American Easy Rider Sidecar History
The American Easy Rider Sidecar company owner and son in the early 1970's in Lancaster Texas.
The EASY-RIDER Sidecar is a neat sidecar that has not been manufactured since the mid-1970's. It has been copied by quite a few other companies over the years. It is, however, a light sidecar with a soft suspension and small mounts and in stock form is not suitable for heavier machines. They were great little sidecars for the small to mid sized motorcycles of the day. In 1971 they cost $300 for a new EASY-RIDER Sidecar in the box. A fun sidecar at an entry level price.
First lets make sure you have an EASY-RIDER Sidecar, because many people have confused their Easy Rider sidecar with a Spirit of America, Eagle sidecar or a California sidecar, Companion model. There will be a Manufacturers serial number plate on it from American EASY-RIDER in Lancaster Texas (see picture). Lift the sidecar seat forward, pull up the carpet in the trunk (boot) and look for a manufactures label under the seat or by the mounting bolts. It will have a four digit serial number.
Pied Piper, American Easy Rider and Spirit of America - Spirit Eagle and California Companion sidecars are the same or cloned from the same body molds. EASY-RIDER sidecar frames were made with a suspension that was a swingarm with coil over shock and the sidecars were made for a light weight motorcycle, 400cc to 750cc. Copying other successful sidecar body styles has been a mainstay of the sidecar business since the beginning. The closest looking rig to the EASY-RIDER Sidecar being manufactured today would be Texas Sidecar's Standard Model.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some American Easy Rider Sidecar pictures. They just had this one sidecar model.
This is the standard American Easy Rider Sidecar.
Many of the sidecars were reworked to use a car wheel on them.
Easy Rider sidecar mounts.
Easy Rider sidecar seat.
Bottom of Easy Rider sidecar with indent in body for swingarm pivot shaft.
Easy Rider sidecar 1 inch axle and shock.
This shows the Easy Rider sidecar serial number plate mounted under the seat. You will need to pull up the carpet to see it.
This is the Easy Rider sidecar serial number plate with the 4 digit number. Every number plate I have seen is between 1100 and 1939.
Easy Rider Sidecar frame clamps for the motorcycle. Don't use these they will move, get new modern mounts.
Here are the Easy Rider sidecar frame mounts. The lower front Z-Bar mount with pinch tube clamp. Then the long upper front strut and the shorter rear upper and lower strut mounts with frame clamps.
This is the lower rear strut mount and clamp and the motorcycle frame clamps. Also a 1971 American Easy Rider owners manual.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Easy Rider Sidecar company also made motorcycle fairings. See below one made for a Harley-Davidson from the early 1970's. A big thank you to Steven B. for the pictures and information on his Easy Rider fairing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I stock new American Easy Rider Sidecar owners manuals.
