Info How did I get talked into this?

I'm not sure at what point of the evening at the last VJMC bike club meeting that I agreed to build a sidecar to carry a bike to the National meeting in Canberra this coming March, but I must have as for the last three weeks I have been making bits, machining bits, bending tube and welding it all together to fit to a Kawasaki KLR650.
Mark has a Hodaka 125 Wombat that he displayed at the Blue ribbon show in Tamworth last year, and he now wants to take it to the National meeting. He wants to ride there with it on the sidecar with his camping gear (800Km each way), thinks he can do it in two easy days. Glad it is him, not me.
First we worked out the size to fit the KLR and bent some tube to make the main frame.

Then some more for the single sided swingarm.

I machined some 50mm bar to take two roller bearings with spacer for the pivot. I used a trailer hub mounted to the swingarm, and machined the axel to fit into a KLR rear wheel with the bearings removed and a tapered washer fitted to the outside and tightened with a 3/4" bolt (lockwired for safety). This gives the strongest part of the axel where the most load is and easily tightened/replaced bearings.

With the help of some stands/blocks and a lifting frame I mounted the frame to the bike and aligned the wheel to the bike.

The bike frame mounts were bought from USA as a kit to fit the KLR and saved me a lot of work. Next we needed a floor and using 2mm alloy checker plate I plasma cut out a piece to fit, and another to make a mudguard with. Some bending and alloy welding and it fits. I got Mark to bring his parts Hodaka around so I could work out how to fit it. I used a piece of 150mm 'C' section galvanised purlin with a mount for the front axel bolted to it. This was moved around until we had the best balance point and bolted down.

We had a little trial in the street and all seemed good, so stripped it down to finish the welding, painted gloss black and when dry refitted the bits. I have used a small 'pit bike' cable operated caliper for the wheel brake (necessary for rego in NSW) which Mark will connect to a lever on the bike and a single shock from an XL250.

Mark will have to fit some lights and anything else he needs before rego inspection. I hope it travels ok for him, long way to go.
This has been a shed load of work for me but an interesting project just the same. Now you know why there has been no updates on my bikes. Must stay off the apple cider at next bike club meeting.

 

If it were mine Fox I would have gone the two wheeled trailer idea, but this is what the owner wanted.
After the big ride to Canberra he wants to put off road body on it to take his kids out into the bush, so a trailer wouldn't have been suitable.

 

No Tim, grandfather was a blacksmith, my dad made farm machinery and I was an aircraft sheetmetal worker in my younger days.
Mark picked the sidecar up today to take home to fit to the KLR. We put it on the scales and it comes in at 55Kg, a bit more than I thought, but will help to keep the wheel on the ground in left turns. He has four weeks before departure for the National Rally in Canberra to finish it and learn to ride it.

 

Bit of bad news. Mark has been unable to get the sidecar/bike set-up adjusted to his satisfaction and has decided to pass on taking the Hodaka on the sidecar to Canberra. The problems come from the geometry of the Kawasaki forks having too much trail, giving rise to bad handlebar shaking at about 60Km/h (which he admitted scared the crap out of him) and not being confidant in getting it sorted before a long trip. He bought me a Perry (pear cider) at the club meeting and asked if I could take the Hodaka in my ute for him. We will get it there somehow, but disappointed that all my efforts could not have it finished in time.

 

Mark never felt confident on the outfit to take on a long trip so has sold it.