Norton 19S, BSA M21 & sidecars

In 1950s Britain, many motorcycles were attached to sidecars. These so-called outfits were a common sight but nowadays they are seldom seen on the roads. This film shows two examples that are still used regularly.

[@aumkar2]

Need to add an M20 with a sidecar very soon. This is just brilliant motoring.

[@MrJonn0]

A charming piece Simon. Well worth a second viewing to one who has been enjoying sidecars for around 50 years now.

[@sgch101]

Thanks for the comments, Jonathan!

[@saxonost7]

Lovely video. Really enjoying your uploads. Thanks for posting.

[@sgch101]

Many thanks for the comments - it's always great to get such encouragement!

[@studavies2572]

Such a lovely film, right from the music at the beginning to the steam train sound at the end. It makes me feel nostalgic for a time before I was even born.

[@peter7624]

The girders make the M21 look as though it's nodding How charming! I'd forgetten about this trait. Great video ! Thanks.

[@MyKharli]

My earliest memories are sat on my mums knee in the sidecar looking up at my dad with goggles and a scarf on a 750 commando in 1965 ish i think .

[@Martin_Schorr]

Last sunday i took a ride with my panther with watsonian sidecar. It's a time machine.

[@TadpolCreative]

These videos are so awesome! This deepens my passion for motorcycles - beautifully shot videos wrapped within informative & insightful commentary. Can't wait for more!

[@sgch101]

We'll do our best to make another film before Christmas! The autumn is here now so the trees are developing nice colours but it only takes one gale and the leaves will be gone - then it's winter. That can be still a good time to film - perhaps we'll see how to ride a sidecar bike in the snow...

[@maverick_motors_]

Simon, first off, great video! We used to own an M21 sidecar combination and loved it. In AA colours too, although not an AA model. What music did you use in this video? All the best!

[@sgch101]

Glad you enjoyed the video. The music is called "April Day" and is available on an album called "The Golden Age of Light Music: Highdays and Holidays" by Guild Light Music. The CD Number is GLCD 5115 and it's available as an MP3 download

[@maverick_motors_]

@@sgch101 wonderful. Thank you Simon! I've subscribed and look forward to more of your videos.

[@pitbull1952]

about 1970 i bought a gold flash with a busmar astral double adult sidecar for £35 and i thought he'd robbed me. swapped it for a panther and up until recently i'd always had an outfit, sadly due to old age gave up riding, keep up the good work Simon.

[@sgch101]

We'd love to make a film about a Panther-powered outfit but we don't know anyone who has one! We've got a few more films planned, including a 1930s Triumph, before the end of the year so hope you enjoy them.

[@lotnylotny671]

Riding a motorcycle with sidecars requires big skills. However, when you master this vehicle you have a lot of driving pleasure. Greetings from Poland.

[@sgch101]

Yes,it's great fun to drive a motorcycle and sidecar. The BSA isn't fast but it's reliable. Thanks for your greetings from Poland!

[@lotnylotny671]

In Poland, we had such a thing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqrOp3WirZmhpq8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnzEf6SfnsmXask This is SFM M10 "JUNAK" with side car WB3. Motorcycle with a capacity of 350 cm, 4 stroke, 4 gears, 17-19 horsepower. Designed in the early fifties, produced 1957-65. Below is an early version of this motorcycle (around 1957-59), SFM M07 "JUNAK" with side car "Sum" ("catfish"): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqjSf6x9ebehppo

[@emilywright8332]

Lovely, have a 600 Yamaha with a stein lookalike chair. Great fun and practical.

[@sgch101]

They're all different and good fun. These two steer very well and are well-behaved but it's still surprisingly easy to lift the wheel of an empty sidecar when turning into a narrow side road!

[@arnabkumardey6604]

4:22 When I will be the owner of BSA M20 ??😔😔😔

[@naiduosuri5855]

Love from India 🇮🇳 ❤️

[@colinwoodley]

Hi Simon, I'm hoping that you can be a lifesaver here. I have an M21 and a sidecar but am missing 1half of the lower ball joint fitting and can't work out how the bike side fitting would be mounted. Could you send me some photos of yours?

[@sgch101]

Hi Colin, Yes, no problem. Please send your email address to me.

[@ronaldodomacena9347]

why not make sidecars similar to those in the Philippines? it could carry 2 person inside with room to spare for a picnic basket it's a really practical vehicle in Country Roads and even in Cities it's small and really nimble

[@sgch101]

They sound really interesting. There were lots of sidecars on the roads here in the 1950s, and some were like you describe. Try searching for "Busmar sidecar" in Google Images to see what I mean. They were not very nimble so your modern ones sound even better!

[@78a67h]

Two questions: Were the sidecars detachable if the rider wanted ? Did these bikes have a reverse gear?

[@sgch101]

No, they had no reverse gear. You just have to push them backwards but this is quite easy to do when you are sitting on the bike, as long as there isn't too much of an adverse gradient. Otherwise you have to get off and push the whole thing backwards. The sidecars weren't really detachable. It would take some time to loosen the bolts at the four attachment points. It's normal to fit tyres with a flatter profile on to the bike and sidecar, as the outfit behaves more like a car I.e. It doesn't lean like a solo motorcycle. Hence there's no need for tyres with a rounded profile which bikes normally use. I think these tyres were also fitted to early cars like the Austin Seven!

[@rajb5595]

In your opinion , which one would you prefer for frequent use ( minus the sidecars) , the faster or the torquey?

[@sgch101]

Hi Raj, I'd choose the faster one. The Norton will comfortably cruise at 55 - 60 mph on solo (non-sidecar) gearing, whereas the BSA is about 5 - 10mph slower and doesn't accelerate so quickly. In fact the overhead valve (OHV) 350cc BSA B31 has a better performance than the side-valve (solo) 600cc M21. These old OHV bikes, with a long piston stroke, are still quite torquey, especially compared to more modern engines with a shorter piston stroke. Modern engines' performance is great but one needs to use the gearbox a lot more! Best wishes, Simon.

[@rajb5595]

@@sgch101 your reply has been immensely helpful . I can now begin to appreciate my B31 for what it is ! 😍

[@twinphill900]

The style in which you produced this video is outstanding.

[@sgch101]

Glad you enjoyed it, Phil. We try to make little films with decent sound and clear pictures - just what we look for in KZbin ourselves!

[@twinphill900]

@@sgch101 perfect

[@georgepeace3791]

Brilliant can't beat em

[@sgch101]

Spot on. They really are good fun.

[@mikefry6765]

Utterly charming

[@sgch101]

We constantly strive to charm! Many thanks.