New owner of a side car for my brand new Harley. The side car is used, and I have noticed the tire on the inside has cracks....should I purchase a new one? Also what do you use..(tar? ) on the bottom of your side car....Also is there a seat belt law for a side car? MY daughter is 16 and she fits snugly in the sidecar. Also, the gentleman who I purchased it from said there are universal bolts for the hook up of the sidecar to the Harley. He said he purchased them from ebay for approx. 50.00 each..but I haven't seen them. Sorry all these questions....thrilled to be part of this family. Want to make sure this side car is attached firmly and safely for years of enjoyment.
Welcome aboard
there will be others along shortly to help with your tech questions but let me start by saying you DON'T want to use universal mounts.
there are no seat belt laws that I have heard of for sidecars
if the tire has cracks I would replace it, don't risk your safety or that of your daughter on an iffy tire
Welcome to the slightly off-center world of sidecars!
As Ace said, don't bother with the universal mounts. Universal mounts fit nothing in the universe! Harley experts will be along to advise you on where you can source proper mounts.
Cycle laws are state-by-state, but I know of nowhere that seat belts are mandated. Most all states (and insurance companies for that matter) treat a sidecar as an "Accessory" to your bike. So in the case of Michigan, as long as it has a permanent seat and a place for the passenger's feet, it's legal to put a passenger there. Helmet laws, or the lack there of, likely apply to the sidecar passenger too. Some form of restraint is strongly suggested, tho not required, if the car will be occupied by Fido.
If you can, take a sidecar driving class. Lots and lots of parking lot practice with ballast in the car needs to be factored in before hitting the road. Sidecar piloting is not hard, but it is very different from that of a two-wheeled bike. Trikes ad Quads are closer, but the asymmetric nature of a sidecar rig make it unique.
I am sorry to have to be the bearer of sad tidings but that sidecar is too light to mount on any Harley larger than a Sportster. I bought one of these sidecars and turned down at least 3 opportunities to sell it to Harley owners. I finally sold it to someone who was going to mount it on an old Honda 750. As for the mounts - both A.J. and Bruce are correct. You will need to buy or fabricate some sort of subframe to bolt (not clamp) to.
Your safest bet is to find another experienced sidecarist in your area and have them advise you on mounting and adjustment.
I am sorry to have to be the bearer of sad tidings but that sidecar is too light to mount on any Harley larger than a Sportster. I bought one of these sidecars and turned down at least 3 opportunities to sell it to Harley owners. I finally sold it to someone who was going to mount it on an old Honda 750. As for the mounts - both A.J. and Bruce are correct. You will need to buy or fabricate some sort of subframe to bolt (not clamp) to.
Your safest bet is to find another experienced sidecarist in your area and have them advise you on mounting and adjustment. Having said all these discouraging things - welcome to the Forum. We are here to help.
The bike I purchased is a Harley Sportster 1200... so its not sad tidings for me.... 🙂 But I will find someone to advise me on the mounting....I would just feel more safer if I had more underneath holding it up.. 🙂 MY daughters safety means more to me than anything in the world...and your helpful suggestions make me feel so thankful to have friends in this group!! thank you so much!
We offer proper bike specific mounts for your bike. You can get an idea of what they are all about at this link http://www.dmcsidecars.com/the-result-of-improper-sidecar-mounting-and-the-proper-fix/
When ever you add a sidecar to any motorcycle you end up with heavy steering. If you want lighter steering on the Sportster we offer triple tree's that change the angle of the forks which makes for lighter steering. $550
If you have any specific questions feel free to phone or email.
Your windshield is a bit home made. If you want one made for this sidecar you should be able to get it at www.bikescreen.com
Your sidecar is a Spirit of America Eagle.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
www.dmcsidecars.com
Welcome from south Florida . New owner also here. Can't advise on the mounting but as for the tire , I mounted anew one on mine because I could not find a date code on the old one. It looked OK but as you state Safety is everything and I take the Grandkids out. Sidecar tire price is cheap enough for Peace of mind Safety concerns.
Welcome to the sidecar world, from Canada. You will want to check out a creditable dealer or sidecar specialist that will mount your sidecar to your bike. Universal mounts are of little value. Not sure what car you have from the pictures, but post a name/model and that will help. You will want to find a subframe and mounts for your bike that the sidecar attaches to. You should try and find a fellow sidecar rider in your area for some advise, although always use your own judgement. More to driving a sidecar than just hooking a car to a bike. Go slow and you will get it sorted out. Best of Luck.
I see DMC has one of his free ads in the forum. I am sure the info is helpful DMC should do the right thing by the organization and buy an ad in the appropriate space. ( The Sidecarist ? )
The revenue will help the group maintain the forum and other features.
Condorsvcs
You may want to talk with someone from Blue Moon Cycle in Norcross Ga. They mite be able to help you with your mounting. I bought all my mounts from DMC, there very strong.
As the owner of DMC, I find this offensive. I have purchased space in the past, in fact if it was not for me pushing the original company that owned www.sidecar.com to sell it, the USCA would not have it. I also was for several years the only advertiser on this site and would have renewed if the USCA would have simply sent me an invoice to pass on to my office manager and up dated our address when we moved. I asked for several years for this to happen before it finally did. I have donated money to the USCA when funds were tight. I have also served on the board of the USA as well as hosted a national rally. I was the assistant instructor for the very first S/tep instructor certification class where I was certified as an instructor, prior to this I had helped David Hough teach the class while the course was being formulated. I ran a sidecar event for 9 years that at one point had over 200 sidecars in attendance. I give out a lot of free help. Condorsvcs, what have you done for the club and the sport?
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
I for one really appreciate your support for this club and all the information you contribute to it's members.
I for "two" also appreciate all the input you post on this forum.
Without question, Jay is an asset to this site and to the USCA as a whole.
