First day on fjowners.com(cheers from Belgium :) )

[Pieteke]

Hi  everybody,

As you can see in the subject, I'm from Belgium, so first of all, please don't be to critical for my English 

I'm a young 52 years old guy married without children

I own a FJ1200 Comanche side car for a few years (pictures coming soon).

And I'm pleased to meet all of you on this forum (now going to spend some time reading most of the topics, beginning with the ones concerning sidecars)


(many thanks for the spell check button)

[The General]

Welcome Pietek. I love the science of a good handling sidecar. Got one on my bucket list and on my desktop. Can`t wait ta see your pics. I know where to get offset triple clamps but still hoping to find a set of Leading Link forks.   Doug

[Pieteke]

I put some picture in the gallery
And some explanations here 
The following two pics are the one added to the selling annoncement



Have I really to add that apart the color the side was in good condition so mecanically OK (had to drive 750 km back home without any oil filling for a bike that have 120.000 km at the teller, not so bad)

After some paint and work on it this is the result




More to do on it but now the winter is coming, so .... let's do it

[FJmonkey]

Welcome to the club, you cleaned her up nicely, much better looking now. Looks like an 86/87 year, good choice on colors. With that side car you can Kookaloo for three.

[rktmanfj]

That looks pretty good!       

I only rode in a sidecar once, but it was a blast! 

[Pat Conlon]

Welcome! I have got to try to get a ride in one of those......

I would love to see detailed pictures of the modifications.

Very cool project in capable hands.

I can only wonder how one of these sleds would run with RPM's 1350 engine? Gotta love the torque.

[racerman_27410]

Welcome to the group!

Those sidecars look very cool and i bet its a lot of fun!



KOokaloo!


Frank

[The General]

Holy Atomic Pile, Pieteke!  You Fiend! Where did ya get that front end? Do you or did previous owner do his work from a Cave?  (It`s okay, I can understand if you don`t wish to reveal your true identity)

I need more specs on tha steering geometry. Feed me Pieteke, feed me.

How`s the handling at speed? (  POW?) Has it got braking on the third wheel? Can You adjust chair in relation to the Back Wheel?

This is torture – and it`s most bizarre and terrible!

When I start my FJ I too say "Turbines to Speed"

Is it true Robin like`s an FJ too?

Lub`d and ready ...(cough)  ... Pieteke 

[Tiger]

  WOW!!! ... gotta love it Welcome to the FJ 'family'... 

John.

[Pieteke]

Many thanks for your welcome (even if i didn't understood everything   )

I took some time to write my story.

Ten years ago I found a Honda CX500 (year 1981) custom to buy in the neighborhood. In good shape with Vetter outfit (windjammer + cases and top case). I have to add I always dreamed about it since, well 1980 
But what a desolation, after some time, when I finally had that bike in my hand, I realized a lack of cylinders, I really needed a 4 instead of a twin.

But the friends (yes they became friends) from who I bought the CX500 also had
For him
-KAWA z1300
-Honda cbx1000 (strange? both 6)
And
For her
FJ 1100 with side bike Comete and also Comanche (they are interchangeable)
And spare partssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss 

I always said "if I have to buy a side, it will be a Comanche (agreed by my lovely wife )

But my friends also knew I wasn't really happy about the CX500 (and for the same reason why they sell it to me  )

One day somebody told my friends there was a FJ1200 for sale, but because they have more than enough spare parts, they told me that was a good opportunity for me to buy a 4 cylinders.

And so that's how I bought my 2 wheels FJ1200 

But now,...
How why did you buy a three wheels?

Well, trying to tell it shortly.

I had a small accident in which my cruciate ligaments where broken (in fact my bike fell on my leg and so ...)

After a reconstruction and one year revalidation, it was still not good, so I change of doctor for having another medical advice.
And there was the surprise, following the examination the cruciate ligaments are not cruciate but parallels.
You can imagine that after one year exercises on such a repair most of my articulation was stuck or worn.
So the only solution was to change for knee prosthesis.
After the operation I went back to the doctor and during the examination I asked him about riding a bike. Answer was you do what you want, but if something happens, it's going to be worse with you prosthesis". So the second question was "what about a side car? Three wheels, is better, no ?"
The answer then was (with a look at the ceiling) "those riders, impossible to change them, well than it's better".

So when I came back home, I opened my computer, and this time was really google my friend.
A guy from France wanted to sell his Comanche . I called him immediately The announcement was 6000€ and he was so in a hurry that, without any discussion, the price fell down to 5000€.
You perhaps don't know, but a Comanche in Europe and in perfect condition in around 12000€.
For sure the picture didn't give a real idea but at such a price it was really interesting.

So a week later we went there tested it and came back to Belgium without any problems.
Good news, in good mechanical condition.
But about the painting and the bodywork, it was really catastrophic.
Just to tell it in a few words, spray paint across everything, but because that was my first side car experience I decided to first practice before repainting. Good decision after 500 meters and a few corners I hit my first post (let's hope it' the last one).

So last winter I decided to make him nicer and so are some changes visible I think.


@not a lib
For me the same first time very slow then it was going better and better. I feel me better also and crash first work to do was to fill a beautiful hole in the side

@Pat Conlon
What are you calling the modifications?
Side Bike is a French factory that produces sidecars since 1987.They made, as far as I know 300 Comanche, but on the same frame than the Comete.
Another question  . What are you calling the RPM's 1350 engine?

@The General
I didn't change anything at the geometry since I purchase it. So it's difficult to me to explain it
He is riding right through without hand till 70/80 kmh. After that difficult to say, At 120 the front begins to 'play', but that's because the side has been standing on his wheel for 7 month without moving so the tires have some plat spots. This winter I'm painting the wheels and changing the tires also. On this model I don't have a brake at the third wheel, it was an option and normally the brake at the third wheel is plugged on the rear brake of the bike.
Can you adjust chair in relation to the Back Wheel? Strange question! , why? My wife really enjoys the water coming out of the wheels when it's raining (eventually also oil when I forget to put the cap after refilling oil)

I hope everything was clear. Sometimes difficult to me, goggle translate is far from perfection.

[The General]

Sorry to take so long to reply Pieteke. It will be interesting to see how the handling feels when in excess of 100klm/hr with a new sidecar tyre..Handling characteristics of sidecars can be strange. I know the angle of the bike in relation to ground level can make a big difference to the wiggle over 80 klm/hr.

Also relationship of the triangle of the three wheels. It is for this reason that some have adjusted side wheel in relation to rear wheel position.

Wonderful that you haven`t let your luck in health interfere with your Kookaloo. (Sorry to make so much english homework)

Your goggle translator is working fine. Would love to hear more of your life in Belgium.     Doug