Modern Vespa

Being the impatient person I am, I couldn't wait till Monday for Yellow Freight to deliver my side car, I drove to their hub in Tracy and picked it up Today. NapaCoach came over with his client Chase and they gave me a hand. We go most all of it done today, tomorrow we will be riding. Thanks again Chase and Matt. I had taken the scooter much farther apart then needed for side car installation for the installation of many other mods.


Picking up the Side Car in Tracy

Un-crating the Side Car

It was hard, see I even had to read the instructions (multiple times)

Reforming the seat to fit around one of the supports.

Yea!!!....toys!

Good for you Curt.

R

8)

Caption Contest



"It says here that if you want your trunk monkey to perform tricks, you have to give it a banana."

OK so I couldn't leave it alone. I went back to work and it is all together now and when it gets warm enough tomorror I will see how she drives. I have never ridden in or driven a sidecar. New experience all around.

Very nice looking side car! Looks like a fun project. What brand car is it? Just wondering, Beale.

WARNING....NOT SUITABLE FOR SUZUKI BURGMAN SCOOTER

Last edited by DougandMichelle on Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:41:21 +0000; edited 1 time

Curt, please post pics of your scooter and side car once you have it put back together and on the road. I love the look of a side car on a scooter, something very nostalgic about it.

Or a SUZUKI Burgman scooter

Oh crap....

More daddy more. Read me more!

It is a Texas Sidecar and the model is Ranger. http://www.texassidecars.com/sidecars.htm

This is our photo platform for rallies and special photo shoots.

My Photo Caption Submission.

You be careful on it,it's a whole different riding experience!!

You still got the crate in pic #1? You could sell it to Vacanze as a topcase..

Hey he can have it for free, it is on the side of the house.

Very cool looking sidecar - I have a feeling it will look awesome all done up!

Going to be a real cruiser and a great photo/video platform

"No, seriously, the picture shows it to the right of the scooter...!"

Well she is now complete. On Oct 10, 2006 I bought a Burgman 650 with the intention of mounting a sidecar to it and using it as a photo platform for shooting other scooters. Today Jan 14, 2007 she is complete now I just have to learn the idiosyncrasies of riding in and driving a sidecar rig, then I have to teach some friends to drive her so that I can do some photography. Not only did I do the sidecar but added many other enhancements.

- Texas Sidecar, Ranger model
- Modulating Headlights
- Front Running Lights, (in mirrors with turn signals)
- Stiebel Nautilus Horn
- Mc Cruise, electronic cruise control
- Garmin Zumo 550 GPS
- Brake Reservoir, Ball Ram Mounts
- Powerlet 12v power outlet in the under seat trunk
- BackOff brake light modulator
- V46 Givi Trunk

Kewl.

Very nice Curt. More pictures needed!

I love the white color.

And total cost out the door is................

- 2006 Burgman 650 $7500
- Texas Sidecar, Ranger model $3895
- Modulating Headlights $ 95
- Front Running Lights, (in mirrors with turn signals) $ 12
- Stiebel Nautilus Horn $ 30
- Mc Cruise, electronic cruise control $625
- Garmin Zumo 550 GPS $776
- Brake Reservoir, Ball Ram Mounts $ 35
- Powerlet 12v power outlet in the under seat trunk $ 15
- BackOff brake light modulator $ 40
- V46 Givi Trunk (Rack only as same trunk for GTS) $ 95
Total OTD $13,118

Here are a couple more snapshots taken today.

Curt does the Burger have any problem pulling the extra weight? What are your overall thoughts on the scoot with and without the hack?

Bob

Do I see bare fingers in that picture?

Huh, what, where? And damn it was cold out.

With a passenger in the hack and my fat ass driving, it will still leave a GTS in the dust. It is an awesome scooter with or without the hack but for running around town the GTS is much better do to it's smaller size.

Thanks. I'm thinking of getting a Burgman in addition to my BV200. I really like the BV and intend to keep it for the long term. I'm trying to determine between the 400 and the 650. Nice setup by the way... ENJOY it!



Bob

Looks great, Curt. Very nice setup.

Awesome. 8)

Tim

Curt that is one great looking setup! I like it very much, and thank you for the link to the side car site. Looks like a nice unit, very well made.

Is the side car gonna stay on full time? Just interested in how hard it would be to take off/put on? Thanks for sharing, Beale.

Very nice Curt. Can't wait to see more shots.

That's the best sidecar set up I've ever seen and I tend to like the vintage stuff. Looks like a great touring combination.

Has anybody ever taken a sidecar on a long trip? Like 400 miles in a day? Is it comfortable for the car rider?

What kind of mileage does the Burgman get without the sidecar?

And will you do some calculations for us with the sidecar and pax?

That is seriously cool, nicely done.

It's a whole different animal from what I bought my scooter for, but I could still see it being a lot of fun. I'd teach my friends the photography part, and do the driving myself.

btw, I just bought the same horn for my Buddy. I won't look as impressive as your new rig, but they'll be able to hear me.

Enjoy it!

Very nice! I hadn't realized what a fine looking scooter the Suzuki was.

Curt is a great photographer, that's not a thing you can teach to ding-dongs like NapaCoach and myself.

But learning to drive a sidecar rig seems totally do-able. At least I hope so, 'cuz I sure want to take it for a spin!

Curt, the rig looks awesome. Can't wait to see it.

At this time I plan on it staying on full time. It can be taken off in about 20 minutes and put back on in less than an hour. (Provided that you are on a level surface). My wife said that the stock seat cushion is a bit hard, so you can alway fix that with some good memory foam. Without the sidecar, 45-50mpg and yes I will let you know about it with the sidecar after I get it dialed in and get a couple of tanks of gas under my belt. I built this rig so that "I" can do some photography from it. To do so I'm going to have to find the right people to teach to drive it. It does take a LOT more physical labor to drive it as you are truly steering through every turn. Most people would consider driving a 2 wheeled scooter much more FUN then with a sidecar. It is a totally different driving experience and you need to get some experience under your belt before getting involved in a rally or some good twisties at speed. When a turn say 25 you better be doing 25.

My first two candidates are Jed from Napa and Monetry Pete. With Montery Pete it will be a 50/50 deal where we will have to share driving and shooting time.

Just say the word Curt, and I'm there. I'm bored at home today while the wife is off at work.

beautiful. looks great.

Curt that is an awesome looking set up you have there, you guys are going to have such a good time riding that and shooting your photos. Can't wait to see the photos you take now from the side car.

"Damn and double damn!!, it says here" "Amputation of the legs below the knee is not required, the bulkhead fitted to the sidecar is for packing purposes only and should be removed before use on the road "