I am thinking about taking a late 1970s, early 1980s GS750, stripping down to frame, painting black and sand, and putting a ural sidecar on it. The GS750 does not look dissimilar from a Ural like a KLR650 does, and I think it would be a lot cheaper and more reliable. Are there any things I should look out for in putting the rig on, or recommendations on where to pick a sidecar up? I was going to go through dauntless but they seem to no longer sell the Ural sidecar.
You might want to look around for a kit Dnepr, or an older Ural you can cannibalize for the sidecar. If you're patient, it's often easier to sell the bike without the hack for not much less than you paid for it. I have a SOHC 750GS ('79 model) although it's been on a long-term loan to a friend. I suggested to him the other day that it would make a good tug but he yelled at me that "Boris needs to be free"
I went the same route using a 2004 Bonneville. It'll do pretty much anything you like and is a happier experience than a 650 Ural I had back in 1999. The Dauntless website and what's coming out of F2 in the UK is suggesting to me (by a roundabout route, only gossip really) that Ural is starting to worry about the number of us taking the chair without their bike. I get the impression Ural dealers are been told to sell whole bikes, not parts. That said, nothing to stop you getting a older chair and some Dauntless kit to put it all together. Andy
Does anyone have advice on sourcing a Ural/Dnepr/CJ sidecar? I don't need anything new/fancy as I plan on painting and modifying anyway.
Ok, I just picked up a 1967 Dnepr sidecar set-up. It is a little rough, but since I will be doing the painting and some other mods, I do not car. The price is right too, $600. Now I need to start really looking at bikes. I am leaning towards a late 1970s Honda CB750.
I ordered a Chair from CJ sidecar from china. I want to put it on a GL1000 or some such. $900 for the chair and $400 shipping.. Of course it has not arrived yet as he said it will be over 35 days in transit.. So I am waiting,, hope it works out. I'm a little nervous I just pissed away my money, but nothing ventured nothing gained....
Here are the first pics of the sidecar. It should be here sometime next week. Now I need to start looking for a bike. I am thinking a late 1970s Honda CB750 because they are plentiful, cheap, notoriously reliable, and have a huge support network. I am worried if it will have the power to pull the hack however. One of the reasons in putting together my own set-up is to have a setup that can go 70-80mph if needed. I have looked at Honda Goldwing GL1000 also, but I think that they are too big, and their engine is probably too sophisticated. Any suggestions?
I bet the CB750 will work fine. You might also look at the KZ from the same era -what did they have back then? KZ900 and KZ1000?
How about an XS1100? Frame sucked for solo riding, but maybe it would work better for sidecar duty. Reliable shaft drive, and plenty of power!
If I go with a KZ1000, I may as well go with this GL1000, which is "running" and going for $500. I am just worried that the engine will be costlier to work on and I am not sure how it will look if I put a ural front fender on and knobbies all the way around. Also, my plan is to change the chrome (wheels, rear fender, engine guards) to black...I mean powder coat it black, but am unsure if chrome removal is possible.
The KZ will make more power for the weight. At the prices you are talking about these bikes are disposable-cheaper to get another POS and hook it up than to fix. Spend less money on paint and more on the bike. Forget the 30+ year old bikes. Get the newest insurance write off you can. Strip the plastic and rattle can the the remains flat black. Reapply as needed.
My Bonneville (790 cc, 60 hp) with a Ural chair has the following performance: Economy cruise speed: Under 65 mph Maximum cruise speed: 75 mph Absolute maximum speed: 90 mph These are measured with GPS. The difference between maximum cruise and economy is 8-10 mpg (Imperial), hence covering distance is best done at 100 kph on the mechanical speedo to extend range. At 90 even a Bonneville motor is reving too much to keep it up all day, it feels and sounds unhappy. The aerodynamics of the Ural style chair seems to limit it's cruising speed potential unless you have a motor that'll put out 80 HP plus at economic RPM's. Hope that helps Andy
I may have given the wrong impression about what I am shooting for. I want a nice set-up, but don't want to spend mega-bucks on a hot cb750 if I am just going to break it down, rebuild the engine, powder-coat the frame black, and paint the tank, etc sand, put on some knobbies, change to a dual-sport handlebars, etc. I would rather spend $500 on a bike that is sorta running than $2000 on one that is running but will need me to go through and redo everything anyway. The reason I am doing it this way is: 1. I don't want to spend $13,000 for a Ural Gear-Up 2. I want a bike that will go faster than 55 mph 3. I want a bike with relative reliability (but with a classic look). I know they are getting better but I owned a UAZ-Patrol, and have no desire to do that again. 4. I want to do most of the work myself I am not looking to put together a rat. I want a capable platform (even if it is sinking some money into a bike that is worth less than what I have spent. I want to be able to go to Terre Del Fuego or Prudhoe Bay, not just the grocery store.
I came a similar route: 1999 Ural 650; great when it went, didn't go often enough. 50 mph cruise on under 35 hp. 1995 BMW R1100R with Charnwood chair; Great until it hit 9 years old, then the electrics were a PITA and it rotted faster than an Yamaha XT down pipe in a salt factory. Would pass anything except a petrol station or a speed camera on 80 hp. I settled on the Bonneville as the compromise of slightly less power in a newer and simpler package. Don't know enough about Suzuki's to get into detail, but I think you are on the right line. Andy
You probably cant do that with a 30 yo $500 Japanese bike. It will end up costing as much as a newer bike by the time you make it "as new" and it will still be a 30yo bike with old tech and poor hp to weight ratio or hopped up for good hp, reduced reliability. A 30 yo bike broke down in bumfuck will not be any easier to repair and abandoning it will be the most practical course. I love old bikes, but being easier to work on doesn't make up for poor performance, constant maintenance requirements and scarce parts. Further, the Japanese multis you are looking at aren't all that easy to service. You can make a fine budget rig with one, and you can polish it up for the Vintage shows, but it isn't the best choice for far flung adventures in remote locales. If you are serious about an adventure hack, spend more money on a newer bike. Get something less than 10 yo that had a long model run. You will find parts easier to get and the bike will be more reliable. You can do this for well under the cost of a new Ural and have much more bike for the money spent, but a $600 hack + a $500 bike = a money pit or a rat, not a reliable Pan American adventure tourer, IMHO
Thanks for the straight-forward advice. Maybe I should go back to my original plan of a KLR650. They can be had for relatively cheap, and after I paint the plastics, will look pretty cool too.
Since you already have the hack, why not consider a late model BMW 1100 GS, or and early model 1150? They have the benefits RedMenace mentioned, and are (relatively) reasonably priced these days... Poke around long enough and you will find a good deal. Just a thought... Good luck with your project regardless of the route you choose! Post pix when you start working on it!