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When you get too decrepit to ride two wheels would you consider a side car, or something else?

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Discussion starter · #61 ·
It has been a while since I had anything to update on the project, but I hear that the Ohlins shocks and Mitas E07+ Dakar tires have arrived.

Scott was kind enough to send me a couple of pics of the tub in primer, prior to paint, this week:



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I suppose those 'leaning' chairs require more complicated attachments to the bike but they look much lighter than those I am familiar with. We used to show off with a rigid mount by 'lifting' it as we passed onlookers. Accelerate and twist the bars to the right then quickly to the left...up comes the chair as you straighten the Com. That's for the UK with the chair to the left of the bike. Like a wheelie but much more difficult. Get it wrong and you are in trouble. I'd have one tomorrow. Left corners go easy or you'll end up under the chair..right corners OK... but go easy or you'll lose the back wheel.

Despite all of the mania with Bonnevilles etc in the 1960's swingin' UK...it was considered OK amongst bikers to ride a big old Com just so long as you took the huge double adult sidecar off it and kept the frame, mudguard and lights etc (legal), with maybe some boards or an old coffin to replace the chair. There were no helmet or seat belt laws then so a coffin with a 'corpse' in it was occasionally seen on ride outs.

Very rare to see a Com on the UK roads now and they always attract interest.

Back in the day (50's 60's) they were the working class man's family transport and ex military bikes as Coms were all over the place in the UK.

I'd love to see an AT Com in the metal...better still have a go on one.

Helmets off to you guys who are doing this Com stuff with the AT. I love it. Keep going. 😬 👨‍🎓 👍
 
Discussion starter · #66 ·
Is that design taken from the 'Swallow' sidecar circa 1960's UK?
I believe it is a copy of Ural's sidecar from WWII on to the present... Few nods to modern technology in the brakes and suspension, but quite similar.
 
Discussion starter · #67 · (Edited)
The "shoe" is getting a little polish...

Scott was kind enough to send a few shots from the paint booth, today, pre-buff.

Matching the Honda Midnight Black from the 2021 Adventure Sport ES.

Also adding a pic of the bike, at the end for color comparison.


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Trunk lid

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Hack fender

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Discussion starter · #72 ·
Reposting a couple of photos of the Leading Link front-end from Jay's Facebook page.

LL Pre-powder coat, Ohlins shocks, Mitas E07+ Dakar tire in 150/70 - 18", same size at all three locations on the bike. Woody's 36 spoke tubleess rims, custom billet hubs.

Shocks are fully adjustable (Preload, Compression, Rebound, and Length.)


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Reposting a couple of photos of the Leading Link front-end from Jay's Facebook page.

LL Pre-powder coat, Ohlins shocks, Mitas E07+ Dakar tire in 150/70 - 18", same size at all three locations on the bike. Woody's 36 spoke tubleess rims, custom billet hubs.

Shocks are fully adjustable (Preload, Compression, Rebound, and Length.)


View attachment 73313

View attachment 73314
Love it well done...
 
Discussion starter · #75 ·
My brother bought an AT in June and ordered a side car for it almost immediately after his purchase. He ordered it from some company out of Seattle Washington. It was supposed to be delivered last month, but the owner of the company can't find anyone to work because they can earn more money on welfare so now the delivery has changed to December. I know the side car costs almost as much as his bike. He bought a AT DCT, but not the adventure sport. I tried to convince him to pay extra for the AS, but he didn't listen to me, and now he is regretting it. I'll try to find out what the companies name is.
@JamesRL1972, your post was one of the reasons I decided to buy a new ATAS to hack vs converting my old 2017 Std. The bigger tank and cruise control won out!

In the grand scheme of things, the bike was the lesser of the two expenses!
 
Discussion starter · #77 ·
Today's update: A few more pics are starting to flow back from DMC. Still waiting on two more wheels to be built, but tracking numbers are showing rims heading to Woody's next week, so there is hope.

Battery snafu's with Optima forced a redesign on the aux battery system. It will now be a single 12v Optima Bluetop in the sidecar trunk, vs. two 6v batteries in series, embedded in the floor of the sidecar passenger compartment. Not a big deal, but will take up a little bit of the trunk-space.

Leading Link with powder coat now on:

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Pre mounting side car to bike: (not the light bar that will eventually be mounted on sidecar front bumper...)

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Rolling chassis, sitting on a borrowed hack wheel and the original rear wheel. Both will change out to the same wheel/tire as the front. Looks like a winch and winch mount hiding in/on the box, next to the front wheel.

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So who knows, if wheels show up, maybe the rig gets done in early/mid Sept?
 
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