You may remember my -73 Commando rebuild some years ago after an accident which left me with a bad right and leg. Alton helped for the leg, Brembo and Colorado Norton helped with the front brake and triple trees but I am still not confy whatsoever on this bike!! I'll not sell it so I am thinking to get her back to the point I bought it 25 years ago... A sidecar! (I have already a few of these contraption and love them more and more). I found a cheap Watsonian Monza not long ago and the idea is progressing... I do not want any attaches on the front tubes I am thinking of a subframe attach to the motor BEFORE the isolastics. Google is poor on this... Any ideas? Thanks.
Sidecar Commando
- Thread starter prmurat
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Hi, why do you not want to attach to front down tubes?
I had a Watsonian GP ( same chassis as Monza) fitted to a 1970 BMW R75/5. Rode it around Europe and it was not till years later I found out that the frame was not up to it. :lol:
Mine was a 4 point attachment and worked well, the Watsonian's are pretty light and drive nice.
I had a Watsonian GP ( same chassis as Monza) fitted to a 1970 BMW R75/5. Rode it around Europe and it was not till years later I found out that the frame was not up to it. :lol:
Mine was a 4 point attachment and worked well, the Watsonian's are pretty light and drive nice.
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Everyone has their level of understanding of isolastic dynamics and load resisting as concerns sidecars but my view is isolastics have enough to do just holding enigne in line and swing arm loads so made hard points at the extremes of frame with frame cross braced in those areas in not already by factory. Official factory service notes says side cars are taboo on Commandos and prior opinion of many experts here concour so who knows you may be the first to get away with only isolastic rubbers holding handling stable but if researching rubber cushioned side cars mounts might discover why they are so so rare any more on any cycle.
Scan here for some more view points and options.
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/support ... bed-models
Scan here for some more view points and options.
http://www.nortonownersclub.org/support ... bed-models
Back in 1968, N-V got a lot of complaints from sidecar users because they couldn't find sidecar adaptors for the Commando Norton finally issued a statement that the Commando was "totally unsuitable for sidecar attachment" and said the Atlas would continue in production for sidecar users. The main reason for the embargo was that sidecar use imposes substantial side-loads, since the bike can't lean over when cornering.
In my early biker days I put a single-seat Watsonian sidecar on my BSA A-7 On one particularly hard corner, the side-force ripped the back tire off the bike.
As later issues showed, the Commando design even had marginal structural capabilities as a solo bike.
In my early biker days I put a single-seat Watsonian sidecar on my BSA A-7 On one particularly hard corner, the side-force ripped the back tire off the bike.
As later issues showed, the Commando design even had marginal structural capabilities as a solo bike.
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This is perfect example of going by scientific expert opinions consensus w/o testing and manufacture legal logic w/o testing versus actual ongoing evidence to the contrary by more than just one or two Commandos for a long time. Who ya gonna believe to side with? If you already have side car dynamics down by studying the reasons for prior bad ju ju then can dive right in, but if only at level to quess about being the first to mount only to power unit/cradle, oh well have at it and get back to us - if able afterwards. Some rubber isolation is possible so here is some leads...
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ru ... d+side+car
Peels robust hard points I created. Tube slides in outer plate to butt against inner plate so a bolt in center of tube holds in all trapped with about an inch of span to resist tube and plate twists. They are between front mount and front bottom brace for more rigidity. Low rear ones allow 1 inch tube to span frame and frame rear tube-bend brackets welded behind Zplates also have 1/2 inch bolt through Z plates also holding peg/levers on strongly. If you pull-tug on normal Z plate mounts you can seee them and frame moving a few silly mm which can quickly get out of hand in a rush. I made Peel as light as practical so run w/o cage or car but Peel is meant to crash so ordinary Cdos better have steel tube cross frame, in my opinion.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ru ... d+side+car
Peels robust hard points I created. Tube slides in outer plate to butt against inner plate so a bolt in center of tube holds in all trapped with about an inch of span to resist tube and plate twists. They are between front mount and front bottom brace for more rigidity. Low rear ones allow 1 inch tube to span frame and frame rear tube-bend brackets welded behind Zplates also have 1/2 inch bolt through Z plates also holding peg/levers on strongly. If you pull-tug on normal Z plate mounts you can seee them and frame moving a few silly mm which can quickly get out of hand in a rush. I made Peel as light as practical so run w/o cage or car but Peel is meant to crash so ordinary Cdos better have steel tube cross frame, in my opinion.
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