Question and Comment - FrankenHack for Sale

[Benkomf]

Hey all!

I've been having some fun looking for hacks online. Found this Frankenstein BMW for sale - maybe someone on here owns it or has the story? Seems like a lot of labor went into it. Questions I would have:
- how does one customize that rear wheel with a direct drive train? Or any of those wheels? They look crazy; would love to see forum posts about it if they exist. Looks to me like a bunch of spare wheels from an automobile. I wonder how hard it is to change tires on the fly with those? I don't recognize the hack wheel attachment bolt heads.
- does the hack have a brake or 2wd if it's a Ural tub? Probably not 2wd but maybe a brake. I'd assume no reverse- would hate to park this thing facing downhill.
- looks like a hydraulic steering damper... think it's adjustable?
- Would this thing be as capable or as reliable as a Ural? I doubt it's capability, and question its reliability considering the number of atypical upgrades.
- Reverse?

Would love to hear other observations if anyone likes or dislikes what they see. I know a car tire in the pusher position is valuable, but this is ridiculous!

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mcy/d/ ... 84547.html

[jaybird]

Welcome to the forum.

I’m having a hard time understanding what looks “Unreliable”about that rig. The only concern I might have with this rig is what main motorcycle frame they used in the build and if it was reinforced or if they used a subframe. Otherwise, it looks value priced for the work that would go into building a rig like that. But I’m looking at little pictures on a phone, a look in person “might” change my mind.
Good luck.

Happy trails,
Jaybird

[chaos2]

Custom rigs can be a huge unknown. Does the builder have any references? Personally his taste in wheels makes me wonder about his sanity.

[Bar None]

i like the easy swap wheels plus the car tires that should last forever. I would worry about the 80k miles. I wish it was close to me because I would love to look at it up close. Looks great from 2700 miles away.
I can't imagine how much money it took to build that.
No reverse which is a negative to me but not the end of the world.

[stagewex]

Impressive.
The sidecar fender guard... nice fabrication and simple design. 80,000 miles on an r100 is nothing.
I wonder if the builder made any gearing change? Or really with that engine does it really matter once ya get going.

[Benkomf]

I've looked into R100's and they seem stable, even with 80k miles. No big deal. But the history on this thing has to be pretty colorful. Agreed that custom rigs can go either way and it's a good call to question references or other builds. Wish he had posted them! I just noticed the 'bmw internet riders' sticker on the inside of the hack door. I'll have to look into that.

There does happen to be another BMW airhead for sale in Aptos- same area as SF. A little more classic looking.

Every hack in SF has been there for a few weeks. Seems they aren't selling too fast, except for a couple of Ural posts that have come and gone. I can't tell if this blue behemoth is a gem or a lemon, thus my interest in getting the good opinions of the SS folks.

[ReCycled]

That is really an impressive rig. The quality of the custom work appears to be top shelf. I don't know much about air heads other than reputation but that looks to be an oversized fuel tank, which I'd consider quite desirable.

I've never seen a single side LL front end before but the tubing seems to be sized for it. The only reason I can think of for that is a desire to use bolt on wheels all around as a design feature. The solid wheels are another design point which I didn't care for at first glance but they are growing on me. They certainly make a statement and probably easier to clean than most other options.

I like both the rig and price.

[Benkomf]

Great question about the references and design of the sidecar attachment/subframe. Hacking airheads is normal, as far as I know, but the pictures are very limiting and getting further detail there would be important as well as a general understanding of the owners aptitude for this type of work.

I'm going to consolidate some thoughts and give the seller a call. Will report back if the exchange is positive.

[Snakeoil]

On a whole, the rig looks to be very well thought out and built, personal tastes aside. Jay's point about the frame and subframe is crucial. The airheads made after the /2 models are NOT made for sidecar use. The frame tubes are oval and not thick enough to support point loading of sidecar links. A subframe is required to spread the load out over a larger portion of the frame. DMC in CA make subframes that have an excellent reputation.

Single sided swingarms front and rear is a nice feature. Wheels look like there formerly bogie wheels off a tank. Pretty sure that the tank is the tank off the last iteration of the airhead big twin. I always thought it was ugly. Not good ugly like a Hoske, but bad ugly like... well, like that tank.

The color is just awful. But that is easily changed. The real concern for me would be the BMW electrics/electronics. Maybe some hard core BMW-philes have figured out what is in the mystery boxes on the electrical diagram. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why a BMW was not charging for a customer of a friend of mine. I talked to my buddy, a lifetime BMW tech and former Serv Mgr for BMW of SF and he could not tell me. We replaced almost everything in the system and it still would not work. We never did figure it out. He called the customer to come and get it. Fortunately, he never brought it back in the spring. So, I'd want to know about the electrics in the bike. Everything could be perfect and the electrics could kill it. The instrument cluster has a printed circuit board in it. As far as I know, they are no available from BMW and nobody makes a replacement. Same issue exists with early Hinkley Triumphs. The ECU is no longer availble from Triumph and nobody, as far as I know, makes a replacement. If the ECU dies, the bike is useless.

[jeffsaline]

Check out katdash (https://katdash.com/)for replacement airhead instrument cluster light boards. They work well.

Airhead charging systems and ignition systems are straight forward and pretty easy to troubleshoot.

Best,

Jeff

[Radlad]

Looks continental European to me. Something like LEP-Stepler or EML would produce. We see a few of that type over here in the UK but they are Very Very expensive.wheels are CNC one offs to suit the machine.
Handling is superb because of the low C of G , steering is set up for the wide flat tyres and they make the outfit stick to the road like something sticks to a blanket. This is the epoch of road going sidecar engineering
A beautiful piece of machinery and I'll bet it's a joy to ride

[Benkomf]

Hey all-

Soooo this got purchased by myself. Had a friend with some know how grab it for me. I flew in, verified that it was working, rebuilt the carbs with Greg at Airhead Adventures, and proceeded to drive it to Denver with a friend over the course of six days or so. Just got back home to Philly (bike is stored in Colorado).

The plan is to fly back out to Colorado in September and finish the trip driving it to Philly, camping along the way. Will probably take two weeks, with two 'work from the internet' days each week.

So now that I'm certified airhead with a Ural side car... well do I get to post here in the forum or do I move my butt over to airheads?? I'd love to hang here with the fellow hacks. I enjoyed the sidecar experience- very unique. Was also uniquely slow.... Any of ya'll in Colorado in September and feel like wrenching? Any of ya'll between Colorado and Philadelphia (Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennesee, North Carolina, West/Virgina, Pennsylvania) and want to meet up?

Might be time to start a new post somewhere... dm for deets if you want to chat!!

[jaybird]

Congratulations, that looks like a really fine rig and sounds like a fun ride and great adventure
I’m not in the areas that you list but I am in the Philly area on the main highway going onto Long Beach Island, at the Jersey Shore.
If you’re ever over this way and want to get together for some riding and socializing, including a free tour of my motorcycle and sidecar junkyard message me for my cell number

Happy trails,
Jaybird

[stagewex]

So cool. As long as you knew & understand what you got into from the beginning it appears (or appeared when the ad was still live) to be a basic BMW to maintain. All the rest of the custom fabrication that if and when fails or needs upkeep, you should be able to take care of yourself.

The sidecar attachment is just a generic addition made to many motorcycles. Be careful and have patience enjoying the ride, learn and know the advantages as well as disadvantages of three (3) wheels.
And now that the ad has gone away... you need to post some more pictures here please. CONGRATS!

[Benkomf]

Jaybird- Will send a communique shortly.

See below for a few pics; will get others and start a new thread more tour focused later.