Looks great Fred - perfect for BEvERage hauling on our Yukon run.
Tell me, does it take long to mount / dismount the sidecar?
Pete
Hi Pete,
if all you need is to get access to the bike's right-hand side for maintenance, no.
Some of the following is XS650-Specific, mostly it's common to all rigs that have their sidecars bolted on.
Note that integral frame rigs come apart real easy with a Sawzall or a gas-axe but back together, not so much.
First, put the bike's sidestand down. (see Mailman's post) then locate the two little wheeled jacks needed to support and move the sidecar.
Then remove 4 bolts, unplug one 4-pin electrical connection and wheel the sidecar away.
Putting the sidecar back on is quicker because you already know where the wheelie jacks are.
Relocate the sidecar, put the 4 bolts back in, re-plug the electrics, do a quick check on the alignment because if you don't the bastards
will have shifted.
And if you don't remember to put the sidestand up again when you're done, the engine stopping when you put the bike in gear
will remind you soon enough.
Switching a sidecar bike back to full solo operation is still possible in most cases but it takes a while longer.
After the sidecar has been wheeled way you may or may not have a bike that can be ridden solo.
My XS650 would still have it's sidecar subframe and clamps but yes, it'd still be rideable.
For full solo use I'd have to remove the subframe and clamps, swap the 36T rear sprocket for a 33T, replace the centrestand,
tidy up the wiring and think about swapping it's Standard tank for the Burgundy-panelled Special tank it came with.
Alas my XS11SG would just sit there. Firstly because it's full size car battery went away with the sidecar.
And then I'd have to reverse the Standard/Special triple tree swap that reduced the bike's Steering trail
and scrounge up all the missing hardware that holds the bike's stock battery.
(which, judging by it's asking price, must have gold plates instead of lead ones)
Note that I have only made minor changes to my sidecar bikes.
Many hardcore sidecarists make such extreme changes to their bikes that there's no way you could ride them solo.