Does any one know what year Harley went to disc breaks on there sidecars? I think in the early 80s. I have a friend that has a matched rig which is a 1983 and it has disc brakes. Then I seen a sidecar according to the numbers that is a 1985 and it has drum brakes. Did Harley offer a choice for a few years?
When I bought mine, the guy had a 1997 and a 1999. I got the '99 because it had a disc. The '97 had a drum. So it must have been '98 or '99.
bikeridermark - 5/5/2010 8:57 PM When I bought mine, the guy had a 1997 and a 1999. I got the '99 because it had a disc. The '97 had a drum. So it must have been '98 or '99.
Not a 100% sure but I thought it was 1997? maybe late 97?
The mount for the caliper is part of the frame on the sidecar. As I said I know a person that has a 1983 matched numbers both sidecar and motorcycle and it has disc brakes on it. I need to take a closer look at it. I know the last two owners. I know the part number for my caliper on my 2006 TLE has a -98 part number. Not a big deal but I pride my self on Harley history and since I now own a Harley sidecar trying to learn the history behind them.
Thanks.
46u - 5/5/2010 7:30 PM
The mount for the caliper is part of the frame on the sidecar. As I said I know a person that has a 1983 matched numbers both sidecar and motorcycle and it has disc brakes on it. I need to take a closer look at it. I know the last two owners. I know the part number for my caliper on my 2006 TLE has a -98 part number. Not a big deal but I pride my self on Harley history and since I now own a Harley sidecar trying to learn the history behind them.
Thanks.
The 1998 models were the first TLE's to have the disc brake. The -98 on your caliper tells the story. (44348-98) Harley never supplied them before the one you have. My 2007 model also has the same dash number. IIRC, the single leaf springs were first used in 1994 based on the -94 part number.
The drum brakes continued up through 1997. A stock 1983 sidecar would have been supplied with a drum brake. I've seen dozens of 80's HD TLE's and all had the drum. I owned an '82 with a drum that I modified for a 1993 FLHS and I later owned a 1987 model also with a drum.
I've not seen one but I've read about a disc brake conversion to an eatlier TLE sidecar. There's no reason why it couldn't be done, although I honestly don't see a clear advantage. Having owned and ridden both versoins, drum and disc, It's really difficult to tell the difference.
I was wrong my friends 1983 LTE does have a drum brake.
46u - 5/12/2010 10:25 AM
I was wrong my friends 1983 LTE does have a drum brake.
No apology is needed here. By the way, I'm pretty sure that I was once wrong. I thought I was wrong but it turned out I was mistaken about that.
🙂
I have been wrong 4 times first about the disc on my friends 83 sidecar and wife 1, wife 2 and wife 3!!!!!!!! LOL I found raising my 3 daughters as single parent was the way to go.
46u - 5/12/2010 2:50 PM
I have been wrong 4 times first about the disc on my friends 83 sidecar and wife 1, wife 2 and wife 3!!!!!!!! LOL I found raising my 3 daughters as single parent was the way to go.
Well at least you know the children are being brought up correctly.
As to HD, if it's a new part, you are generally OK in going by the suffix. For example if you said that a new part with a -98 came out in 1998, you'd be right.
The problem arises when HD makes a minor print change to an existing part and puts that out. For example a -93 part number came out originally in 1993. But when they change the suffix, say to a -93A, that could have come out most any time and the only way to find out when, if indeed it matters, is to have all of the parts books and cross-check to see.
That very issue came up when we were talking about the rear mount for a TLS on a 2004 Ultra frame. It's got a -93A suffix. It's the one with two bolts, threads for the mount bolt in the casting and which requires a spacer. I thnk they brought that out at the time that they went to a larger rear axle but I can't be sure because I don't have all fo teh bookx. Nonetheless, that -03 A mount I know came out long after 1993.
But I could be wrong, LOL.
🙂
They are all grown now and now I have grand children, which is my greatest joy of my life. My oldest grandson is 5 and he LOVES coming to PA PA as he comes through the door wanting to know where his helmet is and lets go for a ride. He and the twins both boys are the main reason I got a sidecar.
Yes I know about the prefix but did not know if Harley might have had a different disc break before then. All so if you have a prefix with a letter after it A is first revision B second and so on. May times the revision will be nothing but a different vender. But many times a revision or update to the older part.
46u - 5/12/2010 5:07 PM
They are all grown now and now I have grand children, which is my greatest joy of my life. My oldest grandson is 5 and he LOVES coming to PA PA as he comes through the door wanting to know where his helmet is and lets go for a ride. He and the twins both boys are the main reason I got a sidecar.
Yes I know about the prefix but did not know if Harley might have had a different disc break before then. All so if you have a prefix with a letter after it A is first revision B second and so on. May times the revision will be nothing but a different vender. But many times a revision or update to the older part.
Yes, that's correct. A revision may have to do with a different vendor. It's very seldom that HD ever gets much past a "B" revision, however, AFAIK.
