Fans of tradition hammered Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, going so far as calling him ‘Judas’ on tour. But it’s demand from a traditional sidecar fan which has encouraged sidecar maker Watsonian Squire to embrace battery power, with its latest installation.
The Cotswolds company has designed and built a sidecar mount for one of the latest electric bikes from Harley-Davidson offshoot LiveWire. The kit fits the S2 Del Mar, and it’s the first design Watsonian has produced for an electric motorcycle.
Manufactured in-house from steel tube, the fitting kit is powder-coated for durability and supplied with heavy-duty couplings specifically designed for sidecar fittings. The linear power delivery of electric motors makes them ideal for sidecar work – the LiveWire produces a massive 194ft.lb of torque, more than a 2.5 litre Triumph Rocket 3. With 43mm USD Showa forks and a 320mm Brembo monobloc radial caliper brake disc up front, plus a 260mm disc at the rear, suspension and stopping power can easily manage a sidecar, and a steering damper is fitted to help low-speed handling.
“We were approached by a long-standing customer who wanted to add an electric-powered outfit to his collection” says Watsonian MD Ben Matthews. “It’s a great example of our technical expertise and in-house engineering that allows us to fit a sidecar to almost any motorcycle or scooter.
“Designing a fitting kit for an electric bike like the LiveWire is particularly challenging”, explained Watsonian general manager Ben Hall. “It doesn’t have a conventional frame, and a cast alloy battery box sits where the engine would be found, so there are no suitable mounting points to attach a sidecar. Our engineering department had to fabricate a complete sub-frame that inserts neatly around the battery box and allows the four arms from the sidecar to be perfectly positioned.”
The LiveWire S2 Del Mar sidecar fitting kit costs £2495, and it’s shown here paired with a Watsonian Monza Jubilee sidecar, RRP from £6995.
Watsonian Squire
01386 700907
www.watsonian-squire.com