I just bought a rig with a CSC Freedom II SE sidecar on a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic FI. I should have looked more closely before buying, but it was only after buying it that I found that there is NOT a brake on the sidecar wheel. Does anyone know how to add the hydraulic disc brake to this sidecar, which apparently was an option from CSC? (I've e-mailed CSC about this, but I don't know if they will be able to, or want to, give me any help.)
When California added brakes to these bikes the did so by welding a ring to the back of the brake hub. Do you have the ring? it will have 4 bolt holes for a rotor to attach. If you do then you will need a brake rotor. The rotors they uses were for the rear brakes citroen GSA from the mid 1980's that they turned down so that was not as wide. These rotors are no longer made by any one. We make the rotor already turned down. If you do not have this ring they you will need a new hub. rather then welding a ring to the back we make a new hub from billet however it has a 5 bolt pattern not a 4.
For the caliper CSC welded a caliper mount. If you have the caliper mount we need to know the spacing on the holes. Early ones used a Brembo F04 Caliper that is no longer made, latter ones use the same caliper that we stock. If you have the early bolt spacing you will need to cut off the mount and weld in a new mount that we can supply.
We then as we do not know the track or wheel lead on your bike will need a measurement for the length of your brake hose so that we can supply a hose.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
You may do not need brakes on your sidecar. Do you have a lot of load in sidecar?
Yes, you may not need a brake, until the one time that you do, I think it is foolish to not have a brake when it is possible and practical to have one. The cost of a brake is a lot less then the cost of hospital bills and repair bills, and yes you may not ever need a brake but why risk it?
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Before this rig, I had 2 other sidecar rigs. The first was set up very poorly, including not activating the brake on the sidecar wheel. The second was set up very well, including having the brake active on the sidecar wheel (but lots of other modifications, as well, specifically made for the addition of the sidecar). The difference between the two was really remarkable. I know that a brake on the sidecar wheel of my current rig won't cure all its ills (I'm also considering custom triple clamps), but I can tell that the braking will be much better, and therefore safer, with an active brake on the sidecar wheel. And if I'm going to ride a motorcycle or sidecar rig, I'm already compromising on safety (compared to a car), so I want to stack the deck in my favor as much as I can.
Jay: You say that you might "make a new hub from billet however it has a 5 bolt pattern not a 4." Does this mean that I would have to get a different wheel, one with a 5 bolt pattern in it? The current wheel has a 4 bolt pattern. And the tire is pretty gone, so I was about to replace it. But I won't, if I'm going to have to replace the wheel, and then get a new tire for that new wheel.
Thanks again for your help. I hope this weekend to get some pictures to you.
Yes you would need a different wheel. We do make a 4 on 4 hub as well however I am not sure if the off set will work out on the CSC. We have not tried it. Often when changing wheels on the CSC we go with a 12 inch wheel rather then a 13. The reason is a 145 13 tire barley fits under the fender and 145 13 tires are getting hard to come by so many people go with a 155 which can rub or stick out. The 145 12 tire is common and easy to get.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793
Jay: Does it matter that the tire on this rig is a 165/70 R13? I ask because that tire has low enough tread that I'll probably need to replace it to pass inspection-- but if I'm going to have to get a new wheel with 5 bolts (as a result of adding a brake), then of course I'd have to get a new tire for that new 5-bolt wheel, so I might as well hold off on getting a new tire for the current 4-bolt wheel.
You have a 165 70 13 as it works out to the same diameter as a 145 13. One issue on wheels in the 4 X 4 bolt pattern is a trailer only patter, the pattern we run as a 5 bolt is on a 4.75 pattern. Many more wheels in this size.
If you ship us the swing arm in order to weld the mounts on, ship it with the hub, we can see if our 4 X 4 bolt pattern has a close enough off set to work in which case you would not need a new wheel.
BTW, if this is really an SE and not just a friendship 2 then no issues, if it is on the other hand not an SE we will also need to know if the sidecar has a shock under it or a torsion bar. If it is a torsion bar use a chisel and give your self some witness marks before you remove it so that you can set the ride height back where it was as it is fully adjustable. If it is a torsion bar then the caliper will have to go under the swing arm as there is not enough clearance under the fiberglass for the caliper. With this set up you must remove the caliper in order to bleed the brake as it will be up side down with the bleeder not at the high point. When they made the SE (which is more or less a copy of a Champion Escort to the point were the inner linings are the same) they widened the sidecar and changed the way the sidecar opens among many other changes.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
