Eldo & sidecar experiences

[motoguzzibill]

  I am considering attaching a older Velorex 560 sidecar to my 73' Eldorado. It will soon be time to give the grandson his first ride. I'd like to hear from others who been here and done this. Is the Velorex a good match for the Eldo or too light? Other suggestions? What front end modifications might be considered in attaching a car? Should I just avoid this all together??
TIA
Bill

[sbaker]

The Eldo will make a great tug.. Get with Dauntless Motors for attachment hardware .

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Swapping the Eldo "triple trees" for those from a V700 will make it steer a lot easier.

[Karl Von]

I had a huge watsionan side care on my eldo.  I added a steering damper and swapped the stock shocks for a set of showa air shocks that were a take off from a HD

[guzzisteve]

My 1st sidecar rig in 84 was an Ambo/Velorex rig (same loopframe) and was great. You  may like shorter gearing, but I had no problems w/mine. Eldo's make good tugs for sidecars. Velorex is a good match too.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Having owned 11 sidecar rigs since 68 I have some experience in this matter.  I have owned one Velorex.
 Older Velorexes have a 15 mm axle which makes them pretty light duty rigs, not the best choice for a Guzzi.
 Later models have a heavier axle which is much safer.  The other weak point on Velorex is the attachment hardware.  The stock Velorex stuff is pretty wimpy and tends to be prone to slippage which changes the alignment and hence the handling.  Talk to Dauntless about it for professional advice.

[SeanF]

I had a similarly light Spirit of America Eagle car on a '71 Ambassador. The 2LS drum brake up front did not inspire confidence. I never felt comfortable taking it on the road, even the somewhat mild traffic in & around Flagstaff, Arizona.

Currently I have a Ural tub on an 850-T, with a single disk brake up front (on a Unit LL fork), and no brake on the tub. It is adequate. It is the stock cast iron rotor with an updated 4-pot Brembo caliper, with a dogleg lever.

I don't have experience with the 4LS drum setup. It may or may not be sufficient. I understand they can be made to work well with the correct setup and materials (non-stretch cable, good shoes).

Also, I don't know if you have sidecar experience, but be sure to study, practice and (if possible) get some training before putting someone you love in the car. They are quite different from anything else, and can misbehave in unexpected ways.

Best of luck. They are a hoot!

[TodkaVonic]

It'll be fine. No idea about hardware. Get a helmet for the kid.

[LeRoy]

If you've never piloted a sidecar rig before, then do yourself a favor and register for some kind of training. The handling behavior is quite different from any bike you've ever ridden. This is especially relevant in emergency situations. You don't want the wrong set of reactions taking over. I'm not sure where you're located but you'll surely find something by googling or checking one of the sidecar affiliated sites like:

The United Sidecar Association  www.sidecar.com

That being said, an Eldorado makes a good sidecar unit. As noted, be aware of the limitations of the drum brakes. I had a disc brake Eldorado mated to an International sidecar. The single front disc (and an unbraked sidecar) was adequate. It would have been much improved with a second front disc and I expect the feel at the lever would have been better as well.

Go for it, but don't go in without a healthy respect for what it takes to manage the rig.

Here's a look at a rather younger me and the Eldorado/International combination:

[maquette]

I had a Velorex 562 on my '72 Eldo for awhile, but like others, the brakes were a big concern for me. I removed the 562 and put it on my triple disc 1000SP and I am a much happier camper now. Personally, I wouldn't want to take any trips away from home with the drum braked Eldo and my grandson.

[motoguzzibill]

I appreciate all replies and have found them helpful. My Eldo has the four-leading shoe front brake which could be improved with new linings, and better than the single sided option. I am wondering which sidecars might have an optional brake on the car wheel and if this can be connected/adapted to an Eldorado. I'm not rushing into anything yet.
Thanks All,
Bill

[arveno]

It'll be fine. No idea about hardware. Get a helmet for the kid.

Hi , Do you have more pics of this beauty ?
Damn look perfect, good job.

[Chuck in Indiana]

First, let me echo LeRoy..

Go for it, but don't go in without a healthy respect for what it takes to manage the rig.

The only thing similar about a rig and a bike are where the controls are situated. You *will* have some reflexes to undo to safely drive one. It's like no other machine you have ever operated. Have I stated that strongly enough? 
That said, if all you are planning on doing is putting around town, a drum brake Eldo will be (barely) adequate, IMHO.
You asked about a sidecar brake. You can do it on a drum brake bike, but you'll have to use separate brake pedals. It's much easier to plumb the sidecar brake into the front master cylinder, and works well, too.

[TodkaVonic]

Hi , Do you have more pics of this beauty ?
Damn look perfect, good job.

You bet, and thanks!