Russian style sidecar on a Harley WLA

DanJahn · #1 23-11-12, 07:43

Hello group

I’m looking to put a CJ750 sidecar on a military Harley to put together a representation of what the Russians did with the lend lease Harley WLA’s.

I’m looking for any information on how they mounted the sidecar on the Harley frame.

I’m also looking for the mounting hardware that goes on the frame. Would prefer a clamp on style over weld on.

Thank you

Dan

Slava · #2 18-12-12, 18:51

Hi,
I'm Russian but I can't say anything useful to you. I'm not shure but suppose Russians putted sidecars of later after-the-war production kinds. If so there were non-production aftermarket rebuilds that made locally without any standard parts. Although I'm not a Harley specialist but can note there aren't many survived WLA's overhere and info about them also.

Eduard Sorokin · #3 25-12-12, 18:51

Hello, Dan !

Slava is right about not much information survived about Lend-Lease "Harleys" in Russia. But all is not so bad.

1) The Soviet Union has received 26.670 examples of "Harleys" WLA Solo motorcycles in total under Lend-Lease agreement.

2) The images of Russian WLA with sidecars are not too rare:

Here are Soviet column in Romania (August 1944).

Further two pictures shows Russian WLA with sidecars during the Soviet - Japanese battle campaign on Pacific in 1945:

The Russians used on their "Harleys" the sidecars of Russian design only from Russian M-72 motorcycles (the pictures above shows such examples).

Let's go further. Russian documentation on "Harley" WLA exists only for Solo motorcycles (in open access, at least). But there are many documentation on WW2 Russian M-72 motorcycles (including sidecars, of course).

So, I think - if the Soviets used on their "Harleys" the sidecars from M-72 motorcycles, the sidecar's fixation system on "Harley" was same like this system on M-72 motorcycle.
And the drawings of sidecar fixation from M-72's technical Manuals will be useful for You (to understand an Idea and principle of fixation, at least). Moreover - I feel sure, the fixation systems on "Harleys" and M-72s were absolutely same.

And if You has not lost interest to this subject - send me PM with Your e-mail address, and I shall help You with some drawings from M-72 Manuals.

Regards.

Lang · #4 26-12-12, 05:03

When you look carefully at the photos there are several different styles of bike and sidecar. Second one in the line on the beach looks like a German bike not WLA.

Lang

Ian Fawbert · #5 04-01-13, 07:57

Hi mate,

This website might be of help. It seems there is a M72 sidecar on there from several angles.

About 1/3 of the way down the page from the top. Interestingly, there is also a picture of a WLA fitted with a mortar (and i thought a jeep with anything bigger than a .50 cal was overkill for the poor vehicle!).

http://www.theliberator.be/liberator8.htm

Cheers,
Ian.