Git 'n Go for a 2018 Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive w/Hannigan Classic

Posted by: @aceinsav

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Just curious, aren't you concerned that a car tire on front is going to amplify the steering effort  

Ace, that is one of the several questions to be answered by doing this "car tire on the front TEST".

If I don't try it, I will never know the answer.

What I know right now is, I have a 120/70R-15 motorcycle tire on the front wheel, it appears to be a lower profile than just the 70....looks more like a 50 (in appearance), and it only gets worn in the middle half of the tread face, SO....mounting a 125/80R-18 Michelin X car tire, with a relatively flat tread face to begin with should give me close to double the tread On The Ground, it will raise the front of this bike approx. 1.25", and....we will see how it works.

The cost of this Michelin x tire was only $ 111.00 delivered to my place, and with the added cost of dismounting the motorcycle tire, then mounting this car tire to the wheel, I will be out less than $ 200.00 IF it doesn't work.

If it does work, then I will have found a much better tire for the front of this Burgy 650 when used in sidecar rig form.

In the past, I have had 93.14 % success rate on my tire experiments. Only 6.86 % failures, so I am willing to TRY, and if it works, great.

If it doesn't work, then lesson learned.

OOPS....correction....

I had presumed (never assume) that the 125R-15 Michelin X tire was a 125/80R-15.

NOPE...I was wrong (please don't hang me out to dry).

In inspecting all the data on the sidewalls, it turns out this tire is a 125/90R-15....GULP...which means these sidewalls are 28.5mm taller than the current 120/70R-15 motorcycle tire that is on the bike.

Oh well, just another part of the "experiment"  

As an update to this project, simply because you other sidecarists on the 3rd planet from the Sun have very little to do otherwise on this Sunday...

I returned that CAR tire that I was going to install on the front wheel, and purchased a new motorcycle tire for the front wheel, but it is wider and taller than the OEM front tire, so it will raise the front end just the right amount, 20mm taller sidewall, or .7874 of an inch taller, or 11/14ths of an inch taller, which will nicely compensate for the "raked" trail reducing triple trees... and give a wider footprint onto the ground. It's a Michelin 130/80R-15 City Grip....and I can't "gripe" about that.

(sometimes I make myself laugh)

On the issue of reducing trail on the front end, whilst I was personally satisfied with how this 2018 Burgman 650 Executive w/Hannigan Classic sidecar handled and steered, my wife asked that "IF" a trail reducing triple tree would improve steering AT ALL then let's do that.

Her wish is my command (I have to say that)

Contacted Bill at Custom Triple Trees, and to make a long story short, he now has one in the works for me, for the later style Burgman 650's, and I should receive the finished product in December or January, perfect time to replace the triple trees, install the new tires front and rear, then make all correct connections to the wiring on this rig.

Come late Winter, early Spring, this rig will be completed, and back On The Road.

Thus far, she has been VERY happy having this as HER sidecar rig.  

I have just been informed by one of the Minions that without pictures....they just cannot believe me... therefore:

In no particular order, because Minions don't believe in "order"...

I added silver aluminum tape to the insides of both upper glove boxes, so it's easier to see things in there.

I added my usual black rubber caps to exposed bolts and nuts.

Replaced the previous National Cycle windshield with a more aerodynamic Givi windshield, and replaced the OEM windshield black trim, as the original one had broken tabs.

Added letters for the word: CABRIO on the back of the sidecar trunk....added an upper brake light to the rear of the sidecar trunk, and added a Carbon Fiber looking spoiler to the lid of the sidecar trunk.

Getting FlyingMonkey's mini make over looks great!