These days there are many motorcyclists who manage their whole motorcycling life without operating a sidecar outfit. Once, in the era before reasonably priced small cars were available, sidecar outfits were the only way many families could afford motorised transport and they were a common sight on UK roads. In those days most motorcyclists would be able to make an outfit go forward. There was a whole industry surrounding these machines and literally dozens of coachbuilders ventured into their manufacture. Some notable makers – Watsonian for instance – became the market leaders with many racing and competition successes to their name. Others, such as the Swallow Sidecar Company, took the concept a stage further and moved into coachbuilt cars and enjoyed successful sales in both spheres before rebranding as Jaguar Cars.
Most British motorcycle manufacturers would, if not designing their machines with a sidecar in mind, at least assume someone may well fit a sidecar to it and there would often be discreet lugs and castings within the frame construction to facilitate such things. With the whole three-wheel thing
