Hi All
I am looking at possibly, OK most likely adding a sidecar to my 97SE 1500 Goldwing in the next year or so.
I am going to use the time between now an then to try to learn as much as I can about the world of sidecars and how to best match a car to my needs.
We ride for the joy and pleasure of getting where we are going, we do ride the twisties at least once a year. my wife loves to ride but is not in the best of health, the riding is getting real hard on her sometimes so I have to make some adjustments for us to continue to enjoy riding.
We don't travel long distance yet, I think our farthest trip so far was a little over 350 miles one way. we do however make many shorter trips and we have a pop up camper that we pull with the wing now. and we love to camp.
I'm trying to narrow my list down so I can start doing my research on specific cars to decide what I feel will be best for us. I don't want a huge car but do't want a little one either. something right in the middle and comfortable for the rider
So what would you suggest I start looking at in more detail
I am on the Goldwing Forum and have a thread there asking pretty much the same thing but I want to hear from all those with sidecar experience. I have recieved some great info so far and it has helped me go from being scared of sidecars to looking forward to figuring out the right car
that's where I am now
I'm going to be on a tight budget so that will be a factor
also as a newby, should I consider a car that needs work or is that too much to deal with
I know either way it will have to be a used car
There are larger sidecars from Hannigan of course that would do well for you but the Hannigan Classic Twin would be a decent bang for the buck if buying new.
Both Hannigan and Champion make sidecars with clamshell type openings, these make it very easy for the passenger to get in or out of. Velorex or any other lightweight sidecar is NOT a good idea for a larger bike like the Wing, even though you'll see lots of examples out there. The trick is not to confuse "cheap" with "budget" and make sure you pick a sidecar that is robust enough to handle the bike. Finding a used sidecar is going to be a challenge, be prepared to travel well out of State to look at suitable candidates. Basically, if you can't get a Gold Wing mount kit for the sidecar of your choice, chances are good you shouldn't be installing it anyway.
Here's some eye candy for you in the mean time; this is a 2010 Gold Wing I recently mated to a Hannigan GTL with all the bells and whistles...
I have been only looking at the ones with the clam shell design as it will be most important for us.
I do know the difference between cheap and low cost or budget, but being new to hacks I need help learning that in the world of sidecars.
I do like the hannigan cars, and Wow the GTL is one sweet looking rig
it looks like your forks are raked in the pic, if so what degree is it
I am aware I may need to travel to find the right deal and have no issues with that. it's a good excuse to make a short trip 🙂
As money is tight, I would go used. The Champion Escort would be my first choice followed by the California sidecars Freindship 2SE (not the same as the none SE!) as it is pretty much a copy of the Escort. Both of these come in a long frame and a short frame, You will need the long frame other wise we have a weld on kit to convert a short frame to a long. Hanningan's are also an option however the airflow in them combined with the windshield style makes them not all that good of an option in warm climates. Motovation sidecars in the used market can be a good value.
In any event I will be glad to go over with you via the phone the pro's and cons of any used sidecar you find and can also help with mounting hardware.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793
OK next point of intrest, I know I will continue to pull our camper so should I look for cars with the hitch on the cars frame or stay with the hitch on the bike.
or can you just add a tube or reciever set up to any car frame
The trailer pulls best if mounted directly behind the bike however if the trailer is wider then the bike then you may want to offset it a bit to the right as your bike with a sidecar is already going to be quite wide. I pulled my KwikKamp with the hitch off set to the right on a GL1500 rig by only a few inches. When you move it more to the right it adds to the push and pull of the sidecar on acceleration and deceleration and as such is not as pleasant to ride.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
That is what I was afraid of. I know I saw a couple frames with the extended tube for a hitch but thought it would create alot of drag
I know if the rear wheels are even you would center the trailer but with the cars wheel being forward I wasn't sure
I'll have to see how far I have to move it to make it even with my left saddle bag or just slightly outward of it
We like to place the hitch so the left trailer wheel tracks behind the bikes wheels. No sense leaving more tracks in the road than necessary and also hitting more road kills and potholes than you may care to. Usually hitching up right behind the bike makes for a very wide outfit overall. On some outfits it is a detriment to right hand turns due to the trailer pushing the rear wheel more as you turn. If there is much tongue weight it can make a light sidecar become less stable in turns toward the sidecar.
Flip top sidecars are great as mentioned. The thing that some do not have is the top being connected to the flip front. This is a hassle as part of the top needs to be disconnected for entry and exit by the passenger. An outside opening trunk is also a big plus.
Hannigan does offer a very practical and popular option called open concept which means the windshield does not wrap all the way around but has removable side curtains on the larger models. They also offer an air conditioner of sorts for the sidecar.
The smaller ones like the classic twin I mentioned earlier has many of the features of the large models but with a different top. The side curtains on it do have zip open windows on both sides. Don't be afraid to give them a call (270) 753=4356. Ask for John Lee and say hello from Claude in Pa. Great folks to work with.
Of the four rigs I have owned two of the chairs were Hannigan models. I really like their quality and my wife likes the ease of entry and storage. As Claude mentioned in his post you can flip the top without removing or detaching anything. The only downside for me has been that some of the models bubble shield and tops limit the movement of the passenger and feel confining. This too can be fixed if you don't mind little time and effort. I was able to fabricate a hardtop, windshield and removable side windows that my boss monkey says fits the bill. I will try and post a couple of pictures so you can see the difference. Size wise you wing should be able to handle any of the large chairs you may find. Good luck on your search!
New top
We switched to a sidecar rig for the same reason you want to. First we went to a sidecar rally where my wife got to ride in various chairs and it was determined that the clamshell type was want we wanted.
We looked at attaching a new sidecar to my Goldwing, but decided it was too costly. So the hunt was on for a used Chair. While looking I enrolled in a sidecar instruction class and got my endorsement (the class supplied the sidecar).
I used this forum and Craig's list for my search. For Craig's list I used http://www.searchtempest.com/ which allows you to insert what your looking for and how far you are willing to travel. I live in Washington state, kept expanding the distance and finally found a complete rig in Illinois. Sold my bike while I purchased this one and flew out to pick it up. I rode it home from Illinois without any problems.
Here are a few picks:
that is a good idea about going to a rally and looking at all the different rigs, if she gets to ride in a couple even better. there is a rally coming this summer very near us that I may have to drop in on and do just that.
We are taking a trip soon that should tell me how soon I will need make a move
Will and Draper, those are a couple of nice rigs, I love the BMW emblem on the nose, very nice touch
Will is that an Escort
Yes it is. I am not sure what year Escort. The person I purchased it from had it on a 1500 Goldwing and two 1800 Goldwings. He was in his 80's and had to sell it for health reasons.
Also, about taking a sidecar instruction class, I would highly recommend it even if you have to travel for it. The class I took was at the Hood River College in Oregon and they supplied the use of the sidecar. Besides learning some proper techniques & skills, if you find out that sidecars are not for you, you haven't invested a lot of money.
