Sputnik Sidecars

RedMenace · 02-27-2003, 07:39 PM

It looks like a limited number of new Sputnik sidecars may become available. This is the hack I have on the Tiger and I can recommend it highly for dualsport application. It has been out of production for a little while now. If you have been thinking about getting one now is the time. Contact Jay Giese at Dauntless Motors( I have no personal interest in the Sputnik or in Dauntless Motors, but I am one happy customer).

Dauntless Motors Corporation
www.dauntlessmotors.com

"...On another note. The Sputnik factory after contacting them once a week for the last 6 months is now ready to open negotiations with me to put the Sputnik back in production. That's the good news. The bad news is that negotiations with Russia take 10 times longer then you would think that they possibly could which in a way is a good thing as the factory is requiring me to buy the sidecars 100 at a time. This gives me more time to figure out where I am going to come up with money to buy 100 sidecars."

Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation

Jim Kelleher · 03-01-2003, 09:46 PM

Just upgraded from a Velorex to a Ural. Got my subframe from Jay at Dauntless and am very happy. Sweet looking ride you've got there. Any chance you are coming out to the USCA National in LaCrosse, WI in June? I wil send you along a photo after I add the rear rack and folding windscreen I ordered from Jay's wife.

Cheers,
Jim Kelleher
AKA Dr. Raoul Duke

Humungus · 03-01-2003, 11:18 PM

G'day red...whats the go putting a chair on a bike without a leading front end ? I had a small suzi with a box years ago & it used to shake its heads like all shit.

I am considering a chair that i can remove in 20 mins or so but theres no way im going to fool with the front end. Does yours head shake ?

Cheers Mark

motu · 03-02-2003, 12:26 AM

Headshake is part of riding sidecars,just set it up so that it happens at a speed you don't often ride at.Lots of different things can set it off,so you can spend years and lotsa money trying to fix it,or just ride it.It's nice to have a proper front end set up for a sidecar,but I've had big heavy child/adult chairs on bikes with 4 1/2 in trail,sure it's heavy,but not so bad my wife couldn't ride it.The Urals have teles,they just got the geometry sorted,amounst other things.One of my outfits had headshake with my hands off the bars,but just the touch of a finger stopped it.With modern technology a QD outfit would be a go,but you would be compromised on tyres,bars etc.

Humungus · 03-02-2003, 12:38 AM

Mot...whats QD ?

I would only do it if i could keep my bike almost standard. I have heard of one here in 0z that is a 20 min bolt on / off job.

Got my 2nd redundency coming up ...woooohooo !!!!!

motu · 03-02-2003, 01:20 AM

Quickly Detachable,some of the old BSAs and Triumphs had a rear wheel that would come out leaving the sprocket and brake drum in place - quickly detachable,we called them QD.

If you used dirt tyres it wouldn't be so bad,but the outfit would square them off if used too much,but if you don't lean over in corners - no problem!

Any pics or info on this local outfit?

Humungus · 03-02-2003, 01:44 AM

...nowhere to be found. I will find it again one day & let you know.

I like this type.

Humungus · 03-02-2003, 01:49 AM

A nice pic

motu · 03-02-2003, 02:23 AM

I like that chair on the Beemer,it has hand holds,ever since I was a teenager I wanted to build an outfit where the passenger could participate in the game - for the street.A bar at the front so they could stand up,others so they could move around.Never did it,most likely never will.But I like to see what others do.

jimdoylehi · 03-02-2003, 04:17 AM

Here's my go anywhere Sputnik

RedMenace · 03-02-2003, 06:37 AM

Jim that is a sharp looking rig. Doesn't look like you are in Kansas tho?

RedMenace · 03-02-2003, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Said motupaika:
I like that chair on the Beemer,it has hand holds,ever since I was a teenager I wanted to build an outfit where the passenger could participate in the game - for the street.A bar at the front so they could stand up,others so they could move around.Never did it,most likely never will.But I like to see what others do.

that was the idea behind this hooligan hack I built. It was almost finished when I lent it to a friend and he lost it on a corner, taking off the front end. I still have the carcass; I have been edging toward putting it back up with a hubcenter front end and a steering link to the sidecar wheel. To many projects and more inclined to have another beer!

RedMenace · 03-02-2003, 06:54 AM

Hello all;
Jim, I am afraid I won't be able to make it to Wisconsin for the sidecar rally. If you ever happen to be out this way, give me a shout.
Mark, I suggest you try it without changing the forks. My rig rarely gets a headshake. It seeems to be tire related, usualy when the tires are worn and I am decelerating with engine braking. It is easily controlable by keeping a firm grip on the bars or changing speed or changing throttle and brake input. Not an issue with this rig. I had a Speed Triple with a sidecar and stock front end- it never exhibited headshake. My Dnepr had teloscopic forks and never had awobble. I have a friend who had an Ascot with stock front end that had such a bad death wobble he broke both switch cluster off against the gas tank! My /2 with links developed a wobble with abad rear bearing. My conclusion is steering geometry and other factors may be more likely culprits and the type of front end is not as important as proper setup. Both my Triumph rigs have very heavy steering and get tiring on day long rides. This could be cured by modifying the front end.
I would agree with MP-tire wear( and optimal tire choice) makes detaching a sidecar for solo use an unhappy compromise. I have a friend with a Drifter sidecar rig who takes it off and rides solo from time to time with no problem, but I have found it better(for me) to just leave it hooked up. I have my Commando for solo rides. I used to ride it daily, but now I rarely touch it. The sidecar is too much fun and too easy. More than anything else, switching back to the Norton requires a major change in my riding habits and attitude.

RiverRat280 · 03-17-2005, 08:12 PM

A sidecar event in La Crosse WI, how many people go to it and what do ya do? We have some nice roads but not much for offroad here. Oh great now all the wierdo's will be invading our little town

I live in La Crosse so I'll have to make it out to it and see some of the rigs but I already want a Ural so I don't want to see it otherwise I'll have to talk to the bank. Dnepr's are much cheaper but I suppose they're crap eh?

Whats the date for this event in June and where in La Crosse?

02-27-2003, 07:39 PM	#1
RedMenace ^OP Adventure Sidecar Joined: Dec 2001 Location: GoodLiver,Oregon,USA Oddometer: 4,852	Sputnik Sidecars It looks like a limited number of new Sputnik sidecars may become available. This is the hack I have on the Tiger and I can recommend it highly for dualsport application. It has been out of production for a little while now. If you have been thinking about getting one now is the time. Contact Jay Giese at Dauntless Motors( I have no personal interest in the Sputnik or in Dauntless Motors, but I am one happy customer). Dauntless Motors Corporation www.dauntlessmotors.com "...On another note. The Sputnik factory after contacting them once a week for the last 6 months is now ready to open negotiations with me to put the Sputnik back in production. That's the good news. The bad news is that negotiations with Russia take 10 times longer then you would think that they possibly could which in a way is a good thing as the factory is requiring me to buy the sidecars 100 at a time. This gives me more time to figure out where I am going to come up with money to buy 100 sidecars." Jay Giese Dauntless Motors Corporation Attached Images __________________ the Red Menace "You are measured by how you ride by people who ride, and how you pose by people who pose." Alejo "Riders who get pissed off are doing it wrong." DAKEZ RedMenace screwed with this post 02-27-2003 at 07:45 PM

03-01-2003, 09:46 PM	#2
Jim Kelleher Circus Bear Joined: Jan 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Oddometer: 342	Menace - LOVE the new chair Just upgraded from a Velorex to a Ural. Got my subframe from Jay at Dauntless and am very happy. Sweet looking ride you've got there. Any chance you are coming out to the USCA National in LaCrosse, WI in June? I wil send you along a photo after I add the rear rack and folding windscreen I ordered from Jay's wife. Cheers, Jim Kelleher AKA Dr. Raoul Duke __________________ "There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done.......keep me in your heart for a while" Warren Zevon RIP Black 1999 R1100GS "Mad Max" Black 1974 R90/6 w/Ural M66 Sidecar

03-02-2003, 01:44 AM	#7
Humungus no it doesn't Joined: Jun 2002 Location: circling just out of your campfire light Oddometer: 5,313	...nowhere to be found. I will find it again one day & let you know. I like this type. Attached Images

03-02-2003, 01:49 AM	#8
Humungus no it doesn't Joined: Jun 2002 Location: circling just out of your campfire light Oddometer: 5,313	A nice pic Attached Images

03-02-2003, 04:17 AM	#10
jimdoylehi n00b Joined: Feb 2003 Location: overbrook, KS Oddometer: 9	My Go anywhere Here's my go anywhere Sputnik Attached Images

03-01-2003, 11:18 PM	#3
Humungus no it doesn't Joined: Jun 2002 Location: circling just out of your campfire light Oddometer: 5,313	G'day red...whats the go putting a chair on a bike without a leading front end ? I had a small suzi with a box years ago & it used to shake its heads like all shit. I am considering a chair that i can remove in 20 mins or so but theres no way im going to fool with the front end. Does yours head shake ? Cheers Mark

03-02-2003, 12:26 AM	#4
motu Loose Pre Unit Joined: Dec 2001 Location: New Zealand Oddometer: 3,948	Headshake is part of riding sidecars,just set it up so that it happens at a speed you don't often ride at.Lots of different things can set it off,so you can spend years and lotsa money trying to fix it,or just ride it.It's nice to have a proper front end set up for a sidecar,but I've had big heavy child/adult chairs on bikes with 4 1/2 in trail,sure it's heavy,but not so bad my wife couldn't ride it.The Urals have teles,they just got the geometry sorted,amounst other things.One of my outfits had headshake with my hands off the bars,but just the touch of a finger stopped it.With modern technology a QD outfit would be a go,but you would be compromised on tyres,bars etc.

03-02-2003, 12:38 AM	#5
Humungus no it doesn't Joined: Jun 2002 Location: circling just out of your campfire light Oddometer: 5,313	Mot...whats QD ? I would only do it if i could keep my bike almost standard. I have heard of one here in 0z that is a 20 min bolt on / off job. Got my 2nd redundency coming up ...woooohooo !!!!!

03-02-2003, 01:20 AM	#6
motu Loose Pre Unit Joined: Dec 2001 Location: New Zealand Oddometer: 3,948	Quickly Detachable,some of the old BSAs and Triumphs had a rear wheel that would come out leaving the sprocket and brake drum in place - quickly detachable,we called them QD. If you used dirt tyres it wouldn't be so bad,but the outfit would square them off if used too much,but if you don't lean over in corners - no problem! Any pics or info on this local outfit?

03-02-2003, 02:23 AM	#9
motu Loose Pre Unit Joined: Dec 2001 Location: New Zealand Oddometer: 3,948	I like that chair on the Beemer,it has hand holds,ever since I was a teenager I wanted to build an outfit where the passenger could participate in the game - for the street.A bar at the front so they could stand up,others so they could move around.Never did it,most likely never will.But I like to see what others do.

03-02-2003, 06:37 AM	#11
RedMenace ^OP Adventure Sidecar Joined: Dec 2001 Location: GoodLiver,Oregon,USA Oddometer: 4,852	Jim that is a sharp looking rig. Doesn't look like you are in Kansas tho? __________________ the Red Menace "You are measured by how you ride by people who ride, and how you pose by people who pose." Alejo "Riders who get pissed off are doing it wrong." DAKEZ

03-02-2003, 06:54 AM	#13
RedMenace ^OP Adventure Sidecar Joined: Dec 2001 Location: GoodLiver,Oregon,USA Oddometer: 4,852	Hello all; Jim, I am afraid I won't be able to make it to Wisconsin for the sidecar rally. If you ever happen to be out this way, give me a shout. Mark, I suggest you try it without changing the forks. My rig rarely gets a headshake. It seeems to be tire related, usualy when the tires are worn and I am decelerating with engine braking. It is easily controlable by keeping a firm grip on the bars or changing speed or changing throttle and brake input. Not an issue with this rig. I had a Speed Triple with a sidecar and stock front end- it never exhibited headshake. My Dnepr had teloscopic forks and never had awobble. I have a friend who had an Ascot with stock front end that had such a bad death wobble he broke both switch cluster off against the gas tank! My /2 with links developed a wobble with abad rear bearing. My conclusion is steering geometry and other factors may be more likely culprits and the type of front end is not as important as proper setup. Both my Triumph rigs have very heavy steering and get tiring on day long rides. This could be cured by modifying the front end. I would agree with MP-tire wear( and optimal tire choice) makes detaching a sidecar for solo use an unhappy compromise. I have a friend with a Drifter sidecar rig who takes it off and rides solo from time to time with no problem, but I have found it better(for me) to just leave it hooked up. I have my Commando for solo rides. I used to ride it daily, but now I rarely touch it. The sidecar is too much fun and too easy. More than anything else, switching back to the Norton requires a major change in my riding habits and attitude. Attached Images __________________ the Red Menace "You are measured by how you ride by people who ride, and how you pose by people who pose." Alejo "Riders who get pissed off are doing it wrong." DAKEZ

03-17-2005, 08:12 PM	#14
RiverRat280 Studly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Wisconsinite lost in Eugene Orygun Oddometer: 751	A sidecar event in La Crosse WI, how many people go to it and what do ya do? We have some nice roads but not much for offroad here. Oh great now all the wierdo's will be invading our little town I live in La Crosse so I'll have to make it out to it and see some of the rigs but I already want a Ural so I don't want to see it otherwise I'll have to talk to the bank. Dnepr's are much cheaper but I suppose they're crap eh? Whats the date for this event in June and where in La Crosse?

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