Some club outfits

Paul P.

Paul P.

H-DRCGB Archivist
As this area tends to be fairly quiet and as I was scanning some pix for friends, I thought I'd share some old shots of club sidecars. First is Jeff Scrivens 78FXE and Squire, Jeff is trying out a method of getting better mileage from the sidecar tyre. Second is Ken Lee's 80FLT and (Monza?), towing another chair - albeit a beertent stacking chair! - and a variation of the usual sidecar badge.
Outside PP Molesey.jpgShipley 1982.jpg
 
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Re: Some club outfits

Two more traditional classic outfits, first "Woodies" long admired 36VH 1300cc flathead and box, at one stage it sported a full size sprung surfboard. Second is Geoff Bowerings Forty-five and I have no clue (home made?) what sidecar. Months later I have Geoff here with me and he says it is a Watsonian "Drustonian"? with cable brake, he regrets selling it!Woodies 36VH.jpgGeoffs outfit.jpg
 
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scan0015.jpgscan0003.jpgAnother pic of Ken's FLT and Monza, on the way to the 1983 Pioneer Run with Tracy on pillion - she rides her own Harleys now. Also a shot I shared elsewhere but suitable for here, a 75th Anniversary Electra at the 1979 Super Rally Brighton - I think the chair is something like Heddingham..??
 
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Never seen the point of sidecar outfits - you have the restriction in traffic of a car coupled with the handling of a supermarket trolley! Just my opinion - should spark an interesting debate on a wet and windy winters evening! LOL
 
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Nice pics - i love the look of an outfit. Many years ago i bought a chair on ebay and fitted it to my R80 streetfighter. Prior to that I had had a day riding Ural outfits at a place in leicester (MCP or something? who used to run taster days) and thought i would have a bash. 500 miles later it was off and the carcass still sits in my mates yard. As far as getting stuck in traffic i also had a fiat X19 trike and could still get thru, so dont agree with the traffic comment (loud pipes open up the lanes). The handling on the R80 was fun - taking the chair up as you rode sure turned a few heads :) . I have considered having another one, in spite of my negative comments, so i can haul the staffie around as she loves travelling (she also loves children, but couldnt eat a whole one). :)
 
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SIDECAR.jpgThe Jenkins Family, Me, Sian (on the back of the Bike), Lottie and Geraint in the sidecar on our Adventure to Europe with the Wrecking crew, Sept 2001.
Happy Days! Only recently took the chair off, to get the Softail back on the road...
 
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Hi Paul, the single seat squire in the first photo, just a thought, when I was getting into the sidecar thing, a member, from Exeter way, possibly the rep? At one stage kindly let me test ride his Buell at the Lakes Rally... who's name at this moment escapes me, offered me a very similar chair as my first outfit.
He got it to Noddy's house,(Bristol Area?), I went down and picked it up from our Chairman's house. Very little chance this could be the same Sidecar, but again, fond memories
Paul P. said:
As this area tends to be fairly quiet and as I was scanning some pix for friends, I thought I'd share some old shots of club sidecars. First is Jeff Scrivens 78FXE and Squire, Jeff is trying out a method of getting better mileage from the sidecar tyre. Second is Ken Lee's 80FLT and (Monza?), towing another chair - albeit a beertent stacking chair! - and a variation of the usual sidecar badge.
View attachment 29764View attachment 29765
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HDCGB badge on the screen in the middle.
My mate Gary Jepson with his Mum, sister and Dad who was a club member back in the early days circa 1958 on their way to Devon for the family holiday.
NOTE his Dad's Converse All Star type boots. Kids today think they are the latest thing, well we had them back in the 50's :D

Gary 1.jpgGary 1.jpg
 
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Rick said:
Never seen the point of sidecar outfits - you have the restriction in traffic of a car coupled with the handling of a supermarket trolley! Just my opinion - should spark an interesting debate on a wet and windy winters evening! LOL
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Lots of reason in my opinion Rick, I had a 650cc outfit when I was 16 before I passed my test in those days there was no restriction to cc of an engine that you could take out with a sidecar on your 16th birthday. :D
Plus not H-D's but these outfits carried the family around as it was cheaper than a car as in my post above. Plus there was hardly any traffic around post war so it didn't really make any difference to riding a solo.
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Andy - I think Jeff sold the Squire to someone (possibly an airbase yank?) in Cambridgeshire, he rode it up there, helped fit it (to a Lowrider I think?) and the new owner promptly rode it into a hedge. It should be easy to recognise as Jeff made those black stripes and HD logo you can just see under the windscreen edge.

Dave, that combination works really well, looks a great match especially in post 9.

Baza, if you wanted to e-mail a copy of that picture to me I hope to see Fred Warr soon so could find out if he remembers Mr Jepson..?
 
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BaZa said:
Lots of reason in my opinion Rick, I had a 650cc outfit when I was 16 before I passed my test in those days there was no restriction to cc of an engine that you could take out with a sidecar on your 16th birthday. :D
Plus not H-D's but these outfits carried the family around as it was cheaper than a car as in my post above. Plus there was hardly any traffic around post war so it didn't really make any difference to riding a solo.
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Hi Baza, you make a number of valid points, the combo was popular in an era now long gone - but not forgotten. But in this modern age the majority of bikers view them less fondly - my comments were a little bit tongue in cheek to start a debate that subsequently never took off! LOL.
 
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Here is another old club outfit, yet another Ken Lee machine - as you must have guessed he likes his sidecars! This was a 1947 EL61 Knuckle, I think the chair is a Watsonian but could be wrong. This is in the petrol station next to Fred Warr's old shop in Kings Road (611) ready to go on the traditional Falls Run to York in November 1977, the '75FLH belonged to Kevin Meades who emigrated to Oz by invitation after he successfully matched a bone marrow donation to save a small girl. I was in Ken's sidecar, only us two turned up (the event soon died off after this) and around Biggleswade Ken had valve trouble (a repeat of problems he had at Perrys that year, repaired with tractor parts!) and we limped home on one cylinder. Ken much later sold the Knuck for ?2,000 to buy the (ex-demonstrator) FLT you've seen previously - he hates to be reminded of this....so I have sent him a copy of course!!scan0038.jpg
 
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0DB5E9B9-B9FC-4E96-9497-15A34832CD31.jpg Photo I took at the international at ( littlecote ) 2002. Not my thing but a brace of modern outfits
 
Re: Some club outfits

Rick said:
Never seen the point of sidecar outfits - you have the restriction in traffic of a car coupled with the handling of a supermarket trolley! Just my opinion - should spark an interesting debate on a wet and windy winters evening! LOL
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As L.J.K.Setright once said; sidecarring is the art of doing the impossible with the unrideable. Like him, I enjoy seeing a well piloted and passengered sports outfit out on the road (Vincent Black shadow and Steib 501 must be the ultimate pairing) but having tried it a couple of times, it's not for me.
 
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a good man on a outfit takes some keeping up with ,,,, i remember back when we went to the elephant Dick on the outfit would spin the back wheel to clear the tread of ice ,,



john
 
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Ken Lee and his FLT outfit was once "put at the front of a ride out" so he didn't get left behind - ha!..we had to try to keep up!
 
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