Snowbum's BMW Motorcycle Repair & Information Website

See  https://bmwmotorcycletech.info/EMLsidecar8.htm  for the technical details page for my EML sidecar.

https://bmwmotorcycletech.info/  has a clickable place at the bottom area for the Technical Articles LIST.  Scan the list to near its bottom, where there is an extensive sidecar section.  Those articles have additional photos of the rig without the top on, so you can see the support tube/bar, etc.  LOTS of sidecar tech in that area of the website .....quite a few articles.

In designing and making the top for the EML sidecar, quite a lot of thought went into it. Even after it was done, I could make improvements if I ever made another one.  I did make some small changes later on to mine.

Standard easy-to-obtain snap fittings were utilized, which have very little of them sticking up into the air & provide a nice appearance.   The rear downwards-most part of the top, as it comes back down to the rear portion of the lift/tilt top section of the EML body (usually called 'the hatch') has both a forward & a rearward flap.  The forward flap, see the photo, uses snap fittings, hidden under the flap as pictured/noted.   I was concerned about oncoming wind & any 'lifting', trying to tear the new canvas top off the sidecar.  I design-in a second flap so the rear area of the top was a dual-flap.  The second flap, which is the rear-most flap, folds around the lift/tilt section rear area ....with full-width Velcro on both of the surfaces it wraps around on.  I probably should have 'tufted' the top of the windshield, as is done in wind-tunnel testing, because I found my concerns were totally unfounded, so this top fits the rear in an considerably over-designed manner.  At this point, you might be thinking that if I ever built another top, I'd not use just one strip of velcro, under the hatch, completely.  Why?   Because doing it the way I originally designed it nicely hides the velcro, makes for smooth rounded-edges, and just looks very much nicer and more professional.  So, no change if I ever built another!

The part of the top that goes over the top-front (and down the sides) of the windshield was lined with a silicon-rubber material (that has a LIP for best sealing), with small round cutouts for the snaps.   This made the windshield where it meets the canvas top essentially waterproof.  The two side-curtain windows use #5 COIL plastic YKK zippers, so that the zippers have no problem going around the curves of the windows.   The zipper pulls, two on each window, are all double types, so the windows can be unzipped from inside or outside the sidecar.   The windows were specifically designed to not be accidentally removable in normal use.  When the two zipper pulls of each window are pulled to the top, & inwards a bit towards each other, the windows can be rolled-up & a hangar made of top material, and with a snap place, is there to keep them rolled up when desired.

Stress & strain reliefs were installed at all major (and some minor) attachment points for everything.  Sewing was with a special thread & was at a minimum doubled ...numerous places have more stitching.  The stitching pitch was a consideration.    The top center seam has been sealed to avoid water leaks.

After this top was completed, installed & tested, as mentioned earlier, I found that the expected upwards (vacuum) movement of the major portion of the top area did not happen. I had assumed that airflow from the front would flow up the windshield & produce a slight vacuum on the canvas top.  This was not so; and, in fact, the top would dish downwards a bit as speed increased, & my passenger-wife was having the top canvas flapping against her helmet.   That was unexpected & unacceptable, so I made a double seamed flapped opening, a pocket really, located inside the top roof area, going fore & aft at the very center, just behind (but inside-underneath) that center snap you see in the photos. I have identified the area, with a red line in the first photo.  A stainless steel flat strap, with a slight upwards bow, was installed in that flap, & it was 'just' stiff enough & springy enough, to keep the top slightly bowed upwards.  It worked perfectly at any speed.  The strap is not very wide.  It runs fully from front to rear along the top portion.