Opinions on XBR sidecar outfits

[batphluke]

Hello, new member on the forum here. I'm currently rebuilding/ restoring/ tarting up my old XBR 500, 1985 model. I have an ex-Jawa Velorex sidecar I want to fit to it, I see a few similar outfits in the picture galleries here so I know I'm not the only one who thinks it'll work, but the fine chaps at the local sidecar club all tell me its a terrible idea and the performance will be hopeless. So my question is inevitably, how well does yours go? Cruising speed, fuel consumption, getting up hills, overtaking tractors (lots of tractors round here) braking, acceleration etc. Any info or opinion welcome, good, bad or indifferent. I've had the XBR for about nine years, along with other bikes, always been impressed by it, prefer riding it to my Trident on most roads. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies,

Mal

[Richard]

Oh God, thats guaranteed to start about half the Club off now.

Richard

[Andy M]

Welcome to the nut house.

GC, the club chairman, he's the one in most of the pictures had about a dozen XBR's and Velorex's and usually managed to put one in working order for trips like the Elefant and Dragon. He'll be along at some point to tell you all about them.

Having followed GC (and Tim on the Beetle engined Ural) I can confirm everything the sidecar club is telling you. They could barely cruise faster than 70 mph, hills over 40 degrees required us to push (OK, that was my 1100cc BMW on car tyres, the narrow tyre outfits were fine) and we didn't overtake a single tractor on the entire run from Mannheim to Passau  

In all seriousness you are going to have to tell us how fast and for how long you need to go. Urals, MZ's, Jawas, XBR's all work fine on Welsh mountain roads where the trucks and caravans are doing 40 anyway. The light, narrow tyred outfit BTW is just as much fun on the good roads. If you are used to 40 on the A-roads, 56 behind a truck on the Autobahn seems OK especially if the odd run up to 75 to pass the slower trucks is possible (MZ's and Urals don't have this ability on hills/headwinds, but it's gearing and wear more than power) . To get anywhere decent from here (Leeds) though, I need to use dual carriageways and motorways where anything under 25 tons that isn't doing 70+ all the time better have good lights and good insurance. Tormenting 40 HP bikes at the redline all day doesn't make them reliable, so 70HP sidecar tugs make more sense to me but you can't say this is true for everyone.

Andy

[Richard 003]

Hello, new member on the forum here. I'm currently rebuilding/ restoring/ tarting up my old XBR 500, 1985 model. I have an ex-Jawa Velorex sidecar I want to fit to it, I see a few similar outfits in the picture galleries here so I know I'm not the only one who thinks it'll work, but the fine chaps at the local sidecar club all tell me its a terrible idea and the performance will be hopeless. So my question is inevitably, how well does yours go? Cruising speed, fuel consumption, getting up hills, overtaking tractors (lots of tractors round here) braking, acceleration etc. Any info or opinion welcome, good, bad or indifferent. I've had the XBR for about nine years, along with other bikes, always been impressed by it, prefer riding it to my Trident on most roads. Thanks in advance to anyone who replies,

Mal

I have one. Cruising speed about 60, fuel consumption I've never worked out but can't be very good, hills OK if slow. Mine stops well but has a twin disc front end off a CX650. On the plus side it's nimble and turns on a sixpence.

Cheers
Richard

[batphluke]

Cheers for taking time to reply, performance sounds about what I thought- better than has been suggested by other people. I live in rural West Wales so no motorways or dual carriageways to cope with on local journeys, but plenty of hills, tractors and caravans. Hmm, could always put the chair on the Triumph ( if I can find any frame to attach it too) and keep the XBR solo I suppose, though the extra engineering may require lottery funding for subframes, new fittings etc. I really like the simplicity of the XBR too, and the look of it with the velo chair, and its got a "proper" frame of course, lots of tubes to clamp to.

[guest24]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

[Richard 003]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

Nobody ever asked me those questions ;-)

1. Nope, but I heat my entire house with bottled gas, does that count?
2. Nope, but my neighbour opposite has a stripped Landy and a Superdream, and every year we take bets on which, if either, will be finished in his lifetime
3. Sarah Mohr-Pietsch on Radio 3 Breakfast, if she were ever to do the weather
4. evidently. twice.

Cheers
Richard

[Andy M]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

Look, I've explained this to you lot before. In the old horror movie that is the ThumperClub, it's OK to limp and lisp a bit when the teenage couple knock on the door and ask to use the telephone. We do not get the electrodes out until they are locked in the cellar.

Mal, don't let them worry you, they are mostly harmless 

Andy

[002]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

1. Petrol....every time !
2. Yes !
3. MMMmmmm........ I like LOTS of Them !
4.Yes ! On My 7th outfit !   Fetching blue number...twin set and pearls !


Jethro

[batphluke]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

1. I have a Coleman 2-burner petrol stove, three different gas stoves, a Trangia, an ex-Italian Army "volcano flask" and one of those fold up solid fuel backpacking thingies, variety being the spice of life.
2. I don't own any kind of a car, except the velorex.
3. It depends on the weather.
4. Certainly willing to give it a try.

[johnr]

What, a new member and he hasn't been through the interview questions?

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar?

Looks like you have answered one of those questions already...

Welcome to the club!

1, ive a coleman 2 burner petrol stove, great thing, and ive several single burner stoves of various vintages if anyone is interested, bloody things are gathering dust.
2, have had a couple, great things but too thirsty and too unreliable, and i cant see the point if you dont go offroad.
3, that scotish bird off bbc breakfast, cant remember her name, caro; something,
4, have had, built up and ridden many over the years, and will be building another asap.

[002]

1. Find my Optimus 111B the favourite of my petrol stoves.
2. Thirsty.....Oh Yes !  Unreliable.....No !
3. Scottish Carol......Mmmmmm......Behnaz Akhgar,Sue Charles both BBC Wales.
4. Just Love them !

Jethro

[Mark]

1. Find my Optimus 111B the favourite of my petrol stoves.
2. Thirsty.....Oh Yes !  Unreliable.....No !
3. Scottish Carol......Mmmmmm......Behnaz Akhgar,Sue Charles both BBC Wales.
4. Just Love them !

Jethro

Is 2 4 1 + 4 2 3.

[alice]

1. Do you have an opinion on petrol camping stoves in preference to gas?
2. Do you own a landrover?
3. Who is your favourite TV weather girl?
4. Are you crazy enough to use a sidecar

=========================================

I go down the caff
No, but I have driven many
Paul the weathetherman . Yorkshire TV
Have had three in the past,  may try one on my GN400 if it ever hits the road.

[Richard]

I noted that Scottish Carol has lost some weight recently, looking good.

Isobel Lang !  Sadly now working for Sky so not seen for ages.

Richard