KLR is comparable to a Ural in performance. I have great fun with mine. But they won't do the speeds you want and aren't the best quality the Japanese have to offer. Keep looking. There are lots of bikes out there with the hp you want at good prices. An old Bandit is a great sidecar tug. The Seca looks good too. Not a lot of ground clearance , but good capable bikes that last forever and can be found cheap. Aaron(crash a ron) made a very cool rig out of a wrecked Calvacade. Insurance wrecks can be a great source for a newer bike, done cheap. You can use some the money you save to replace a damaged front end with leading links. You can leave the broken plastic off. It doesn't need to be a rat- think street fighter, be creative. The spine frame bikes are more difficult to mount sidecars to, but make a great rig once you figure out the subframe. My old carb Tiger was the most fun of any of the rigs I have had, tho it was a pain to work on and the subframe was tricky. It would go 80mph all day long fully loaded and was good in the dirt, too I put that together for around $8000 if I remember rightly. The newer BMWs can be expensive to mount to, but will haul your sidecar at freeway speeds. The airheads are usually easier and less expensive but still need a good subframe and will work hard above 65mph. A used V Strom might be a good choice.
I was just looking at my old Bandit and wondering just that... Is the chain drive an issue or an advantage as it allows easy re-gearing? How do you handle the lack of 17" dual sport tires? Early 18" GSXR front and 600 Bandit rear wheels? ... Sorry for the hijack.
I think chain drive is an advantage for sidecars I use a Cheng Shen trials pattern up front and a Kenda K270 on the rear, with good results I had to raise the front fender to make the tire fit
I now remember seeing a picture of these two rigs in a crowded garage somewhere else, Maximum Suzuki maybe? I cannot tell if these are B6's or B12's, what size rear are you running?
The Bandit is a great choice for a tug. However, someone mentioned an XS1100. We have had two rigs powered by these and they are a good choice also. P.S. I think the sidecar pictured earlier is a Dnepr and not a Ural. Looks like it had been modified a little too. Our old XS1100 rig:
So you mean highway speed or reliability? At 43HP is beats the 40HP put out by the Ural, but am unsure if that means much. My F650GS had 50HP and it seemed like it had plenty of power to pull. I never thought of the KLR650 as unreliable, but I guess as far as DS, the African Twin and Transalp may be more reliable bikes than the KLR? Now with my Dnepr side-car, am I going to have trouble getting it on the frame of a KLR650? It seems like there is a lot of plastic to get in the way.
I mean performance. Reliability seems to be better, provided you do the doohickey. It doesn't like speeds much above 60mph but will do so, just like a Ural. One advantage is it is easy to regear the KLR to match what you want to do with it. My KLR Sputnik seems to do highway speeds much easier than the barn door motox sidecars I have on the others. The 685 big bore KLR is happier pulling the hacks than the stock engine. You mentioned in one of your posts wanting a rig that will do 70 or 80 mph. Niether the Ural nor the KLR will do that. You might be able to wring those speeds out of one in some circumstances, but it aint right and the machine will let you know it.
You will need a subframe. The top front mount is tricky. Dauntless Motors has the best solution for mounts and is worth the money, but it is not cheap. On my home built subframe I put the top front mount low, about the bottom of the front fender. I've posted some stuff here and at klrworld.com if you want to see how I did it.
...you bought the sidecar, but look for a HD with a sidecar and see what is out there. I have seen sportsters with sidecars and think that is a neat set up. Reliable and torque enough to go down the road. Also, parts and dealers are everywhere. Classic look, V-Twin torque and inexpensive.
Thanks for the suggestion and I am sure it is just an image issue for me, but I cannot imagine myself on a Harley. And that is the nicest possible way I could say it.
nothing like that. That looks like a "universal" mount kit. I am not a big fan of "universal" mounts, even tho those appear to be good quality.
http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,293.0.html http://adventuresidecar.com/ASSFLEET/assfleet3.htm http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,10924.0.html http://dauntlessmotors.com/Mountinghardware/kawasaki.htm
Yes, it is the universal (they do not seem to have the KLR specific in but I can e-mail). I just wanted to ensure that I am in the ballpark. It is the subframe mount, as I should already have the subframe.
this is the Dauntless Motors KLR sub frame You still need the pieces to convert your Dnepr from ball an collet to heim joints at the bottom mounts to mate it to this.
Thanks RedMenace. You are definitely the authority on the subject. I found it on Dauntless for $500.00. It is expensive, but worth it. I think I may go KLR650. I realize that I am sacrificing overall cruise speed, but still think I can have a bargain set-up with the KLR and my Dnepr car and be able to travel at 60-65. I will just have to avoid interstates, something that is not that bad afterall. I think that having a 70-80 mph bike is not really feasible unless I want to spend big bucks on an BMW R or a Triumph Tiger, both bikes that are relatively expensive to maintain. After considering the older Japanese, larger engine bikes, it seems like they are not a good fit either. And I am not interested in a big heavy street bike either. Thanks for all the help! I am going to start looking at bikes and will update.
You might want to set your anti HD bias aside and take another look at the Sportster. I think it might be a little more power than the KLR, but with some careful shopping you could come in around the same price range. I have the same bias you do, but I keep looking at Sporty's as a possible ride. I wouldn't want one of the foot forward models( I HATE that seating position) but something set up like a flat tracker with a light hack, high pipes and a skid plate could be a hoot! With either the KLR or something like a Sportster, you could use the Dnepr chassis with a lighter, more aerodynamic tub to get the most out of what little hp is there.
Thanks RedMenace! And just to give you an idea of just how cheap a nice Bandit can be: http://knoxville.craigslist.org/mcy/1010326525.html No relation to the seller whatsoever...
Very good thread this,, taking notes.. Actually never thought of a sportster myself.. Would be a cool rig and American Iron, which I find kinda appealing. Back to lurking...
