Custom Scooter Sidecar

[40acredropout 2908]

I expect to get shit for this but will roll with the punches if I can get a good rec out of it.

I'm buying a 50cc scooter as a fun way to get around town and want to add a sidecar so my dog can join.  I'm leaning towards a Honda Ruckus for which I've really only found one shop that manufactures custom sidecars.  I hope this isn't as bad as the guy who got his jerseys tailored, but I honestly just hate the style and am wondering if I can find someone to build something custom that's a little more simple and is presumably more affordable.  

Yes custom is expensive, and I preferably want someone who works with motorcycles/scooters who will be able to put something together that rides reasonably well.  So might be looking for something that doesn't exist but giving it a shot.  Know anyone?

[Gil Bang 26125]

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Gil Bang

[RDCanecutter 26571]

How big is OP? How big is OP's dog?

[ChickenSandwich 9862]

[40acredropout 2908]

23 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

How big is OP? How big is OP's dog?

~ 180 and 90 lbs

[Bodhi 1127]

Cruising around on a scooter with your pooch riding shotgun sounds pretty awesome to me.  Would love to see the final result.  

[RDCanecutter 26571]

1 hour ago, 40acredropout said:

~ 180 and 90 lbs

I'm guessing at least 50 lbs more for a sidecar. Is it flat where you live? You'll probably be bopping around at 15-20 mph on an somewhat-overloaded 50cc, which sounds like what you want to do anyway.

I've heard good things about the Ruckus. Taiwanese scooters like Kymcos tend to be pretty high quality as well. Avoid Chicom bikes-- they are like piling up money and setting it on fire.

[Gil Bang 26125]

I think 50 isn't enough power at all.  Have you considered the Yamaha Zuma 125?

Edited June 6, 2021 by Gil Bang

[40acredropout 2908]

3 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I'm guessing at least 50 lbs more for a sidecar. Is it flat where you live? You'll probably be bopping around at 15-20 mph on an somewhat-overloaded 50cc, which sounds like what you want to do anyway.

I've heard good things about the Ruckus. Taiwanese scooters like Kymcos tend to be pretty high quality as well. Avoid Chicom bikes-- they are like piling up money and setting it on fire.

I don’t know how credible the info is but I have seen online where guidance was for the sidecar weight load should be ~1/3 of total weight so I think your math is close.

This would be central/west Austin so some hills but mostly flat.  I have zero desire to take this on to a street with a speed limit over 30.  

48 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

I think 50 isn't enough power at all.  Have you considered the Yamaha Zuma 125?

If the 50cc doesn’t have the horsepower, I’d be open to trading up.  And the Zumas actually are the other scooter I do actually like the look of.  I’m completely new to scooters here so this is the kind of feedback that’s helpful.  Thanks 

[Gil Bang 26125]

with that weight, a 50 won't have enough power to pull a soft dick out of a can of bacon grease. 

[40acredropout 2908]

8 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

with that weight, a 50 won't have enough power to pull a soft dick out of a can of bacon grease. 

Sounds like Petrino was on a 50.

I’d seen where the max weight on the 50cc ruckus was 300 lbs.  Obviously the weight load is entirely different when half of that is from sidecar but I assumed it would work in that case.   If it weren’t able to top 25mph with the sidecar setup, I’d be fine with that.  But maybe I should trade up if the performance is going to be that much better.

[RDCanecutter 26571]

26 minutes ago, 40acredropout said:

IIf the 50cc doesn’t have the horsepower, I’d be open to trading up.  And the Zumas actually are the other scooter I do actually like the look of.  I’m completely new to scooters here so this is the kind of feedback that’s helpful.  Thanks 

A 50cc is fun but very limited. My wife and I both bought scooters about 12 years ago and rode them into the ground. Hers was a Genuine Buddy 125 (?) and mine was a Kymco People 250. I would ride hers to drop it off at the shop, and I looked like a circus bear on it but it would get up really steep hills fine, and could do about 60 on the flat. The 250, I rode it to 7 different states, one of them was Tamaulipas. A good 250 can hang on the Interstate if you need it to. I put 40,000+ miles on it, I guess-- it was my daily driver but I didn't fix the odometer after the second time it went out.

Finally just rode the living guts out of it. Even a good scooter isn't meant to last that many miles.

The main thing with any scooter or motorcycle, is you have to sit on it, and see if you like how it matches your body. It's like getting a pair of shoes that way.

TLDR: For bopping around Austin a 125 ought to do fine, especially if you always assume drivers are trying to murder you.

Edited June 6, 2021 by RDCanecutter

[RDCanecutter 26571]

[derp, tried to link a Texas Motorcycle Safety Course but dunno what happened.]

I plead for every new rider to take a hands-on safety course where you actually practice on a loaner bike with an instructor. My course saved me from a wreck the next day. Can't figure out how Texas runs theirs...

Edited June 6, 2021 by RDCanecutter

[Gil Bang 26125]

1 hour ago, RDCanecutter said:

[derp, tried to link a Texas Motorcycle Safety Course but dunno what happened.]

I plead for every new rider to take a hands-on safety course where you actually practice on a loaner bike with an instructor. My course saved me from a wreck the next day. Can't figure out how Texas runs theirs...

Oh indeed.  They are terrific, even for experienced riders. 

[Liteitup 143]

No affiliation.

50cc is going to be painfully underpowered for a hack.

 

https://advrider.com/f/threads/2019-honda-monkey-125-w-abs-and-sidecar-rig.1505536/#post-42473692

[40acredropout 2908]

For once, Surly was right.   Appreciate all the good feedback. 
 

Felt like a little bitch doing it but walked into a motorcycle custom fab shop to bounce it off of them (hey uhhh could you build a sidecar for my bitchass scooter for my dog?) and they were also adamant I didn’t want to do it with a 50cc.  
 

I’m looking through other options now.  I’ll keep you guys posted.

[RPM 26435]

I think a 125 or 250 will do what you want, but would go with the 250. It always nice to have power in reserve when you need it vs being a sitting duck. Plus you will work the smaller engine to death just trying to keep up.

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4980]

You want the extra power to get away from idiot drivers.

[RDCanecutter 26571]

6 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

You want the extra power to get away from some idiot drivers.

The rest will still find you.