British-built sidecar and fitting kit for the American electric motorcycle.
Watsonian Sidecars have developed a fitting Kit for the Livewire S2 Del Mar (2024-’25) – their first for a production electric motorcycle.
“Designing a fitting kit for an electric bike like the Livewire is particuclarly challenging” explains 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.”
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Manufactured from steel tube in Watsonian’s Cotswold factory, the fitting kit is powder-coated for durability and is 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 194lb.ft 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, with a 260mm disc at the rear, suspension and stopping power can manage a sidecar, and a steering damper is added to ease low speed handling.
“We were approached by a long-standing customer who wanted to add an electric-powered outfit to his collection” says Watsonian Managing Director Ben Matthews. “It’s a great example of technical expertise and in-house engineering enabling us to fit a sidecar to almost any motorcycle or scooter”.
Prices for sidecar fitting kits typically start at £995- (including VAT) and Watsonian offer a factory fitting service, to ensure everything is set up perfectly for optimum handling. The Livewire S2 Del Mar is one of the larger and more intricate kits and costs £2,495- including VAT.
It is shown paired with a Watsonian Monza Jubilee sidecar, RRP from £6,995-.
Located near the picturesque village of Blockley, Watsonian-Squire welcomes visitors to their factory showroom and cafe. See their full range of sidecars at www.watsonian-squire.com.
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