ok... lots of opinions here, but lots of factors involved as well. On most all my previous bikes I have removed the P-pad, modified the seat or whatever to make the bike a strictly rider-only setup... no place for a passenger at all. I never felt comfortable being responsible for a passenger. Now, I ride a GoldWing 1800, which has something close to an armchair for the passenger. Compared to most other bikes, this one's a lot harder to fall off of in the manner being discussed. That being said, just like Mike I drive a lot slower with a passenger, whether in the chair or on the back... and yes, nothing will keep you or the passenger on the bike when S#%$ happens.
and... how'd we get here when we started off talkin' about Top Speed???
The Harley sidecar is a heavy, wide spaced car. For good handling the answer isn't "No wife on the back". The answer is to balance the loading as close to a 2/3rds bike to 1/3rd sidecar ratio as possible for optimum handling. This can be done by juggling passengers or with adding ballast to the sidecar. Harley has a nice powdercoated lead ingot that bolts onto the sidecar spring perch (way outside) and ballast can be added behind the seat easily. 5 degree trees will also help a bunch in handling.
When he said "How fast can you go?", I believe the poster was asking what to expect with his rig as opposed to info about Top fuel dragsters, high performance sidecar combo's and such. (As interesting as it might be to some others).
With the information he gave, I believe he is getting about what would be expected of an unmodified Harley/Harley rig with an EVO motor.
Lonnie
Originally written by Hack'n on 8/30/2006 2:47 PM
The Harley sidecar is a heavy, wide spaced car. For good handling the answer isn't "No wife on the back". The answer is to balance the loading as close to a 2/3rds bike to 1/3rd sidecar ratio as possible for optimum handling. This can be done by juggling passengers or with adding ballast to the sidecar. Harley has a nice powdercoated lead ingot that bolts onto the sidecar spring perch (way outside) With the information he gave, I believe he is getting about what would be expected of an unmodified Harley/Harley rig with an EVO motor.
Lonnie
Anyone know how much those things weigh? I've seen some sell really cheap on eBay. Looks like a nice clean way to go.
Originally written by Hack'n on 8/30/2006 6:47 PM
The Harley sidecar is a heavy, wide spaced car. For good handling the answer isn't "No wife on the back". The answer is to balance the loading as close to a 2/3rds bike to 1/3rd sidecar ratio as possible for optimum handling. This can be done by juggling passengers or with adding ballast to the sidecar. Harley has a nice powdercoated lead ingot that bolts onto the sidecar spring perch (way outside) and ballast can be added behind the seat easily. 5 degree trees will also help a bunch in handling.
When he said "How fast can you go?", I believe the poster was asking what to expect with his rig as opposed to info about Top fuel dragsters, high performance sidecar combo's and such. (As interesting as it might be to some others).
With the information he gave, I believe he is getting about what would be expected of an unmodified Harley/Harley rig with an EVO motor.Lonnie
you are "right-on" lonnie except my 02 flh is a TWIN CAM:)however my last flh was an 86 with a EVO. ha thx my friend.
Shortcut,
I was comparing performance with my 95th Anniversary rig. 80 CI Stage II Evo. About the same power.
Sidecar Mike,
I'd guess the lead weights are around 60# or so.
Lonnie
You guys just dont understand about the danger of a passenger on the back.The answer IS NOT juggling passengers to get a balanced rig. the rig should be balanced without a passenger on the bike, to the 2/3 rule or close. Unless your wife is bolted down solid to the seat, she is not 'ballast'. she is a moveable object, and can slide to the left, and throw the bike off balance on right turns, in certain situations.
larger bikes with the armrests built in to contain the passenger are about the only way to go with passengers. they hold the passenger onto the seat fairly well.
Originally written by Hack'n on 8/30/2006 3:47 PM
The Harley sidecar is a heavy, wide spaced car. For good handling the answer isn't "No wife on the back". The answer is to balance the loading as close to a 2/3rds bike to 1/3rd sidecar ratio as possible for optimum handling. This can be done by juggling passengers or with adding ballast to the sidecar.
remember when sex was safe and motorcycles were dangerous? lighten' up bob. it'll be okay. besides when the wife rides on the back i always duct tape her legs to the shocks.works 4 me! 🙂
If this is such a safety issue, what did they say about it in the safety class? When I taught the ATV safety class, we specifically had to mention "No Passengers." But that was before the new passenger approved ATVs.
Roger (ra-jo) on the duck tape... fixes anything!
HMMMM that duct tape seems to be thw abswer! Red green uses it on his wife.
I have a 1977 FXS (first year Lowrider) with a 1976 CLE side car.
The top mph for me empty is 65 on flat level ground, and not much more going down hill, maybe 70-75 mph.
Add a passenger (usually my 7-year-old son or 13-year-old daughter, and my top mph drops about 5 mph. My 200 lb wife on the other hand, well I better leave it at that.
Add a car full of camping gear and my son or daughter on the rear, my top speed on level is about 55 to 60. If I jump behind a semi truck as he passed by, my mph goes up 5 or so, up hill or down.
Going up the mountains of the Smokies over to the Carolinas, this past June , I rarely got out of 2nd gear. My speedo and tach stopped working just outside of Memfrica.
It was a constant game of shifting up and down, and wondering when the motor would blow.
Personally, any speed below the posted speed limit is UNSAFE when there is a lot of traffic. With no traffic, speed doesn’t matter.
When it comes to safety for me and or my passengers, well that is not what I let others tell me. It is my bike and my life not yours or anybody else’s. I don’t take too well with others telling me what I need to do.
That's about right for a 1200 Shovel with the heavy Harley car. I had a '77 FXS too and I wasn't impressed with the top end as a solo bike. Good lookin' machine though. They go a lot better with a lighter car.
I put a lot of Velorex 562's on the 1200 Harley's. They weigh less than half of what a CLE does.
I recently sold my '98 Factory RK/TLE outfit. 80 inch Stage II Evo motor but it still wouldn't top 55 MPH in the mountains without shifting down into 4th gear.
My current ride is an '03 Low Rider with Stage I twin cam 88 that I will be mounting up with a Velorex 563 Tour for my Bride and my personal hack rig, as soon as I get caught up in the shop. I'll know how well that does with a hack by next week.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecar
77 Shovelhead....
Get something with a bit more power to weight ratio. I have a 2004 Montauk with a Champion Escort. Me only with a brief case (5lbs), 90mph and with a tail wind, 95. A bit scarry. With wife, 125, and all of her stuff and me with all of my stuff, (now we are talking some weight here, (about 550 pounds of wife and luggage and tools), and we still can do an easy 65 to 70 mph. Above that we only get about 25mpg, but at that, we still get 30 to 35, usually 33, mpg. We are starting out on a 4K mile trip in a week, and will spen much more on lodging than gas. We don't camp, too old. 68 and 52 respectively. Get a better windshield, faring if you use one (I don't) and maybe loose some weight. HA, HA, HA!!! I can't either. Happy Hack'in.
Uber
my 77 electra glide would only do 65 with a car - but the speed limit in those days was 55 so who cared.
my 2000 fltri with a tle sidecar i could set the cruise on 80 & it would drop to 65 on hills with me and my wife on.
my current 2007 ultra with a tle runs about the same but has less slowdown on hills. ive run along quite a ways at 90 with a passenger in the sidecar
milage drops a lot over 70
if you swap out the shovel engine for a twin cam it will go as fast as you want, i think s&s makes one with shovel mounts - you may have to modify the frame above the heads for clearnace but it will work and take care of your speed issues completely. the twin cams are MUCH more powerfull.
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as far as passenger on the back of the bike
harley says if you haul three the heavyest has to go in the car and they say to never ever run somebody on the back seat with the car emty. - as long as the kids in the car weigh more than the back seat rider you are ok - unless you exceed gvwr - on a ultra with car that is 1650. the rear tire gawr is 850. to haul three all of them need to be runway model size or smaller.
as for me i run a solo seat on the bike and moved the tour pak up for my backrest - then nobody asks and i dont have to say no
later
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