A bit of a damper

If there are no motorcycle shops in little ole' Buffalo, Kansas, then consider going to Wichita, KS first, and to Kansas City second. The drive might be well worth having it done right.

Going back to the steering damper i checked the measurements this morning and extended the damper is 27 1/2 inch and compressed its 19 inch

Hi Steve, this is just my 2 cents so take it with a grain of salt, BUT I think the steering damper is more troublesome than it is helpful. I had one on my 97 wing with the Motorvation II car. I found once I installed the 4.5 easy steer, tightening it down a bit more than spec I had NO need for the damper. once I removed it I NEVER wanted it back on. Also the damper makes slow tight turns much more difficult because your fighting the shock as well as the rig itself. You have to solve the head shake not cover it up. Like others here said start with the tire, it's amazing what a difference a little change in the tire can do for the ride 

I am of the  same  opinion as @AceinSav. None of my 6 sidecar rigs have had  steering  dampeners on them, but....I am  an animal  

As @AceinSav said.....start with the  #1 thing....a brand new tire,  properly  inflated to 40 psi, and do NOTHING  else.....then drive it,  and see if the head-shake is gone.

Also, Steve, you could contact Champion.  I know they don’t build the sidecars anymore but they should be able to give you replacement options at parts houses.  When I had your rig I bought a receiver hitch for it from them.  It was pretty reasonable.  If you have all the paper work that I had given the guy you bought it from, there are mountains of documented receipts in that large stack of stuff. ( including stuff from Champion).  That bike you have was maintained impeccably.    And had the paper work to back it up.  

Hay Varn

Welcome to the party =)

Yes i have all the paperwork those treasures will stay where they belong. Trying to get the best ride i can step by step so any input you have will be helpful as you have the knowledge no one else has about the outfit unless of course previous owners are quietly watching on the forums. I did find the pink champion paperwork but no part numbers etc. I can tell you miss the wing, who knows maybe we will meet up along the way

Miles

I agree one step at a time. I don't like to feel i have to force the outfit along that tells me something is not right. Wings are very popular outfits and they would not be if they were crap to ride. I like to feel tuned in and with a bike you have too right. So the EZ steer fits the GL1500?

Posted by: @none

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. So the EZ steer fits the GL1500?

Steve,  is this a question  ?

Remind us.....does your Goldwing  1500 have the  modified front,  or not ? For some reason I thought  yours already had  a trail reducing triple trees  on  bike. 

If not......then the "EZ Steer" you are  asking about  is a milled set of triple trees that  have a  4.5 to 6 degrees additional  rake to them, in order to  reduce the  trail, and make it  easier to  steer.

Before getting into the full  dialog  of where and how to get  these new triple trees....let's  first  answer the question....does your  Wing  have the modified front end,  or not  ?

And....Varn @varn-cummings can join in here, as he  used to  own  this  rig.

Miles

Not to my knowledge without checking the paperwork. If it had EZ now it would not need a damper right, maybe that's a clue. BUT i will refill my coffee cup and start going through the paperwork.

So i had a wander through 29 years of history but no mention of EZ steer at all.

I think it MUST have a modified triple tree or we'd be having a very different conversation.

I have no idea at all

Steve, the use of a steering  dampener has no relation  at all as to whether it  has EZ Steer triple trees  on the  bike. 

The two items serve very separate  purposes. 

There're ways to determine  whether  the  bike has  the EZ Steer triple trees,  or not.

Varn could pipe in.....we could see pictures of the  side profile of the  bike, showing the  left side,  so I  can view the  relationship  of the  front  wheel  to the  lower fairing.....we could compare  measurements  between  two  spots on your bike,  to the  same  two  spots on a  stock bike, and also a  Goldwing  1500 that is absolutely  known to have  EZ Steer  triple trees. 

Steve, I had to dig deep, into my deepest dark files, to find your pictures on my 'puter....they were in the RED file, for Retired, Extremely Dangerous.......or maybe because it is a Red bike.....looking at these two different pictures of the front end of your bike, I have mixed conclusions.

The first picture makes me think it DOES have the EZ Steer triple trees in the bike.

The second picture makes me thing it does NOT have them.

I need a much better side picture...of the left side of the bike.

Sorry guys, I been off the forum & out the loop a few hours.  To answer the question,  I think it has the easy steer but I’m a little foggy tonight.  But I’m pretty sure it does.  To confirm I’ll dig up some pictures and try to post them.  But Steve, if you have a few extra hours I think I remember it being referenced on some  of the paperwork that you would have gotten. I combed through it and highly suggest you familiarize yourself so as to know what’s been done to it.  seems like I remember champion sending the car to a Honda dealer in the mid-west and that they did the original install??  .  The original owner was a woman ( maybe a Jane somebody???).  that was an active sidecarist by what I surmised in reading the many notes & receipts she had from many dealers over the USA.   It was an interesting stack of notes and info.  I was amazed at her detailed docs she kept for many years.  I did try extensively to reach out to her but was never successful.  She may not even be on this side anymore???     I’ll try & post some pictures.  The ones that Miles  posted were taken at my house when I was going to sell it.  .