Good evening folks, another request for your assistance, have 'the other half's' permission to buy a Triumph Rocket Tourer and fit a sidecar unit (they do not come to Australia until May or June this year.)I have looked at the lower section of the current Rocket units regarding suitability, have asked dealerships etc, and am still not sure if it is practicable, the dealership in Newcastle indicated while they had seen Rockets as trikes none had seen one hauling a car. Their respective size seems to slot them into the catagory of the perfect unit for that purpose, what are your thoughts, have you seen any? anyone know where one could enquire regarding fittings etc (remember here we ride on the other side of the roadway) What unit do you think is suitable to attach to the mule? Wife is keen on something of similar appearance to a Watsonian type with large wheel etc, not sure why but perhaps too many re-runs of British tv shows, we currently ride a solo Bonnie and 'flying brick' with DJP (mini wheel) so you can see it is very much a cultural change all round, oh yes, she also rides a GT200 Vespa, must not forget that! I have seen the debate regarding 'big' wheel verse 'little' wheel before but would appreciate you thoughts on it again. Regards and again thank you. Carey Johnson
i have not ridden one of the tourers yet,but the specs indicate they may make a better rig than the standard rocket 3.trail figures are less whitch would make for lighter steering than the rocket,as it is a handfull as a rig.we have had a rocket rig at the shop for a couple of years and while the power is nice,the steering is not. Side Effects has modified triple trees for these with good results.the other rocket 3 rig i have seen had a set of leading links on it.with proper mods it should make an excellent machine.
I've been watching the new Touring and was all set to opt for one, but, and it'a a big BUT for us, the Alternator is a very anemic 500W Internal Stator that can't be replaced with anything larger. It would make a great Summer Time Only rig with a Unit Leading Link though.
Our use is for year 'round and includes 2 sets of heated gear plus a 100w heater in the sidecar for the dogs when needed. Add to that extra driving lights on the bike and Hack plus any additional Audio & IC systems and the Rocket just doesn't make it for us. Too bad because I really like the rest of the package for a Tug what with 16" wheels front and rear just waiting for Car Tires and all that low end Torque.
To me, the important things in a touring rig are1. Power2. ease of adding a car tire3. alternater output4. reverse5. aftermarket options6. ease of changing the trail for steering7. reliabilityCertainly the R3 would do well in some areas, others I wouldn't know.They sure are cool though.
Hello Jerry, thanks for the response and your insight, after reading what you personally require in a rig I thought for a moment you may have neglected to indicate you also wanted a snow plow blade on the front! Just joking of course, nothing but sunshine and the odd shower here,no snow or real winter, tho sometimes I wish for the experience. Given global warming perhaps it is something of the future? Is the alternator capable of the job as is, without your additional hardships, or is it sufficient reason to steer away? Oddly enough I asked the dealership about the forks and they strongly suggested I do NOT alter the front end, I argued rather weakly given they earn their income in that area that the difference leading link forks on my 'brick' made was significant enough to have them on any sidecar I had, anyway I have made up my mind and it is Rocket, now to sort out the chariot and fittings and any major alterations to be made. Fortunately I am in the situation I am able to keep the brick and chair, principally for me and dog bonding sessions, wife refuses to be seen in the chair since the neighbours seen me and my dog sniffing the breeze. Regards Carey Johnson
Hello Greg,what type of chair would you put on it? We were thinking of something like a Watsonian GP700 Jubilee from the UK, were you aware of anyone I should speak with regarding specific fittings? Best regards from this side of the planet. Carey
Tell your dealer he is nuts. Your shoulders will apreciate very much easy handling! The big wheel on the sidecar is a valuable argument for your wife to step in...as long you use a horse's blanket for the flee rascal.
From our 3 dogs only the eldest and smallest granny stays inside the car. Perhaps a reason for my better half to stay out of the sidecar.
Best regards from Costa Rica
Sven Peter Pan
Carey I think the alternator would work just fine for most who never need all the extra heat we do in the winter. 😉
One way to get the extra light needed fron and back would be a combination of Projector Lamps (HID) up front and LED on the rear and sidecar. There are even some new LED type Driving lights on the market now. Not sure how good they are but worth a shot for those Dark Country Roads.
Some of the new audio stuff from J&M would keep the power needs down with Helmet Speakers, which is what we use anyway.
From what I have read the new Touring has even more Trail than the early R3's at over 7 1/4" vs 6" or so. That is just too much for use with a heavy sidecar which the R3 needs to keep it under control on those turns into the car that will "Fly the Chair" or the heavy muscle turns the other way.
Our local dealer here has a Leading Link from Unit Sidecars to put on his Demo R3 rig IF he ever gets the time to do it. 😉
I keep waiting for that to happen so the wife and I can try it out. I have even offered to help put it together but he is so backed up with Trike work he can't even get the bike on the lift to start. The Sidecar, Bike and Front End are here it's just the time issue with all those HD and Honda's getting in the way. 😉
BTW I like the Snowplow Idea. That would get us in the local papers for sure. ;o)
Hi Carey. re: what type sidecar, I posted a few weeks ago re: cars for my RoadKing. Since both are similar bikes (i.e. classic look). I think some of the classic cars would look great. i kinda like Urals myself.One thing you mentioned, if i understood correctly, is that you plan to take the dog, not the wife.This might affect what car you get, depending on your dog (ie. how old, how big, etc). Re trail, one thing to consider is what type roads will you be riding. Connie and I are currently in Kiwiland riding a RoyalStar rig with stock trail. It is fine on the open road, even the rolling hills. However, in the tight twisties the steering is too heavy. If you are on more open roads, the stock steering may not be too bad. That said, there are only two reasons I would leave stock trail, 1)money and 2) desire to ride the bike solo. The more I think about it the more I thnk the new R3 will make a super rig!
