Not any longer, have one coming, thanks Jay! I just bought a 79 Goldwing that is begging for a hack to be attached. I had a 75 GW a few years back with a Velorex and have regretted selling it. I've looked in the FM, but thought I'd put a feeler out here too. I'm in Colorado, so the seller has to either be semi-close, willing to ship or willing to ride out, drop the hack and ride home, or some variation thereof. Ideally looking for something that looks old school, but open to about any good deal. Thanks for reading. Doug@8000'
We have a Kenna that was built before we were building them. The old Kenna design was 6 inches shorter in the body then the way we now build them. $2500 on a new chassis, with a new windsheild, seat and the mounts for your bike. We will crate it for $195 and can ship it. The sidecars we build in house are on sale for 10% off so you can have a new Kenna for $3395 less 10% is $3055.50 which would include the mounts for your bike. Jay G DMC sidecars www.dmcsidecars.com 866-638-1793 jay@dmcsidecars.com
Jay, Thanks for the info and offer. I had hoped to keep this a low budget project, so I am going to look around some, but your offer is very tempting. Any pics of the actual hack? What color currently? Also, what would the cost of just a frame and mounts run for the 79 GW? PM me if we are breaking any rules talking about it here. Happy Trails, D@8K'
I see no problem posting here as it lets people know what things cost and also in this case some back ground and in this case why some things are done the way they are. We have not takend any photo's of the sidecar yet as it looks pretty bad right now. So back ground on the Kenna design. The original design changed hands several times before my general manager Barry purchased it years ago, One of the companies that built it for a while would sell just the bodies has they did not make a frame. A person local to us who has not been into sidecars for years whom I happened to meet at the marina where we both keep our boats built 7 Kenna sidecars by buying just the bodies. He built this sidecar originaly, sort of. I say sort of as there was a sidecar made in Portland Oregon called a sweet chariot. It was a horible sidecar by pretty much any standard. It had two main issues, very poor areodynamics, It was like having a drag cute out at speed and the only suspention was provided by its tire. So the sidecar we now have is a Kenna body on a sweet chariot frame with out any suspention. To make matters worse, he would put what ever automotive seat he could get out of the junk yard that would fit and then bend a flat peice of plexiglass for a windshield. This is what we have. So what we will be doing before the sidecar is sold it taking the body, mounting it on one of our new type frames with a new windshield and seat as well as our mounting system. This sidecar has been painted brown. If you want just a Kenna frame with the mounts and wheel with our sale price of 10% off this month it will come to $2015. The frame and mounts can be shipped Fed Ex. When we designed the Kenna frame we did so with a shock tower that is bolted on so that we can remove it to be able to ship it with out having to go to a trucking company. Shipping usualy runs about $150 depending on where it is going. We would be suppling bike specific NOT universal mounts for your bike. One nice thing about our mount for the GL1000/1100 is that our lower rear mount replaces the center stand and as such you end up with the lower rear mount further aft and more important lower then it would be by clamping to the frame like your Velorex most likley did. When you simply clamp to a GL frame your lower rear mount ends up being higher then your lower front mount. The problem with this is when you go to align the sidecar. You start by setting toe in. Then you set lean out. Now, should you have a pull, lets say to the right to fix it you would lean the bike out more however with the lower rear mount higher then the lower front mount, when you lean the bike out more, you end up with less toe in and as such, more pull to the right so then you have to go back and reset the toe. It can be a real pain to find the sweet spot where every thing works right. With the lower mounts level with each other when you change lean out, toe stays the same. If you mount the lower front mount a bit higher then the lower rear mount when you change lean out it changes your toe setting in a dirrection that it helpfull. I know you had a Velorex on your last GL however I can not recomend this again. It is a very light sidecar with mounts that are not very well thought out and in the case of older Velorex sidecars you have a 15mm axle. 15mm is not a lot of axle to support the weight of you, your passenger and the load transfer from your bike on left hand turns, we have seen the axles bend as well as break. Jay G DMC sidecars www.dmcsidecars.com 866-638-1793
Jay, Thanks for the info. All understandable and after tuning the Velorex, I see exactly what you are talking about. The Velorex was easy to fly, which added to the fun factor, but it did feel "kitey". I had hoped to go in an old school direction with the project. The GW is stripped and looks cool that way. The Kenna is a little Geroge Jetson for me, but the price and offer is more than right, so I may review my concept. Or consider the frame only approach and build my own chair. Regardless, I really appreciate the input and undoubtedly will be in touch. Thanks again, D@8K'
I'm not a Goldwing type of guy but a buddy owned a naked 76 goldwing that featured a 4 into 1 header. I alway thought it would of been a perfect bike for a sidecar tug. I would like to build a heavier frame ( and suspension ) for my Velorex someday. Thinking about using 1 1/2" square tube and including roll cage and tube bumper front and rear as well.
Yeah, not much of a GW guy myself, but the stripped older ones have a certain appeal and do make good tugs, and you can't argue their durability. The 75 I had did great and looked pretty cool to boot. Here is a link to the bike: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&item=250903266279&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT The bars have to go, probably either flatter, drag style or possibly a flat track bend, seat needs help too. I can see it coming together in my mind.... D@8K'
Thanks to Jay at DMC, I have a chassis coming and plans in my head for the Dogcar. I'll keep you all posted. D@8K'
Wood and I don't get along, Would be cool (no pun intended) but will prob go more in the diamond plate direction. D@8K'
Thanks to jay at DMC and his crew, and the warm weather we are having, too the HackWing out for the maiden voyage. Went really well, only minor tweeking needed. Found a diamond plate MC trailer that had a small accident to be the box/chair donor. I'll keep you all posted... D@8K'
None planned as yet, with the exception of possibly a stabilizer. pretty stable at 50, with and without 165# nephew as ballast. A little head shake with hard braking, but noting too scary. I had a Velorex on a '75 GW with no stabilizer with good results. This rig already feels more stable and rigid. Pretty easy to "fly" at this stage without box/chair/added weight. You have to be careful, the added force to get the 15" car tire to spin up to speed when you set in down in a force to be reckoned with.... D@8K'
So this is what the trailer I found looks like, or at least before the GoldWing that was towing it somehow fell over at speed on a straight stretch of road.... I figure I'll probably remove the lid and line the inside, maybe a shorty windshield and some tie downs to keep the dogs form leaping out... D@8K'
That looks nice and stout! I think I might have to start saving my pennies for a mounting set-up like that!
He was just sitting on the frame...but he had on eye protection, so we were legal.... Ahh to be young again. D@8K'
Modified a VW steering stabilizer today to address head shake issues: Seems to have calmed the experience down a fair amount. Now if I can just replace the warped brake rotor, braking may become less exciting as well... D@8K'
So I got the tubing bent, bought a plasma torch and finally got some work done. Still got snow on the ground and a way to go... D@8K'
