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30 Jun 2010
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Sidecar on Thunderbird Sport?
Hi guys
Just came back from the HU meet at Ripley and she who must be obeyed thought that our household could benefit from a bike and sidecar combination :confused1:. I saw a really good looking BMW r60 with a chair and also a more modern blue plastic looking combo that I never even got close to.
A brief amount of research revealed that good r60 rigs go for a lot of money. I saw Austin and Lois's talk on their Trans Am trip on a Ural and my opinion is "no thanks".
I own a 2003 Thunderbird Sport (the one with a megaphone pipe on each side) that doesn't get much use. I'll admit here, I know jack sh!t about sidecars. So, apologies in advance if my questions seem un-thought-through or naive.
Has a TBS ever had a side car bolted onto it? Would it be hard to do? What's involved? Is it imperative to replace oem front forks with leading link forks? Ideally I like the option of leaving the chair in the garage and just taking the bike out for a ride every so often.
Thanks for any input,
cheers
Chris
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30 Jun 2010
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Leading link forks are a bonus, and it is not really practical to change back to a solo once the outfit has been setup with the 'toe in' etc, for more info try the Federation of sidecar clubs.
PS They are great fun, and if you want a 'fast' ride around the lanes and need a passenger, give me a call !!
The Federation of Sidecar Clubs
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Never confuse the map with the journey.
Last edited by palace15; 30 Jun 2010 at 20:40.
Reason: added link
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30 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave ede
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Thanks for the heads up on that. They have a meet in Ripley at the end of August. Unfortunately I'm still in the States then.
Will let you know how my thoughts on the topic progress.
cheers
Chris
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1 Jul 2010
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__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."
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1 Jul 2010
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What a pair of beauties... 
That's a Thunderbird, rather than a TBS, but I don't think the chassis are too different. Good to see it has standard forks. On the FoSC site they talk about all sorts of mods that could be done. I'm more of a rider than a fettler and would prefer a simple option. I'm off the the States in a few days so any project is likely to wait until the winter.
I like that design of that chair. I think it would look great on this bike:
cheers
Chris
Last edited by chris; 6 Dec 2017 at 20:44.
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1 Jul 2010
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You could always get one of these!
__________________
'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.
Last edited by palace15; 13 Feb 2014 at 13:22.
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7 Jul 2010
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do the bolts up
Hi Chris,
I came back from hu similarly fired up about a combo, I had an almost finished r100 with chair in the garage which I finally put on the road last weekend. I took it for a trial run around the lanes and after a very enjoyable 60 miles test ride I was rounding a left hand bend when a sidecar mounting stay nut came off and I carried straight on into a tree,  ! fortunately I only bashed my head into the tree causing no real damage to the tree. The lesson being, if you go for a chair make sure it is properly attached, avoid that on the buses moment.
Mark
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14 Sep 2010
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t'bird sport and chair
Chris,
I had two t'bird sports, an early one which I bought on the spot when I saw it in the shop, then a later version that mrsC could ride on the back of, without her knees getting mangled by the jockey's riding position on the early model.
Anyhow,
here's a picture I took in Glen Maye at Isle Of Man in 2005:
I didn't get to talk with the owners then, but met them at the Manx gp a couple of weeks back on Douglas prom'. The tbs is driven by a woman, who carts the kids in the chair, followed by her hubby who rides a Norton rotary.
I posted it some time back on triumphrat, if you haven't joined up there you should, they'll point you the right way for putting a chair on your tbs:
Hinckley Classic Triples - Triumph Forum: Triumph Rat Motorcycle Forums
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14 Sep 2010
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Hi JohnyC
Many thanks for this pic. I think I'm not going to mess up my bike, but buy a converted outfit instead.
Andy: Sent you a PM.
Any of you at the Triumph Live event at Mallory Park on Sat?
cheers
Chris
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15 Sep 2010
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Having read Andy's initial post I'd like to add to it:
I agree with what Andy wrote!
It was basically everything you need to know but I'd also like to add a few experiences of my own as 2007 Ural owner.
Yes, new they are over-priced and yes they are slow, but few outfits for the road are desperately quick.
The +'s of a Ural: - Very robust (although prone to surface rust as it is not galvanised)
- Updated internals and electrics since 2005 and so nearing BM Airhead reliability. (German pistons & gears inc reverse, Japanese electric components, Ducati ignition system, Brembo front brake)
- Electric and kickstart
- Shaft driven
- Built to be a combo, not a bike-chair compromise
- Easy to work on (except balancing the f***ing carbs)
- Millions of bolt ons if that is your thing.
The -'s of a Ural: - Can rust if not cleaned.
- Carbs are a pain in the **** to balance.
- Servicing is annoyingly frequent if you use the bike a lot...
- Ground clearance of end-cans is not ideal if you want to off-road.
- Fuel efficiency of a John Deere (assuming John Deeres are not fuel efficient): I have squeezed 45 mpg from mine, but mostly your looking at 35-40 mpg... on a good day!
I bought mine to overland and as such I've needed to tweek and bastardise it a lot. But if it is to run around on roads: no prob...
It has 5000 miles on the clock and the only failure I've had that was not down to me abusing it in Estonian forests, fords, snow or sand was a knackered ignition switch. £5 to fix, but did leave me stranded!
If you're not a fettler, then I'd say a Ural is probably not the best choice for you but, if you have a bike, then do look at fitting a Ural chair to it using univeral fixtures.
They are cheaper than most bolt on chairs and tough as old boots. They would also look good, style wise next to a retro such as the TBS.
Making sure you actually like the sensation of riding a combo, as already stated, is very advisable!!
__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)
Last edited by Warthog; 15 Sep 2010 at 08:21.
Reason: Spelling like an idiot who'd just woken up
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15 Sep 2010
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I've got an open mind as to the make/model of outfit I'll go for. However, having had considerable experience with that Marque from Germany I'm biased against it and any clones thereof (factory in Berlin dismantled after WW2 and shipped to the then Soviet Union...).
Having said that I might consider something from the Germans built pre 1969, but am likely to go for a more modern and Japanese/English setup that I can ride in winter without worrying about salt on the roads etc de-shineying it.
I am definitely NOT a fettler either. I believe fettlers are people who need excuses to escape their other halves, so hide in the garage  . I want an outfit so I can spend more time on a bike with her indoors and my son, rather than riding solo on 2 wheels.
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3 Sep 2014
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Thunderbird sport still going
Hi Guys
I cam across your site and saw the old ladies outfit. The bike and sidecar are going well so is my Norton F1 we just back from the Isle of Mann :-Manx GP classic TT the kiddies are growing up since the picture was taken, the boy was 16 when over there so he signed up as a marshall and did the training all in a week. not bad we are proud of him. The outfit is a thunderbird sport 1998 with a Watsonian oxford the chair has a brake disc with grimeca calliper powered from rear brake, and 13in wheel upgrade from standard 10in, Hedenham from forks, upgrade rear gas shock on the bike, we have standard gearing and tyres but now looking to change rear tyre size to flatter profile 165 40 17.
Ride safe
Andy and Sal
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21 Sep 2014
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When I look at sidecar rigs I think, yes, possibilities. But then I think, for less money I could get a convertible diesel car with a push button roof. does more mpg and goes faster, farther on a tankfull more comfy and just as much carrying capacity. Plus when it rains or I want to stop for a quick kip. just put the roof up and recline the seats....
OK so I am getting old.
but I means I can still tour and camp and take a passenger 
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Thunderbird sport still going
Hybrid Mode
