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sidecar
Jul 6, 2010 20:24:45 GMT -5
Post by rockman on Jul 6, 2010 20:24:45 GMT -5
Hi - has anyone put a sidecar on one of these? I have the bike (650) and a sidecar and am just wondering how it would go. Phil
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Post by Paul Mason on Jul 7, 2010 4:24:12 GMT -5
Hi Phil, According to Honda it is not possible to fit a sidecar to the NTV - I guess because the engine is part of the frame & wouldn't like the stresses put on it from the chair. Also, how long would the final drive unit last being a single sided swinging arm? Another thought - you cannot lower the gearing to pull the chair. However having said all that, my friend took some pics for me of an NTV outfit in the Netherlands last year! I will get them from him & post them on here for all to see Hope this helps, Paul.
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sidecar
Jul 7, 2010 17:36:18 GMT -5
Post by rockman on Jul 7, 2010 17:36:18 GMT -5
Hi Phil, According to Honda it is not possible to fit a sidecar to the NTV - I guess because the engine is part of the frame & wouldn't like the stresses put on it from the chair. Also, how long would the final drive unit last being a single sided swinging arm? Another thought - you cannot lower the gearing to pull the chair. However having said all that, my friend took some pics for me of an NTV outfit in the Netherlands last year! I will get them from him & post them on here for all to see Hope this helps, Paul. Thanks Paul - I'll be very interested in the pics. As for the rest of your comments - I am aware of those issues. There is almost nothing nowdays recommended for sidecar work (Ural!) so I'll ignore Honda's opinion. There are enough mounting points on the frame to not need a subframe like, for example a CX500/650 or even a BMW 1150GS. My main concern is that the NT650 isnt particularly powerful so might struggle to pull a chair. As for gearing, will the CX500 final drive fit? Probably all too difficult in the end and I'd be better off fitting the chair to a larger bike, but I like the NT650. Phil
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sidecar
Jul 12, 2010 17:11:57 GMT -5
Post by Paul Mason on Jul 12, 2010 17:11:57 GMT -5
See the photos, anyone who wants a full resolution version, please PM me. Attachments:
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sidecar
Jul 13, 2010 0:11:25 GMT -5
Post by rockman on Jul 13, 2010 0:11:25 GMT -5
See the photos, anyone who wants a full resolution version, please PM me. Thanks Paul - pretty much what I expected. Any other photos? cheers, Phil
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micawber
Full Member
40 years on the road and still in the dark.
Posts: 52
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sidecar
Aug 12, 2010 16:37:35 GMT -5
Post by micawber on Aug 12, 2010 16:37:35 GMT -5
Actually, you can fit a sidecar to just about anything. I agree with Paul, virtually no manufacturer recommends fitting a sidecar to their products, but bikers being the contrary lot that they are, they do it anyway!
I don't know about the single sided swinging arm being an obstacle to hauling a sidecar. It seems hefty enough to me, and the bearings are spaced the same as a conventional one.
Last year I fitted a sidecar to a 600cc Yamaha Diversion which was an interesting exercise in unlikely matchmaking. A revvy middleweight four might not seem the ideal sidecar tug but as long as you keep the revs up when you need to go it works ok.
While I was gathering information for this project I visited Charnwood Classic Restorations in Coalville who told me that they'd done a few NTV outfits over the years. The power characteristics make it a nice combination. They would make a subframe to take the front lower mounting (which would add to the cost) but the rest would be straightforward.
The Diversion, having a conventional tubular frame, was easier for me to do myself (I was tempted by the thought of fitting the sidecar to the NTV) and standard gearing was adequate with a single seat sidecar, as it would be with the NTV. It was a lot of fun, and got me through the ice and snow of the last winter. I've taken it off now. (It is for sale).
The main obstacle to fitting a sidecar could be the cost, if you had it done professionally, and finding a suitable sidecar. If you found a reasonable secondhand sidecar, the fittings and adaptations (like making a subframe) are what would strain the budget. You could fit it yourself, as any supplier of sidecar fittings could give you information on setting up for a particular make and model of sidecar. The fun bit would be learning to ride it......but that's another topic.
Hope this helps
Micawber
(edit) I see you already have a sidecar. Although you say you might manage without some form of subframe or frame extension, I think that getting the bottom front mounting as far forward and low as possible is helpful in spreading the load around the frame and reducing flex.
Micawber
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sidecar
Feb 12, 2023 6:33:35 GMT -5
Post by petemate on Feb 12, 2023 6:33:35 GMT -5
See the photos, anyone who wants a full resolution version, please PM me. Paul - that pic shows that there is a nice looking subframe fitted. Are there any pics available from that outfit of the connections? TIA Pete
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