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.”
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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