I just checked the Tech and educational forum and they have a copy of installation instructions for the Spirit of America Sidecar. You may want to reference this information. I will use it when I bolt mine back on. I will then get an experienced rider to help me fine tune it. Best of luck.
Originally written by Lunatic on 5/9/2008 12:28 PM
Don't assume that the seller knows HOW to set it up properly, just becuase he owns it.
+1
I recently bought a CB750 with American Eagle hack. The owner told me the VERY hard right turning was a normal attribute of all sidecars. With the help of the folks here, I got the instructions and read them to find he had the lead set WAY too far forward. I made a few adjustments and it now handles pretty darn good. I still might try to get it tweaked better by someone who really knows what they are doing though.
Hello Adam,
I didn't read the full thread so my point might have been treated already.
You say the bike seems to be assembled out of pieces.
My experience is that there are quiet a few people out there who collect junk, throw the pieces together as they are, and then proudly announce a fully restored bike, rig, car oldtimer etc. Myself I fell into that trap once in Phoenix. That Norton Commander was a complete headake. (but I loved its power from the cellar.)
One Norton I inspected here localy was just the same case. Only because all pieces are together it doesn't mean its a working bike. That guy simply pushed in all the old worn parts and a fast paintjob.
I would even prefer a completely optically spoiled bike as long it has worked until the last moment and is in good working order (electrically, bearings, engine, BRAKES, STEARING, suspension, FRAME, ..... Then a "quicky" restored bike
Best regards
Sven Peter
Thanks to all for the advice and ideas, this really seems to be a great forum! I was really excited to buy this rig, but the more I dealt with the owner, the more nervous I got. I caught him in a few lies and decided to have it inspected by a mechanic; the owner ok'd that when I met with him and then reneged on that offer over the phone, telling me that I could bring someone by if I wanted but that was it. He also said he had been getting a lot of interest and didn't want to deal with the hassle of an inspection. That was the last call I made to him, and that was about a month ago. The rig went back up on Craigslist a few days ago for a reduced price...I was almost enticed to get back into the deal, but I've decided to wait until I have a little more cash (and am more stable; I'm moving out of town in a year) and get something that I feel better about not only mechanically but also functionally. I really prefer manual shifting motorcycles and would love it if Ural came out with a more powerful rig (their Raven model keeps me up some nights!). At this point, I'm happy with my R1200GS! Thanks again for all your help, I'll continue to lurk the forum until I find something else worthy of bring to your attention!
Originally written by GreenMachine on 6/23/2008 3:48 PM
I really prefer manual shifting motorcycles and would love it if Ural came out with a more powerful rig (their Raven model keeps me up some nights!).
Don't hold your breath waiting. Cyanotic Blue is an unnatural color for human beings.
