SIDE CARS: (by Barb Peters)

As I have been reading the old Club magazines, the use of sidecars has caught my eye. I have always had a passing interest in them, not in a fanatical way, but they do fascinate me. I would love to have a ride in a sidecar one day, even own one. Maybe I can talk Cliff into getting one for the 1200 one day. (Pigs might learn to fly too.) Anyway, I just read an article in ‘Just Bikes’ May 2010 edition. I thought perhaps some of the Club members might like to read it too. Enjoy J

SIDECARS: from wicker basket to the Isle of Man TT

It may come as a surprise to know that luxury carmaker Jaguar cut its teeth on motorcycles – and more pointedly sidecars. The forerunner to Jaguar was the Swallow Sidecar Company, established in 1922 to build very stylish aluminium sidecars. Their interest in small two seater transport evolved into producing the Austin Seven and then on to Jaguar.

The motorcycle sidecar in many respects is a novelty today, but they have been around for over 100 years. The British make claim to having the earliest sidecar with a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7^th, 1903 issue of motorcycle newspaper “Motor Cycling”. By the end of the month a Mr. W.J. Graham of Middlesex had been granted a patent for the design. The earliest sidecars resembled a wicker armchair and are rare collector’s items today. They quickly evolved, with materials changing from wood to metal, and their shape slowly became longer and lower. Many were also fully enclosed and acted to the equivalent of today’s sedan.

Motorcycles and sidecars were manufactured in most countries, with numerous models and companies manufacturing their own version. In 1913 the Flexible Sidecar Co. was established in Ohio, and was among the first to employ a flexible mounting to the motorcycle, allowing the sidecar to lean on corners.

Traditional motorcycle makers also manufactured sidecars with the Indian Maid sidecar marketed by the Indian Motorcycle Co. in 1915. Rival Harley-Davidson also introduced sidecars to its customers in 1914. The Model 20LX was marketed as the Harley-Davidson Speedster in 1918 and sold for US$135, with the body an extra $60! In the same year famous German sidecar manufacturer Steib introduced the Cozy sidecar after being asked to produce one for the Ardie-Werk Motorcycle Co. Within 15 years they were the major sidecar maker in Germany with 80 percent of the market. By the 1950’s Steib was the world leader in sidecar production, claiming some 90 percent of world sales. By 1955 Steib was fabricating 50 sidecars a day, although this number rapidly fell away in the ensuing years, with the plant closing in 1958.

Harley-Davison always enjoyed a strong relationship with the Police and supplied the department with many models. The Great Depression hit all companies and Harley-Davidson was no exception with sales diving. During 1933 they marketed the Police Motorcycle, a three-wheeled Servi-car that essentially changed the sidecar into a trike.

Coming out of the Depression motorcycles and sidecars proved popular and affordable, being a cheap alternative to a car. Sidecars saw service in WWII, particularly among the British, Russian and German troops, being more nimble, and a smaller target.

Sidecars also found their way into competitive racing with the FIM starting the World Motorcycle Championship in 1949, with one of the classes being for sidecars. Many of the biggest bike manufacturers have been involved in sidecar racing, notably BMW that enjoyed a long string of successes. Since 1987 at the Isle of Man TT, the Sidecar TT has been contested, with racers lapping at up to 187km/h in 2006.

Sidecars have a long and colourful history and are a unique aspect of open air motorcycle travel. Today there are many niche sidecar manufacturers along the mainstream builders such as Harley-Davidson. They have featured in many movies and even today an early model sidecar still draws admiring glances on the road.