The Sidewinder Plus

Independent fronts, monoshock in the rear...

Independent front & monoshocks rear suspension gives this beast awesome handling over rough tracks at high speeds. Designed for 350cc - 650cc single cylinder enduro or motocross bike motors. Tops 120kph with 0 - 100kph in 6.5 seconds.

Nimble and compact...

The Sidewinder is the most nimble and compact of The Edge Products range of off road buggies.

Side mounted motor...

Power comes from a trail or motocross bike motor mounted alongside the driver. Front Suspension is Single ‘A’ Arm with coilover shock absorbers. Rear Suspension is a durable swingarm with solid axle and single coilover mono-shock.

Precise control on rough terrain..

Drive is chain direct from the motor to the axle, with the motor’s sprocket positioned inline with the suspension arm pivot point for reliable and precise chain tension. Steering is via a car-type rack & pinion to eliminate bump-steer and give precise control on rough terrain.

Easy & Comprehensive Plans

The Sidewinder Plus plans is comprehensive with over 90 pages including lots of 3D images. They can be purchased in a printed book or in digital form ready for immediate download (and at a discounted price).

These detail every chassis & suspension part that needs to be made along with parts lists, nuts & bolts lists & material lists. Laid out in 3D views with 2D dimensioned detailed drawings the Sidewinder Plus plans detail the complete chassis, front & rear suspension, brakes, pedals, all brackets, fuel tank, floor pan, roof plate, nose plate, bonnet, bulkhead plate, engine bash plate, complete steering including rack mount & steering column & gearshift setup. In fact, every single part that needs to be made.

The Sidewinder plans explain the chassis construction in a "step by step" format starting with the base frame & building the chassis from the ground up to make construction easier for the home builder. Suspension arms & components are broken down into their individual parts for ease of manufacture.

Check out some of our customer Sidewinders

Specifications

Chassis

Box section Chassis and full tubular rollcage structure

Steering

Rack & Pinion car-type

Motor

Trailbike or motocross Motors, single cylinder from 350cc up to 650cc

Transmission

Motorcycle Gearbox and Chain Drive to solid Rear Axle

Front Suspension

Single "A" Arm with Motorcycle Mono-shock, 250-300mm travel

Rear Suspension

Swing Arm with single Motorcycle Mono-shock, 280-350mm Travel

Brakes

Motorcycle Disc and Hydraulic Caliper on rear standard, optional front discs

Wheels

Front: 21x7x10 tyres on 10x6" steel rims
Rear: 22x11x8 tyres on 8x8.5" steel rims

Overall Length

2500mm

Overall Width

1420mm

Overall Height

1400mm

Track (rear)

1120mm

Track (front)

1120mm

Wheelbase

1900mm

Approx. Weight

280kg

Ground Clearance

Adjustable to 350mm

Top Speed

120kph

Acceleration

0-100 kph, (60mph) in 6.5 seconds

What does it cost to build?

Buying the raw materials, fabricating and welding the Sidewinder parts yourself to the plans will cost approximately $3,000 to $3,500 Australian dollars minus motor depending on how much of the componentry you produce yourself.

Customer Footage of a Sidewinder in Action

Suitable Engine Types

The Sidewinder design uses a motorcycle motor mounted along side the driver, generally on the right-hand side of the chassis.

The side-mounted motor's output sprocket lines up with the rear suspension swing arm pivot point. This means that when the suspension arm arcs up & down the chain will keep a constant tension.

The weight of the motor is counterbalanced by the fuel tank on the opposite side - but a motor which is too heavy or too wide can still upset the Sidewinder's handling.
With this in mind a single cylinder motor is the best choice.
But where to from here?

Four stroke single cylinder trail bike motors are the most user friendly in terms of good power to weight ratio & lots of low end torque. Trail bikes usually have the bonus of electric start - it's no fun needing to unbuckle from the driver harness and climb out every time the engine needs starting!

Bikes like the Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR650 and Honda XR650 are no-fuss workhorses which will haul all day long without hitting the service budget hard.
More advanced engines such as the KTM 690-family up the horsepower further for a true off-road weapon.
Modern high-strung 450cc motocross motors are also capable of wheel-spinning performance in the Sidewinder, such as the Honda CRF450, Yamaha WR450F and Kawasaki KX450F.
Finally, don't forget ATV / quad-bike powerplants like a Yamaha Raptor 660 which often include a reverse gear.

Kawasaki KLR650 Engine

Looking for something exotic? Two stroke motocross bike motors are very powerful & light weight. This type of motor in 500cc form produces a very powerful buggy, but the negative side is the intense vibration, lack of electric start & the temperamental nature of the two stroke motor.

Some of the best models (we believe) of motorcycle engine are as follows:

Double A-Arm Front Suspension Upgrade

The Sidewinder Plus can be upgraded to use the Piranha III Double A-Arm front suspension. See here for further information and to purchase plans and parts.

A Customer's Great Sidewinder Action!