Vintage motorcycle sidecar camper - photos

**bruce.desertrat** · Sep 9, 2019, 05:00 PM

Is that a VW engine on the bike as well?

**Frank S** · Sep 9, 2019, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by bruce.desertrat

Is that a VW engine on the bike as well?

Looks like it too wide to be a BMW and the valve covers are wrong for a BMW or Motoguzzi

**somyunguy** · Sep 10, 2019, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by bruce.desertrat

Is that a VW engine on the bike as well?

Yes , nothing new, back in the late 60's early 70's I remember a fellow mated a 1600 Vw beetle motor to a BMW boxer gearbox, had to extend the frame a tad but squeezed it in. Ran well as I recall.
We were in awe, that is until the advent of the Honda 750 K0.
Vw clutches and Bmw are so similar in design it's almost a no brainer.
Back then I was riding a BSA 650 Lightning.
Funny that , I now have a Buell XB9 Lightning!

**bruce.desertrat** · Sep 9, 2019, 10:25 PM

Oh it's absolutely not a Guzzi. I've got a '72 Ambassador in the garage. (sadly mostly in pieces now. Someday I'll get her back together...)

**baja** · Sep 10, 2019, 08:48 AM

Definitely looks like a VW dual-port intake manifold and cylinder head.

**Toolmaker51** · Sep 10, 2019, 09:10 PM

Wrong carbureation for a stock Beemer. Has what looks like a turbo, kinda iffy for an aircooled motor. Commercial fork tubes and lowers in a custom triple tree, talk about w-i-d-e glide! Hope he'd gotten rake and trail engineering from someone like Tony Foale. Without bothering to find side view, motor is awful high in a two wheeled frame. The common goal; to position crankshaft centerline below plane of axles. A big deal for a longitudinal crank, in right and left turns. Torque lays you down one way and lifts you up in the other, especially shaft driven rear wheels. And that square front tire?

It'll make real turns real fun all on it's own, neutralized somewhat by side car.

**somyunguy** · Sep 11, 2019, 12:21 AM

Twin port Vw motor , no turbo, Honda 43 mm forks probably from a 750 F1 , Turn signals and switch gear from the same machine Speedo also Honda , 500/4 most likely. Turbo's are fitted to air cooled motors very commonly , Subaru , and Vw performance builds. Aside from the wide tyres this would be no different to ride than a Guzzi or 1000RS Beemer , steering head angle notwithstanding.