Aermacchi enthusiast Jürgen Pfitzenmeier from southern Germany has always been fascinated by motorcycles with side cars. Not long ago he decided to build one himself. But not any side car, it had to be an Aermacchi, his favorite make. Fortunately enough he had a frame from one of the late Sprint models (1973-74) with the cradle frame which he thought would be the only apt to accommodate a side car. He bought new lightweight rims and used modern tires 100/90-19 front and 130/80-18 rear.

There has never been a doubt in his mind that the one cylinder four stroke long bore Aermacchi engine with it’s 27 hp @ 7500 RPM and the sturdy clutch could handle a side car.  The original 30mm Ceriani front fork seemed a little to week so he opted for a more robust Betor 35 mm. Finding a boat that was  light and from the same time period as the Sprint was not an easy task but finally he chose the Velorex 652. When he was deciding on what color to paint it, he glanced at a fuel tank from an Aermacchi RC 125 that was sitting on a shelf, he liked the color and thought it would make a nice eye-catcher.

Although he does not  have much experience with side car riding he managed well on his first ride outs. The bike with the side car only weighs 230 kg. For additional pull he used larger rear sprocket and he is considering to maximize the engine capacity to 408 cc. The bike has a good acceleration and brakes well. It runs straight at all  speeds without any problems. He has  not yet had the opportunity to test it at top speed, but he is dreaming of 110 to 115 Km/h.

Last but not least: he is having a great time on his side car bike, in spite of or maybe because of the smallness and lightness of the bike.