Dual-sport ground clearance question

The clearance does not change, because of the subframe on the bike. At least, on my R1100GS rig, the mounts are higher than the bike's skidplate. The quality and the stiffness of your shocks can make a big difference in the clearance of the sidecar. Also it depend of the size of the chair "s wheel, on the Ural chair you have the sock 21" but you can put the 19" from a GS rear, then the clearance will drop. On my rig I have a swaybar, and the clearance is even lower. But if you know your clearance values, you learn to use your rig in their limits and you should be fine.

On my V Strom, the fram is maybe 5" or so, it does reduce the clearance.

Couple things to keep in mind with a dual sport rig IF you plan on much offroad use (based just on my experiences)

1. The side car adds a LOT of weight. You will want to re gear it as much lower. The Strom has gobs of torqe (mine has more than my 12GS), but with the SC it's a different story (re-gearing potential was one reason I decided on a chain driven bike)

2. I have noticed when I get in a tough situation with poor surface conditions, the bike has much more drive ability from the rear wheel than the smaller front wheel can handle. I.e. it pushes forward, doesn't really steer. Urals with 2 wheel drive hardly steer at all in 2 wheel mode.

In other words, the reduced ground clearance is not the issue it seems, at least for me.

jmho

Originally written by gregbenner on 1/27/2007 12:25 AM

On my V Strom, the fram is maybe 5" or so, it does reduce the clearance.Couple things to keep in mind with a dual sport rig IF you plan on much offroad use (based just on my experiences)1. The side car adds a LOT of weight. You will want to re gear it a=much lower. The has gobs of torqe (mine has more than my 12GS), but with the SC it's a different story (re gearing potential was one reason I decided on a chain driven bike)2. I have noticed when I get in a tough situation with poor surface conditions, the bike has much more drive ability from the rear wheel than the smaller front wheel can handle. I.e. it pushes forward, doesn't really steer. Urals with 2 wheel drive hardly steer at all in 2 wheel mode. In other words, the reduced ground clearance is not the issue it seems, at least for me.jmho

Greg, You have brought up some points that are important but typically are not spoken of much.Great post. As far a ground clearnace goes it is typically not a huge issue from my experience with a dual sport type rig unless really rough terrain it to be transversed. Large rocks can be a nightmare for these rigs or any rig.Uophill climbs can be difficult too. Partially due to ground clearance and maybe more so due to the sidecar rig symetrical by nature. As far as the front end not wanting to steer or being able to provide much steering input under some conditions THAT is a concern! It is sadly typical to sidecar rigs especially when going up a steep incline with a loose surface. Here are some things that can help in this area. Keep in mind that the application of these techniques will take practice and when under what conditions they may be a benefit but can only be learned with practice. I hope Vernon Wade is reading this as he has a lot of off road experinece and may be able to add to it. Scenario: Going up a hill and front end just wants to slide to the right as you turn wheel to left. Options(some to be combined): Hit the hill with enough speed and try to maintain it. Getting on the throttle too much will worsen the push of the front end.Finesse is the key. Braking the rear wheel slightly while under power can sometimes help regain traction up front. Shifting body weight over the front wheel can help. Shifting body weight to the left can sometimes help. Riding with the bike wheels in a rut can help...if ground clearance and terrain allow it. Riding so as to have the sidecar up higher than the bike can help too. Here is one that will make no sense. Turning to the right to lighten the chair on some surfaces can actually allow you to turn quickly back to the left to maintain a course desired. I take no responsibility for how these techniques work out for you but can say that they do work but a lot of frustrating practice is required. lol Oh and if you have to turn around on a steep hill be careful and don't get down wind of the sidecar so to speak. Extreme Offroading can be fun, can be a challenge and can also be very frustrating. A come-a-long is a good tool to have as is an ATV winch. Extreme offroading can also be dangerous but that can be half the challenge. Caution: It is better to go up a hill than down as you can always get down one way or another. Going down a hill can become a nightmare if there is no way to get back up it. Have 'fun'.

Thanks for the information. It looks like ground clearance won't be a problem regardless of my final choice of rig since I don't expect to get on 'really' rough stuff.

It is very common for folks to feel they need a ton of ground clearance when actually they don't. High dual sport rigs are not the best handlers on the street and so many of them never really run in the terrain that is rough enough to warrant a ton of ground clearnce. We had probably as many miles on dirt roads as on pavement with our old XS1100 rig and it was surely not up in the air like a dual sport rig. Tons of fun and pretty good performer on the street too.

Originally written by claude #3563 on 1/29/2007 12:30 AM
High dual sport rigs are not the best handlers on the street

Claude,

With your sway bar on my R1100GS rig, I feel that I'm driving now a HP sidecar. The important think is what you feel and not what the other think! same argument with the clearance, even with the sway bar. With my poor off road skill, I have more than enough clearance for what I'm capable to do on dirt raod. Thanks again Claude for your help.

 

Didier (twin twin),
When we installed your swaybar, and Ara's as well, we had discussed the addition of some skid bars and possibly a skid plate below the sidecar frame. The purpose on these items is to smooth out the undercarrige to help prevent hangups and other unwanted things. This is a good idea if more radical off roading is on the menu, especially if there are any obstructions hanging down like a swaybar. Very few will actually need such a thing on a Ural or Sputnik but it is a good thing if a certain situation comes up. Ara , who is presently on his adventure trip, will have this addition made to his GS/Ural rig when he leaves it here during his trip to europe. Rocky and very uneven terrain or areas with stumps or other 'hang up' type targets dictate a greater need of concern and a good skid plate system can actually allow a rig to ride up over soem obsticles and be on it's merry way. In most cases riding style can circumvent a problem but when off the beaten path becoming high centered or hung up can sneak up on us quickly. I had a large rock stop the sidecar dead once and even though the trip over the bars was not bad the landing was very ungracefull. I won't get into a rant on the dangers of windshilds now but think about it...LOL.
Bottom line is that few really push the envelope past a dirt road and many will never run where the really nasty hidden gremlins live. But, it is still better to be prepared for it than not.
An ATV winch is not a bad addition either for the more adventureous but make sure it is mounted well and in a good spot. Right ARA? LOL.
Good mounts, strong subframe, suffiecient ground clearance,and good riding technique are essential to a fun day off the road. It is also best to not travel alone but with another rig if possible.
Adventures are to be had off the beaten path that can not be described but by the doing. Be sure to know that there are dangers out there that must be recognized and dealt with. Expecting the best but preparing for the worst is a good stance to take.