New kid on the block

thanks --- I was looking for it

Txart - 10/21/2011 10:32 PM
This evening I became the proud daddy of a ...California Friendship 3 ... ready for the thousand mile return trip back home tomorrow and then to Texas sidecars for mating to my ultra.

Good deal Art. Please keep us informed of your progress. And post pics.

By the way, there are a couple of sidecar gatherings in the works for East Texas, one likely in May 2012 and another in October 2012.

I have made an appointment with Texas sidecar to mount my sidcar on to my bike. I'm trailering everything to and from so I started checking the total width. If I'm not incorrect, the rig will be about 80 inches wide --- thats the width of my full size pickup. Is this about right for a Harley Ultra with the FS3 car?

I had a trailer that is 82 inches wide lined up, but seems a little narrow. If I do not find anything wider, we will have to dettach the car -- ugh

That trailer should do the trick. I've got an '05 FLHT with a friendship installed and it fits on my 6' X 9' trailer just fine. I live in League City, TX and have been running my side car for about a year and have really enjoyed it. Didn't really like the "Dresser" until adding the sidecar. The wife and I did a 1800 mi. trip and she only rode behind me for maybe 10 miles. She reads, does crossword puzzles and sleeps (although she won't admit sleeping) all the time. She really enjoys it. I've got a cocker spaniel that rides in it more than the wife and I have yet to go out on a ride without someone taking pictures of us. Good luck with your new attachment!

thanks, I do hope it will be enjoyable --- just knowing I do not have to hold up the bike is a blessing. Do you have a reverse on your rig? Do you have a step on the car?

I have a few odds and ends that need work but will wait to see if I really like it before spending more on it. Like someone wrote on here -- buying the car is really the down payment

No reverse and haven't needed it. I find that it is not really too hard to maneuver and with a little planning you don't have to back up too often.
There is a step behind the wheel on the side car but I think it was added by the previous owner. I bought the sidecar off ebay and mounted and set it up my self. Fortunately the car I bought came off a FLHT and I got all the mounts with the car.

Txart - 10/29/2011 12:14 AM
... Do you have a reverse on your rig?....

Re: Reverse: Just remembering to "pull up" or "back down" into your parking spots -- that is, always have the "nose up" -- will solve 90%+ of the situations you encounter. Most rigs are not too hard to back up since you don't have to balance the bike too. But in a handful of situations I've needed a helping hand to push the rig backwards.

...buying the car is really the down payment... There's some truth in that statement.

Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox

 

http://sidecar.com/mbbs22/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=506

This is the rig on first test ride -- got installed tuesday at Texas sidecar -- Will be completely finished Wed. Bob is a super nice guy

Great looking rig, you're gonna love it...

Txart - 11/2/2011 1:32 AM

This is the rig on first test ride -- got installed tuesday at Texas sidecar -- Will be completely finished Wed. Bob is a super nice guy.

Looking Good TxArt. How are you coming along as a new sidecarist? It took me a little while to become accustomed to the extra width of the sidecar.

Actually the installation has not been completed --- we are waiting on a banjo bolt with which to tie in the brakes and also waiting on a steering damper --- I rode it at Texas sidecar and the woobles were bad --- Bob at TSC said they were minor and fixable with a damper --- he rode it up to 80 - he is nuts too!

anyways, as soon as we have brakes and a damper installed we will start riding as time permits ----- When I rode it at TSC, I met an 18 wheeler on the narrow road -- it was sacry as hell knowing you can NOT move over in your lane to avoid the blast. 🙂 The rig is about 78 inches wide - about the same as my Dodge 3/4 ton pickup

Txart - 11/6/2011 12:21 PM

Actually the installation has not been complete ... Bob at TSC ... rode it up to 80 - he is nuts too!

Well, maybe more experienced than nuts. Bob's just working to get it aligned. Wind drag has lots of impact on drivablility as speed increases over 60mph, even more so with the wide sidecars with large frontal area.

... I met an 18 wheeler on the narrow road -- it was sacry as hell knowing you can NOT move over in your lane to avoid the blast....

Yep, that was a BIG adjustment for me, as I tend to use the entire lane when on the 2-wheeler.

Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox

 

Just pretend you are still driving the Dodge pickup and keep the bike wheels in the left wagon track. You'll be fine and won't knock down any mailboxes. Remember to squint when the truck blast hits you.

Lonnie

I'll remember the squint.......for my training, maybe I should have gotten one of those German rigs - you know the ones that have the machine mount on them

Making progress --- the steering damper came in this afternoon and I was able to install it -- was surprised --- will get up a crack of dawn, check out the installation, get the rig off the trailer and take it for a test run ----- if not it does work, we'll go to Plan B, the VW Damper