The Ultimate Tug...

[fasteer]

what do the experts have to say about Honda's Varadero as a tug?

[Richard-NL]

Originally Posted by fasteer

what do the experts have to say about Honda's Varadero as a tug?

I’m not an expert , but it’s a Honda, so technically OK and strong enough, but not very fuel efficient. They are pretty thirsty.

Some examples:









And of course chain drive, with exception of the first one showed.

Richard-NL

[Bad Cat Racing]

Well right now this is available on SteveEnglish.com for a steal... All I'd need to do is put lights/mirrors/turnsignals on it, get the brake/light inspection done, run it by the CHP and get the blue-tag on the frame, head to the DMV and get the engine ID verified, and them my CHP blue-tag paperwork, and walk out with my special-construction title, registration, and LICENSE PLATE.

Two problems... It's in the UK =( All my money is going into the race effort at the moment. I can't even rebuild the forks/shocks on the Ducati.

The first BMR chassis is for sale for those who have not seen the bike it is a monocoque chassis.

Specification:
Brakes: Floating AP discs AP calipers and master cylinders all the same as the latest LCR F1 Chassis.
Suspension: Fitted with the latest GP7 Maxton units
Chassis: The hubs are all Windle, the six wheels are all Windle 3 fitted with slicks 3 with wets, the tub is made from 2mm Ally with more bulkheads fitted than the Windles, this makes it a little heavier but very very strong and made to last. The geometry is the same as the LCR and everything is fully adjustable including the sidecar wheel.
Engine: The chassis is fitted with a Suzuki GSXR 1000 K6 this engine is standard and was fitted with only 300 miles on it.Since when it has only done 1 x mallory practise day 2 x club meetings and 2 x British F1 Championship meetings. The engine does have a TRE and PC111 power commander fitted.
Exhaust: Scorpion/Webbo Stainless steel full system
Wiring: Loom built and fitted by Track Electronics of Norwich
Bodywork: The wheel arch, seat unit and centre section are standard unmodified LCR units, the main fairing is a slightly modified LCR fairing all purchased originally from Jason Miller
Passenger Platform: This was made from composite materials not carbon fibre by Martek and includes a special non slip surface designed to help passengers get a grip in wet or dry conditions

£8500

[chairhead]

At the mo im running an old bandit 1200 and RX4,this is great for me and it was cheap to boot,but if i was building a new one,then i think i would go with either the GSX 1400 which is a hell of a bike so much low down grunt,very good fuel economy,reliable and comfortable or maybe the FJR from Yamaha,this bike i have not ridden so nothing much to say about it,one thing it has in its favour is the shaft drive.
the chair would be big maybe an oxford but with a fifteen inch wheel like the on below




one of my other fav chairs is this French example on the bandit,it just looks sweet,my guess is though it cost a bit more than the alloted 16k.

[BuellGrrrl]

To get the center of gravity down so you can corner faster, you want to get the heaviest masses- the engine and rider- as low as possible. The BMW boxer twins and lengthwise engine K bikes and the Honda Gold Wing and Valkrie get the engine down low. Amongst those bikes, the BMW R1200C and the Valkrie do a good job of seating the riders mass low too. Total weight is a factor to consider as well as height- the heavier the tug, the heavier the hack needed to stabilize it. For example, my Buell "tuber" has a slightly higher CG than a Sportster, but weights around 50 kilos less so it's sort of a trade off.

[claude]

Originally Posted by BuellGrrrl

To get the center of gravity down so you can corner faster, you want to get the heaviest masses- the engine and rider- as low as possible. The BMW boxer twins and lengthwise engine K bikes and the Honda Gold Wing and Valkrie get the engine down low. Amongst those bikes, the BMW R1200C and the Valkrie do a good job of seating the riders mass low too. Total weight is a factor to consider as well as height- the heavier the tug, the heavier the hack needed to stabilize it. For example, my Buell "tuber" has a slightly higher CG than a Sportster, but weights around 50 kilos less so it's sort of a trade off.

Trouble with most sidecar rigs is the CoG is so related to the person in the saddle.

[Get Back]

Have some snaps of a Valkyrie / Oxford

Work in Progress..... Body is absent (at the Paint Shop).

.............You'll find 'em here:

http://s614.photobucket.com/albums/tt229/GetBack_photo/

[BuellGrrrl]

Originally Posted by claude

Trouble with most sidecar rigs is the CoG is so related to the person in the saddle.

I've noted that when I do a good lean into the turn, while still remaining in the saddle, I can safely make the turn at 10-20% faster speed. This is a reflection of the fact that I weight more than the engine and transmission of my airhead tug- they weight 85 kilos (197 pounds) combined. In comparison, the Buell/Sportster engine and tranny weight about 107 kilos (235 pounds) combined. It's a testament to Erik Buell and his elve's design genius that they've managed to build a bike as light as the BMW "airhead" while stuck with an HD powertrain weighting over 20 kilos more.