Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by George Rahn's shop as he mentioned on Sunday that he had a used sidecar (that needed paint) and a Dauntless subframe that would fit my bike. The sidecar looks a bit rough but all of the parts are there, solid body with no major rust or body damage. The car is all steel with stainless trim. The windshield is still in the box though the tonneau cover and armrests needs repair or replacement.
There is a small trunk (supposedly 3 ft
3) behind the seat back. The Cozy weighs just under 200 lbs. Light enough to possibly not need a brake on the sidecar wheel. The sidecar is suspended from the frame with rubber rings and those are free from cracks. He hasn't had time to look for the subframe but I was going to stop by on Saturday afternoon again.
The fender is also in the pile of stuff that goes with the car as well as the stainless rear luggage rack and the bumper for the fender. The owner of this car still needs to be contacted to see if he wants to sell it. He had originally picked it up to have George install it on his airhead but decided to buy a new Royal Enfield with sidecar already installed. I just received an email from Jay at DMC Sidecars listing the parts and mods needed to fit a Cozy to their subframe. Nothing really major though the Cozy mounts don't work with their brackets without welding.
Here is the same model sidecar installed on George's 500cc Royal Enfield. The Cozy, as is the Enfield, is manufactured in India and sold as an dealer installed accesory by Royal Enfield dealers. George used to own the BMW dealership in Fairbanks and now is the Royal Enfield dealer.
This Thursday evening, I will be looking at another airhead (1978 R100/7) in town with a Cozy sidecar already attached. The owner doesn't ride anymore and has had it for sale on Craigslist for a while but it hasn't sold. It is currently installed with the Cozy universal mount but he also has a DMC subframe that he never installed. I'm not sure that I really want another bike though it looks like it is in pretty good condition. This photo is from his CL ad.
Richard:
ReplyDeleteGo for IT !!!! and leave your "SPARE" bike in Corvallis for the longer riding season. WIN WIN situation. Think of the time you will save next year by already having your bike in Oregon
it starts with a thought, then an innocent peek to see what it looks like, and then you are dreaming about riding it . . .
I know, I know . . . I'm no help to you right now
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube
No, you're not helping much. I believe that I have most of the issues worked out with my existing airhead so I don't really want to start with another one that is even older. I am planning on taking a look at his brackets to see how he paired the two together.
DeleteDoesn't that just look like fun?
ReplyDeleteYou may not know if you want a spare bike or not but it might be nice to have one with a side car and one without so that if you want to go at a more spirited pace you don't have to disconnect the sidecar first. That is if they can be disconnected very easy once attached.
The subframe will limit lean angles as it hangs below the frame but supposedly they separate pretty easy. I believe that they are attached at only four points plus a wiring connector. If I don't modify the front end, I think it would be fairly simple to go back to a solo bike.
DeleteI'm with Bob, buy the sidecar bike for Alaska's rough, gravel roads and your current bike would be your spare in Corvallis.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to put a sidecar on the Bonneville if I could.
There are a lot of examples of Bonnevilles with sidecars. The Cozy looks very retro and would be a straight forward addition to your Bonneville. There are even pictures of them attached to Vespas!
DeleteOooooooo!! I love the idea! A sidecar would be great for the winter riding. Fun thinking about where, and when, you can go. Good luck making the decision. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm more interested in talking with the R100/7 owner and seeing how he attached the car to the bike. I really don't need another bike that is even older than what I have.
DeleteSilly boy! Of course you want another bike. You can't have too many bikes!! I already told you a side car is uber-kewl. What are you waiting for!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your next post with details on the new purchase.;)
When the riding season is only five months long, it's harder to justify another bike. Right now I'm waiting to see what subframe he has to see if it'll work and if the owner is willing to sell the fixer-upper.
DeleteWow, that white Beemer hack looks truly nice, and in pretty good shape. I know you want one.
ReplyDeleteNo, actually I don't want another older Beemer. I've got the existing one running pretty well. I don't think I want a new batch of problems. But you're right, it does look pretty nice and the sidecar is a nice match to the bike.
DeleteRichard:
ReplyDeleteAt our last bike night BBQ yesterday, I saw a Royal Enfield with Cozy sidecar. I thought of you immediately, and there was a DOG sitting in the sidecar.
After you buy that new Older Sidecar HACK, then you need to buy a DOG, and don't forget those dog goggles. This way you won't be talking to yourself
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube
Don't need to buy a dog, we already have two noisy ones running around the house yapping at everything.
DeleteA sidecar will extend your riding season to year round riding Richard!
ReplyDeleteCome on over to the hack side, the water is just fine....I've got the big old pitcher of the koolaid ready for you.
Dom
I don't know about year around but definitely longer than it is now. I've been convinced for a while though the cost of a new car is somewhat prohibitive compared to the cost of the bike. This used option seems like a better starting point...
DeleteI suppose a hack makes sense when you live in such an abominable climate and parking isn't an issue and you don't mind riding slower and using more gas...and you said you don't have many winding roads. Besides the exercise hauling the handlebars will complement your walking program. I'd suggest getting a Vespa but I got the last good one and that's in the shop now. Good being a relative term of course.
ReplyDeleteYou will have to ride everywhere ALL the time when you have a combination. Its a rule.
I was looking around on one of the Cozy sites and there were many pictures of the Cozy sidecar installed on Vespas exactly like your new one. But you are right in that we have some times of the year not very conducive to riding on two wheels and parking is rarely an issue around here. I think that once it gets well into the negative temperatures (°F) the old bike may get hard to start. Especially since you can't get things like block heaters for them.
DeleteI really like the 2 cycle Vespas. Something about the sound and smell of a 2-cycle engine. Almost as nice as a diesel.
I am here in St pete Fl. Just bought a cozy Euro for $750 from craig. list busy at installing on 08 650cc V-Star Yamaha. It is January my windows all open . Need the hack for riding to Alaska this summer and dirt roads plus hauling more equip. Best on your hack installation. Seems the cozy is very well built-rugged. cheers, ken
DeleteThat's a great price. I ended up getting a Rocket and have it on my BMW R100RT now using DMC mounts. It's almost on the road, just waiting for a new tire for the tug to handle the snow.
Delete