Thursday, April 21, 2011

Vikki's sidecar ships soon....

I got a call from the folks at Dauntless Motors in Enumclaw, WA from which I'd ordered an M72D sidecar and mounting hardware for Vikki, my '04 Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom.

The sidecar is all ready and being crated today for shipment possibly tomorrow, definitely by Monday!  Figure four business days shipping, and it should be on my driveway by Friday of next week at the latest!

I asked the lady who gave me the news for pictures of the sidecar before it got crated up, and while the quality is a bit lacking, you get the idea.



Here's better pictures of Robert K's rig which he bought from dauntless and attached to his V-Strom.  Note, he's added lights to the front which mine won't have and the sidecar is not sporting the windshield pictured above.

 I don't think I'll be mounting side cases onto Vikki like Robert K. did with his V-Strom but you never know!



Robert K had posted these pics on advrider.com and in email exchanges with him, helped lead me to the purchasing decision to go with Dauntless and their sidecar rig option.  His rig will hold 70+ mph all day long with no issues though apparently sixth gear or overdrive is too tall, though he said he doesn't miss it.

I think his rig is very smart looking and look forward to doing the same for Vikki.  Suzuki dependability, able to hold my own at highway speeds, this rig will really expand my ability to take a passenger along or lots of cargo in comfort.

I can't wait!

12 comments:

SonjaM said...

I guess I am reading a lot of excitement between the lines? The rig looks quite elegant. I can't wait either. Looking forward to your first test ride.

Steve Williams said...

Woo hoo! Looks nice. Can't wait to see if you think it rides as good as it looks.

Keith - Circle Blue said...

Yay! I'm so excited for you. This sounds like a very good combination. I'm looking forward to the process and to seeing how the result works out. Good luck!
~k

Mike said...

Very nice! This next week might seem to go pretty slow but soon you'll have a nice combination with reliability!

RichardM said...

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the build and finish of the Dauntless car. Especially since you can compare it to the Ural. Will you have a brake on the third wheel?

Richard

redlegsrides said...

Sonja, yes....just a little bit of excitement, some apprehension, a little worry....but mostly excitement.

Steve, I didn't order the steering mod for her yet....we'll see how she handles without it first.

Circle Blue, thanks very much.

Mike, yes, the week will drag I am sure but must also prep things for the eventual assembly operations. Thanks for reading this stuff.

RichardM, yes, I'll be documenting as much as I can re the assembly and the fit/finish of the sidecar. I elected to not get the sidecar brake, per other owner's feedback. The sidecar is light and he was just dragging the sidecar wheel during braking. The V-Strom's brakes are apparently good enough.

Unknown said...

Dom,thank you for the accolades on my "Stuck in Frisco" post,much appreciated.
I'm also very happy for you on the new chair purchase for Vikki,a route that I hope will materialize someday soon for _ _ _ _ _ ,since I don't have a name for my bike,i'll let you pick one.
I'll be back from the Mexican 1000 in May,so i'd love to stop by and take a looks in the flesh,maybe cajole you into letting me take a test ride.

Hope all goes well with the marriage...

Murph

Chris said...

Looks good Dom. I am looking forward to your build posts!

Unknown said...

Good luck. I'd like to have a look at that some day. I'd love to put a side car rig together, but I don't know what I'd attach it to. After your adventures with the Ural (and the engine mounting fiasco) that one is out. Maybe the Honda. An old Beemer would be best, but the Honda might do it...

Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
http://www.behindbarsmotorcycle.com/

redlegsrides said...

Murph, thanks...I get to name the motorcycle eh? Must give that some thought.

Chris...thanks to you as well. Hopefully it won't be too many WWID moments involved.

Brady, an old Beemer would be a great choice. Just make sure it's got the two shock absorbers in back, not like my R80 with the single sided swingarm...it's not suited for the lateral stresses imposed by a sidecar.

Allen Madding said...

That has to be one of the most attractive looking side hacks I have seen to date. I am sure you are quite excited that you'll be able to ride faster than 50mph, and you won't have to deal with the aggravation of the continued failures of the Ural.

I'm with everyone else, I look forward to your build posts and video footage of you riding it. I am sure you are about to launch into some enjoyable experiences.

-Peace

Jack Riepe said...

Dear Charlie6 (Dom):

I can hardly wait to see this hack rig mounted on your V-Strom. But won't your posts be amazing then! No breakdowns... No failed metal parts... No exploding alternators... They might actually seem a bit sedate.

Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads