900 diversion 15'' rear wheel (sidecar fitment)

[chez]

Hi , I,m in need of a special 15 inch rear wheel for my 900 Diversion .
My one exploded when a Virago rammed me !
Does anyone know who made 15 inch rear wheels for sidecar use , or better still , does anyone have one?
If not , is it possible to fit a Vmax diff and wheel into a Divvy?
Any info appreciated , Chez.

[soggybiker]

Hi

These people may be able to help, but they are not cheap.

www.emltrike.com/en/ABOUT%20US/6

I think there is a French company converting D9's to a car rear wheel for sidecar use, but can't find them and there are SRK

www.srkengineering.com.au/sidecars/sidecar-wheels.html

[HRHpenfold]

You need a special engineering solution,

you need to find someone with a lathe big enough to machine down a 15 inch alloy car wheel, taking the spokes off leaving the rim, remove all paint from the rim, then using a D9 17 inch rear wheel, machine the old rim off and turning the centre complete with spokes down so they are an interference fit on the 15 inch rim, de paint the centre, then heat up the rim in an oven, and cool the centre in a freezer, put the two parts together making sure it's central, and allow to naturalise the temperature, locking the centre to the rim, then the spokes should be TIG welded to the rim, powdercoat, then the wheel is ready for the tyre!

[CD]

It would probably be cheaper to have a wheel specially cast. Carbon fibre is another option. VERY not cheap but probably less than a hybrid wheel.

How about keeping the standard bike back end and use two front wheels - tadpole style. It solves all the drive problems and will handle better. It means more engineering but can use (relatively) common parts with minimal precision machining.

[firestorm]

Be careful using an alloy car wheel. The swinging arm on the Divvy is quite narrow and won't accept many modern car tyres. The smallest I could find when I did my Suzuki 1100G took a 155 x 15 tyre. This may fit. The wheel rim was off a Saab 9000. In the past I have converted whhels to 15" for sidecar use by using a steel wheel - usually a Citroen. This was achieved by turning the Yam wheel as above, and the making up steel plates which bolted through the remaining bike wheel spokes and were then welded to the steel rim. It will work successfully with a good machinist and welder. Join the Federation of Sidecar Clubs Forum and ask advice there as well. Someone may have one - although they were not popular bikes for sidecar work for some reason. I don't know why as I've just put a 900/squire outfit together over the winter and I'm happy with it. If your budget will stretch to it then someone like Charnwood Classic Restorations can, I think, supply 15" wheels to order or will know someone who does. Merlin Sidecars are also worth a ring.
Good Luck with the project

[CD]

The snag is that sidecars only have good accident statistics because hardly anybody uses them these days and then only for the odd jaunt & home again to get over all the stress and exercise involved in making the scary plot go around any sort of corner

[andybb]

Unkind there, CD:)

Used to have a Squire attached to a Kawasaki Drifter on standard tyre set-up - didn't even need a damper. A really nice sidecar tug, as it turned out - couple of Elefantentreffens under it's belt (shaft-drive, perhaps?)to prove it

Actually, I'm thinking of getting my Squire attached to my 97 Diversion 9, using quick release connectors, so I can run it solo when there's no snow about. Does it really need all the hassles of smaller rear tyre etc?

[tomcat]

Does the v-max run a 15" rear wheel? The D9 wheel keeps appearing as an upgrade to 17" for that particular bike. If our 17" is adaptable to their 15" standard fitment, perhaps the reverse is possible too. 15" v-max to replace the 17" D9 wheel?

[crickleymal]

I'm no expert but can't you get special tyres to use with sidecars? So you could use a standard wheel but with a square profile tyre.