Watsonian sidecars are now available to fit the all-new BSA Gold Star.
BSA made their first motorcycle in 1910 and Watsonian started making sidecars two years later, both brands growing to become dominant in the UK market during the boom years of the 1950s.
While many famous motorbike factories closed their doors in the Sixties and Seventies, Watsonian continued to manufacture sidecars in the Heart of England. The popularity of modern classics over the past 20 years has provided a steady stream of new customers for traditional sidecars.
“We’ve received a lot of enquiries about fitting sidecars to the new BSA Gold Star and we managed to obtain one of the first production bikes so we could develop a kit” explains Watsonian MD Ben Matthews. “With its torquey engine and traditional steel tubular frame, we could see straight away that it would be well suited to sidecar work. And its authentic styling made it a perfect match for our Grand Prix sidecar”.
The Grand Prix sidecar has a GRP body that retains the octagonal nose and aluminium beading first seen on the Watsonian Sports sidecar of 1930. It sits in a steel perimeter frame, which is connected to the motorcycle with four arms, carefully positioned for a secure fit and stable handling. The passenger sits in a plush upholstered bucket seat, protected from the elements by a generous Lexan screen and cushioned from the road by hydraulic suspension.
It is shown here with colour-matched paint and fitted with an auxiliary spotlight. Since every sidecar is built to order, Watsonian can add accessories to suit the customer’s specific requirements.