How was your rididng season

[jfligg]

Hi Guys
  Well the riding season in Canada is winding down.  So I ask... What was yor high lights and low lights.  My high light was On a BSA club run for breakfast at the Brantford Airport.  While we where eating breakfast a F14 took off and landed.  Pretty Cool.  Worst time ... i dug my RGS to show at the local show and it rained the whole time, and I didn't even wind a trophy!  Whats Yours.  Jeff

[1KCBC]

Hi Jeff,too much raining in my country and the flood is coming.

[Pim]

Well the best experience I had on my bike was in the back of an VW T-2 van wich we used to transport my a7 to my home . Hope next season will be better!

cheers!

[a10 gf]

  some back pains has restricted my activities, not much time on 2 wheels this year or last, saddly, and only used the lightweight xt350 for short city trips to keep my driving senses awake. But used time to get the forum alive. But next season, I'll be there. A few small things need to be done on the GF, will start soon and get it ready and up to standards again.

erling

[LJ.]

Back pains and owning an A10 don't go well together! They are big heavy bikes requiring riders to be quite fit. I hope you recover soon Erling!

I have had a good riding season but most of my riding was on the.... Ahemmm BSA M21. BUT... I did enjoy switching to ride the A10 and this was indeed a luxury after riding a much older clunker!

I have been lucky to come across another A10 earlier in the year as a good friend was parting with this bike for a modern tourer. The dealer was offering him such a rubbish price that my mate was more than happy to sell to me. I did not want another A10 as my present one was running perfectly well. The reason for buying apart from the good price was that my present one has all the clobber on. i.e. Fairing, leg shields, crash bars, panniers etc. I also wanted a bare A10.

Although both bikes are near identical apart from front and rear mudguard stays and four/six spring clutches... They both ride... *Totally* different! and I am finding it difficult to understand this.

I am shortly about to bolt the red A10 with all the clobber, to a sidecar.... a subject that I will be starting on a new thread.

[G/F DAVE]

Ho! Ho! Dont mention A10 combo,s. I passed my bike test on mine & only removed it as I wish to stay alive  (only kidding) see my photo of A10 in river.You should have great fun riding a combo once set up properly ie; for manouverbilty & tyre wear. I used to roughly set up my sidecars in workshop them throw all the tools needed to fit the mountings into sidecar & head for a nice quite road to make final adjustments.Once these are done you can throw an outfit about easily. Only thing I can find against having a bit on the side is in town & city traffic stuck in the flow of all the other vehicles that you normally blast past.I used to have a mate who owned a B33 combo & I at the time ran a M20 combo we had regular races around the city ,Once he blasted between a bus & a landrover needless to say I followed thru with throttle side of handlebar rattling down the side of the bus. Oh yeah that,s another thing you have to get used to is the  total width of your combo.I still have a sidecar chassis & have threatened to re-fit it to the M20 to frighten the kids (or myself). good luck with it Dave....

[jfligg]

Hi Guys
  Since the arrivial of my daughter 5 months ago, I have been toying around with the idea of getting a sidecar.  G/F Dave:  are they hard to set up?  Should I try to find a professional to fit it.  Thanks Jeff

[LJ.]

Jeff... You'll probably get more satisfaction by fitting it yourself. I have never done one myself but looking forward to having a go very soon now as I am nearly finished building a makeshift shed to house the combo in. As usual all the tips an tricks are found on this forum of ours.... I'll be reporting back here on how I get on, so watch this space....
Cheers
LJ.

[G/F DAVE]

Hi, Jeff fitting it yourself should be easy enough. All you need is a level surface (concrete workshop floor/driveway) to set up bike. Also two long straight lengths of timber at least the overall length of bike. Next thing to do is fit sidecar to bike I always have used four mountings some people prefer three but I like the tight  handling feel of four. Once you have bike & sidecar bolted together place your straight edges on the ground touching the wheels on bike & sidecar take a measurement from the front between the straight edges this should be 1/2" less than that of rear this is to set toe-in for sidecar wheel. Next you need to set outward lean to compensate for road camber. This should be 1" for a medium weight sidecar.Also you need to set sidecar axle in relation to rear wheel axle, this should be a 1" in front of rear wheel axle. Next load up your spanners & take for a test ride & adjust to suit your riding style & for tyre wear.Once you have mastered riding with a sidecar they can be great fun & you can guarantee that no one will steal your bike if they do look in nearest HEDGE/DITCH ..Good luck Dave..

[groily]

Don't know much (read 'anything') about sidecars but did fit one about 20 years ago to a Heavyweight AMC steed - and promptly parked it in a 6 ft ditch full of water after about 20 minutes. I reckon most thieves would have done better! The water was bad for all concerned - the nettles all along the banks were worse. Wifelet of the day unimpressed as driving into the ditch was only the culmination of a somewhat erratic progress that scared the living bejasus out of both of us. A relief to crash really. Obviously didn't follow or have access to great info like what's here when I 'set it up' ho ho.
Having said that, I still have the chassis (the D/A body crumpled to dust and the remains were waterlogged in no time). It's a Watsonian Mk 2 (I think) with a steel stud-mounted wheel about the diameter of a Mini's. It's straight, it's all there including the grab rail with lights (bar some of the mountings), and if anyone from this forum wants it for nothing it's sitting in Normandy and I'd be pleased to give it a good home. Send me a private note if you're interested, ever likely to pass through northern France, and I'll stick your name on it and hold it for you as long as you like! Groily