New Member with Sidecar

Hi, I bought a new GSX1250FA early this year and had a Griffin sidecar fitted to it together with a leading link front end and 15" car wheels. The fork legs and wheels will be for sale on the classifieds shortly. My previous large Jap bike was a Yamaha XS1100 with a sidecar. I also have a BMW R100RT sidecar and a 1957 Triumph with a sidecar.
My hubby and I are mainly into classic British and Italian bikes plus we race a modern F2 sidecar. We hope to bring our old 1958 Triumph racing sidecar out of retirement soon.
I've been really happy with the GSX. It has so much more of everything compared to my old BMW outfit. The GSX hardly notices the sidecar.

As an ex-sidecar owner/rider show us photos.

I have a Virgo 1000 then a Virgao 1100 with HRD 1 1/2 fitted.

Welcome as well.

Welcome to the forum Joanne.

So I'm guessing this is your rig?
http://www.srkengineering.com.au/sidecars/sidecar-projects-suzuki.html

Yes. That's the Suzuki/Griffin and if you look at the BMWs, mine is the last entry. BTW the BMW outfit is for sale as I've been seduced by the power of the GSX.

Hi Joanne, so you have been dealing with Sean K a fair bit by the looks of things, mine is the red Bandit further down the page on his site. I take it you went with 15" tyres on all three wheels, have you had a "square" tyre on the front previously, with the leading link it would make things a little easier I suspect. Been trying to get Sean to do one up for me but in a three spoke so it can be painted simular to the original Bandits wheel.

Wouldn't mind hearing some of your exploits on and off the track, welcome to the forum.

Welcome aboard Joanne. You might be the first outfit member.

Welcome to the forum.
I think I'd be going the trike route but each to their own.

Welcome to the forum Joanne

Hi there.

2wheelsagain wrote:Welcome to the forum.
I think I'd be going the trike route but each to their own.

Thanks for the welcome.

Two wheels at the front as per Morgan is the way to go if you really want to go around corners. My hubby enquired about buying one of the new Morgan 3 wheelers but the price had him gasping plus they don't meet current Australian ADRs as yet.

barry_mcki wrote:Hi Joanne, so you have been dealing with Sean K a fair bit by the looks of things, mine is the red Beandit further down the page on his site. I take it you went with 15" tyres on all three wheels, have you had a "square" tyre on the front previously, with the leading link it would make things a little easier I suspect. Been trying to get Sean to do one up for me but in a three spoke so it can be painted simular to the original Bandits wheel.

Wouldn't mind hearing some of your exploits on and off the track, welcome to the forum.

My Triumph and BMW outfits both have square section Avon Triple Duty Sidecar tyres on the front and they seem to give a lot more input to the steering than a conventional motorcycle tyre. The GSX is my first experience with running car tyres on an outfit. As the suspension, brakes and power of the GSX are so different to both the BMW and Triumph its hard to say whether just the car tyres make the most improvement. The GSX certainly seems to sit on the road better and it has yet to slide around a roundabout like the BMW and Triumph are prone to do if you are a bit exuberant. Sean may have made the GSX's steering a bit too light thinking I was just a wee girl. When he has put a bit more weight back into the steering I'll be able to comment better.

I think mine is too heavy, we should compare rigs, where abouts you from ?

Those Avon tyres seem to be only in 19" dia, you haven't come across 17 x 3.5 anywhere, my PR2 front tyre only made it about 4,000 kms, at that rate I can justify Sean's front wheel 15" conversion in 2 years of riding.

And yes the bigger GSX/GSF's do make an awesome mule. We actually bought our Bandit from Sean (was his brothers) when looking for a decent bike to carry the Premier cart - the initial idea was for Karen and I to ride two up and the dog to have the chair. That plan sort of failed when the first pup got to over 100kg - now we have 4 of them and a big trailer to take them out in

barry_mcki wrote:I think mine is too heavy, we should compare rigs, where abouts you from ?

Those Avon tyres seem to be only in 19" dia, you haven't come across 17 x 3.5 anywhere, my PR2 front tyre only made it about 4,000 kms, at that rate I can justify Sean's front wheel 15" conversion in 2 years of riding.

And yes the bigger GSX/GSF's do make an awesome mule. We actually bought our Bandit from Sean (was his brothers) when looking for a decent bike to carry the Premier cart - the initial idea was for Karen and I to ride two up and the dog to have the chair. That plan sort of failed when the first pup got to over 100kg - now we have 4 of them and a big trailer to take them out in

We live near the Crossroads SW of Liverpool, NSW. The GSX will be with Sean for a couple of weeks sorting out some minor issues but we would love to meet up later and compare outfits.

The GSX outfit certainly weighs a lot more than my Triumph and BMW outfits; the Triumph especially is a featherweight compared to the GSX. I now have to be very mindful of where and how I park the GSX in order to make sure I can get out of my parking spot. We are hoping that the car tyres on the GSX will last much longer than very short mileage we get from the skinny 4" wide tyres on the Triumph and BMW.

I love your "little" puppies.

Welcome to the forum Joanne... a breath of fresh air...


(Had me thinking about the little puppies for a moment though! lol)

We're in Canberra - trying to sell up and move to Tassie, but I spent time at Ingleburn Army Camp between '86 and '92. Things have certainly changed around your way since then.

I have left Sean with a mission to sort out the three spoke 15", but as you know he's pretty busy most of the time and you really need to be on his back sometimes. Don't get out on the bike much since I've been on LSL, too many things to do around the house, but will have to get back into riding soon got a big trip coming up when we hightail it out of Canberra. We plan to drive the car, dog trailer, bike and it's trailer to Melbourne then catch the ferry over, if we're lucky the house will sell quickly so it could be pretty soon. Might have a chance to meet up at Bathurst if time permits.

barry_mcki wrote: Ingleburn Army Camp between '86 and '92.

Barry is that near Holesworthy Barracks? Spent a bit a number of months there and Campbell Barracks with a Unit in the late 80's early 90's.

Welcome to the forums

Rustic wrote:

barry_mcki wrote: Ingleburn Army Camp between '86 and '92.

Barry is that near Holesworthy Barracks? Spent a bit a number of months there and Campbell Barracks with a Unit in the late 80's early 90's.

Small world, I was posted to 1 Signal Regiment in Dec 86 when it was in Ingleburn, just down the road from 2MD Hospital. Our Married Quarters were old WW2 vintage, as was most of the camp. When 1 Sig moved to Enoggera in Brisbane I was shipped south to Watsonia. Spent 22 years in the Army, had a pretty good time, some things can't be spoken off here due to lack of alcohol and bad manners.

Joanne, just looking at a couple of Sean's photo's and saw part of the ABS sitting on the shop floor, did he manage to migrate it over to the new setup ?

Opps, just looked at the last photo and I see the sensor disc is on the rim so I assume it's working.