The Extraordinary Sidecar

Sidecars have always been good for a laugh, and some of the best sitcoms and comedy films have featured them, quite often becoming separated from the motorbike, but there’s more to this unique mode of transport than meets the eye. Some would be surprised to learn that Jaguar Cars began their life as a sidecar manufacturing company.

They first appeared on the scene at the beginning of the twentieth century, with early wicker models looking more like a cradle than a bona fide method of carrying passengers, but development moved on quickly as car body builders moved into the sector. Wicker was out, replaced by both open and covered models of various quality. In 1912, T.F. Watson of Birmingham, England invented a folding sidecar that would permit access through passages at the side of terraced houses. Today, the company of Watsonian Squire is still in the business of producing sidecars. AJS introduced a ‘D’ model motorcycle and sidecar in 1913; the coach-built sidecar was manufactured by C.W.Hayward. These fully sprung sidecars were lovingly constructed and fitted out with leather upholstery. A weatherproof top came as an extra to protect two passengers, who strange as it may seem by today’s thinking, sat side by side. The passenger nearest to the motorcycle would steer the sidecar with the aid of a tiller.

Although the popularity of riding an ‘outfit’ (motorcycle and sidecar), has fluctuated over time, there is no doubt that the heyday was before the middle of the fifties. During the hard economic times of the thirties, an outfit was a viable alternative to the motor car, and a myriad of companies, including aviation concerns, became involved in the manufacture of sidecars. Also in the thirties, Uralmoto Zavod of Russia  produced models in co-operation with BMW, who were still restricted by the treaty of Versailles.

In the war years, sidecars were to play an important role in the military. One of the most versatile machines ever made was the BMW R75, which featured a driven sidecar wheel, diff lock, selectable low range gearbox and reverse gear, which combined gave impressive off-road capabilities. The R75 design was also adopted by the Russians to produce their Ural and Dnepr models. Between 1940 and 1944, Zundapp produced the KS750 which was often accompanied by a sidecar. Although the machine was fast, manoeuvrable, reliable and much loved by its users, it was also expensive. The sidecar was often used by a gunner operating a mounted machine-gun. However, before all these offerings, came Clyno of Wolverhampton, England who built a machine gun carrying sidecar for use in the First World War. Sidecars have been and still are, used by police forces throughout the world.

We’ve all seen the dramatic footage of sidecar racers hanging over the track to balance the machine correctly Apart from being an exciting sport to take part in, it’s also pretty entertaining from a spectators perspective, that’s why sidecar racing events are still as popular as ever. As well as track and road, sidecars also compete in Motocross, Enduro and Grasstrack events throughout the world.

Although interest in sidecars has waned since the fifties, there are still many enthusiasts who attend club meetings dedicated to outfits.