The Gus Bus sidecar

 

This is the Gus Bus - a Suzuki Bandit paired with a Watsonian GP DL sidecar.

 It's named after Gus, the Rotweiler puppy who loves to ride in the chair.

 

Owners John and Sandy take the outfit to bike meetings to raise funds for Help 4 Heroes.  On the back is a picture of OB, the original Afghan Hero mascot.

Sidecars are natural choice for BBC Springwatch

When BBC Springwatch presenter Martin Hughes-Games invited his colleague Chris Pakham to explore the Isle of Man, he turned to Britain's longest-established sidecar manufacturer to provide them with appropriate transport.

A self-proclaimed "obesessive motorcyclist" Martin had visited the Isle of Man on many occasions to watch the TT races and wanted to reveal the island's varied wildlife to a wider audience. So he approached Watsonian Squire, who have been manufacturing sidecars in the Heart of England since 1912, to borrow a motorcycle and sidecar combination and provide him with instruction in the art of 'driving' and outfit.

Watsonian provided Martin with its demonstrator outfit, a classically styled Manx GP sidecar paired with a brand new Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle, which the company also distributes. It featured prominently in three episodes of Springwatch, which regularly attracts more than 2 million viewers on weekday evenings, making it one of the UK’s favourite natural history programmes.

For more information on Watsonian Squire sidecars and Royal Enfield motorcycles call 01386 700907 or visit www.watsonian-squire.com

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.)

Hagrid's Motorbike

Way Down with Watsonian sidecars

Watsonian Squire have produced a special low profile version of their popular GP Manx sidecar to match Harley Davidson's new 883 SuperLow motorcycle.

With 18” front and 17” rear wheels the SuperLow sits closer to the the tarmac than previous Sportster models, which presented certain challenges to the experienced engineering team at Watsonian. A smaller diameter wheel was specified for the Manx chair so that it did not sit too high above the motorcycle and then the perimeter frame had to be redesigned, in order to give the belly of the glass fibre body shell sufficient ground clearance when paired with the big V-twin.

Styled to replicate the traditional octagonal nose shape dating from the 1920's, the Manx retains the aluminium beading originally used to hold the wooden body panels together. Normally fitted with 16” spoke wheels, the low rider version of the Manx has a 10” cast alloy wheel with distinctive deep sided DL mudguard.

Completing the package is a 6" acrylic screen, originally developed for the sidecars supplied for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Harley's Evolution engine is well suited to sidecar work and copes easily with the relatively light single-seater Manx (85kg).

Prices for the Watsonian GP Manx start at £3695 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).

Sing something single

Some people buy a motorcycle to move themselves from A to B, but when singer Songwriter Gray Hawke bought a Royal Enfield it moved him to write a song. Here's his story;

"I got a wonderful motorcycle earlier this year - a Royal Enfield Bullet 500efi DL. As with most truly life-changing experiences, it had to have a song. I'd written a lyric, found what I think is a really catchy chorus and got a rhythm and feel for the song nailed about a month ago, but I was really struggling to find a tune and structure for the verses".

"Anyway, I decided to give it another bash yesterday (27th May) and finally got something that worked. A bit quirky and asymetrical - also quite difficult to remember! As I was already planning to go to Commonfolk yesterday, I gave the new song a run out in front of an audience - the first time I've ever finished and performed a song on the same day".

"It went pretty well - a few very positive comments from audience members afterwards, even though it was obviously a bit rough. Definitely one to polish up".

A sample of Gray's song can be heard on his Myspace site.

Charity CD "A Place to Live" is now finished and available for sale at £7 inc £2 p&p / admin. The CD includes the track "Bullet".  To obtain a copy people should email Gray at grayhawke619@gmail.com with their name and dispatch address details. He'll then send their copy of the CD by first class post with instructions for making payment.

Watsonian sidecar stars in the Gadget Show

Our trusty Royal Enfield + Manx sidecar demonstrator was called into service by Channel 5's Gadget Show to assist them in the final part of the Smartphones challenge.  Presenters Jon and Pollyanna had to race across Birmingham using apps on their respective Smartphone’s – the first to arrive at Aston Hall would be provided with a special banquet! Jon chose the sidecar outfit, leaving Pollyanna to travel in a horse and carriage. 

Click here to view the Royal Enfield/Watsonian Manx sidecar outfit in action in the Gadget Show.