Hello there. Great, very useful site!
I'm living in Brazil, so, unfortunately, the wide variety of ready rigs and sidecars offered here is not of much use to me (import duties here are exorbitant, which is a pain as, being a Russian I wanted to import a Ural). I now have a trike with a car engine, but I really want a real bike and I'm planning to have a rig built, with an HD engine, so I have a few questions (and probably will have more later on).
I use a wheelchair due to an old biking accuident, so first of all I'd like to know if there's anyone out there using the "suicide" shift with a sidecar and how that feels on the road. The shift would probably have to have a clutch handle on it as I presume I'd need hand controls for both brakes.
Since I won't be using the bike on its own - would it be better to have the rig built from scratch as a 3-wheeler, or a bike with an attached rig?
Also, I really like spinger forks and I know people who make them here for choppers. From what I have seen so far, the principle in Leading Link forks is pretty similar to that of springers (with a central damper) -so, would a short springer be a reliable type of fork for a rig?
What kind of shocks you'd recommend for the rear part and for the sidecar?
And wheels - I understand motorbike wheels are the preferred option for the bike, but waht about the sidecar? Car or bike tires?
All thoughts, ideas would be most welcome, thanks in advance.
Ah, another thing - for reverse, would an electric motor on the sidecar wheel do the job, or should I buy one of those fancy Champion reverse kits? (one of the reasons I'm going for a Harley engine is because they sell the reverse gear thingie)
I'm missing a leg and find that the Kliktronic Shifter (due a Google search) works well for me. Front and rear brakes can be linked to one hand lever with a proportioning valve. Just some options that will not require you to make one-handed turns while shifting.
Thanks, Danny - Kliktronik seems to make a lot of sense. Maybe I could smuggle one from England, duty-free. Do you use handlebar clutch lever?
As for brakes, you mean proportioning valve for three wheels or just two?
Another general question - does a lowrider-type bike handle a sidecar well or you have to sit higher?
I use the hand clutch and shift with the right thumb. All three brakes can be used with the proportioning valve, just adjust to get max stop with front tire without locking up rear or sidecar wheel. Most sidecar rigs are easy to push; Reverse is seldom needed and my cane does the job 90% of the time.
