Hello everyone, my name is Rob and I am seriously considering adding a sidecar to my 2004 Roadking. I have been in the ARMY for 20 years, was seriously injured in Baghdad, Iraq and wound up with somelifelong leg problems as a bonus! lol
I have been riding for 25 years, have progressed from a YZ125 to a honda 750 to Kawasaki Vulcan to a Goldwing to a my current scooter a 2004 police edition Roadking. I have upgraded to screaming eagle intake and pipes with map upload.GPS mount, Ipod mount and upgraded suspension with tour seat for my lovely and adventurous wife.
I had my King in Europe for 3 years before I was injured. I was fortunate to ride in every country in Europe that you can go with an American passport. You name it I probably went there. Paris, Milan, Rome Nice, St Tropez, Switzerland, Austria, Normandy, Italy, Germany, East Germany, Amsterdam, The Hague. I'm gonna stop bragging now, I am just so proud to have been given the opportunity of a lifetime before I was injured.
I am currently exploring avenues to get back on my bike and enjoy America. I am medically retiring in 3 months( surgeries all finally done). I have some leg problems and am looking at a sidecar as my way of getting back on my bike. I checked trikes and trike kits but they are so expensive it is not an option for me.
I am hoping to find a safe used sidecar that I can afford. I have researched models and found that the good ones are nearly 8k. I am hoping someone might have knowledge of a good used one somewhere that is needing a new loving adventurous home. I'm not looking for something free just affordable and safe.
My wife and I love to just take off with the GPS plugged in, no particular destination in mind, just the fun of exploring somewhere new. We have met so many cherished friends on our adventures and I just refuse to give it up. I'm looking at this new adventure as an opportunity to travel broader circles and meet new friends. Not a setback but a new adventure.
We are not big drinkers so we enjoy the smaller rallies where you can meet real folks without the chaos of Sturgis or Daytona. Those were our younger days. lol
Anyway, I'm here to meet new friends. Any advice on sidecars, models to get, models to stay away from, anythIng motorcycling related is appreciated and wanted. I'm an avid rider, safety first but not afraid of exploring.
My usual reply to my exhausted wife is" it's just around the next bend in the road, Babe, I promise!" LOL
Hi Rob: We thank you for your service for the past 20 years. Sorry for you injury, but it's good to hear of your impending retirement. With you and your wife's adventurous spirit, I think y'all will enjoy sidecars as much as we have.
As for available sidecars, I noticed this used one for sale down here in Louisiana that might be an option, especially for someone with a white FLH tug: http://www.racingjunk.com/category/809/Other/post/1766862/California-Sidecar.html . Please note that I'm not familiar this particular sidecar, nor do I have any experience with the model and/or manufacturer.
Good luck with continuing adventures in retirement.
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
Hi Rob - where you at? I'm up here in WA State, near Ft Lewis. *strike that... "Joint Base Lewis-McChord"
Tony
Lacey (dammit) WA
'83 R100RT w/Ural sidecar *built by da' Bum!!
USCA# something or other...
Thanks for the support and the lead in Louisiana. I will call the guy tomorow. That would be great to get one already matching my bike. I'm trying to educate myself on these carts. Alt more technical than I would hav thought. But makes total sense to have a good and safe car. I will ensure before I BUY, I will ask and learn everything about the cart.
Once again thank you for your reply and support. Your right, the little lady and I refuse to allow this minor glitch in our lives stop us from enjoying the rest of our adventures together, God Speed Friend
Hey bro, I'm down in Georgia at Ft Benning currently. Lewis is the only post stateside that has Infantry I haven't been stationed. Trained there in yuka valley years ago. What a muddy wet miserable hole to be in 12 days living out of a ruck! Almost as bad there as Grafenwoer Germany! lol
Tll me about your carts guys. What is good, what is bad. Anything you got for a newby please let me know so I can make informed decisions. Army taught me to be proactive rather than reactive, know what I mean?
My Roadking is a standard, will that make a difference on hookup kits?
One post said do not buy incomplete cart, cuz mounting kit is a thousand bucks. Seems if I could get a cart for a couple grand then buy kit, I should hav one for 3 grand, Is my math off? Appreciate the advice friends
Hi Rob,
This sidecar is a good deal, Cal makes a very nice car and more importantly it has the electric lean, this allows you to trim the car so it doesn't pull in either direction and comes in real handy on crowned roads, I have it on mine and can't imagine having a car with out it, go to the calf web site and look up all the extras this rig has on it and you will see why it a good deal http://www.californiasidecar.com/sidecars_friendship_ii.htm go to the price list and check it out, your going to be amazed at the total, the elc lean is $1200+ by it's self. One thing you will have to do is change the triple tree to increase the fork angle for ease of handling. Hope you get it,,you wont be sorry.
Hey Rob, This SEAVET sez/ thanx a ton for your service. Besides the military part I sure like hearing stories of Americans going about other countries as respectful pleasent biker travelers. Philosophically you might very well be accomplishing just as much as if you were on patrol.
Have just recently been "sidecar bug bitten myself". Too late for tourniquette. Have to let the potion work it's way thru' my lifestyle.
Take care, Jim.
Thank you for your service. And welcome to the world of Sidecaring. With a sidecar a little thing like a bad leg will not stop you, I know I am missing my right one.
Welcome Rob, You and your wife are going to have a great time with a sidecar. Be sure to download the free books we have here. Read and learn.
http://www.sidecar.com/links3.asp
Figured you were 11B from the first post 🙂 It ain't a bad place, long as you don't have to work outdoors! Retired 2005 and happily workin' in a warehouse now.
Good and bad you will probably best determine by lookin' around at rallies or dealers - if there's a sidecar course in Georgia (everytime I see that I think "Joe-ja" LOL) or nearby it'd be more'n worth your while to take it - take a trip and make a vacation out of it, even!
My rig is a 1000cc 1983 beemer w/full fairing, a subframe is used to attach the sidecar to the bike in order to reduce stress on the bike frame - and the bike's frame was stoutly reinforced by its builder to further spread those forces evenly throughout.
The wheel lead is quite short (~6 inches, if I recall) which is one affect on steering you'll want to consider when buying/rigging your hack. Most go with much more lead - but then, I'm getting into stuff that is really beyond me... I'm not a "builder" I'ma driver! 😉
Long and short of it is, the more lead, the more stable the combination, but the more tire wear too (as I understand it). My rig is very "nimble" and handles well, for me. The builder was concerned that I may stuff it in a left-hander, but I think I've earned some confidence - hell, I've been driving it a couple years now. *knock on wood! - Mr. Murphy is lurking nearby...*
The steering has been modified with UNIT Leading Links, rather than the telescopic forks which were standard on the bike. As has been mentioned already, this pushes the axle out and eases steering with a hack - but could make steering dangerous if riding without the sidecar attached. Sidecar is a Ural Tourist on stock frame, although track width is narrower than most (again, goes towards being agile and quick handling). No modification has been made to the lean-out since I purchased it, already set. Pusher tire lasts ~3000 miles, but then, I've gotta' recheck that. Might be more (or less!) LOL
That brings up something (which I don't think you'll have to worry about, given one of your reasons for sidecaring in the first place) which I'd like to say - a sidecar combination is NOT a motorcycle. Looks like one, and lots of times folks will consider the sidecar as an accessory, but it doesn't handle like a bike. Joyce recommended downloading/reading some of the books offered through this website, and they are excellent resources. You should do it.
If you decide to hack the bike, do it a little at a time, then you'll be able to decide when it's "good enough" for you - you may not need a steering mod - might decide a steering damper is good enough. Or you may not want electric lean (although if it's there and the price is right...) 😉
Seeya' down the road sometime!
robsroadking - 2/11/2010 1:28 AM
Hey bro, I'm down in Georgia at Ft Benning currently. Lewis is the only post stateside that has Infantry I haven't been stationed. Trained there in yuka valley years ago. What a muddy wet miserable hole to be in 12 days living out of a ruck! Almost as bad there as Grafenwoer Germany! lol
Tll me about your carts guys. What is good, what is bad. Anything you got for a newby please let me know so I can make informed decisions. Army taught me to be proactive rather than reactive, know what I mean?
My Roadking is a standard, will that make a difference on hookup kits?
One post said do not buy incomplete cart, cuz mounting kit is a thousand bucks. Seems if I could get a cart for a couple grand then buy kit, I should hav one for 3 grand, Is my math off? Appreciate the advice friends
Hi Rob. I would also like to thank you for your service. It is the sacrifice of you and all the other military members that maintain our freedom and lifestyle. I am Canadian, and support you and our military.
I am running a California Sidecar (Friendship III) on my 1500 Goldwing and am very pleased with it. I have only had it a few months, but have already put over 4000 miles on it. I looked at the posting that was listed on here and looks like a good unit. With the mounting kit for an Electra Glide, it should probably bolt right on to yours as they are both based on the FLH frame. A quick call to California Sidecar should confirm this for you.
Enjoy and hope to meet you on the road.
Ah yes; The foggy damp of Ft. Lewis.
Probably changed a bit from when I trained there as a 15 year old in 1947. I think the old Rainier Arsenal is now the "Logistics Center". Spent many a night on "Ghost Patrol" policing the area around there picking up any blade of grass or cigarette butt (when my activities were not in alignment with Army Reg's.).
An older (16) brother and I were there for basic at the same time until they separated us. I went on to Heavy Weapons A&P, he went to Ordinance.
One of my fondest memories is of the Manchu's (3rd Armored Cavalry) Beer hall just north of the main gate.
10c mugs and 25c pitchers. Quite an affordable entertainment venue for a lad making $96.00 a month (half of which was already pre spent with PX script).
Lonnie
Hi Rob,
Welcome to this Forum and thanks for your service (I'm an old ex paratrooper from the late 50's).
My rig is an '03 Road King with a TLE and it is really fun. My wife and I enjoy travelling on/in it. It would be neat if you could find a used TLE but a Liberty also looks really fine on an RK.
If you're looking for used - which sounds like a good idea - you may have to be patient. It seems to me that used sidecar stuff doesn't show up very often so you might wind up shipping a car from another part of the US.
The best on your rehab and search for a hack.
Ralph
Rob, riding a rig is much more fun then a solo, and most of all it is excellent body building. and indeed as a (semi)-invalid you have less things to worry about on the rig then the solo.
I continued riding solo, rig (and car) in those years I had frequently partial shoulder and arm paralisations. The rig was my preferred choice.
And most of all you met much more smiling faces and interesting persons with them.
Nearly anywhere you get to with a solo, you get to with a rig, but definitely where you get to with a rig there is no chance to get to with a solo.... at least when you explore mountain tracks like I do.
And after you passed the learning curve You will feel much more comfortable and safer with the rig all year round.
Enjoy patrolling and following the nose into the wind.
God bless you and your wife.
----
Lonnie, I didn't know you are such an old bone. My respect for your young mind, knowledge and excellent attitude.
----
Best regards
Sven,
a stubborn W.-German pacifist who didn't even touch a gun since national service in 84. (only 1 pistol shot into the white at 22m)
I do not own any weapon, because I know I'd use it in the moment needed .... and ... my father had 3 work accidents with them ... and a nephew was shot by a playing cousin.)
My Godfather was in UK-active service from Correa till Kosovo,.... so I heard more then one true story that made me make my personal decision to live in a country where we do not have any Army since 1948.
Hello to all my fellow riders and new friends! I am happy to meet all of you folks and thank you for the support and friendship. I guess I figured it right, sidecar riders are good folks!
I'm looking at a used California car tomorrow, might be the one to get me back on the road, we'll see. I will just need to find someone to install it. There is a guy in Noonan Ga that does sidecar installs and he says he can't quote me a price til he see's the system. makes sense to me.
to all you military veterans, I thank you for your service. Not everyone can do what we have done and that makes us different. Not better, just special. I have served on 4 different continents, so many diifferent countries I can''t name them all. It has been my absolute pleasure to serve our country and it will always be my best memories. But we all have to move on at some time and now is my turn. I vow to spend the rest of my life being a good ambasador of AMERICA AND THE united states army! hooahhhh!
Rangers Lead the Way!
