Thumper Club Forum
Club House => Chatter => Topic started by: iansoady on September 13, 2025, 04:10:08 PM
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As the years advance and I find bikes increasingly heavy I've started to wonder what may be on the more distant horizon. I briefly considered trikes but they're either hideous, expensive, poorly engineered or a combination of all three. Having owned a Norton 16H with a Watsonian Avon in the early 1970s, my thoughts turned to another outfit.
I've long been a fan of the Norton Wasp scramblers, having competed against them in long distance trials back in the 90s, and was considering one of these made suitable to road use, but eventually decided it would be too spirited for the gentle use I would put it to.
So I fell to considering what is already in the shed. I dismissed the Norton Electra as I don't think it would do the job. But sitting next to it is my other running (as opposed to project) bike - the B'Zuki, a 1969 BSA unit single rolling chassis with a Suzuki DRZ400 engine. This is a very lively performer solo and I think could take a lightweight chair with no problem - maybe a trials type or posibly a Velorex or similar. There's a trials chair on ebay for £475 - also a Norton Wasp (but get thee behind me Satan).
Early days and very draft ideas at the moment but I thought worth starting to investigate hence posting this.
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Hi Ian
What a super idea. I had a couple of outfits when my children were little, the first of which was a CZ 250 single to which I attached a Velorex sidecar salvaged from a mate's abandoned project. That little CZ pulled the chair well even when loaded with my wife and our baby daughter or with both my children in. No thought of safety of course.
I reckon the B'zuki with its lively 400 Suzuki motor would do what you need admirably. I do hope you go for it.
Ian
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Aye Ian,
When the XT500 first came over, I was working in the IoM and the first example on the Island was purchased by a workmate. Pete loved the bike, but was into his green lanes and as he was also attending college across in Cumbria on a block release he decided to attach a trials type sidecar to the XT. I am racking my brain as to who it was that made up the chair and fittings for him and then set the outfit up! I think it was a Jeffries? The chair used their "standard" trials chair frame, with an additional cavernous box beneath the seat, a sidelight on the mudguard and and additional headlight mounted on the traditional loop hand rail, in front of the seat. With lowered gearing, it was a grand bit of kit and coped with the run from Heysham to Penrith, up the A6, no bother. The following year when I was back at college full time and Pete came over for his block release, the outfit was taken green laning in the Lakes and went over the Wrynose and Honister passes when they were ice and snow. I too managed the passes at the same time, on a borrowed Honda 500/4, the Duke 450 having been high sided at the Redhills roundabout on the road to Keswick a few weeks earlier! :( I must have been mad!!!! ::) We then played around the square outside the Gloucester Arms in Penrith, doing figure of 8's and doughnuts in about 4" of snow, after a big fish supper from the chippy on the hill.
This website might also prove rather tempting! ;D
"Used and new motorcycles for sale" website: KTM-Wasp-motocross-or-trials-sidecar-outfit (https://suprememotos.com/other_makes/57448-ktm-wasp-motocross-or-trials-sidecar-outfit.html)
Good health, Bill
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Brilliant story Bill. Gave me a huge grin reading it 👍
Cheers, Michael
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Thanks - perhaps not as daft as I thought.....
That website has some great stuff but I can't believe the prices....
I remember playing in the snow on the 16H outfit, doing opposite lock swings round roundabouts. I was never brave enough to lift the chair wheel however.
Although I'm not really ready I have been perusing ebay etc with increasing vigour! I really like the Steibs and just missed one while dithering. There's also this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257018884282
which has been beautifully finished and is very cheap for what it is. I couldn't live with the colour however!
In a completely different direction, Pugh's auction this weekend has this one:
(https://content.easyliveauction.com/auctions/images_lots/D44F99D3CE0794364780AD9D77FA660F_hjp01/1100455577_PREVIEW.JPG)
which may be worth a cheeky bid. A couple of sacks of gravel for ballast......
Ooh I'm getting all excited!
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Go for it Ian! ;)
Good health to enjoy it, Bill
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My wife says it's too ugly but she does like the Steibs. I'm in no hurry but do get overexcited sometimes......
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Personally I agree with your good lady wife. The Steib looks proper cool. I even like the colour, but hey ho. There’s no accounting for taste eh 😁
Cheers, Michael
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I've struck lucky and been offered a new old stock Steib which is almost complete at a price I couldn't resist. So I didn't and have made a deposit on it. I'll pick it up in 2 or 3 weeks contingent on getting hold of a trailer etc.
This is a (fairly dim) photo:
(https://www.iansoady.org.uk/BSA/images/David%20Angel.jpg)
and this is how it might end up. Probably red to match the BSA. But without those horrible poky-out things....
(https://www.iansoady.org.uk/BSA/images/bmw-steib-s-500-sidecar-5.JPG)
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Cool 😎
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Cool 😎
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As you like 😎🤘
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Aye Ian,
But without those horrible poky-out things....
And to my uninitiated eye, what and where are the said "pokey things"? :-[
That'll look racy connected up to the BSA Mongrel.
Good health, Bill
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Aye Ian,
But without those horrible poky-out things....
And to my uninitiated eye, what and where are the said "pokey things"? :-[
That'll look racy connected up to the BSA Mongrel.
Good health, Bill
I'm guessing those things keeping the pilot's feet warm?
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That will make a very nice outfit indeed. Should be a real hoot to ride as well.
Ian
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I hope so. It's 50 years since I rode an outfit so my skils are a bit rusty. It'll be spring before I make a start but looking forward to it.
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oooooh.... i had a steib 501 on a RE meteor minor in the 60s & 70s , was stationed in Cornwall, mate & me used it to commute to work, oh what fun we had scaring the sh1t out of each other ....
it was such a great chair, well sprung, with a hydraulic sidecar wheel brake ...
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Sadly mine doesn't have the sidecar brake. I'm slowly cracking on with getting the B'Zuki in a fit state for attaching the chair, and spending hours trying to work out the best fittings. I have the sidecar body booked in for painting to match the BSA red in February bu which time I hope to have the chassis attached. But many a slip......