EML

500 Kawasaki / Mécène-Morgan - 1989

The modern motocross outfit

At the Swiss sidecar motocross Grand Prix held at Wohlen in 1983, an outfit modified to take a 500 single made its first appearance among the l000cc two- and four-stroke big twins. In April 1984, at the opening meeting of the World Championship, that same outfit was on the back row of the grid. But during the closed season, it had been thoroughly rethought and purpose-built to take a single. Sidecar motocross was about to undergo the most important change in its long history, setting the pattern for its future development.

Violent and Spectacular

Sidecar motocross is an unbelievably violent and spectacular sport, merely by virtue of the machines traditionally used by competitors. First there were British vertical twins, then Japanese big twins stuffed with horsepower by the wizards of tune; next came lighter "home-brewed" evolution two-stroke twins. All of these engines, developing 90-100 hp, were bolted into outfits that were oversized and heavy (500 lb), which made them necessarily rough and tough to handle. But today nobody uses such machines.

It's Efficiency That Counts

With just 60-65 hp for 350 lb – as the EML Kawasaki illustrated – it's the efficiency of an outfit that is lighter, more evolved, more balanced and. at the end of the day, better-performing than its monstrous predecessors that counts. The motocross sidecar has become sleeker, more high-tech and more modern.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 500cc water-cooled single-cylinder

Power Rating: "around 65 hp"

Valves: two-stroke

Fuel System: carburetor

Frame: double cradle with large-diameter central spine with quadruple linkage to aluminum platform sidecar drilled for lightness

Suspension: leading links (front); swing arm with single damper (rear and sidecar)

Brakes: disc (front & rear); no brake on sidecar

Wheels: 21 inch (front); 18 inch (rear); 19 inch (sidecar)

Weight: 352 lb

The Dutch EML of Mécène-Morgan, five times champions of France, has a combined motorbike and sidecar chassis and is powered by a Kawasaki 500cc engine.