Well I have taken the Hack out for around 60 miles. My wife and dog in for the second 30 and a wrestling buddy of mine the first 30. They loved it and I like it too. It does take some getting used to. It rides really nice in town but on the highway it does want to pull some to the right. I don't know if it is because of the weight of the dog and wife and/or the wind resistance or what but it doesn't pull any way in town at 30 MPH. Doesn't pull to much but I was wondering if I need to set the toe in just a bit more. It was a 1/2 inch toe in.
I am still trying to get a windshield made in Sheridan WY. No one in town can bend plexiglass. Billings is a bit of a drive and few places open on the weekends but I will try places there next.
I ordered the Dog harness from http://www.muttslinger.com/dealers.html but there hasn't been a response. I can't get a reply on the phone nor email. Someone on this site advised using it and it looks great but it has been over a month and I would LOVE to have that for my dog. Any other suggestions for a good Dog harness. I don't want to risk not having a harness. She likes the ride but she loves to great the other dogs she sees as well. She hates the Doggles but wears them in the side car and takes them off herself right after getting out of the side car.
I told my father about the sidecar finally as I thought he would shame me for getting one. He actually has thought about getting a Harley Trike for his next bike since he plans on it being his last bike bought. After telling him about the sidecar he thought about it for a few days and then my brother told him to just get a side car as he can still be a bike when he wants and a trike at other times and you can haul dogs/grand kids/groceries in there when you want. So I think I may have convinced him to get one with his next bike (2013 110 year anniversary Ultra classic Harley). He had no clue how they mount, drive, cost or anything. At least he can ride mine when he comes out after my kid is born (any time now).
So the things I am looking for on help is still the windshield (even a way to bend the plexi glass that I would be able to do-internet showed a few ways but non I would attempt). I need to find a good harness to keep my dog in the sidecar if the one website doesn't ever get back with me and I would like to know if I need to adjust my toe in for Highway speeds.
I bought my dogs harness and sidecar leash @
http://www.dogidcollar.com
they also personalize it too with the dogs name, or whatever you want on it
what brand sidecar do you have ( help with finding a windshield ) or did i miss it in your post?
First off don't attempt to bend plexiglass. It is an acrilic and not the best for building your own wionshield. Source soem LEXAN which is a polycarbonate and you will do well. 1/8" WILL WORK.
Secondly if your rig pulls to the right the bike needs leaned out away from the sidecar some more. I would try that first if you are sure you have toe in like you said.
Thirdly, and maybe most important is to say WELCOME TO THE SIDECAR WORLD!!!! Be safe, always keep learning and feel free to post anytime.
I have a 3/4 inch lean away from the car (measuring from the handle bar heights on each size. Thanks for the tip on the lexan. Anything else special I should know about it and who would sell it? Also I did forget to mention my rig in this post. 1997 Sportster Harley with a Hitchhiker car. Thanks for the harness web site. I will look into it. With the pull it isn't much and it is only at 65 mph and not 30-40. Since I haven't ever driven a sidecar rig (nor a trike) I didn't know what to expect. I have no clue what the feel is like as there are very few (haven't seen any) in my area. Anyone coming through Sheridan WY I would like to take a test drive and would even have a place to spend the night for them. My rig doesn't have the steering shock and I didn't do any thing to the front forks that I have read some doing. I am no uncomfortable with the slight pull but I haven't really driven it much yet on the open road, just in town. Every one in town loves it and is giving me the thumbs up. I did go back to my stock pipes as the drag ones were a bit much for the passengers.
Everyone has their own still of riding. I have an Elec lean on my rig. I can change the lean on the go and I have found that I like just a bit of pull to the right. Tires are holding up good. I found LEXAN at Homedepo.
Is there a trick to bending the LEXAN? Thanks for the help.
If you have space in oven - heat at 325 to 350 degF.
Or use an eletric heat gun set at no higher temperature.
Be careful - it bubbles (boils) if it gets too hot.
Surface is soft and marks will be left if handled without care.
Practice on small piece.
Having a mold is an asset if a curve is desired. I've used light guage sheet metal with small drilled holes curved to shape and held with wires. The plastic will drape smoothly over it. It can also be heated from the metal side .
Lonnie
Welcome to the world of sidecars! Could be you dont have a problem with the hack. Not many urban steets are cambered and a lot of open roads are.
I think I just might try and tackle the windshield with one of the methods. The old one has a total of 4 45 degree bends (two sets of two to gain 90 degrees). I don't think it really has to be that way. It can just be bent with the end result the same. The car does have a convertible top that came with it but I have yet to try installing that. Thanks for the welcome.
I also have good site where I bough my dog leashes, dog collars personalized and car leashes.. here is the site http://www.hotdogcollars.com/personalized-dog-collars-s/5309.htm try to check this.. they also offers personalized stuffs
If you have a constant pull, your alignment is off, It could be toe in is not correct or lean out. You could also have mounts that are moving around or even perhaps loose wheel bearings in the sidecar so that when you check your toe in it may while sitting give you one reading but while going down the road be completly different.
To set your alignment first make sure that your wheel bearings are tight, the swing arm pivot is not loose and you have proper air in your tires.
Make sure your mounts can not move and are set as far apart as practical, we make a sub frame for your bike that attaches at 7 points and gives you the upper front and both lower mounts. The upper rear is a frame clamp.
Next you want the bike to be sitting where it is on its suspension with you on the bike. We strap the bike down with cargo hold down straps.
The sidecar needs to be sitting level fore and aft and side to side.
Next set your wheel lead. Wheel lead is how far ahead of the rear wheel on the bike the sidecar wheel is. We would go for 10% - 15% of the wheel base of the bike.
Now you can set your toe in. To messure toe in you will want two straigt edges a bit longer then the bike one along the rear tire of the bike (set it up on blocks for better contact with the tire) this straight edge will not touch the front tire as it is not as wide. The second up against the sidecar tire. Messure across the two edges from just ahead of the front wheel and then just behind the rear wheel. Adjust the front to be about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch less then the rear.
Now you can set your lean out. The bike needs to lean away from the sidecar as you are in theory setting this up on a level floor, the road has a crown and you want the bike to be up right while on the road to do this the bike will lean away from the sidecar about 1/2 an inch or so at the top of the rear tire. You can check this with a carpenters square against the rear tire.
We have had very good luck getting sidecar windsheilds from www.bikescreen.com
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
jay@dmcsidecars.com
Hey Coalminer here is a pic of the new Lexan windshield I made about a month ago for my Velorex
