http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=318DFB8824CFEDCF

If you have a scooter or light motorcycle (upper limit about 400 lbs / 35 horsepower — more for touring, less for sport driving) then the Cozy Sidecar made in India (which is now the world’s leader in scooter and light motorcycle production) may be just what you are looking for. Because the Cozy line of sidecars is optimized for scooter and light motorcycle attachment they have the following characteristics:

• Lighter weight and smaller size sidecars suitable for scooter and light motorcycle attachment
• No need to attempt to modify the motor scooter’s or cycle’s braking system as there is no separate sidecar brake needed for a light sidecar operating at moderate speeds.
• No need to remove the motorcycle or scooter center or side stand, thus allowing easy switching between solo and sidecar riding.
• Attachment specifically designed for frameless monocoque scooters such as the Vespa (some drilling required)

Cozy sidecars are still in production and exported out of India by several distributors

Cozy’s Products:

• Retro Classic
• Road Rocket
• Steel Raptor
• Stealth Raptor

The current Cozy motorcycle mount is designed to bolt to the front of a single cylinder motorcycle engine mount in classic single and twin down tube frames and to the foot peg mount. Cozy sidecars are domestically attached in India to many imported and domestically produced motorcycles but experienced in sidecar mounting, the fabrication or modification of brackets, and in some cases the brazing or welding of attachment points to the motorcycle frame by a qualified technician. See the current Cozy sidecar mounting for an Enfield Bullet motorcycle

Royal Enfield Enfield of India motorcycles require a special mounting kit to install a Cozy sidecar. Cozy sidecars will fit Royal Enfields with this mounting kit.

• Because motorcycles with non-circular (oval or square) tubular frames or frames constructed from aluminum extrusions / weldments are generally higher performance and weight machines, and Cozy sidecars are specifically designed for lower performance and lighter weight motorcycles and scooters, mounting kits will generally not be available.
• Mounting kits for round tube frame motorcycles are under development and should be available 15 February 2000. These kits will fit frame tubing from 36 mm (1.4 inch) OD to 14 mm (0.55 inch) OD. These will kits will be similar to the tubular frame scooter kits in that these will mount a sub-frame with flange to your motorcycle. These kits will require at least three places (four is better) where you can bolt a 50 mm ( 2 inch) wide clamp strap around a frame member. No welding, frame drilling or special tools will be required.
• Zipper fit mounting for Vespa and derivatives (Bajaj and LML) available now! The Cozy monocoque (Vespa style) scooter mounting system consists of flat steel plates which attaches to the underside of the scooter body with a dozen or so small steel bolts through the floor and was specifically developed for the Vespa and its derivatives such as the Bajaj, LML and SIL produced in India. This mount also fits the Lambretta and derivative scooters with a single central tube frame with flat floor. This unit has a flange onto which a single cantilever arm bolts which connects and positions the sidecar to the scooter. This is a more-or-less universal system for this type of scooter. If this system will stand up to Indian roads, it will stand up to anything. See the Cozy sidecar mounting for a monocoque (Vespa type) scooter
• A special universal attachment bracket is being developed for those tubular frame scooters which are not suited for the above through-the-floor monocoque (Vespa) mounting system.
  Features of this mount are:
  • Belly pan / skid plate is retained to protect the gas tank and keep dirt away from the engine
    (requires notching the belly pan only on the side to which the sidecar mounts — no body panel cutting or drilling!)
  • Mounts directly to the 36 mm tube chassis on either side (but order correct hand sidecar!)
  • Installation requires only common hand tools such as 3/8 variable speed drill and 5/8 hole saw.
  • Struts are 5/8 X 18 threaded rods for maximum strength and rigidity
  • Sub-frame made from 2 X 2 X .110 square section steel tubing for strength and rigidity
  • Flange can be removed from sub-frame for cleanest possible appearance when sidecar is removed while still maintaining quick attach/detach capability and sidecar alignment
  • Mount either a scooter or motorcycle sidecar to the larger scooters
  • Check out the “George Clamp” for perimeter tubular frame scooters. (useful for single tube frames too)
• The initial alignment specifications for Cozy sidecars for both motorcycles and motorscooters and mounting flange dimensions.

Cozy features:

• A very attractive price (Be sure to note what is included by other manufacturers (such as finish sanding and paint) in their base price when comparison shopping!)
• Rugged construction for the tough Indian road and driving conditions.
• Your choice of right or left hand sidecar mounting. Several of the photographs below show left hand mounted sidecars which is standard in India (and England), but all units supplied will be right-hand mount (unless special ordered.)
• Time and Indian road proven coil spring and hydraulic shock suspension
• A quick change feature that allows mounting / dismounting of your Cozy sidecar in 10 minutes or less (after the initial installation). There is no need to remove and re-install the center / side stands when mounting and dis-mounting a Cozy sidecar.
• Choice of body material
  • All steel bodies
  • The Retro Classic
  • The Road Rocket
  • The “Steel Raptor”
  • High strength fiber laminate composite bodies The “Stealth Raptor”
• The eight following items are included in the base price of every Cozy sidecar
  (Be sure to note what is included in the base price when comparison shopping!)
  1. front bumper
  2. side guard
  3. utility / luggage rack
  4. passenger assist step
  5. windshield
  6. tonneau (dust) cover
  7. spare tire mount securely welded to the sidecar frame (scooter sidecars only)
  8. factory finish paint (acid dip, phosphate dip, 2 primer coats, 2 color coats, 2 clear coats — total 6 coats)

• Your choice of finishes * included in the base price for the front bumper, side guard and sidecar rear utility / luggage rack of:
  • Heavy chrome plate, or
  • Gloss black powder coat, or
  • Matte black powder coat, or
  • Wrinkle (Japan) black powder coat
• Scooter accessories available at extra cost include:
  • Spare tire and rim (frame mounted spare tire carrier is included with all Cozy scooter sidecars at no extra charge)
    (Cozy scooter sidecars use a 3.50 X 10 tire on a Vespa specification split rim)
  • Spare tire cover (scooter only)
  • Rack to mount sidecar or scooter spare on rear of scooter sidecar (replaces luggage rack)
  • folding front luggage rack* finished to match your Cozy sidecar trim
  • folding rear luggage rack* with or w/o spare tire mount finished to match your cozy sidecar trim
  • fixed front luggage rack* finished to match your Cozy sidecar trim
  • fixed rear luggage rack* with or w/o spare tire mount finished to match your cozy sidecar trim
  • front and rear cowl guards*
  • front and rear turn indicator lens guards*
  • front fender guard, with or without Piaggio logo*

* NOTE: It is difficult to color match a sidecar to an older motorcycle or scooter without seeing the vehicle. The paint that Cozy sprays is new paint and will exactly match a new motorcycle or scooter, but if your “pride and joy” is a few years old, it is likely that its paint has faded. If an exact color match is important we suggest that you get the sidecar in neutral gray (or a close generic color) and have it finish painted by a knowledgeable local automotive painter. They will know how to tint the paint, change the amount of reducer, adjust air pressure, etc. to get a perfect match. This is even more important if you have metallic paint as this has a “grain” which must also be matched to the vehicle paint “grain.” Subject to these limitations, cozy can apply pin striping in gold, white or other colors in styles which closely emulate those used on vintage and classic motorcycles and scooters which tend toward basic black and British Racing Green. A photograph of your desired pin striping details is required.

A Brief History of the Cozy Sidecar

The Cozy has its roots with the famous German sidecar manufacturer Steib. The Steib company was founded in 1914 by Josef Steib Sr. The Steib company started as an automobile paint and upholstery shop. In 1925, Steib was contracted by Ardie-Werk to build a sidecar for their new Ardie TM-500 motorcycle touring model. It was at this point that Steib expanded his shop facilities to accommodate sidecar fabrication.

By the 1930’s Steib together with Stoye of Leipzig, the major sidecar supplier for Ardie-Werk at the time, enjoyed 80% of the market share in Germany. By the 1950’s, Steib was the world leader in sidecar production and sales with over 90% market share. In 1955, Steib fabricated approximately 50 sidecars per day. A year later production fell to only 5 sidecars per day and dwindled almost to a close when Ardie-Werk shut down in 1958. By this time however BMW was still offering motorcycles with Steib sidecars and even had one model commissioned to their specs, a modified TR500 marketed as the BMW Spezial.

In the 1960’s Mr. Bhatwadekar of Mumbai (Bombay) India made an arrangement in collaboration with Steib to manufacture a Steib sidecar in India. He worked with Mr. Wahab, an Indian craftsman to develop the sidecar. At some point differences developed between the two men and they split into two companies; Cozy sidecars and Globe sidecars. There was a good market in India for the sidecar and both companies did a good business. Globe not only sold sidecars within India but did quite well in the export market. Mr. Bhatwadekar passed away and Globe was taken over by his son Mr. Shekhar. The market for sidecars in India started to falter and Globe was surviving on the export market and Cozy was only a small supplier.

In 1994 an enterprising businessman named Avinash Gupta from Pune India, a former engineer with Bajaj Auto, started a marketing company namely Silverline Marketing. He approached Globe with the intention of helping them further their export market. At the time Globe was the dominant sidecar supplier in India. They declined and Mr. Gupta then joined hands with the smaller Cozy sidecars. By this time Mr. Bhatwadekar and Mr. Farid (son of Mr. Wahab) had taken over the leadership of Cozy. Silverline Marketing’s first order was from Germany for 20 sidecars. The German customer wanted the sidecars made to mount on the right hand side of the motorcycle as opposed to the left had side as had been the norm in India. Mr. Gupta developed the sidecar for Cozy, devised the packing and insisted on only top quality products. Through his skill in marketing, honest approach to business and a great product from Cozy he turned them from a strictly domestic company into a global company. Globe, which had been surviving on international business, lost most of it to Cozy and a few years ago closed its doors and liquidated their assets.

Today we (Cyclesidecar.com) enjoy a strong relationship with Mr. Gupta and his son Shital who has joined him in business as well as the Cozy Company. We have done business with them for many years and love the product. Cozy makes a good strong high quality sidecar. Mr., Gupta has been a very reliable person to do business with, He continues to help develop the Cozy sidecar and its accessories in addition to acting its agent.

For more information please checkout their website: http://www.cyclesidecar.com/about/index.html

I have lots of information to post. Here’s a nugget found on the site: http://www.vespavintageparts.com. It’s from the 2006 Vintage Vespa catalog.

The black frame is my current rig, it came off Glenn Reid’s Series 2 Lambretta TV175 and can be seen attached to my VBB in the Smallstate pictures on scoot.net. The other rig I just got from Chris Ramsey, I traded him my ‘55 Allstate for it.

Philippe Devant was eyeballing my rig at Smallstate and noticed that the sidecar tire was way too far back in relation to the scooter’s rear tire, in fact it trailed the scooter’s rear tire. He pointed out that it should be in front of the scooter tire by a certain amount. I figured the difference must be in the sidecar’s swinging arm since this frame came off a Lambretta. Turns out that’s true, but only by a couple of inches - Vespa rig trailing arm is only 2″ shorter than the Lambretta rig’s. But check out the major difference in the main frame tube, the Lambretta’s has a huge offset compared to the Vespa. Since the Lambretta rig came with a mount that attaches to the Lammy floorboard outriggers, and I’m guessing is farther forward than the typical “tube clamp” type of mount, this must account for the overall length working perfecly for a Series 2 scoot but being totally wrong for a Vespa.

So there ya go. Neat stuff to know.

Oh, and both bodies are identical. I believe they’re both manufactured by Meyers Aircraft, I asked John Gerber and he thought they were the only company making them back then in the States. So I’m assuming that Meyers made the Harley Topper rigs as well as all the Vespa & Lammys, just changing the shape of the main tube & trailing arm length as needed for each brand. Check out the Harley diagram on Scott’s site, the body is identical to the others, and the main part of the rig frame is the same as in my photo. What do you guys think?

Who knew you can enjoy a sidecar beverage?! Enjoy this drink dating back to the early 1920’s. I found this excerpt on the Drink Of The Week website (http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/special/sidecar.htm) Boy, sounds all too familiar.

When we began our Sidecar journey, I had no idea so many types of Sidecars existed. There are Sidecars for those who prefer brandy, cognac, gin, vodka and even irish whisky. Join me in a toast to the Sidecar with a few of the concoctions listed below. After all, it would be a shame if the Noble Sidecar were once again forgotten.

Sidecar Recipe

Standard garnish: Sugared glass, lemon rind

• One part brandy or Cognac
• One part Cointreau
• One part lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a shaker half full of ice. Strain and serve in a sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a strip of lemon rind

Have one for me!