Tom Kroos' Guzzi w/Sidecar

The bike is a pretty standard Cali III (1990) carb-version. When we bought it, we thought about previous MG electrics and electronics and thought it wiser to get the carb version, rather that the injection model. The only modifications on the bike itself are an oil-temperature meter and SS brake linings. (Made-to-measure by Goodrich in the UK, much cheaper than in Holland).

The hack is a Dutch-made Flexit. The trick is that it 'hinges' on the side of the bike. So when you take a turn the hack leans over together (hopefully...) with the bike. There are two ball-joints accomplishing this and the mechanism consists of two cams and two duplex chains which form a sort of flexible parallelogram. If the tension of the chains is properly set-up you only feel a slight resistance when turning the bike. Of course the bike still takes an automatic RH-turn when accelerating fast- as all hacks do.

The faster you ride the better it goes. It also rides easier when the sidecar is empty which is different from 'fixed' sidecars. The wheel-suspension of the sidecar (the wheel is in the middle and not on the side) consists of two air-oil sprung struts and the suspension-height can be adjusted with an on-board compressor. The sidecar is braked by a small Brembo discbrake, which is actuated by the footpedal together with the left-front and rear discs. Braking hard is slightly unstable, but practise makes perfect...

To facilitace communications while riding, we installed a Baehr intercom/radio systems, which works very well. We still go camping with it and the whole lot of camping-gear plus passenger are loaded aboard without problems or undue stresses. The bike itself is not modified (much) to take the sidecar, except for the mounting-points, the R/H rollbar, the R/H case and smaller handlebars. If need be the sidecar can be taken off the bike in about 15 minutes.

Tom Kroos