Motorcycle Sidecars

Motorcycle sidecars were built as a way to turn a small motorcycle into a three wheeled vehicle, and they were very popular in the 1940s and 50s in Britain and the United States.  One of the reasons that sidecars first gained popularity was due to the fact that there were motorcycles out there which were powerful enough to easily pull two people or more while still maintaining a top speed that was higher than most of the cars that were on the road at the time.  Some of the more extravagant sidecars like the British Watsonian were made from wood and came complete with doors and sliding windows.  They were intended to be elegant additions to motorcycles and are often seen now as pieces of art.

As the sidecar evolved, so did their structure and use, and many later models were constructed of fiberglass and aluminum and were sleekly designed to match the motorcycle that they were attached to.  However, because of the way the sidecar was attached to the motorcycle, it was often very difficult for the rider to use the bike without a passenger.

This solo riding challenge is one of the reasons why sidecars are not as commonly used today as they used to be.  A lot of stress is put on the bike's joints because of the way the sidecar is mounted onto it, which makes it very difficult to remove on a constant basis.  There is no sidecar currently available that can be easily and quickly detached, making it a problem to go from single-rider to double-rider.  Since there are so many stress points, it has to be secured properly.  However, if you have a constant riding companion, using a sidecar can be one option to consider.

Latest Posts

Products from our Store

loading...