Velorex Chair

So, you didn't get any of the eye bolt frame mounts? They weren't on the bike? And no seat or windshield either? I had a Velorex just like this one many years ago. Bought it new and had it mounted to two different BMWs. The first was my /5, and while those "newer" BMWs weren't made for a sidecar, I thought it was OK. Heck, I went cross-country and back with the thing, lol, and I had no issues. Then I got my /2 conversion and man, what a difference. The car mounted up and rode so much better, but that's probably because the /2 frame was made for sidecar use, not to mention the Earles front fork with it's special sidecar position.

I think I paid about $1200 for the Velorex but I see they've gone up some, lol ($4800 now).
 
I've owned two rigs over the years and they are a lot of fun I figure I will end my riding days with one. A hack is no longer a motorcycle and isn't a car the one exception is when you fly the chair then it handles like a motorcycle. To become truly proficient you need to learn to loft it and be able to do figure eights with the chair off the ground. Some never learn and just put heavy weights in the tub so it won't come up and have all the excitement that comes with your average shopping cart. I will say set up, toe in , lean and general alignment is critical for a good handling. Add to that changing the rake of the forks for stability. The Adventure Rider site has a hacks forum with a bunch of old hands and they are very helpful with a project like this. Here's my last rig I built from scratch.....never should have sold it!
 

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Adamc said:
Jim I love an ‘outfit’ but I have to ask why? You XS650 is a gem as it is.
Our old mechanic in work has an old RE with a chair and it looks period cool; I get that.
If your XS650 was a usable survivor then whack a chair on; but not that beauty.
Just sayin’ 🙏🤔
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While some pretty fast and sporty rigs can be built for everyday use a plow horse beats a race horse. That's why my first hack was a Dnepr with a BMW R800 airhead motor swapped in an the second was the Harley which has tons of grunt for that kind of work.
 

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Adamc said:
Jim I love an ‘outfit’ but I have to ask why? You XS650 is a gem as it is.
Our old mechanic in work has an old RE with a chair and it looks period cool; I get that.
If your XS650 was a usable survivor then whack a chair on; but not that beauty.
Just sayin’ 🙏🤔
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I get ya , Adam... and I don't disagree. Problem is me balance went away. If I've any hope of flappin' me hair in the breeze on two wheels, I'll have to add a third. It's an imperfect solution I know, but it is what it is, unfortunately.

I'll mount it up to the SG and put some miles on it. If it's as much fun as I suspect it'll be, I'll build another XS as a dedicated side hack. After all, it's not like I don't have enough parts jus' layin' around... :cautious:
 
Got mag wheels too? I ask because spokes loosening up, and sometimes even breaking, can be an issue with sidecars. And alloy rims are the worst for this. I had spoke issues with my /5 because the rims were alloy. The /2 had steel "sidecar" rims so there were no problems with that one. Another couple things you'll need to do is beef up the suspension (stiffer springs front and rear) and possibly add a steering damper.
 
5twins said:
Another couple things you'll need to do is beef up the suspension (stiffer springs front and rear) and possibly add a steering damper.
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I've already ordered the tubing to build a leading link front end. Trying to suss out what shocks to get right now.

..and I've got a selection of steel and alloy wheels to sort through... or just use the mags... dunno... :umm:
 
TX650A Van Islander said:
Ooooo, can't wait to see the paint on this project
:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::cheers:
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I still have half of the blue I used on the Beemer. I think that would fit the bill nicely. Scrounge up a nice special tank and side covers so I don't ruin the nice candy red already on the bike... paint them and the chair something similar to the Beemer... maybe... dunno. :umm:

It's a whole new canvas, I'll change my time a hundred times 'tween now and then. :rolleyes:

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As I mentioned, alloy rims are no good, they flex too much. I actually had a couple rear spokes break on the /5 (18" alloy rim). I'd recommend a 16" steel rim for the rear, and a matching 19" front, 36 spoke type. Or maybe convert the front to an 18". You don't want the Heritage mega-spoke wheels, especially the front. The rear might be OK, heck maybe even better than a 36 spoke one. The 16" spokes are short and stout. My /2 has 18" wheels front and rear, with quite large brake drums so the spokes are pretty short ......

My Slash 2 Conversion.jpg
 
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