I Buy another Sidecar..
Apparently I didn't learn with the first two. The Hannigan Comet comes home. This was soon after I bought it.
Date/Time: 2003:08:10 16:38:07
The Hannigan Comet comes home. This was soon after I bought it. Not bad for a $1000.00 drag-home bargoon pulled up on someone elses front lawn.. or so i thought.
The Flying Wedge.
The other side of the sidecar. The top window was broken, and covered over with red packaging tape.
Date/Time: 2003:08:10 16:38:39
The other side of the sidecar. The top window was broken, and covered over with red packaging tape. The seat under the broken top windscreen was rotting from the elements as a result. If the wrap-around windscreen had been broken - i wouldn't have bought it.
Note the raised, vertical large bore tubing that comes off of the main sidecar frame, and acts as the top mount points for the short top struts to the motorcycle. The short section going vertical towards the rear of the top tube rail, is a gas filler! The sidecar frame was originally designed as a fuel in frame auxilliary gas tank. Unfortunately, the cap was left off for who knows how long..
Quack..
The front of the sidecar. Some people thought it looked like a fighter airplane with it's bubble. I thought it resembled a duck with it's bill.
Date/Time: 2003:08:10 16:37:52
The front of the sidecar. Some people thought it looked like a fighter cockpit with it's bubble. I thought it rather more resembled a duck with it's bill.
SCT pic 'o the day #1
I even made the 'funny pages' at Sidecar Talk at the time. Not bad, for what was to become a very long project.
Date: 11/16/2006
I even made the 'funny pages' at Sidecar Talk at the time. Not bad, for what was to become a very long project.
Mockup Time
I've already dragged it, and the motorcycle into the warehouse at work inside of a bare week of ownership, and was plotting and planning my first steps to make the sidecar and motorcycle work together. Even this early, i could tell i'd bitten off a big m
Date/Time: 2003:10:05 15:36:40
I've already dragged it, and the motorcycle into the warehouse at work inside of a bare week of ownership, and was plotting and planning my first steps to make the sidecar and motorcycle work together. Even this early, i could tell i'd bitten off a big mouthful to chew.
Wheel Conversion #1
In the Fall of 2003, i had contacted Harry Tarzain and contracted him to fabricate up a hybrid car tire/motorcycle hub rim assembly, using a VW Beetle Centerline wheel blank, machined and welded onto the machined down hub of a Suzuki GSXR600.
Date/Time: 2004:02:07 20:11:04
In the Fall of 2003, i had contacted Harry Tarzain and contracted him to fabricate up a hybrid car tire/motorcycle hub rim assembly, using a VW Beetle Centerline wheel blank, machined and welded onto the machined down hub of a Suzuki GSXR600. Originally it mounted a 165R15 tire on the rim, as in this photo. I later had a 185/55R15 mounted on it.
The only changes to the rear suspension, was a new rear brake caliper stay bracket that had to be made to clear the sharply profiled automotive tire. Otherwise, the stock swingarm was used, with no changes required.
Wheel Conversion #2
Another view of the wheel assembly as installed. I knew that tire wear would be rediculously quick and hideously expensive to keep replacing if i kept the motorcycle wheels/tires. Harry's wheel design lasted two years until bearing seat failure due to h
Date/Time: 2004:02:07 20:11:25
Another view of the wheel assembly as installed. I knew that tire wear would be rediculously quick and hideously expensive to keep replacing if i kept the motorcycle wheels/tires. Harry's wheel design lasted two years until bearing seat failure due to high lateral loading of the bearing race seats under cornering. It was expensive, but i still saved some money in those two years, if i had been forced to buy motorcycle rubber instead at $280.00 a tire for ~2,000 kms of life. I still have this wheel around, just in case it can be repaired for some other project down the road.
Subframe #1
The other major project of the season to get the sidecar mounted, was to build a subframe to attach to the motorcycle to distribute the load and strain of the sidecar evenly onto the motorcycle frame. There were four bolt-on mount points total, and this w
Date/Time: 2004:01:06 21:12:19
The other major project of the season in order to get the sidecar mounted, was to build a subframe to attach to the motorcycle. The purpose of this was to distribute the load and strain of the sidecar evenly upon the motorcycle frame, without twisting the frame in the process. There were four bolt-on mount points to the motorcycle frame total, and the subframe was largly constructed of .120 wall, 1 x 1 1/2" mild steel rectangular tubing. It is a one-off, built on the fly, on the motorcycle itself, as the design progressed.
Subframe #2
Another photo.
Date/Time: 2004:01:06 21:15:41
This is another photo, this time of the front mount. With such a heavy sidecar, the front lower mount is considered very important - it needs to be rigid. This method of construction off of two engine mounts, doesn't allow any movement or twisting in the tubing framework, or the motorcycle frame..
Subframe #3
Photo of the top front mount.
Date/Time: 2004:01:06 21:17:25
Photo of the top front mount. The top mount for the Hannigan is short, and nearly vertical - The Hannigan of this vintage was fairly unique, in that the top mounts went horizontal to the motorcycle, via a 1arge bore vertical frame tube on the sidecar frame. See [url=http://www.chairintheair.ca/gallery/v/website/2003-2004/Picture+051.jpg.html]this photo[/url] for what i mean. The top mounts needed to be strong, to tolerate the lateral stresses on the motorcycle of the sidecar's mass under heavy load conditions in fast corners.
Subframe #4
Photo of the lower rear mount.
Date/Time: 2004:01:06 21:14:11
The rear mount of the subframe. Right in front of the Hiem joint attachment, is another bracket that ties the subframe into the center stand mount, for a direct 'plug-in' to the motorcycle frame.
Subframe #5
The heavy duty bracket that mates to the centerstand mount on the motorcycle, tying into rear portion of the subframe for support and load bearing.
Date/Time: 2003:10:28 17:56:54
The heavy duty bracket that mates to the centerstand mount on the motorcycle, tying into rear portion of the subframe for support and load bearing.
Subframe #6
The center stand subframe bracket on the underside of the motorcycle.
Date/Time: 2003:10:28 18:00:12
The center stand subframe bracket, plugged in, up on the underside of the motorcycle while being fabricated. This would be modified further in 2004-2005, to add a mounting point for a swaybar bearing block mount.
First Rollout #1
The sidecar rig together, everything functional, and rolled out of the garage for the first time.
Date/Time: 2004:05:22 15:59:16
The sidecar rig together, everything functional, and rolled out of the garage for the first time.
First Rollout #2
Another photo of the completed rig on roll out. You will note that the front end is still stock for now. This was the major weakness of the whole setup on completion, as the front end would still twist and collapse under load, even with heavier fork oil
Date/Time: 2004:05:22 15:58:08
Another photo of the completed rig on roll out. You will note that the front end is still stock for now. This was the major weakness of the whole setup on completion, as the front end would still twist and collapse under load, even with heavier fork oil and a substantial fork brace, as well as handle somewhat like a fully loaded Mack truck with it's power assisted steering out.
