Sporty side to British cafe racers

British cafe racer styled motorcycles are enjoying a revival, with Triumph, Royal Enfield and Norton all offering examples in their current model line-up.

Now Watsonian sidecars have teamed up with Norman Hyde, Triumph performance specialist and sidecar speed record holder*, to create a sporty three-wheeler.

Modern Hinckley-built Bonnevilles have proved a popular choice for sidecar customers across the world as the bike's smooth power delivery and torquey engine suit sidecar driving, while Watsonian's Grand Prix sidecars, which retain the traditional octagonal nose shape dating from the 1920's, complement the Bonneville's classic styling.

This sports outfit combines a Manx sidecar, which has a shorter chassis than other models in the GP range and is thus lighter and more compact, with an 865cc fuel-injected Bonneville equipped with a host of performance accessories from Norman Hyde. These include a Power Commander and bellmouth air intake, sport silencers, rearset footrests and M bars, providing a sporty riding position to match the bike's enhanced performance. Additional stopping power is delivered by an AP Lockheed front brake disc and calliper; a steering damper and up-rated Ikon shocks beef up suspension to handle the extra weight of the car and Hyde has also specified a Givi screen for touring comfort.

Prices for the Watsonian GP Manx sidecars similar to the one pictured start at £3495 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 (www.watsonian-squire.com) and for details of Norman Hyde accessories go to www.normanhyde.co.uk or call 01926 832345.

ENDS

* Norman Hyde captured the World Sidecar Land Speed Record in September 1972 on the Concorde runway at Fairford, Gloucestershire. Using a supercharged 850cc Triumph Trident powered, home built sidecar outfit (Road Runner 3) Norman averaged 161.8 mph (260.8kph) for the two way run over 1 kilometre.

TF Watson produced his first sidecar in 1912 and the company has been manufacturing sidecars in the Heart of England ever since. Following a merger with the dynamic young Squire company in 1984 Watsonian Squire became the Europe's biggest manufacturer of sidecars.

Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2010

We were delighted to receive this photo of the Tokyo Motorcycle Show from our Japanese distributor.  As you can see, Corofi have embraced retro styling with a really eye catching stand and some interesting sidecar combinations.

Freewheeling with Squire Trailers

Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is taking a Squire motorcycle trailer to the streets, to help raise awareness and funds for the operation. Run entirely by volunteers, Freewheelers provides a free out-of-hours emergency courier service for the NHS, using specially adapted motorcycles to deliver blood, test samples, patient notes, X-rays and other essential medical supplies to hospitals in the south west of England. 
Relying entirely on public donations and sponsorship, Freewheelers commissioned the Squire team to adapt a D18 motorcycle trailer for use at events across the UK to help raise the profile of the organisation and collect donations. The trailer – which will be towed by one of Freewheelers’ Honda ST1300s – has a custom built lid, which can be used as display board for promotional material and offers ample storage for banners, leaflets and fund-raising packs. Squire has also added a special floor section on which to mount an electricity generator. Freewheelers Vice Chairman, Mike Belch, said: “The Squire trailer will really boost our fund-raising efforts, as we will be able to carry everything we need. It will also be a great talking point when we visit schools, or attend shows and fetes to publicise our work.”  Squire motorcycle luggage trailers are growing in popularity in Europe, and as far afield as Japan, as an alternative to bike-mounted luggage. A well-engineered modern motorcycle trailer will not significantly affect the handling or performance of a machine, yet the volume of luggage they can transport is huge – up to 595 litres. Squire has performed several feats over recent years to demonstrate how easily modern high performance motorcycles can pull a properly designed trailer and in 2002 the Company set a world record, towing a Squire D21 trailer behind a Kawasaki ZZ-R1100 motorcycle at an average speed of 139.5 mph. Prices for motorcycle luggage trailers start at around £1000 and tow bar kits are available for a large range of motorcycles and scooters. Contact Watsonian-Squire on 01386 700907 www.watsonian-squire.com
Editor’s notes: Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service is a registered charity and winner of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Freewheelers EVS has a coverage area that includes Somerset, Bristol, Bath and West Wiltshire and is funded entirely by public donation and sponsorship. For further info about the Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service and to make a donation, visit http://www.freewheelers.org.uk/

Margate to Land's End by Vespa and Sidecar

Watsonian Squire, Britain’s longest established sidecar manufacturer, is delighted to be supporting Paul King, who will be riding his Vespa T5 scooter outfit from Margate to Lands End to raise money for Help For Heroes.   Setting out on 10th April 2010, Paul will be accompanied by wife, Jules, and daughter Sophie, along with members of Modern Vespa, who will all be riding from Margate in Kent along the coast until they reach Lands End the following day – a journey of 466 miles.  Riders wishing to join the group for all or part of the journey are asked to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50.00 per rider; more details can be found at http://helpforheroessouthcoastvesparide.blogspot.com/. Help for Heroes raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of their country.  Find out more about Watsonian-Squire's range of sidecars for motorcycles and scooters at http://www.watsonian-squire.com/

MP taken for a ride

During a visit to Watsonian-Squire, a leading manufacturer and exporter of motorcycle sidecars since 1912 taht is based in his Cotswold constituency, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP had an opportunity to take a ride in one of the company’s sidecars and also to hear of the experience of the firm in surviving the recession (one of many in its 98-year history!)
The visit was of particular interest to Mr Clifton-Brown through his work as the Shadow Minister for International Trade and Development, with responsibility for supporting British Exporters; the company produces approximately 300 sidecars per year, exporting over 50%, with Japan - the country widely credited with destroying the power of the British motorcycle industry - being their biggest export market.
One of the key themes discussed at the meeting was the burden of legislation imposed upon businesses - the  managment team at Watsonian-Squire explained that keeping pace with a constant stream of new laws and directives absorbs huge amounts of time that should be spent on growing the business.
Speaking after the visit Mr Clifton-Brown said “Everything I have seen today has greatly impressed me, from the management side of the business to the craftsmanship and pride the staff take in manufacturing such an excellent product”

Dress to the side with Boden

BODEN.  "Well made, individual clothing for men, women and children too".  Discerning people know what to wear ... and how to transport themselves.

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/