need for a deep mounting cutout, except as a stylistic element.

This photo is some real food for thought.

Rick C.

 

[indian22]

This photo will give reference to both length and height of the hack body. The rear of the body a few inches forward of the back of the rear tire and the nose of the car just short of the front axle.
The top of the body at least 5" lower than bikes tire height. Ground clearance equal to the bikes clearance.

Width of the total rig yet to be determined.

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

You mentioned a sidecar like the Flxible. Lowered to the height you want, it would make an interesting sidecar and with a wood frame and metal skin fairly easy to replicate.

Steve.

Redirect Notice

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[Greg58]

I have nothing to add to this thread but do enjoy reading.

 

[indian22]

You mentioned a sidecar like the Flxible. Lowered to the height you want, it would make an interesting sidecar and with a wood frame and metal skin fairly easy

Steve I considered the flex wheel design, but with the torsion spring suspension already completed I'm done with the frame design itself. Basically down to fabricating the shell itself and the hack to bike mounts. Commited to traditional fixed style mounting for this one.

Thanks for the Flexi photos several nice car shells among them and most appear to be short.

Rick C.

 

[indian22]

I have nothing to add to this thread but do enjoy reading.

Part of the value of the forum Greg. I also read ten times the material than I post.

Rick C.

 

[curtisfox]

This is getting interesting, love all the aspects of side cars, and can't wait to see what you come up with.........Curt

 

[indian22]

Curt we had a huge (for us) dump of snow day before yesterday and just getting back to a bit of normality here.

I need to get several bikes moved out of the garage to storage next and then move parts to the basement for the Winter to make enough room to work on the side car. Snow needs to melt first. Then I begin. I'll take a photo of how jammed up my work space is at the moment.

I will get started quickly as sunshine is forecast, though temps today and tomorrow are below freezing.

Thanks to all for your interest in following my builds over the years. It is encouraging.

Once I get the frame up on wheel you will see that progress was made prior. I will first concentrate on mounting the frame to bike for testing and adjustment of alignment car to bike. When I have a running rig riding well with active reverse. I will only then start on the body. I've learned the hard way to always first prove a project runs and works safely and properly before proceeding to finishing all the visual elements which are really a hindrance if in place when problems pop up with the actually running gear.

Like Pete said it should be long to up and running, as the Ol' Crow is truly running great as a solo and I feature my connection mounts will require a minimum of welding (possibly none) on the actual bike frame.

Rick C.

 

[fasteddy]

Hi, Rick,
I was just thinking of the sidecar design. The most minimalist side car design I've seen short of a slab of wood on a wheel. I sat here last night with some poster board trying to see what it would take to form the metal.The adhesive and rivet construction you mentioned would make it easier to build.

Steve.