Modern Vespa

Here are some of the most cool!

http://anunciautos.com.br/blog/2009/09/side-cars-para-motos-todos-modelos-imaginaveis-e-inimaginaveis/

VERY interesting. The variety and imagination associated with their design is quite broad in scope. I've always been fascinated by sidecars but have no desire for one. Thx for the interesting link.
Best
Miguel

Who said Sidecars aren't cool? Many of those I've known who've owned them. I've ridden rigs and they are not much fun. The do look cool, but having a hack transforms a nice handling bike into a touchy, ill-mannered beast. Steering sensitivity and rider input changes with road speed. Because of the lack of leverage and effort required turning the handlebars, you use the brakes a lot to assist steering into corners, and that varies for left and right turns. The upside with Vespa's solid wheels is they don't break spokes from the side load like wire motorcycle wheels, but wheel bearing and tire life are still much shorter than with a solo bike. A downside with Vespa is that the single-arm front suspension is not designed for side loads.

What is most unnerving about some Vespa sidecars is that they tend to use a single-tube support. Most motorcycle sidecars use a triangulated tube setup which is more rigid and secure. A hacks alignment to the two main wheels is critical for proper handling and a multi-tube mount is more tunable. http://www.pashnit.com/pics/sidecars/Triumphfront.jpg

Here's a Cozy mount for Vespa:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gbh/VespaSidecar/

Pic from the net http://tinyurl.com/2bfonp6 :

Sidecars aren't for everyone.
It does require skill and strength to be a good Hack driver.
The short comings can be overcome and lead to enjoyment by skill and experience coupled with a well trimmed out rig.

My wife and I have owned seven sidecar rigs (presently don't own one). We have each clocked over 100k miles on sidecar rigs. If you have a good quality rig with proper mounts and a leading link front fork, they can handle really well and be very predictable and fun to drive. Having put three EML kits together on BMW's (EML is a Dutch mfg that makes one of the worlds finest sidecar kits), I would not put a sidecar on any scooter. You simply can't achieve the goal of having a frame that is strong enough with proper triangulation for the mounting points so the rig is going to handle poorly when compared to a good motorcycle rig. If someone really wants a sidecar rig, I recommend that they find a used EML, Armec or EZS rig. They are the absolute best that you can buy and handle like go karts. They're also very safe and comfortable to pilot.

The GTS & sidecar above is mine, the sidecar has been on loads of Vespa's & Lambretta's.
All the scooters that it's been mounted to have used the same type of single mounting bracket & they've all been fine.
This is the only one thats had 2 fixing points & 5 bolts holding it on. (4 bolts on the rest of them.)
Squire & Watsonian have been building sidecar chassis using this system since at least the 1950's so I think it's proven by now.
And we've had loads of fun with it, it's well cool. 8)





How f**king cools that!!! 8)

+1 Once you develop the different skills necessary and get the rig aligned they are a blast.

This setup is really nice if you like HD...

coolness all depends on whos riding it

Nice cheese Gromit.

OOOkaaayy...first time I've ever seen someone post a vomit shot as a justification that something is enjoyable.

Too much cider & black.
Does make a funny picture though.

i was gonna say pernod n black in snakebite... that stuff once had that affect on me ... comes out the same colour it goes in

Here is my family in ours, my wife Jen and Lotus (age 3) in the sidecar

Nice pic. mate. 8)

now that combo is mooooo-ving... looks udderly cool

Yeah that is some prime rib...not to milk it too much.

That bike looks like it can really MOOOOve.

Um did I see what I thought I saw running through this stream...yuck

I'd love a sidecar on my Vespa GTS 250,
But...Then I wouldn't be able to go fast enough on the highway.

My dog would love it though.

It's one of those skills others mentioned that you have to acquire to successfully ride a hack - i.e. how to throw up without getting any in your lap.

loads of fun, eh!?