Is it just me or is the TLE fairly hard to fly? I do the slow, tighter circles in a large parking lot but the wheel doesn't come up very often and is back down right away.
go faster!!!
or turn sharper.
It's very difficult to get the wheel up with a TLE or TLE ultra. Partly, I think, because it is so far back. It can be done and I've done it in the past but I don't do it anymore.
The sidecar is listed at 234 pounds, which is not all that light. I have added 50# of weight on the outer section of the frame so I'd have to say, I won't be flying the chair any time soon.
I understand that you folks like to lift a wheel for testing and training purposes. I'm wondering if I'm the only one who thinks this could be a disaster on the road.
gm109 wrote: <>
The disaster part comes when the sidecar lifts in a hard turn and the driver (who hasn't experienced this phenomenon) panics and straightens out the front wheel causing the rig to be in the oncoming traffic's lane. KABOOM!
Doing controlled lift exercises will show the operator the balance point of that particular sidecar combo and also what to do when and if this happens on the road.
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 8/10/2007 11:44 AM
gm109 wrote: <>
The disaster part comes when the sidecar lifts in a hard turn and the driver (who hasn't experienced this phenomenon) panics and straightens out the front wheel causing the rig to be in the oncoming traffic's lane. KABOOM!
Doing controlled lift exercises will show the operator the balance point of that particular sidecar combo and also what to do when and if this happens on the road.
Lonnie
Good. that's what I thought. Like I said, I've done it since I got hooked up but I don't enjoy doing it and I don't ever intend to do it on the road.
There are probably lots of other rigs that are easier to lift than a Harley TLE. Some are quite short and narrow with the wheel well forward. I imagine these would come up easily.
the tires start to scuff and squirm and squeal if you turn hard enough to get the wheel up at over about 20.. it will come up a few inches - but it lands hard even if im trying ot be smoooooth. it just doesnt like it and it lets me know. i just stay under the posted turn signs and its fine.
at very slow speeds getting it up a foot or more is easy but it wont stay up very long & and it kills your arms to work it that hard to try and keep it up.
basically, even with a raked tree - the very high steering effort is the clue you are getting close
i think a tle is heavy enough and out there far enough to be fairly stabil
to
I'm a newbie to sidecars, and I'm almost finnished installing a TLE to my ElectraGlide. Haven't had a chance to ride it yet, but it's good to know that the TLE is heavy enough to not come off the road too easy. I wouldn't think that flying the car would be good for the frame and mounting points. Has anybody ever done damage to their rig by doing those stunts?
Originally written by ChopperDoug on 8/10/2007 6:10 PM
I'm a newbie to sidecars, and I'm almost finnished installing a TLE to my ElectraGlide. Haven't had a chance to ride it yet, but it's good to know that the TLE is heavy enough to not come off the road too easy. I wouldn't think that flying the car would be good for the frame and mounting points. Has anybody ever done damage to their rig by doing those stunts?
That's a good point. I hadn't thought about it in that way but dropping the sidecar on the ground after lifting the wheel could possibly cause damage.
In any case, I guess it's nice to know how to lift the wheel but not necessary to do it constantly. I have enough weight on my sidecar wheel that it doesn't want to come up. That's fine with me.
Had my wife in the Velo this weekend when we went to the grocery store. I flew the chair just slightly and when it came back down she just looked at me and said, what was that, what's going on. I just chuckled and told her what just happend. She was not upset and laughed as well. First time I did that with a passenger. Normally I'm riding empty.
the neighbors get a kick out of the "flying" hack......
weeeeeee
Originally written by lrutt on 8/14/2007 12:44 PM
Had my wife in the Velo this weekend when we went to the grocery store. I flew the chair just slightly and when it came back down she just looked at me and said, what was that, what's going on. I just chuckled and told her what just happend. She was not upset and laughed as well. First time I did that with a passenger. Normally I'm riding empty.
Keep it up and you'll be running empty all the time. LOL
Well I did it today. I finally got everything hooked up last friday night. Spent about half of saturday adjusting the car, untill I got it as good as I could. I've been riding it everyday to and from work to get used to riding with three wheels. Slowly taking turns alittle bit faster each time as I get more experience riding with a sidecar. I slowed down for the right hand turn onto my street. While in the turn I rolled on the throttle and the car came off the ground a few inches, then came back down right away.
I need to fab up something for ballist, and was thinking about something that will attach to the sidecar frame since the tub sits on leaf springs.
Originally written by ChopperDoug on 8/16/2007 6:07 PM
Well I did it today. I finally got everything hooked up last friday night. Spent about half of saturday adjusting the car, untill I got it as good as I could. I've been riding it everyday to and from work to get used to riding with three wheels. Slowly taking turns alittle bit faster each time as I get more experience riding with a sidecar. I slowed down for the right hand turn onto my street. While in the turn I rolled on the throttle and the car came off the ground a few inches, then came back down right away.
I need to fab up something for ballist, and was thinking about something that will attach to the sidecar frame since the tub sits on leaf springs.
Harley-Davidson used to sell a 46# cast iron sidecar weight but they've been discontinued. One difficulty was that the weight would hit the sidecar tub and scratch it when hitting bumps. I couldn't find one of the OEM weights for my TLE sidecar so I made my own. Mine is very similar to the HD OEM weights. It's made out of 1/4" steel plate welded from the inside to keep the exterior clean. It's about 12" X 3" X 3" and is bolted to the right side spring pad. I turned it over and filled it with lead that I melted and poured in place. It weighs about 50 pounds with the mount and bolts. It sure keeps the wheel on the ground.
Since it was too close to the body I also fabricated a cantilever mount to raise the weight 2" and move it ouboard about 1-3/4" so it won't strike the tub.
Here's a picture.
That weight is pritty much what I had in mind. And that's exactly where I want to bolt it up. I don't want the tub to hit the weight when ever I hit a bump, and that offset should move it over enough so that nothing hits.
