Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

I'm considering getting a sidecar for my 1965 r60/2
I'm not enamored of the Steib S500 bullet style, or LS200 canoe style.
I'd like the Steib TR500, or a Ural sidecar style.
I know that finding an original vintage Steib is next to impossible.

I've narrowed down the choices to:
1. ebay Steib sidecar TR500, replica from Germany
$5900 plus $600 shipping = $6500
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Steib-side ... SwK~VbM4L1
OR
2. ebay Ural, used from Ukraine
$777 plus $1290 shipping = $2067
https://www.ebay.com/itm/URAL-SIDECAR-C ... 4782159966

Anyone have either sidecar and have thoughts or recommendations?
Anyone purchased the Steib replica listed?
Anyone who thinks the Ural is just as good, and almost $4500 cheaper?
Anyone who thinks I should just stick to two wheels and save thousands of dollars?

thanks in advance

The replica Steib is just like the original ones minus the dents and rust. But it is expensive just like a original one. I have a replica LS200 on a 66 R60. My friend has a original one on his R60. His is in good condition but I would not trade him. The LS is lighter than the 500 and easier to pull with only 30 HP. The Ural is also heavy but much cheaper and I think that you could fine one in the US. I have seen them around the north east US. Also some Velorex sidecars show up at a decent price. And there are some other changes that you will probably need to make to the motorcycle.

Save yourself the hassle and just ride the R60/2 unencumbered. My $.02

I am not a sidecar man however some people are.

My step son has one and we recently worked on changing it from a K100 to a K1100. His passion was very infectious.

That said a K100 has a few more ponies than an R60 and that might limit the viability of your aspirations.
Then if you have a dog and just want to pop down to pick up the paper and a coffee on a Sunday morning and take pooch for the ride I am sure the R60 would be a bundle of joy.

Not sure if that is 2c's worth maybe a dime.

Cheers


Mal

Jets ride
1955R50/Velorex 560
Tommy

I’m with Slash2. I’ve never owned a hack but have ridden a buddy’s a few times. I think once the novelty wears off, you’ll wish you were back on two wheels.

I am new to sidecars myself but I did find a 1955 S500 and bought it to restore. Once the paint and old filler was off the tub and fender old bad repairs were revealed and a lot of metal work needed. This is not my skill set and it was cheaper to buy a replacement tub and fender from Germany than pay the hourly rate on the metal restoration. The new parts themselves needed work. They were sprayed with crappy spray can primer and had already started rusting, the trunk lid needed to be reworked to fit and the fender needed repair work as well. The saving grace was that both pieces are straight and made from new steel. The point of interest to you is that we don't know what is under the paint of the new complete Steib sidecars. Maybe someone else here can speak to that.

Bill Husted

Bellson-
I've enjoyed piloting /2 BMWs both solo and s/c for around 50 years.
You did not say if you've driven a rig; in my experience people either love it or hate it, with not too many being ambivalent.
So first recommendation: If you've not driven one, go find someone willing to both teach you how to drive, and then let you drive their rig. (a /2 rig)
That will save you a lot of time, money and heartache vs acquiring a chair and all the necessary accoutrements (not insignificant) to properly assemble a rig, only to find out it just isn't your cup of tea.

My introduction to driving a s/c was in the early '70s, when my older brother and I were already riding /2s, and a Ural outfit became available here in CT, my brother snapped it up and we had fun with that for several years till he sold it off to help finance buying the new R90S. (which he still rides)
Not having had enough of three wheels, I picked up an Indian repop of the LS200 for my R69, which, after lifting the wheel too often in right turns, I sold it off when a Spezial (TR500) became available. (in the picture to the right, still in use 40 some years later)
My own preference is for a heavier sidecar; both the TR500 and the Ural are almost twice the weight of an LS200 and I find the ride better for it.
So second recommendation: Use a heavy weight chair.

Originally, I had visions of converting back and forth solo to sidecar, but that quickly proved impractical and a dedicated solo /2 had to be acquired.
And third recommendation: Have more than one /2 if going with a chair, the solo /2 ride is too special to forego.

Ural or repop TR500: Both weigh about the same, both have the same bell&ball mounts,(thanks to shared heritage) the Ural is much easier to enter/exit for the passenger than the Steib, (if that's a concern) the Ural will always be cheaper than the TR500, (both here and abroad) and yes the Ural is as robust as the TR500, if not more.
So personal preference, whichever you like more, whichever comes your way first.
Urals and Steibs are both still around, (of course more Urals) and more patience is required now than in the past to spot available ones, but then, that's half the fun.
And if not wanting to wait or look, it simply costs more.
Best-
George
And if you find you have a choice with either, go for the rubber sprung body, rather than the older leaf spring models.

Here is one in SoCal if interested:

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mpo ... 83859.html

I had the bug for one a few years ago. Fortunately for me, I found a guy on a site (sorry, I can’t recall the name of it) that rented out his Ural. I rented it for a week and that was plenty of time to realize it wasn’t my cup of tea. It was great fun giving the grandkids rides, but other than that ... for me personally, it had the limitations of a car without the same pleasure I get from 2 wheels. I wholeheartedly agree with spending a little time on one if you can before dropping the coin. I will admit it hasn’t completely escaped my thoughts though and I learned years ago to never say never.

I have some different experiences and opinions. I own four BMWs: a R1200GS bought new in 2005, a 1971 R75/5 which I have owned for 35 years, 1967 R60/2 with a Bender LS (Danish S350 Steib copy), and a 1953 R25/3 with an original 1953 Steib LS200. All of these offer their own unique qualities, both good and bad.

I thoroughly enjoy riding the sidecar rigs, which offer their own experience. Yes, the LS200 is light, but I cannot get it to fly. The Bender is heavier, but it flies quite easily, which in itself can be a lot of fun. It also garners a lot of attention and lots of "thumbs up". I've had to dismount the sidecars several times in order to make repairs or improvements, and they never ride the same afterwards. There is not "ideal" position to mount a sidecar as they really don't make any sense as a vehicle and are always a really strange compromise. Often altering the mounting position by as much as an inch will change the handling characteristics. In any case, I would not give up my sidecar rigs, any more than I would give up my solo bikes.