Is it possible to mount 2 sidecars on a Motorcycle, one on the left and one on the right?

Question

Is it possible to mount 2 sidecars on a Motorcycle, one on the left and one on the right? Has it been done before? Do people do it? And will the result be road legal? I'm thinking of trying this out as DIY project, with the goal of trying to carry 5 people on a motorcycle license if two people sat in each sidecar, and on person sits behind the rider. Think of the fuel economy, and the relative inexpensiveness of my creation. I researched this a bit online earlier and found nothing. Hope I will have more luck here. Thoughts and opinions are welcome.

Answer 1

Two sidecars make it a FOUR WHEELER, which then makes it a "car". Two or Three wheels are still a motorcycle, four makes it a car, and then windshield seatbelts and bumpers are then requires.

Want good fuel economy? get a DIESEL, they get twice what gas cars get and the engines last a lot lot longer, and no stupid batteries to deal with like on a Hybrid

http://reviews.ebay.com/1980s-Mercedes-Diesels-647-500-Miles-amp-Going-amp-Going_W0QQugidZ10000000003602287?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:3

Answer 2

It has been done before, at least once. I have seen a photo of the combination. Though I admit that I am unable to find it at the moment. The person to ask is Chris Dobson, editor of Hack'd magazine.

But I think that your premise is wrong. I am a sidecarist. Mounting 2 sidecar bodies is twice the weight. And sidecars are not known for great fuel economy, especially in modern times. The primary motivation for sidecarring was motorcyclists that loved motorcycling and wanted to take the entire family along without leaving the motorcycle at home. But it was ALWAYS a compromise.

If you want fuel economy AND comfort for 4, buy a Toyota Prius. A sidecar will never = a Prius for both fuel economy and comfort for 4. But then - fuel economy and comfort was never a primary reason for sidecarring.

Answer 3

Anything is possible.
I highly doubt the legality of the resulting creation.
Sidecar mounting is normally (perhaps even legally) dictated by which side of the road you drive on.

Carrying 5 is not a problem, I've seen pics of a large sidecar that looked like (and was in fact) a small school bus.

Lots of good stuff above.
4 wheels = a car. I agree.

Answer 4

I did see a 2 person sidecar, he was riding 2 up and 2 in the hack, so 4 on a bike, while only requiring a single sidecar.

Answer 5

Sure, it's possible with existing hardware, there are Left and right side buckets and sub frames manufactured today.
The 2 major problems you would face would be (1) the width,you would end up with a 10' wide rig. (2)Weight to H.P. ratio, you would be surprised at how much drag a sidecar puts on the bike.
I believe to push a dual rig you would have to use something like a Valkyrie motor, and there goes any fuel economy.

Answer 6

You been watching Metalopolis?

It can be done, anything can, but I would think fuel economy would not be an advantage on a rig like that, because a sidecar reduces fuel economy quite a bit. You need some power to pull that much weight, so you need a bigger bike, also meaning lower fuel economy.

Hey, you ought to do it though, it does sound like a fun project!

Answer 7

I'm not an engineer, but I have this picture in my head with two sidecars and kinda looks like a trike. I think it's very possible. If we can put flags on the moon, you can build it! :]

Answer 8

It sounds like a cool unique vehicle. The only problem is that you will use up a lot of funds building it. Even if you do the work yourself. Buy yourself a clean used Honda Civic and them laugh at everyone driving SUVs and full sized pickups.

Answer 9

My guess is that this bike would tend to drift in corners. It seems as though some sophisticated suspension would be in order. what another guy said about drag my be a serious issue too.

Answer 10

I believe that would be illegal... and with that much weight on that small of an engine you wouldn't get the greatest fuel efficiency...