In September, 2004 when in the Austrian Tirol, we encountered the machine pictured at right with Jim. It is made by Horst Ullrich, Obertorstraße 32, 63688 Wenings, Germany, http://www.hu-sidecars.de. Horst Ullrich manufactures motorcycles for Enduro and Fernreisegespanne; roughly translated, Enduro and world travel sidecars. We were very impressed with the workmanship and made a point of visiting his shop when we returned to Germany later in the month.

After spending some time chatting with Horst we decided that he was the man to create the machine that we wanted to use for world travel. Jim returned to the US in November, 2004, and purchased a 1983 BMW R80ST air head from an old acquaintance of ours, Pat Potter.

We wanted a US registered bike to use for the conversion so we would be able to return to the US with the bike when we have finished our travels. It is extremely difficult to import a vehicle into the US that does not have certification from the manufacturer stating that the vehicle meets the us Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements for vehicles at the time of manufacture. You must have a certificate from the vehicle manufacturer so stating or US Customs will not allow the vehicle to be imported. This means that you will never be able to have the vehicle registered in the US. Oregon DMV insisted on inspecting the bike before they would permit it to be registered for the first time in the state. Previously the bike had been registered in California. The bike arrived in Frankfurt, Germany January 1, 2005. Above is a picture of the bike on its shipping pallet at the Frankfort airport as we were taking delivery. We have been very fortunate to have made many good friends in our travels. Among these are Gabi and Erdmann Scheibe who own a small hotel in Idstein, Germany. After we completed our visit with Horst we spent several days with Gabi and Erdmann at their hotel discussing our plans for the sidecar. Erdmann volunteered to assist us when the bike arrived if we needed help. We did - the weather was freezing cold and Jim did not want to risk destroying the bike on roads that could be icy. Pictured above right are Jim and Erdmann loading the bike on a trailer Erdmann was able to borrow.

We returned to the hotel and made contact with Horst to advise him that the bike had finally arrived. We say finally because it was scheduled to arrive in Frankfort on the 17th of December. Lufthansa airlines made a complete mess of the shipment. The bike sat in their facility in San Francisco for three weeks. If Jim had not started making long distance international phone calls the bike would have remained there forever. We were very disappointed because of the way we were treated by the staff of ufthansa at the San Francisco Cargo facility. We took the bike to Horst the following day so he could start the conversion. Jim, Erdmann and Horst are pictured above left unloading the bike. It takes four months for the conversion and the bike is scheduled to be completed in April, 2005.

While Horst was working on the bike the engine and gear box were sent to Scherb BMW Spezialist http://www.scherb-s.de in Olching, Germany to be rebuilt. The Engine had been previously converted to 1000 cc’s but the heads were the originals (with 8.5:1 compression pistons). The valves were upgraded from 32mm to 40mm and 9.5:1 compression pistons have been installed. Dual spark plugs were also installed. And a 400 watt alternator was installed (up from the factory 270 watts). A new timing chain and all bearings were being replaced.

Three gears in the gear box were also replaced as well as all of the bearings and other miscellaneous items in the gear box.

The bike is pictured at right in Horst’s shop. When we next see it it will look significantly different.

And, as can be seen in the following pictures taken three and one half months later, it does look very different indeed. These pictures were taken just prior to the bike being sent to the painter. It has been assembled to verify that everything works properly so adjustments will not be needed once it is painted.

First, the bike from the left side. Then, a right side view with the 45 liter tank in place, above right. The tank will be white when it is painted. The auxiliary gas tank that holds between 20 to 25 liters can be seen on the sidecar. We will have a fuel capacity of 65 liters (17.7 US gallons). A 12 volt pump mounted outside of the auxiliary tank pumps fuel to the main tank. The auxiliary tank is mounted with rubber bushings which isolate it electrically from the remainder of the vehicle.

Three weeks later and more progress: The frame after it was painted is shown below, left. Two weeks later and we have some pictures as the bike is being assembled. First, a view from the front with Horst and Erdmann, above. The frame has been assembled, wheels with brakes installed and the engine installed.

While it is difficult to see in the above right picture, there are three cross members running from the frame of the motorcycle to the outside of the sidecar. Two are easy to see but the third blends in with the second. Normally Horst only puts two of these on a sidecar but given the weight we will be carrying he has worked some additional “magic” to make our frame as strong as possible.

Below left, is a good view of the reinforcing that has been done to the front of the frame. This also shows how sturdy the leading link forks for the front end really are. Note the triple clamps and the size of the steering damper - the black rod that is running across the picture below the down tube of the frame.

The picture below right is taken from the left side of the bike showing more of the reinforcing of the steering head as well as the additional bars running longitudinally just below the main backbone tube of the frame. On this, the left side, the additional reinforcing rod can be removed to facilitate the removal and replacement of the engine. The same tube on the other (right) side of the bike is permanently welded to the frame.

Also, the portion of the frame where the swing arm bearings are located has been significantly reinforced on both sides (not pictured).

You can see the new dual output coils mounted at the front of the frame (right) and the included electronic unit that had been mounted under the frame - it’s the black box attached with the silver band that is wrapped around the frame. NOTE: In 2206, as part of the upgrades we did as a result of the accident repairs, we replaced the Dyna coils and the electronic unit they require with two Accell coils that do not require an additional electronic booster unit. This simplifies the ignition system significantly. The new coils are mounted in the same position as the previous units. The booster unit held to the frame with the silver band has been removed.

In the picture below left you can see the final drive with the disk brake caliper and one of the shock absorbers. Note the lengthened swing arm. The drive shaft is the same length as the original bike but the splines portion that slips into the final drive splines is specially machined and provides the additional length necessary. This way, if there ever is a problem with the universal joints on the drive shaft a “stock” BMW drive shaft can be used for the replacement. Also, you can see the new master cylinder that controls the rear and sidecar brake. Above right is a picture of the sidecar wheel with its twin shocks. The swing arm bearings for both the rear wheel and sidecar wheel are stock BMW bearings, easily obtained at any BMW motorcycle dealer. We already have the tools for removing and installing these bearings so this is one item we will not need to acquire. This same tool can be used to remove and install the steering head bearings.

Also seen in this picture and the one on the left is the stainless steel brake line that is enclosed in a light blue plastic covering for additional protection. The same type of line is used for the front brake.

The astute observer will note that the sidecar brake and the brake on the rear wheel are of different sizes. The front wheel brake and the rear wheel brake are of identical sizes. The sidecar brake is a little smaller so it contributes to the stopping of the vehicle but does not exert sufficient force to create a problem.

NOTE: The rod that can be seen in the picture at right has been removed and the brake caliper is now mounted in a fixed position on the swing arm, as of 2006. We had lots of problems with the bar and had to replace it when in Greece in 2006 because it was bent so severely that it broke into two pieces.

You will not be able to have a bike like this in Germany. Why? The TUV is the company that inspects all vehicles in Germany to ensure that they comply with the manufacturers specifications. ANY modifications of any type to a vehicle in Germany must be approved by the TUV and the modifications are noted in the vehicles papers. One thing that is NOT permitted for motorcycle modifications is the alteration in any way of the frame. A frame cannot be welded like ours has in order to reinforce it and make it stronger.

The previous pictures were taken on Tuesday afternoon. The picture at left was taken on the following Saturday morning when we got the bike. What cannot be seen from this picture is all the rain that is pouring down outside the workshop. We rode the 95 kilometers (60 miles) back to Idstein in pouring rain. Not the best way to inaugurate our new sidecar.

We are VERY happy with the work Horst has done to create this machine and recommend him to anyone who would like something similar.

We are also VERY happy with the work Gerhard has done on the engine and transmission.

And, we are VERY happy with the aluminum boxes that Roger Guhr, RMS - Rennsporttechnik, made for us.

The next three weeks were spent installing electrical wiring for the GPS, more powerful horns, electric clothing controls, instrument gauges, ham (amateur) radio and intercom, etc., etc. We also sealed all of the nuts and bolts that are used to mount the aluminum boxes to ensure that we have no leaks when it is wet.

The astute observer will notice that the exhaust has been routed across the front of the sidecar. This means that we can remove the rear wheel without having to remove the exhaust.

The aluminum box on the front of the sidecar is used to carry all of Jim's tools. Our original plan was to use this box for additional oil and miscellaneous items used for servicing the vehicle. The intent was to keep all the greasy items isolated from the remainder of our things. As we have said, remain flexible and don’t be in love with your plan. We quickly discovered that all of the weight we were loading on the rear of the sidecar was having an adverse impact on the machine’s handling. What to do? Get more weight up front of course.

The bike with sidecar, boxes and fuel is about 300 kilograms (660 pounds). With the two of us and all our equipment it is 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Horst told us the front box should hold 20 to 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of weight with no problems. So, we moved all the tools that Jim has to this box. The top of the spare wheel and tire can be seen just above and behind the aluminum box mounted on the front of the sidecar.

Additionally we worked with Horst to modify the way the spare wheel and tire is mounted on the frame so a very heavy tire bead breaker and tire irons for removing the tire from the wheel could be mounted between the spare wheel and tire and the front box. We are also storing a large axe with the bead breaker and tire irons. After the spare wheel is mounted we also store a large roll of high strength rope that can be used in conjunction with two small pulleys when we need to pull the vehicle out of the mud, sand, a ditch, etc. This weight being positioned at the front of the bike has balanced the load that we are carrying in the boxes at the rear of the machine. Click here to see the slide show of this area on the bike.

The aluminum box that can be seen in front of Erdmann that has a small cushion for a seat back is quite large and we want to be sure that the rear of the vehicle is not so heavy that it will cause problems when we are on steep inclines going forward - we do not want the vehicle to lift off the front wheel and go over backwards. There is also an aluminum top box that Horst is leaning on. We will provide more details about these boxes when we publish pictures that show them much better.

To the immediate right of the aluminum box in the front is a white grill that protects a two stage oil cooler. The oil filter has been relocated outside the engine housing just beneath the oil cooler. The filter is an automotive spin on type. Stainless steel braided lines connect the filter, cooler and engine housing. It is possible to bypass the oil cooler and filter should a problem develop.

It is difficult to see the oil filter because two hi/lo note Fiamm horns have been installed just forward of the oil filter should we need to attract the attention of other road users. The oil filter can be seen between the two horns - the small black canister with the white writing. We asked Horst to make a bracket for these horns as part of the construction process. We are very happy with the result. Verna has made a cover for the horns which protects them from rain, road spray and dust and dirt as well as covering the electrical wires so they are not so exposed.

Below the headlight and adjacent to the left turn signal is an additional Hella HID head lamp from Touratech. This light has a high lumen Xeon output while drawing only 35 watts of power according to the literature but in reality it is more like 70 watts. We do everything we can to avoid riding after the sun goes down but we have learned that additional lighting is absolutely necessary for safe nighttime operation of a vehicle.

The front fender, hand protectors and fairing are made by Acerbis. The white fender for the sidecar wheel and rear wheel are a series of light weight plastic plates attached to the frame members.

The following picture shows a piece of wire from the original wiring harness that was on the bike. The arrow points to the spot where the wire had been rubbing against a portion of the frame of the bike for some years. This is a brown wire and those “in the know” about BMW motorcycle electrical wiring will know immediately that this is a ground wire. As a result, the bare wire being in contact with the frame did not create a problem. But, this is a great example of how unprotected electrical wiring will “self destruct” with little or no help from the owner. This is why all of the wiring on the bike is new as are the controls for the turn signals, horn, kill and starter switches. Jim will spend several weeks working on the electrical wiring of the sidecar to reduce the risk of things like this happening to us during our travels.

We installed emergency flashers that work in conjunction with the turn signals. More on this later.

Here is a picture of the bike on the second day. Most people would want to be out riding. Not our Jim. The first thing he did on Sunday morning was inspect the bike. Now that it was dry this was a much easier task.

First, let us say that we are very happy with the bike. The handling is superb. We need to do much more riding to learn how to take advantage of all or its unique characteristics. You can see the 41 liter gas tank on the ground behind the bike. This picture also shows the 25 liter tank on the sidecar located just in front of the open box and behind the spare tire. The box on the front of the bike was removed and taken inside where Verna was working her magic with a sewing machine making bags that hold many of Jim’s tools.

While Horst is a great sidecar builder and he did everything we asked for he is not a master vehicle wiring electrician. We found two places in the wiring harness where the wires had been cut and new wire added. The good news is that these connections were soldered into the wire in the wiring harness. This was done to provide wiring for the lights on the sidecar. So far so good. But, the wiring was not adequately protected after the soldering of the new wires was completed. To cover the soldered wire the bare wires were wrapped with only electrical tape.

This is a recipe for disaster in the future. Why? When Jim removed the tape from these connections water poured out of the tape and the portions of the wiring harness the tape had also been wrapped around. We had ridden 95 kilometers (60 miles) in the rain on the way back to Idstein the previous day. The bike had been in a garage for more than 17 hours before the tape was removed.

Tape is a fair protector from chaffing and the proper type will provide some insulation but it is a terrible thing to use to protect electrical connections that are exposed to moisture. Why, you might ask?

It does not make a seal that is impervious to moisture and moisture will ALWAYS get into the tape. Verna could not believe the amount of water that was inside these taped electrical connections. That water will just sit and corrosion will start the slow steady process that will eat away at the metal wire. In time this will result in failing electrical connections.

Also, remember that water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Sooner or later if you spend enough time riding in the rain this water will provide a path between the electrical wires and a ground point on the frame and then the electrical circuits involved will fail. We certainly do NOT want to be left by the side of the road in bad weather with a vehicle that will not function properly because of something like this. The solution is to always use something that will seal the wire so moisture will not enter the area. In the picture above left you can see the rats nest of wires as Jim was working on the wiring for the sidecar headlight, the Hella HID light, horn, electric clothing controllers, fuel pump, GPS, emergency flashers and the rewiring of the sidecar lighting system. This picture also shows several of the holders that Jim has installed for the relays that will be used to control these various electrical items.

For the sidecar lighting wiring, Jim chose to remove some of the connectors from the old wiring harness and using new wire make a sub harness that is in a “Y” configuration with one part of the “Y” connected between the main wiring harness and the wiring harness that goes to the rear of the bike for tail/break lights and turn signals and the other part connected to the wiring that goes to the sidecar for the tail/break lights and turn signals.

The ”Y” sub harness can be seen running along the frame tube at the top of the picture above right. The connector on the right near the plate with the two holes (which holds the gas tank in place when it is on the bike) connects the main wiring harness to the sub harness that feeds the tail/brake light and rear turn signals. Pictured under the curve in the hose is the first of the two “Y” connectors. To the left is the second “Y” connector. These two connectors are wired into the connector at the right, forming the “Y”. The connector at the far left feeds the sidecar tail/brake lights and turn signal and the connector in the center feeds the tail/brake lights and turn signal for the rear of the bike.

This also makes trouble shooting much easier because things can be isolated by separating the connectors. So, the rear lights on the bike can be disconnected and the lights on the sidecar will continue to operate or the sidecar lighting can be disconnected and the rear motorcycle lights will continue to operate.

The head light for the front of the sidecar is activated from this harness using the pin in the connector that feeds the tail light as the supply. This wire operates a relay that provides the power to the sidecar headlight.

The front turn signal for the sidecar uses the original right front turn signal wiring in the motorcycle wiring harness to connect to the sidecar wiring, with a connector that allows the sidecar wiring to be easily disconnected.

The tubing seen in the picture above connects the fuel pump (blue labeled box at left) that is used for transferring gasoline from the auxiliary fuel tank on the sidecar to the fuel tank on the motorcycle. The pump is mounted under the seat of the bike and is controlled by a switch mounted on the right side under the top box. The switch is very easy for the rider to operate but is out of the sight of the casual observer and this should keep interference by casual bystanders to a minimum when the vehicle is parked. There is a LED mounted in the instrument cluster that is lit when the pump is on. The switch controls a relay that operates the pump. Because there is no power to the relay unless the ignition key is in the ON position the pump will not operate when the ignition is switched OFF. When the tank is removed from the bike for maintenance work the fuse for the fuel pump is also removed to make absolutely sure the fuel pump will not operate if it is switched on accidentally.

Another problem we found has more to do with the way the wiring on the motorcycle is routed. Specifically, the cables from the handlebar controls were made by BMW to be routed a very specific way in order for them to be connected to the wiring harness on the bike. Remember the pictures above that showed the additional reinforcement that has been done to the steering head?

As a result of all of the reinforcement that has been done to the steering head the normal path for the wiring from the left hand grip will not reach the main wiring harness without being pressed between the tank and the frame. The right front portion of the gasoline tank is designed to allow space for the cross member that connects the motorcycle frame to the sidecar frame. This creates an opening that allows the wiring harness for the these controls to be be clear of any obstructions. This also provides a good route for the electrical wires that go to the front sidecar running light and turn signal as well as the dual Fiamm horns and a waterproof fuse box. Unfortunately it also provides and excellent opening for moisture, dust and dirt to enter the area under the tank.

What to do about the wiring for the handlebar controls? If left as is, over time this will lead to the paint on the tank and frame being worn away and the wiring to the controls being progressively destroyed as it is smashed between the gasoline tank and frame. But, what is worse is that the cable is so taught that it is continually pulling out of the receptacle it plugs into on the frame.

Jim used the wiring connector from the handlebar switches along with some new wire that he bought to make a jumper wiring harness that would allow him to route the wiring under the reinforcing that has been done to the steering head. The cables now reaches the main wiring harness just fine.

In the picture below left, you can see one of the two connectors where the cables are joined where they have been routed up behind the instrument pod that holds the speedometer and tachometer. This picture also shows how exposed the electrical wiring in the area of the speedometer and tachometer is. Verna solved this problem by creating a cover (above right) for this area that will help prevent dust, dirt and moisture from entering.

Jim will NEVER cut electrical wire in the vehicle wiring harness on ANY vehicle he owns. It is much safer to purchase the necessary connectors and pins from the manufacturer and plug things in as they normally would be. This way it is always possible to return things to their original condition AND it provides a very easy way to isolate your work from the stock configuration when trouble shooting.

Wait a minute Jim. That there connector is wrapped in tape! Didn’t you just say that tape was not the thing to use for electrical connections?

Right you are, the cable connector is wrapped in tape. However, prior to the tape being wrapped to protect from chaffing, the area that the tape covers was first wrapped with 3M Scotch 23 Self Bonding Long Electrical Tape to prevent moisture, dust and dirt from entering the connector or cable harness.

3M Scotch 23 Self Bonding Long Electrical Tape is not like regular tape. By this we mean that it does not have an adhesive that it uses to attach itself to things. The only thing it will attach to is itself. Therefore the items covered remain clean and do not get covered with a sticky residue. This material also has excellent insulating properties. Much better than regular electrical tape. It stretches when properly applied and it creates moisture proof seals. Good stuff.

In the photo at right you can see where the cable in the above picture comes up from under the steering head bracing and plugs into the red and black connectors of the main wiring harness. The connectors that are all black at the top right are the ones from the left handle bar cable that are routed up, behind and down from the instrument cluster to get to the right side of the frame. The white connector below is from the right handle bar controls. These connectors and the wire that is inserted into them have also been wrapped in 3M Scotch 23 Self Bonding Long Electrical Tape to prevent moisture, dust and dirt from entering the connector. They were then wrapped in electrical tape to protect them from chafing against the frame. Given the location at the very front of the frame this area will receive lots of moisture, dust and dirt from the front wheel. This will help keep them clean and free of corrosion.

Also note that the rear of the red, black and white connectors from the main wiring harness into which the cables from the handle bar controls are inserted have been covered with electrical grade silicone sealant. Electrical grade silicone is used because it will not corrode the copper in the wires as normal silicone will. All of the electrical connections on the bike have been protected in this manner to prevent moisture, dust and dirt from entering the connector.

One of the marvelous things about the BMW motorcycle frames of this vintage is all of the places along the length of the frame backbone that is located under the tank to mount electrical relays for controlling the horns, additional driving lights, electrical clothing, etc., etc. The picture below left shows some of the relays on the bike. The picture above also shows the extensive use of material in which the electrical wires Jim has installed are housed to prevent them being in direct contact with the frame or other items on the bike. This way we hope to prevent wires from being destroyed by rubbing against anything as was the insulation in the picture above which shows the bare wire.

In the picture above right, an intercom with a noise suppressor in the 12 volt power connection has been installed in a box within the top box. This “box within a box” was designed to hold our intercom, AA/AAA battery charger and our 12 volt camp battery and miscellaneous supplies, like replacement light bulbs for the motorcycle. This small 1.2 Amp 12V rechargeable sealed lead acid battery can be recharged while the key is on and the engine is running as a result of a circuit Jim built that includes the parking light in the headlight and a diode. More on this later.

It’s a wiring “rats nest” but we could not cut the intercom cables and as a result the excess cable is rolled into a coil and sitting on top of other items.

Jim has installed two BMW factory R100GS type fuse boxes, the first of which (Fuse Block 1) is mounted adjacent to the oil cooler on the sidecar. The second (Fuse Block 2) attaches to the battery carrier on the left side of the motorcycle. The two ceramic 8 amp fuses that supply the electrical wiring for the motorcycle are retained in their factory housing under the tank. These additional fuse boxes provide waterproof centralized fuse locations. Note that Verna has made waterproof cloth covers for each of these that also help keep wandering fingers from getting into them easily. Each box has four fuses which provide power as show in the following table:

Fuse Block 1 Fuse Block 2 Electrical Accessory Outlet Electric Clock Heated Hand Grips Relay Sidecar Headlight & Fuel Pump Relay Passenger Electric Clothing Relay Hella HID Light Relay Rider Electric Clothing Relay Motorcycle Headlight Relays

We have installed two relays that headlight on the motorcycle by adding a headlight wiring harness from Eastern Beaver Company that is an H4 Single Headlight Relay Kit. This is the shell mount version. The relays go inside headlight shell as seen in the photo at the right. YOu can see one of the relays attached on the right side of the headlight shell. The other is attached to the left side of the headlight shell and the factory wiring harness plug for the headlight bulb is held in this position by Velcro. This provides two relays for the main motorcycle headlight. One relay is for the low beam and the other one for the high beam. This provides the maximum voltage to the headlight for maximum illumination.

In the above photo you can also see the brown (ground) wire that was used previously to complete the circuit for the parking light (above the factory wiring harness plug for the headlight). It has been removed from the parking light and has shrink wrap around it to protect and seal it. In its place is the red with with the shrink wrapping that appears behind the plug that goes into the headlight reflector. Inside the shrink wrap is the diode mentioned earlier for use in the circuit that is used to charge our camp battery in the top box.

The diode is essentially a one way gate that allows power to flow to the camp battery in the top box but not back into the bikes electrical system from the camp battery in the top box. The resistance of the light bulb in the parking circuit helps regulate the amperage that is permitted to flow to the camp battery.

Why use all of these relays? There are two reasons for the use of relays.

1. We want to be absolutely positive that all electrical items are off when the key is switched off.
2. We need relays for several items so the switches that operate them are not destroyed by the high current that would pass through them if the relays were not installed, e.g., the additional driving lights, the fuel pump to transfer gasoline from the auxiliary tank on the sidecar to the tank on the motorcycle, the horns, heated clothing, etc.

However, there are three items on the bike where 12V is available with the ignition switched OFF.

1. The clock.
2. The AA/AAA battery charger; the AA/AAA battery charger restarts every time it is powered on and off so we could not have it controlled by the ignition switch or the batteries would never get charged unless we only started the bike once a day. Each time we turned off the ignition the battery charger would also turn off. Then, when the ignition is switched on again it would start its cycle of discharging the AA/AAA batteries and then recharging them. Fortunately the charger switches itself off after it has completed its charging cycle automatically.
3. There is also a power outlet under the battery carrier on the left side of the bike that we use to power a small fluorescent lamp in our tent so we can read at night. This same outlet is used for a battery charger if needed.

One of the other things we asked Horst to do was a make a point on the frame that could be used to attach a rope or cable that could be connected to another vehicle if we ever found ourselves disabled and in need to a tow. A loop is located just below the horns for this purpose. This will also provide a nice tie down point should that be required for shipping or some other such thing. A similar loop is on the rear of the sidecar between the sidecar and the rear wheel of the bike and is visible in the picture above where the frame extends to the left of the box with the flags.

We returned to Horst two weeks later to do some tuning of the suspension system. By this time we had managed to get all of our gear packed on the bike so the weight of the bike is what it will be for our travels. Horst has the sidecar jacked up so he can remove the shocks in the picture below left. Shortly after we arrived at Horst’s shop another sidecar pulled up and parked. The bike and the people on it looked vaguely familiar to us. It turned out to be Rolf Mohr and his wife.

Above right is a picture of them with the sidecar that started it all for us. It is their sidecar that is pictured with Jim at the top of this page. It seems that they had returned home after their holiday and visited Horst and told him that they had met two Americans who were very interested in their bike. They are very nice people and it was really nice to see them again.

You can see our bike in the door going into the building in the background. Horst’s shop is what once was the “shire”, or barn, of an old farm house. You can also see the Chinese blessing inscribed on the building by Horst’s wife.

The first thing we elected to do for the suspension was replace the springs on the sidecar shock absorbers with stiffer springs. This improved the handling tremendously. We went back the following week to do the same to the rear shock on the motorcycle. These two adjustments improved the handling of the machine tremendously. All of the weight we had loaded definitely have had an impact on the way it handles.

This picture of the bike in the shop also presents a good view of three of the five boxes that have been installed. The left box is a Jessie Luggage bag from Al Jesse. This is the kitchen - it holds all of our cooking equipment and food items. Note that it is a full sized bag with no cut out for a muffler (Remember the muffler at the front of the sidecar?).

NOTE: This box was destroyed when the mini bus ran into that area of the motorcycle when we were in Turkey in October, 2005. We had Roger Guhr, RMS - Rennsporttechnik make a new box and mount it in 2006. Also note that this box now houses our tent, sun awning and miscellaneous riding gear.

 Yes, we know that the top box above the rear wheel is an odd shape and looks really strange. Well, it was an odd shape. It too was destroyed in the accident in Turkey. We now have a rectangular box in this position which Roger also made for us. It is the kitchen; it holds all of our cooking and water related items, except the camp stove and fuel bottle which are in the box at the front of the sidecar.

If you look closely you can see that the top box also has a tray that is the same size as the rectangular portion of the box. This tray folds down and is secured to the top box with two metal straps and provides a good surface for our cook stove at a height at which it is easy for Verna to work. Having all of the food and cooking items in the top means we had to find a way to use it without having to open the top box constantly to get to things. Verna made a bag that all cooking items are in which can be removed from the box quite easily. This means that the top of the top box can also be used for food preparation and it does not prevent access to the items needed during this process. And, once our camp is set up there is no need to get into the top box so we will not be constantly removing items placed on the top of the box in order to get into the box.

The large box to the right of the top box mounted at the rear of the side car holds our sleeping bags, camp towels and our clothing. While we do not carry a lot of clothing we have learned that we need rain jackets when off the bike, some sort of fleece jacket when off the bike in cold weather. While this is not much it does take up an incredible amount of space.

A few words about these boxes. They are a work of art. And they are built to withstand the rigorous use we will subject them to. We provided Horst with very rough drawing of what we wanted for the top box and Reihhard (Roger) Guhr, RMS Rennsporttechnik, turned our dream into reality. Roger’s motto is, “If it is made of metal...... we can make it!”. The welding of aluminum is an art that few can do well. We have never seen any aluminum welding work that compares to the welds on these boxes.

The seat box on the sidecar was also damaged in the accident in Turkey in 2005. Not a big loss. It was not very strong and we planed on replacing it. Roger made a box that replaced in the spring of 2005.

We found that the handlebars needed to be mounted so they were a bit closer to the vehicle operator in order for Verna to be able to make tight turns without having to over extend her reach (short arms, don’t you know). We were lucky enough to do this on a day when the sun was shining about three weeks after we took delivery of the bike. The picture below left shows Jim and Horst installing the new bar backs which move the handlebars back about 40 mm (1.5 inches) and raises them about 30 mm (1.2 inches) so they will clear the tank. This has created a much more comfortable riding position for us both and has made turning the vehicle much easier. You can also see the gauges that have been mounted above the speedometer and tachometer; a clock, oil temperature, oil pressure and volt meter.

The picture above right shows the wiring for the gauges. The power for the gauge lights was taken from the speedometer light, as was the ground for the gauge lights.

The power for the all but the volt meter is provided by the electrical connection that was for the original horn on the bike. Because we installed dual horns which have a relay that provides power for their operation this electrical connection was available to be used for something else. This “old” horn power circuit is activated when the key is in the on position so the gauges only operate when the vehicle is running. A ground wire has been installed from the bolt on the frame point where the voltage regulator is mounted to complete the circuit for the gauges. This is also a ground point for the factory wiring harness.

One of the biggest challenges we have is trying to protect everything on the vehicle from the elements or animals of the two footed, 10 fingered variety. The picture at right shows the cover Verna made to protect the gauges and also cover the entire instrument cluster from the elements. While this is sufficient for this purpose it does not provide adequate security for the gauges.

As luck would have it, theft of the gauges did not become a problem. When we were in Turkey in October of 2005, we were hit by a mini bus. See the Travelogues 2005 section for more details about our adventures in Turkey. The bike rolled over and the the gauges were severely damaged. The good news is that we were able to reuse all of the gauges except the volt meter which we replaced with a new gauge. In 2006 we had Roger Guhr, RMS Rennsporttechnik, make a box for the gauges which we had powder coated flat black and is pictured above, along with our Touratech GPS bracket. Attached to the underside of the gauge box is the controller for the riders electric clothing and the heated hand grips from Warm & Safe.

Several other items to note in the above picture. Between the speedometer and tachometer you can see the red button with the white triangle. This is the button for our emergency flashers. Above this button is a yellow led which is activated when the electric fuel pump is activated to transfer gasoline from the auxiliary tank on the sidecar (25 liters or 6.6 gallons) to the main tank on the motorcycle. The main tank capacity is 41 liters or 10.8 gallons for a total of 66 liters or 17.4 gallons of gasoline. Above the yellow led is another small led that is recessed into the instrument housing. This led is on when the Hella HID light from Touratech is operating.

We left Idstein after 5 weeks of work on the machine and headed south to Karlsruhe to visit our friend Sascha Leitz. Sascha painted our snail logo on the tank and helped us get the other graphics made for the name of our web site. He also introduced us to Andreas who made a new speedometer cable to replace the much too short BMW speedometer cable. The new front end on the bike has created some challenges for us. The distance between the speedometer and the transmission from where the speedometer cable is driven is much greater than for the stock machine. A longer cable was needed.

We also had a custom clutch cable made because nothing that BMW makes is long enough to do the job - they all rub against the gasoline tank.

Andreas also modified our speedometer so it would be accurate. When the new final drive (from an R65 and therefore a different gear ratio) was installed on the bike the speedometer was reading approximately 20 miles per hour to fast. The mileage also was registering incorrectly on the odometer. Now we will be able to perform the maintenance on the bike at the correct interval as well as know our speed, accurately.

If you find typographical errors or have any other problems when looking at the site please contact the Webmaster describing the problem and the page involved.

Copyright © 2000-2009 Jim Seavey and Verna Norris

All Rights Reserved