Sidecars are not every motorcyclists preferred attachment to their machine, but then there are some who would much rather have one instead of a motorcar. As a young fella I always thought that a third wheel on a motorcycle was unnatural, however as the years have passed there has been a change even in my direction of such thoughts.
Sidecars that were originally manufactured in the 1950s by H. C. Dusting of Melbourne are represented in this reprinted catalogue and are worthy of reproducing on Barnstormers as there have been new owners in charge for the past 12 years who are endeavouring to reproduce what was a sort after product. Ariel, BSA, Triumph, through to Indian and Harley Davidson all shared the Dusting brand as an attachment, whether it was for passenger service or a commercial application. There are 12 different styles of passenger body, some with names like Launch Roadster and Cruiser Sport, and 4 types of commercial bodies, so something for every situation. They also produced trailer vans that could be towed behind motorcycles.
The catalogue also includes an accessory list of windscreens, hoods and luggage rack equipment as well as Dustings venture into 2 wheel children scooters with The Rocket and The Comet proving very stylish for the time.
If you would like to learn more about Dusting sidecars click here. Worth a visit even if you don’t plan on adding a 3rd wheel to your motorcycle.
Click on the front cover below to see the 18 page catalogue.
It is a 4.2M PDF and you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
An excellent book on the life of sidecars is The Sidecar A History, by Geoff Brazendale ISBN 0 9534961 0 4. Published in 1999 it covers designs and manufacturers throughout the world from the beginning up to more modern times. A great Read.
