Bandit Alley

GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: Red01 on December 13, 2005, 11:24:27 PM

Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Red01 on December 13, 2005, 11:24:27 PM
Spotted these over at ST.N, posted by Bandit Bill - who owns the black one.

(http://home.cogeco.ca/~j.strong/2bandits-sm.jpg)

The red one is a turn-key unit available from Hannigan Motorsports. (http://www.hannigansidecar.com/content/bandito.html) The black one is a homebrewed setup based on a 1G B12 (with a 2G fairing) with a '88 Hannigan Astro car.

(http://home.cogeco.ca/~eestrong/images/15052005.gif)

Can't remember if Bill has posted here before, but I know I've seen him post over at Max-Suz.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: KX5000 on December 13, 2005, 11:59:32 PM
WHY?WHY?WHY? :shock:  :shock:
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: chevsuz12 on December 14, 2005, 12:28:42 AM
HeHeHe :lol:

I saw these at the Chicago Motorcycle Show last year, I thought they were kinda cool!
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Red01 on December 14, 2005, 01:01:14 AM
Quote from: "KX5000"
WHY?WHY?WHY? :shock:  :shock:


I don't really have the desire to ride one, but I do like to look at them and I thought these were two nice examples of Bandit conversions.
(I'd rather look at sporting hacks than 2-wheel cruisers or choppers.)

Some folks just ride them because they're different. Some like them so they can bring more people/stuff along. Some like them for riding in the snow (especially if they're 2WD models). Some can't ride a 2-wheeler because of a handicap.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: rider123 on December 14, 2005, 05:15:43 AM
I'd rather stick a bandit engine on a plywood go-cart and hold it wide open and see what happens!!!


Pretty cool though.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Desolation Angel on December 14, 2005, 09:58:53 AM
I think the red one looks really good.  The sidecar has a slick, aerodynamic look that works with the Bandit.

That said, I don't really get the allure of sidecars.  Never have.  Like, buy a car! :grin:
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Landry on December 14, 2005, 10:03:41 AM
Doesn't the red one belong to the dude at Max-'Zuki whose wife can't walk or something like that?  Can't remember his name . . .

Not my cup of tea, but I think they're pretty neat.  :grin:
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Big Bo on December 14, 2005, 10:53:31 AM
Quote from: "Landry"
Doesn't the red one belong to the dude at Max-'Zuki whose wife can't walk or something like that?  Can't remember his name . . .



This is true. Gota give him the thumbs up.  :winner:
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Red01 on December 14, 2005, 08:05:41 PM
The red one belongs to Hannigan Motorsports. The black one belongs to a guy from Max-Suz - don't know about his wife though. Could very well be him.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: 12sdrag on December 14, 2005, 09:44:43 PM
When we were in daytona, I saw a sidecar set up for the bandit. At 14,000.00$  for the whole kit . Neat, but way to much.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: solman on December 14, 2005, 09:58:36 PM
Did anybody notice anything weird about the red one.  I am referring to the front suspension setup.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Red01 on December 14, 2005, 10:22:10 PM
It has center hub steering. Here's what the front end looks like from the other side:

(http://www.hannigansidecar.com/graphics/xphotos/banditobig.jpg)
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: daniel1 on December 21, 2005, 04:12:37 PM
I met Bill (black rig) at the Parry Sound rally last summer, heck of nice fella and cool looking hack.  Thinking about doing the same thing  with one of my Guzzi's but with a ww2 era looking hack.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: billybandit on December 21, 2005, 05:31:14 PM
Someone I know from another forum has a T595 sidecar outfit, I'll see if I can find the photo brb
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: b4cruz on December 22, 2005, 01:05:10 PM
this is the crazy fun you can have with f1 rigs & a monkey
(http://moike.net/sra-test-day/images/rig-ride%20042.jpg)

its fun transportation
spinouts and tire smoke are super easy and fun
tilting the sidecar in control is crazy fun too
you can get your whole family into bikes at an early age

the guy I bought my sidecar from used to drop his kids off
at thier elementary school in his sidecar. They were the
coolest kids on the campus.

lots more reasons too
its easy to hate it first ride because its so completely different from
a motorcycle.  you really have to go into it from a different perspective.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Bandit_Bill on March 06, 2006, 11:56:08 AM
Quote from: "Landry"
Doesn't the red one belong to the dude at Max-'Zuki whose wife can't walk or something like that?  Can't remember his name . . .

Not my cup of tea, but I think they're pretty neat.  :grin:


I know, old post and all that..

You are thinking of Tim Killmeyer..  his wife is a quadraplegic, same level of spinal cord damage/paralysis that Chris Reeves had.  He does have a Bandit 1200, but it's his solo machine.  Tim has a trick, Red BMW 1200RS / Armec sidecar rig that allows him and his wife to share riding time together.  Truly remarkable considering the level of disability/fragility of his wife with her paralysis.

Anyway, yes, the black rig is mine, it's a 3 year project/focus of my obsessive-compulsive disorder... just about done now, with the sidecar suspension being cut out and replaced with a beefier/sportier setup than the original Hannigan bits.  And no, I don't have a wife/GF/significant other/SWMBO for the sidecar ...  i enjoy the nature of rigs, without need to have a passenger.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Bandit_Bill on March 06, 2006, 12:11:29 PM
Quote from: "Red01"
The red one belongs to Hannigan Motorsports. The black one belongs to a guy from Max-Suz - don't know about his wife though. Could very well be him.


The red one is the 2nd in a series of 9, that Hannigan built, using a serial-production line setup.  The owner had just taken delivery the week before the rally that the picture was taken at.  

The last rig, in Hannigan's possession, his 'demonstrator', was just sold.  Hannigan is now working on other performance sidecar/trike setups using BMW's as a basis, including that very trick center hub front end.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: amboman on March 06, 2006, 12:32:21 PM
A Bandit is a Bandit in my book.  I like the concept and it would be great to take my 3 year old in for a run.  Are they safe???
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Bandit_Bill on March 06, 2006, 12:45:51 PM
Quote from: "amboman"
A Bandit is a Bandit in my book.  I like the concept and it would be great to take my 3 year old in for a run.  Are they safe???


Only as safe as they are constructed, aligned and bolted together..  there are rigs out there that are unsafe (too many factors to get into in a brief post as to what makes an unsafe rig) but following the parameters and geometry and proper setup, as well as following the motto of "when in doubt, build it stout" in construction, they are as safe or safer than any solo bike out there.

Note: sidecar rigs do have their own unique handling traits and characteristics that need to be acclimatized to... you can and will kill yourself in short order, if you hop on a rig thinking it'll handle similar to a car, or what a solo, single track motorcycle does.  A period of acclimatization is necessary, preferably starting in an empty parking lot, before you venture out on the roads for the first time.

Lots of info to browse through on the http://www.sidecar.com forums for people interested in entering this niche of the sport.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: silvershadow on March 06, 2006, 03:30:16 PM
Handling is very different with a sidecar.  My dad has one on his Goldwing with power lean and tilt and the thing is a beast compared to the bike.  Sharp turns and corners are so different than on 2 wheels that you almost have to forget about what it is like on 2 wheels and learn the way of the sidecar.   I am not a personal fan of the thing but, dad loves his sidecar and it keeps him in the motorcycle game even with MS.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: B6mick on March 07, 2006, 08:58:24 PM
Them there are way cool, but I reckon the flexi is the only way to go.
All mounting points to the bike and side car, pivot, yes pivot.
So when the bike leans over for a bend so to does the chair.
I seen one up in our local twisties a few years back, and I must say he was making damn good time though some of the tighter stuff, unlike most conventional sidecar setups.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: jlmoulto on March 08, 2006, 02:53:02 PM
So why the change to what appears to be car tires and a different front end?  Is this for handling or specific to this sidecar?  Most other rigs simply have utilized stock compoonents.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Red01 on March 08, 2006, 03:34:50 PM
The use of car tires on non-leaning hacks and trikes is because the machine can utilize the improved contact patch and stability improvements provided by the square profile of car tires. The heavier front ends are to compensate for the increased stresses of steering the machine by turning the front end instead of leaning and countersteering.

You can run a hack with stock stuff, it just works better with the beefier stuff. If you're gonna convert back and forth between a 2 & 3 wheeler, then you'd wanna keep m/c tires.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: jlmoulto on March 08, 2006, 04:11:39 PM
OK that explains a lot!

I actually am thinking of a hack but not fo the bandit...maybe for my old GS850.
Title: Bandit hacks
Post by: Bandit_Bill on March 08, 2006, 05:37:52 PM
As Paul stated, running car tires, enables a sidecar rig to corner faster and resist loss of traction in bumpier corners, whether braking or accelerating.  The rigs you do see with these setups - they are now dedicated, full time rigs - if the sidecar came off, trying to ride solo with automotive tires would be funny, if foolish :)

There are a number of different designs of front ends used on rigs.. the tried and true BMW Earles Fork design, the similar leading link design, and the newer. quite radical center-hub steering front ends.  The front ends themselves are changed for the purpose of altering the front end steering geometry.. most, street-bike based, unmodified front end rigs handle like a decrepid Mack dump truck with shot power steering, and soft tires.  On these rigs, the front end trail characteristics are changed from an average of 5" of trail, to often less than 1", sometimes neutral trail measurements.  It makes for a very sensitive, responsive, "think about it, and you've already made the turn" ride.  

The red rig uses a center-hub front end, which is much superior to my leading link front end in camber/castor issues of an automotive tire going on edge as a leading link front end is turned - a correctly designed center-hub front end has absolutely neutral camber/castor characteristics, which makes it the most precise, sensitive front end type of the two...  I had the knowledge and ability to design and build a leading link front end for my bike.. a center-hub front end is way over my head in the design department..