Sunday, May 24, 2026

Sidecar Sunday bonus, The Flying Bedstead

Thanks JP!

   But is it a sidecar? Australian Peter Dunscombe was racing a Vincent powered sidecar when he decided he needed to improve it. About that time Owen Greenwood's Mini-based "sidecar" was blowing away the competition in a very un-sidecar-like machine in England and it was that machine that inspired him to build this one.. Once again, a 3 track vehicle rather than 2, based on a Mini front end. When the Vincent started getting long in the tooth, he moved to a Suzuki GT750 Waterbuffalo engine shown here. Lack of space dictated the pipes location. It was far from ideal. The whole story here.


 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Flying Bedstead was also the testbed for the Hawker Harrier's engine. D.

JP said...

Also I believe the nickname of the Lunar Lander trainer. I have in mind a clip of Neil Amstrong ejecting just before it crashes.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the swell link and story, Mr G. It seems very Australian to go racing in the dirt on a Black Lightning. I mean the good kind of "very Australian," of course.
--rats

Anonymous said...

I saw that and after the comments I wonder if it’s more than coincidence.it would be a great comparison.