my wife hates the chair,..has only been in it twice in 9 years,...and only because she was cold,..I run a truck battery and a small tool box in the chair for ballast,..the set-up works well if it is just myself,..myself and wife on pillon,....or me, wife and kid in chair,..caution and care must be used with each situation, as braking and handling change in each case,..if find I have no issues at highway speeds with one hand,.whichever number is on the rig,..extra weight, slows breaking and agility, and due care will be required,.as Im just over 200lbs, wife is 110,..as is child,..on a 600lb rig,..the balancing isn't too far off,.all must be considered in your set up,.....happy piloting,...cheers crawf.
Re excuses given... None, actually. Just a general-purpose objection. But she is beginning to see some positive things about the idea. We'll see.
I've also searched for a top of some kind for my sidecar. It is a Harley LE reproduction from 1936-1967 and I've seen pictures of originals with such a top. I keep originality a priority for appearance. I'm already pushing the nostalgia limit joining a '65 Harley with a car from an earlier era and vintage "look." The period top I've seen in pictures looks pretty dorky (to me) but it is what it is. It is also on it's own frame. That takes more money to develop and reproduce as a repop versus what would probably be a small sales potential. I asked the sidecar manufacturer about a top since he also sold spare tire covers and provided high quality apron and seat (all involving canvas or leather materials). Producing a top would be the logical next step for their product line but the business seems to be winding down rather than expanding. (I'm a MBA) Blondie says she feels "exposed" to danger out there but she is also a girlie-girl (hairdoo). lolol.... she won't even drive her old Corvette with the top down unless it is in a slow parade. AZ is not a helmet state so we seldom wear them. I suppose the fact that we're both getting so old, that's another evolution in perspective. I think it is a nice rig as it is but always searching to make our stuff "more complete." It was 88F here a few days ago so sidecar heat is not a consideration over our winter. It's a hot mamba-jamba each summer no matter what. Well, it's sounds like a (my) personal problem (or not). Nice to vent, though. - AZP
I'll just throw this out at ya, Paul.
I really like the style of tops that the model-t's had that would fold down when not needed. Is this possibly what you had in mind? They go well with the older Harley hacks. Side curtains (either snap or zip-in) can be added to shield off the wind for your girlie-girl, too.
A good place to check with to have one custom made would be a well equipped boat sales and repair facility. They usually have all the materials to make up bimini tops for boats which use the correct top-bow attachment and pivots needed to make up a top. They can probably make one up in just a couple of days. I know I could do one in less than a day if I had the supplies they do. It's just a matter of bending some aluminum tubing and cutting them to length, then adding the attachments and pivots. Then just cut some canvas and stitch it all together.
They have all kinds of features you can consider, too, like a window in the back, a small roll-back panel in the top with a screen, a cover for the folded top when it is down, etc.
My local boat shop did the custom bimini top for my 17' bass boat in three hours, and then did a total boat cover for storage in another two hours. Total cost, $435 for both. And, yes, you can get black canvas! Marine canvas is quite durable, and if the hack is stored indoors, it should last forever.
Just surfing around, I came across these bimini top plans for sale: http://www.boatstogo.com/suncanopy_plans.asp
and bimini parts: http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/bimini/index.htm
I've never worked with either web site and have no financial interest in their products, just letting you know what I found.
Yup, you've got it, OldSchool! So many "toys" to select from in their list. Duckworks also has a DVD showing step-by-step how to build a top, too. Basic hand tools, a hacksaw and an electrical conduit bender is all you need.
Haven't been here in ages it seems whew. Jus too busy. My loss miss you all.
Anyhow,,as far as riding two on the bike there are two things that are important. Main one is simply weight distribution!! Some will say NEVER ride two on the bike with good intentions.
So question #1: Can a 280 pound person operate a sidecar outfit? I think all will probably say yes.
Question#2: Can a 150 pound driver have a 130 pound passenger on the pillion? If Question #1 was a yes then question #2 isn't far off. MAKE SENSE?
It all comes down to weight distribution!!!
It also depends on the outfit of course. A GL1800 with a large sidecar on it will of course be a different animal than say a scooter with a Cozy on it. THAT scooterI would say NO to.
Also if one is planning to have someone ride pillion please please take the time to practice!!! Very important!! Years ago someone had a sportster based outfit out west somewhere. New sidecar owner. He practiced with an empty sidecar some .... came home picked up his wife and small child. She got on the rear and the child in the sidecar. They ran wide in a right hander and fatalities were involved. So sad! Weight distribution !!!!
Secondly something that should be considered. trikes or sidecars are different than solo bike sin turns for the pillion passengers. On a solo they are not affected by cornering forces as on a muti track vehicle! Many will say to put the heavier person in the sidecar which is not bad advice but cornering forces will make the rear seat passenger tend to move to the outside of the turn. Some touring bike shave armrests for the passenger which is good but so many bikes do not. Small kids fall asleep sometimes....well anyone can,,,,so ya don't want to have a loved one slipping off the side of the seat awake or asleep.
Oops one more thing,,,,,SETUP! If one plans to have a pillion passenger and does not have a tilt adjustor (Hannigan calls it an ECC) or an antiswaybar or an means to possible adjust the shocks easily on the bike the static setup of the outfit may be made to better accommodate a pillion passenger.
Sorry for being so long winded. Hope this made sense.
Very good!
Welcome back Claude.
Lonnie
Thanks Lonnie.
Hi Claude. Nice haring from you. Youre advice rates top in my my order of things. Hope to see you this summer someplace.
J.R.
Sec.
Tex. rep
Claude, good to hear from you again. Don't ever worry about being long winded. Better to have all the info needed to make a decision than to get a short quick answer that could be misinterpreted. Besides, some of us can be even longer winded. Larry
Made top for mine out of a fiberglass hood scoop. It has removable windows and new version is being made as we speak with sunroof. You never know till you try. Look at picture in signature block. If interested can post larger picture when I get home to my other computer.
Interesting thread here. Some comments.
I have one light weight and one middle weight rig. With either one I for sure want the weight in the car. Wife, daughter and I are all lightweights, under 140 pounds so I leave about 75 pounds of ballast in each of the cars at all times. I've only got about 6,000 miles on both bikes total so I'm no pro but the comments about tipping angles are on the mark, I believe. All the weight on the bike would have to be spooky on turns at any kind of speed.
The noise/heat issue is an honest concern. Both rigs have the exhaust on the right and the wife doesn't care for the rumble, and both have stock exhaust. But, she enjoys riding so much she puts up with it. We do not use intercoms. I think part of the fun is not being able to hear. If you are going the have a discussion, park and get it over with. Heat and potential fires are something else. Had my daughter (then 12) in the car crossing a bridge on a two lane when the exhaust pipe fell off of the Enfield at the cylinder head. To her credit she did not panic, just shouted at me: "Daddy the engine's on fire!" Once on the Yamaha I tucked the battery tender lead in the wrong place and it got hot enough to melt the end off. It's also pretty warm in our part of the country and it do get hot when you are at an idle. Rode in a Mardi Gras parade awhile back for about two hours at stop and go speeds up to maybe 5 mph. The Yamaha was getting hot to me but the girl (now 13) in the car was having so much fun she didn't complain. By the way, had a couple of HDs overheat and drop out. 🙂
All this rambling is likely of little help to kc1200r with the original question but I think if you get her to relax and get involved you will both have a lot of fun. We're having a ball.
