OUR CLASSICS
Julie decides that her Triumph Model Q might get more use if she can transform the 1926 single into a sidecar workhorse-cum dog transporter...
Julie tries a new outfit – a sidecar on her 1920s Triumph Model Q
JULIE DIPLOCK
An eclectic gang of motorcycles shares Julie’s life – from a 1914 Triumph Model C to a 1991 Ducati 900SS. Although it’s fair to say that her tastes err towards the older, more British end of that scale.
BACK IN THE ’70s many riders started motorcycling on the most powerful machine they could find with a sidecar attached to it, which could be ridden without taking a driving test. My late partner Steve Burniston was a sidecar enthusiast, and his route into motorcycling on the road was a Triumph 650 Bonneville and chair ridden on a learner licence. Later, when our daughter was born, she was transported home from the hospital in our plunger BSA 650cc A10 Golden Flash combination – though we did carry her around the corner to the waiting sidecar so the nurses didn’t see!
Over the years, I tried three times to ride an outfit – and each time ended up parked in a ditch or running up a kerb. I just couldn’t get my head round the concept of not leaning around corners after too many years riding solo, while the idea of moving the handlebars and using the throttle to control the rig on the move was just beyond me. Years went by, and then a passing comment from an expert: “Think of riding with one hand behind your back” – got me wondering. When I was offered a try-out on a 500cc BSA A7 plunger outfit the other summer, I had a go and, after some trepidation, something clicked and I was off with a huge grin on my face. Riding an outfit is great fun and brings a whole new dimension to motorcycling.
My 1926 Triumph Model Q is a great bike, but it doesn’t get used much as it could – it tends to be eclipsed by the sportier machinery in the garage. I’m a bit of a sentimental old fool, so I don’t want to get shot of a bike that’s been
‘WE FREED THE STUB-AXLE FROM THE CHASSIS, TO FIND THAT HALF OF THE CUP-AND-CONE WHEEL BEARINGS ARE PRESENT’
in my family for nigh-on 30 years, so why not repurpose it as a sidecar hack? We now have a dog, so it could double as a dog-mobile; there’s plenty of torque in the 500cc engine, so even though it isn’t a fast bike it should pull a chair well. I would like to improve the brakes, as they’re feeble enough without the added weight of a sidecar, although sidecar lugs come as standard on the frame.
So I bought a ’20s Watsonian chassis from a Sunbeam MCC club member, along with an assortment of bits and pieces including the wheel and suspension. Time to do some research, locate all the bits and identify what’s needed to attach the chassis to the bike...
First, the bike and the sidecar chassis and parts were laid out, so I could review what I had. I can now picture how the sidecar body would fit into the chassis, although I will be fitting a basic box rather than a plush passenger conveyance. Some of the sidecar fittings were definitely missing, whilst there were also some mystery objects present, caked in a layer of red lead oxide paint. Rick and myself got to work, and with penetrating oil, heat and a large hammer managed to free the stub-axle from the chassis, to find that just half of the cup-and-cone wheel bearings are present.
We pushed the bikes out of the garage, so quite by chance an unplanned classic bike show appeared in our front garden on VE Day. It certainly gave us a bit of light relief during lockdown, but although the garage got a good sweep-out there was no sign of the missing sidecar fittings. I placed a ‘wanted’ ad in the club magazine, and I’m hopeful of a good response...
Meanwhile, we were off on the A10 to my local motorcyclefriendly engineering workshop, JHB Engineering of Rye, East Sussex, to see if they can supply the cones from their large stock of bearings. Engineering shops that will take on small jobs and locate bearings and bushes are invaluable, and owner John Brewster is a Triumph and Ariel enthusiast. He measured the stub-axle and bearing cup, and said if he can’t supply the cones then he may be able to make them or source a modern roller bearing. If nothing is available, John suggested there’s plenty of meat on the axle so it could be turned down to accept metric roller bearings. Machine shops like this are great, as they’re used to finding solutions.
Now to get painting the chassis and await a response to my ‘wanted’ advert. Let’s hope that Shaun the sheepdog takes to his new wheels when we get them finished...