The XS Triple Sidecar - it's been a bit quiet...

 ... and that''s not a bad thing. With the old Dre-XT-Stück in bits and the TR1 running flawlessly (*knocking on wood*) had a very simple job as being a reliable parts and all-sorts-of-stuff-hauler for me. Obviously this does not make for very exciting blog posts. 

So the biggest tasks of all of Summer, where to pass the annual roadworthyness inspection and for that get a "new" i.e. vintage Pirelli Gordon for the front, which I will probably only have to take off at some point, because the rubber cracks as it is about as hard as well seasoned wood.

If anything at all, it was smaller jobs, like swapping the bolts on the tail-light for decent allen-key hardware and fixing up the connection inside the Guzzi V7 taillight as they were a bit erratic at best.

One of the things I tried out this Summer, was to turn down brake disks on my lathe. With an RCX-insert, I had to face some vibration issues, but in hindsight, these might have been the ticket for the pads biting into those disks, like it's going out of fashion now. 

And for the upcoming Winter, I will simply assume it'll be as mild as the last one, I've put on a set of used Michelin Anakees for the mostly wet (and sometimes slushy) weather. 

Remember the hole on the top of my throttle housing? Well originally on a DR600 it would have been a drain hole. Now that it's facing up, it's a brilliant point for oiling the cables.

Lastly, here's a little treat to myself: I always wanted to try a proper Avon Sidecar tyre and find out myself, whether it would actually be worth it to buy one new. Well this is a "well seasoned" one from 2013, which I plan to put on next year.

At this point, I have to make a confession and admit that earlier this week, I nearly bought a Guzzi as a new tug for the sidecar. 😱 Due to some worries with the paperwork, I decided against it and made a list of stuff I want to fix either before Winter comes or in Spring:

• sidecar wheel axle - now that I don't run a sidecar brake anymore it's unnecessarily long and as my swingarm is a bit bent, a completely new unit is the smart move in my book
  
• replace the sidecar shock - have to find one from a Suzuki GS750/1000/GSX1100E
  
• work out some sort of airbox for the carbs, at WOT the engine's induction noise is deafening (the exhaust really isn't too bad)
• take care of the tinwork on the sidecar - at the moment it's just some edge/surface rust, but it will turn into A LOT more work quickly, if not taken care of
• fit the shorter final drive off a XS1100 - by now I have enough horsepower to use the 5th gear on level ground (and get the old girl to go a lot faster than the legal speed-limit on the Autobahn), but it would be nice to be able to use it all the time. Same goes for a shorter first, the engine has got some grunt down low, but in a sidecar more is more better. 

And then there's a second engine sitting in the workshop, which will get done some time in 2021 as the current one is an impressive fighter, but should have been done ages ago.