After going through all the fun and adventure of hooking a '97 Ultra sidecar to a 2003 bike, I have continued to mourn the look of the stock wagon wheel on the hack. I was told that the front wheel of a Fatboy would be an appropriate substitute for the hack wheel, so began the search for an aftermarket wheel that would fit a pre-99 Fatboy (back when the axle was 3/4").
I found a pair of glorious RevTec billet wheels to replace the bike front wheel and the sidecar wheel (the rear wheel can't be seen behind the hard bags, so I didn't spend the extra money for that one). Now the real fun begins!
Suggestion: don't try this at home!
Challenge 1: The wheel hub on stock sidecar is about 6" wide, while the new wheel hub is 6.25" wide. To make it fit, the hub will require milling down the extra metal.
Challenge 2: The drum brake on the 97 sidecar (Harley changed to a single disc in 98)is not bolt-on compatable with the new wheel. Machining the drum is now required.
Challenge 3: Spacing of the new setup doesn't center the wheel properly between the fender. Still more milling required to the opposite side of the hub to center the wheel properly.
Challenge 4: Explaining to my wife that the extra money spent on making it fit will all be worth it when she sees the finished product.
Originally written by the Edge on 2/23/2008 6:12 AM
After going through all the fun and adventure of hooking a '97 Ultra sidecar to a 2003 bike, I have continued to mourn the look of the stock wagon wheel on the hack. I was told that the front wheel of a Fatboy would be an appropriate substitute for the hack wheel, so began the search for an aftermarket wheel that would fit a pre-99 Fatboy (back when the axle was 3/4").
I found a pair of glorious RevTec billet wheels to replace the bike front wheel and the sidecar wheel (the rear wheel can't be seen behind the hard bags, so I didn't spend the extra money for that one). Now the real fun begins!
Suggestion: don't try this at home!
Challenge 1: The wheel hub on stock sidecar is about 6" wide, while the new wheel hub is 6.25" wide. To make it fit, the hub will require milling down the extra metal.
Challenge 2: The drum brake on the 97 sidecar (Harley changed to a single disc in 98)is not bolt-on compatable with the new wheel. Machining the drum is now required.
Challenge 3: Spacing of the new setup doesn't center the wheel properly between the fender. Still more milling required to the opposite side of the hub to center the wheel properly.
Challenge 4: Explaining to my wife that the extra money spent on making it fit will all be worth it when she sees the finished product.
I understand your desire to change "appearances". It's nice to be "different" and to appear "unique".
But, wow!, that's quite a project you've set up for yourself. If faced with the same Issues, coward and sloth that I am, I'd just have a beer or maybe even a six-pack and forget about it. LOL
Forgetting the cost, part of the problem is that you've got to be absolutely certain that the parts will still work properly when you are through.
Back to the cost again, I suspect that the brake drum that you are about to modify is about a $400 piece if purchased new, assuming that you can still find them. I suspect that the wheels are quite a bit more than that. Thus, such modifications must be approached with a firm mindset and great reverence for the pieces involved as well as the actual aesthetic value of the final result.
I salute you, but being basically a cynical fellow and remembering some of my past modifications, I can practically guarantee that you will be the only one that will notice when you are through.
Let us know how that comes out after the last chip has hit the floor of the machine shop.....Heck, I might even try something like that some day, right after my divorce is final. LOL
The modifications and customization will be pricey, as you indicated. Take a look in the Albums section of this forum to see the bike in its current state, and you will see that the bike looks great, but the sidecar wheel is an eyesore.
After spending the money to add every little piece of chrome available for the bike, the sidecar HAS to be equally appealing. The flame wheels will finish the look that I am shooting for. Not that the cosmetics are functional, but this rig is almost show quality, and it might be the last one that I own.
Originally written by the Edge on 2/23/2008 8:39 AM
The modifications and customization will be pricey, as you indicated. Take a look in the Albums section of this forum to see the bike in its current state, and you will see that the bike looks great, but the sidecar wheel is an eyesore.
After spending the money to add every little piece of chrome available for the bike, the sidecar HAS to be equally appealing. The flame wheels will finish the look that I am shooting for. Not that the cosmetics are functional, but this rig is almost show quality, and it might be the last one that I own.
That's a nice looking rig, for sure. Just be sure that the sidecar wheel wheels will fit the axle BEFORE doing the modifications and you'll be OK. Personally, I like the looks of the standard sidecar wheels. The one on my 2007 TLE matches the other two on the bike and that's plenty good enough for me, since I'm not into chrome. My 2004 parts manual shows that Harley brought out a fatboy-style polished wheel in 2004, P/N 41212-04. They also have a spoked wheel, P/N 43159-00, but unfortunately, neither will work with the drum brake system. Given the lack of availability, you are probably doing the right thing if you want to spice things up.
Do you have a machine shop lined up for the work?
my sidecar wheel did not match the bike front wheel
in the end - i got a bike front wheel to match the sidecar wheel - cost a hundred dollars new in the box from a dealer
the deal is that sidecar wheels are 500 bux from hd [they are special.....] [ well except softail dressers single disk front wheels are the SAME as a sidecar wheel - just bolt on - its the only one]
but front wheels are often stocked as crash replacements and if you go looking during the winter old stock sales...
also stock from wheels are availiable on ebay for lots less than new.
either way - the front wheel is cheaper than the sidecar wheel.
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Interesting. I'll remember that.
Good luck on your wheels!
Before I modify the drum brake I would look at changing to a disc brake. This might be easier and cheaper than reworking a drum brake setup. Just a thought.
mrmustash aka Paul
im pretty sure the steel casting that holds the brake, fender & axle is different between the drum brake sidecars and the disk brake ones.
there are two stock wheels for the sidecar - a 40 spoke steel and a cast that matched the current ultra for that year.
if you cant get a bike front that matches the sidecar - try for the 40 spoke steel - those CAN be gotten as a front [is the road king front that matches the sidecar 40 spoke steel]
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Originally written by timo482 on 2/24/2008 6:42 AM
im pretty sure the steel casting that holds the brake, fender & axle is different between the drum brake sidecars and the disk brake ones.
there are two stock wheels for the sidecar - a 40 spoke steel and a cast that matched the current ultra for that year.
if you cant get a bike front that matches the sidecar - try for the 40 spoke steel - those CAN be gotten as a front [is the road king front that matches the sidecar 40 spoke steel]
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Yeah, a disc brake conversion would be tough due to the configuration of the earlier frame. As Mr. Timo says, a spoke or matching cast wheel for the year would avoid mods to that VERY EXPENSIVE brake drum.
The biggest problem with the rig is that so much attention to detail has gone into this project that settling for stock or spoke wheels just doesn't do the sidecar justice. I got cheap on the purchase of a used sidecar, and probably should have spent the extra bucks to get a newer unit with a disc brake, but that's in the past.
Getting the genuine Harley Anniversary stripes proved to be almost impossible, and I had to go to a graphics designer to make a perfect counterfeit of this item. Spent several months checking ebay to find a tank medallion that could be used on the sidecar without spending hundreds of dollars on this little piece of road jewelry. The painter screwed up the initial clearcoat and had to start over from scratch. Now the wheels are adding a little more drama to the project.
The whole deal has been a lot of pain but we enjoy the sidecar and pulling in with this rig at the local Bike Night still gets a lot more attention than some of those $50K choppers that everyone seems to be riding these days. I probably should have kept my first sidecar rig but didn't know that my wife's bad back would force us back to 3 wheels so soon. (picture of my first has been added to my album)
Originally written by the Edge on 2/24/2008 9:12 AM
The biggest problem with the rig is that so much attention to detail has gone into this project that settling for stock or spoke wheels just doesn't do the sidecar justice. I got cheap on the purchase of a used sidecar, and probably should have spent the extra bucks to get a newer unit with a disc brake, but that's in the past.
Getting the genuine Harley Anniversary stripes proved to be almost impossible, and I had to go to a graphics designer to make a perfect counterfeit of this item. Spent several months checking ebay to find a tank medallion that could be used on the sidecar without spending hundreds of dollars on this little piece of road jewelry. The painter screwed up the initial clearcoat and had to start over from scratch. Now the wheels are adding a little more drama to the project.
The whole deal has been a lot of pain but we enjoy the sidecar and pulling in with this rig at the local Bike Night still gets a lot more attention than some of those $50K choppers that everyone seems to be riding these days. I probably should have kept my first sidecar rig but didn't know that my wife's bad back would force us back to 3 wheels so soon. (picture of my first has been added to my album)
I feel for you having to do any sort of paint work. I simply could not face that when I bought my new TLE in the crate. Using my VIN number, the folks at Tomahawk matched the paint including the silver stripes for no extra charge since my bike is Vivid Black. I couldn't have even approached a match anywhere close to what I got for less than another $1,200. I lucked out and found a new primered Ultra right side lower fairing on eBay for $180 delivered. We painted that and added the stripes with a Beugler striping unit. I seriously doubt I could stripe a whole sidecar and get away with it. Phew.
I didn't order the Ultra since we aren't interested in the radio in the tub. Everything else is good. No handholds and the seat is a little less comfy but it was fully $2,000 less for a new TLE unit in the crate as opposed to the TLE-Ultra. I can't complain as I got exactly what I ordered.
if you are looking for hd custom wheels - there are quite a few harley wheels that are listed for sidecar use - you have to dig a bit but they are there.. usually about 200 extra.
if you look through the parts book for the year of the sidecar and then look at the bike lists there is overlap.
i know that the older sidecar parts book listed 9 spoke cast and 40 spoke steel - now there are cast like a fltx, and the various road kings and aluminum 40 spoke and a few others.
the aftermarket can also come up with them -
or spend the big bux and have it made.
on the disk brake sidecars the sidecar wheel is just a softail single disk front wheel - im not sure what the drum brake bolt pattern is - but it is from way back - and still reliable
please note that your drum brake does have two big advantages over the disk
1 they dont squeal
2 they dont rust - so you can chrome the drum & backplate
also i went through the trouble to update my 04 sidecar to work with my 07 ultra - at the end of the day i would be about 1000 ahead if i would have traded them in as a pair on a pair.
live and learn
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