Sidecar Saturday at the Ace Cafe

Watsonian sidecars will be at London's famous Ace Cafe on Sidecar Saturday (31st March 2012) as part of the British manufacturer's centenary celebrations.

Founded by TF Watson in 1912, Watsonian has survived two world wars, the Great Depression  of 1929 (and numerous economic recessions that followed) and a devastating factory fire in 1930.  Today the company still makes Great British sidecars in the Heart of England, exporting across the globe.

Visitors to the Ace Cafe's Sidecar Saturday will have an opportunity to see the Watsonian Wizard outfit, based on the combinations that the factory supplied for the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  Watsonian supplied several sidecar Royal Enfield Bullet/GP Manx combinations to the film-makers for use in the spectacular chase sequence in which Harry Potter flees from the Death Eaters in a sidecar outfit driven by Hagrid.

Watsonian will also be promoting their centenary rally, which they are hostnig at Stoneleigh Park near Coventry on 18-19th Aug 2012.  Attractions include a display of historic sidecars along with the company archives, driving skills test, prizes for Best in Show, celebrity guests, trade stands and an opportunity to test ride Royal Enfield motorcycles, which have been distributed by Watsonian since 1999.      

For more information on Watsonian's current range of sidecars and details of the centenary rally call 01386 700907 or visit www.watsonian-squire.com.

Manx to the Manx

Product testing for British sidecar manufacturer Watsonian Squire is a family affair. Sales Director Ben Matthews has just returned from the Isle of Man, where he spent several days riding the company's latest GP Manx demonstrator outfit around the island's roads accompanied by his son Troy (12) in the chair.

Their trip coincided with the Manx Grand Prix, after which the sidecar is named; painted in distinctive light blue “Wizard” colour scheme, created to celebrate the appearance of Watsonian sidecars in the blockbuster movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the outfit attracted considerable attention wherever it went.

"I've been nagging my dad for the last few years to take me to the Isle of Man, so when he told me we were going to the Manx GP I was so excited!" comments Troy.

“Testing the outfits is certainly a fun part of the job” Ben admits. “But there's also a serious side to it, because a significant proportion of our customers are motorcyclists who want to include their family in their hobby. So it's important to test the outfits from the passenger's view.”

Troy certainly enjoyed the experience; "I love riding in the sidecar - it's so much fun, and it's a great way to explore the Isle of Man. I can't wait to go back next year".

Styled to replicate the traditional octagonal nose shape dating from the 1920's, the fibreglass Manx retains the aluminium beading originally used to hold the wooden body panels together. Prices for the Watsonian GP Manx start at £3995 and a full factory fitting service, with tuition for novice drivers, is also available. For more information on sidecars contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907.

BBC Spring Watch in a sidecar

BBC Spring Watch presenters Martin Hughes-Games and Chris Packham put on leathers, got on a motorbike and behaved badly... as Martin took Chris on his ideal wild weekend across the sea to the Isle of Man. (It's probably just a coincidence that bike-mad Martin chose the home of the TT races.)

From show business to snow business

British sidecar manufacturer Watsonian Squire has been experiencing increased interest since one of their distinctive Manx outfits featured in the latest Harry Potter blockbuster, so the team at the Cotswold factory wasn’t going to let a little bit of cold weather stop the production line.

 

In the attached photos General Manager Rob Jones can be seen checking that it is possible to walk across the car park without freezing one’s assets and also that all icicles are neatly arranged.

 

Squire ST3 sport sidecar and Yamaha XJR1300 outfit

Squire has paired one of their ST3 sport sidecars with Yamaha’s muscular XJR 1300cc for the 2009 Motorcycle Show. This British company pioneered modern sports sidecars, developing their first model in 1973 for use with multi-cylinder Japanese superbikes of the time, such as Honda’s 750-4.

With an exceptionally strong perimeter frame, single-piece glass fibre body and 13” polished alloy wheels, the single-seat ST3 sports sidecar is particularly suitable for high performance sports motorcycles, where precise high speed handling is essential. Tipping the scales at 91KG, the ST3 measures 218cm long x 86cm wide, with 114cm of legroom for comfort and a generous boot for extra carrying capacity.

Squire merged with Watsonian sidecars in 1989 and the company still manufactures sidecars in the Heart of England, all hand built by British craftsmen.

Powered by a muscular 96 horsepower 4-cylinder engine with quality Öhlins suspension, the torquey Yamaha XJR is well suited to sidecar work and its a traditional tubular steel frame is both strong and practical for attaching sidecar fittings.

Prices for Squire ST3 sidecars similar to the one shown start at £3495 (colour matched paintwork is an optional extra). A full factory fitting service, with tuition for novice drivers, is also available.

Contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907 or at http://www.watsonian-squire.com/

Vespa gets an Ed start with a PV1 sidecar

Our customers often send us photos of their outfts and this recent example caught our attention.  It's a classic Vespa PX200e with a PV1 sidecar. The lightweight PV1 was specifically designed for scooters. 
"Got my bits and pieces from you all a while back, very helpful people!" comments proud owner Ed.
For more information on the PV1 range click HERE.

Take control from a sidecar

Watsonian Squire has been helping Warwickshire's road safety tema in their campaign urging riders to take control.  We supplied a Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle and Watsonian Manx sidecar outfit to transport a cameraman, filming riders for a new road safety DVD.  We hope he enjoyed his ride - the man driving the outfit is an ex-British Sperbike racer!  For more details on road safety in Warwickhire click here.

Belstaff Bonneville outfit feedback

Hi everyone,

Just completed a three day ride from Lymington to St.Paul, near Nice. 1200 km, motorway, national roads, mountain roads, sun, electric storms and running out of petrol! Just wanted to thank you all for providing a wonderful “outfit”, much admired and great fun to drive.

All the best,

John