LBS-Sidecars USA | Touring Sidecar Build Thread #3 | 2020 BMW R18 First Edition + BOXER

Trust me, if I ever come back as a trust fund baby, I'll want one of each in my stable, starting with an OVERLAND, then an R18/BOXER!

Finally! Shipped from LBS-NL via DHL Air Cargo Express, transiting from Amsterdam to Brussels, Brussels to Heathrow, Heathrow to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Seattle at the cost of a whopping $4,700! The BOXER body arrive in it's custom-made palletized crate at my warehouse in Redmond, WA:




Good things come in small packages, but better things come in big ones!:




Arrived in perfect condition, here is the "white body on chassis":

It's great to see the rising interest in the R18 as a logical tug for an awesome outfit. Finally, in the BMW line-up, we have great options in tugs for not just adventure touring, but also sport touring, luxo touring, and now cruiser-based sidecars!

As I wait for my most excellent paint and body guru, Dean Miyauchi, to clear his shop and paint booth from the flood of fender-bender insurance jobs from our recent snowfall in Seattle, Ad has completed all of the fabrication for our R18 build. Our final subframe design, the rigging, and perhaps the toughest design challenge of all, a full-on LBS leading link front suspension system, with twin Italian BITUBO black-spring-over-chrome body twin shocks, and our unique mono-rotor/Siamese-twin caliper disc brake.

I have the complete body and chassis here already, as you've seen in the previous post. All the remaining components go our for power coating tomorrow in Holland. If the gods be willing and the rivers don't rise, we hope to ship a crate containing the final R18/BOXER components and leading link, my first OVERLAND kit and leading link for our very own @MGV8 (which has a killer color scheme), and another GS+URAL chassis as I have three more of those builds on the books.

Regarding the R18 project, and everything we do, Ad and I are both engineers and designers. A new design, like our GS+URAL subframe and chassis, and now the R18, begins with a loaner BMW from a local dealer. We then capture the frame and steering geometry in CAD so we can quickly do iterations "on the tube" rather than by trial and error. For the R18, as you saw in the initial build posts, we captured the relevant R18 geometry here in Seattle using a 3D digitizer arm.

Below is a screen print of our very first R18 frame geometry capture, and initial subframe study of the sidecar side of the subframe. THIS IS NOT THE PRODUCTION DESIGN, but shows how quickly we can create a super-accurate "virtual machine" to continue evolving the design and make improvements and options without the need to have physical possession of the bike. The complexity and literal art of Ad's tube bending require a high degree of 3D positional geometry, especially as we strive to insure parts are interchangeable between builds, from the very first, to the very last.

Right on schedule, the new R18 subframe, rigging and leading link went out for powder coating today in Holland. They'll be returned in about 10 days, and be inspected, kitted with all the hardware, and a custom palletized shipping crate will be ordered for air shipment to my shop here in Kenmore, WA.

To show it's all real, here are some photos taken during early fabrication. Ad has done a stellar job, as usual, in the overall design, purpose-built for the R18. As we've put in the hard work of engineering and analysis, I've intentionally "redacted" the subframe and hardpoints.

Photos courtesy of our very own @twintwin , who has visited Ad's workdshop in Holland more often that I have!

I previously posted photos of our R18 Leading Link Front Suspension Kit. The wheel shown is just a construction prop, the actual kit will include our mono-rotor/Siamesed twin caliper and will retain the R18's 19" front wheel. The link will be fitted with Italian-made BITUBO shocks with threaded spring pre-load and 5-stage tool-less rebound damping adjusters:




Below, our BOXER chassis, fully rigged to the R18. Again, the sidecar wheel is a construction prop, included in the kit will be a BMW center-spoked wheel to match those on the bike. Note the massive axle carrier for the trailing arm. Many builders use plain bearings, this chassis has twin dual-row, sealed bearings, no lubrication will ever be required:




Quarter view from the rear:




I chose to only build with European components and suppliers as a costly documentation, analysis, inspection, and certification is required before a motor vehicle of any kind can be licensed for operation on public roads and highways. The same is true in Japan. The final Dutch certification is a 12-page document. As part of the process, a 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design, or Solids Model) must be submitted for FEA (Finite Element Analysis, commonly referred to as stress analysis). Below is a screen capture of the output file, showing the static chassis geometry in black outline, and the FEA simulation of stresses and deformation under the Dutch loading requirements. Our products are engineered, tested, certified:

That looks great. Finally some real engineering going into a rig. I like it, a lot. Does lbs do any FEM on the bike mounts? It’s the one thing that I intensionally try to overbuild due to lack of real engineering.

For the R18, the "mounts" are machined and bolted directly to the frame, no analysis required, and the material type and course is documented in the compliance documents. Personally, I've never had the hardpoints or subframe break. On both of my rigs built here in the States, it was the chassis that suffered complete tubing fractures in the left/rear corner, and we had that same exact failure on tour with other rigs built here.

I did have a front lower mount break on my Concours HPS rig (not my work), so I rebuilt everything much heavier. I also see builders not giving much thought to the stress placed on the upper mounts. I think it would be interesting to analyze the forces that get applied to the upper mounts and the deflection that creates. Especially when using heims on the lowers.

Sorry to hear, that had to be no fun! We machine all of our own clevis(s), tangs and mounting hardware other than standard fasteners. And they're all-metric.

Any updates? Eagerly following...

The old adage goes, "Paint hides all sins". However, the final color/finish on the BMW R18 this LBS BOXER sidecar body will be rigged to is a lovely Black Storm Metallic (BMW color code: ND2). Though the final color coats may hide all "color" defects, the underlying surface must be flawless, a Class A finish, as a gloss black finish will show every surface defect.

Here is a photo fo the BOXER body assembly as uncrated after air shipment from Holland via DHL Air Cargo Express:




Although the overall gelcoat was fairly smooth, there were gelcoat fractures around nearly every fastener, and the beltline was pretty uneven. This is a top-shelf build, so I called my friend and paint/body guru Dean Miyauchi, and he promptly came up and took delivery:




And now the prep work phase. Initial sanding to rough the surface. Filler to seal any voids and fill-in the gelcoat stress fractures. Sand again, a final fill-in and sand again. First catalyzed primer coating. Sand and void check. Smooth sand, then a second layer of primer. Here's a quick set of photos showing progress so far:

- Tilt-Forward Windshield Deck




- Frameless Windshield Mounting Valance




- Trunk Lid




- Fender

An exciting update in my continuing LBS Sidecars BMW R18 First Edition+BOXER build. My excellent paint and body guy Dean Miyauchi, has fully primed and color-coated the main body parts, and is now in the final wet-sand and buff stage. Here is rear view of the BOXER body in the paint booth:




But the real exciting part is - DHL Air Cargo Express delivered a crate containing the final goodies needed for me to begin the actual build! Custom crate made by a shipping container shop in Holland, made with lumber imported from Finland. DHL took delivery of the crate at LBS-NL in Elsendorp, and trucked it to Amsterdam. Then, by air, shipment went from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Brussels, Belgium, to Cincinnati, Ohio USA, to SeaTac, WA, then by truck to Redmond, WA. Here it is being ready for loading at the warehouse in Redmond:




. . . and from the delivery warehouse, courtesy of client @GR8ADV and his way cool Ford Diesel, to my shop in Kenmore:




A quick peek before uncrating show everything still securely packed. Even though the "gifts" aren't for me, it still feels a bit like Christmas!:




You're thinking "WTF does this have to do with an R18+BOXER build, isn't that an OVERLAND kit I see?" If you re-wind a bit, the BOXER body and chassis came in a previous shipment, what's hidden away in the aluminum cargo boxes of this OVERLAND kit are our all-new R18 single-sided subframe, the rigging, and a world's first, a leading link for the bigass BMW.

Here is the OVERLAND unboxed:






Taken out of the cargo boxes, piled up under the nose, a bunch of lovely powder-coated weldments, both for the OVERLAND built, and also for the R18+BOXER:




And, laid out for un-taping, the R18 front fender and leading link components, to include the cool BITUBO twinshocks for the front-end:




Sharp eyes will have also noted a box of TRACTIVE shocks tucked under the BITUBOS. I was finally able to get LBS-NL and Tractive together (both are Dutch companies, located only about 15km from each other) to spec out a set of high-end twinshocks for our leading link forks. Although unrelated to the R18+BOXER build, these beauties also came in the shipment, and I'll be installing and evaluating them on my next personal build:




R18 owner, Dave Currie-Wendell, chief instructor of instructors for WA State's mandatory three-wheeled motorcycle education and training program, will be dropping off his R18 tomorrow, and we'll begin the actual build at long last! Plenty more to come, stay tuned!

So cool! Our R18+BOXER build begins! This thread opened showing the owner, Dave Wendell-Currie, delivering his R18 First Edition to Alki Foundry for initial 3DCAD capture. That accomplished, Ad has worked his design, engineering and fabrication magic, and in spite of the pandemic, an international shortage of containers, and our recent blockage of the Panama Canal, all the kit and components are on-hand, and our build begins . . .

. . . with another set of photos of Dave delivering his R18, only this time, to my shop:




Dave's as happy as I am to FINALLY start putting pieces together!:




Inside now, and ready for some wrenching and mods. I checked with my preferred BMW dealer, South Sound BMW (and Ducati, and ZERO) in Fife, WA, to ask about availability of a service manual and/or wiring diagram, nada, so we're going in blind, but at least this Beemer is "clean", and doesn't have the usual accessory and wiring mess of most bikes and rigs that come my way:




Here is table shot of the main components, our all-new leading link front suspension kit, a couple of struts, a fine set of customized Italian BITUBO twinshocks for the leading link, and a Germany STABILUS linear steering damper. Not shown, our subframe and rigging, at the moment, we're guarding details on our design like Colonel Sander's Secret Recipe:




And here, laid out again for your viewing pleasure, our BOXER chassis, also equipped with a BREMBO caliper and BITUBO shock. Note our chassis has six machinery isolation mounts to reduce the onset of gelcoat or fiberglass cracking due to shock and vibration:




Subframe yoga, Al makes short work of removing the mufflers in preparation for installing the subframe:




The subframe design is brilliant (again, details have been intentionally blurred), though you can see our subframe-to-chassis interface plates for the lower mounting hardpoints. As has always been true of Ad's workmanship, everything fit and meshed perfectly, it's fun to build with LBS components!:




Subframe is fully installed, tomorrow, we rig the chassis!:

Waiting with bait on my breath to see the completed build!

Sushi?

Like most modern bikes, there is a surprising amount of stuff that has to be removed just to work on the bike itself. Here's a sample of what we've had to remove so far (not shown, the seats and fuel tank):




I believe we may be the first sidecar shop to design, fabricate and install a leading link for an R18 - first in the world (if you know of another, please let me know, and I'll correct this post):




Here's a close-up of the leading link and suspension. For the R18, we've chosen to go with the tried and true BITUBO twinshock, this set custom-ordered with sliver/chrome bodies and black springs to complement the finishes of the R18:




Due to Ad's brilliant design and precision fabrication, in only 1-1/2 days after delivery, we have not only a complete rolling sidecar build, but one with a leading link front suspension system:

That front end is gorgeous!

Thanks! A lot of hardware required to make it all work, but a great leading link!

Beautiful stuff.

Congratulation Mike, you and Ad are well represented in the last two issues of Sidecar Traveller.

Thanks! Just received my copy, we're on a roll!