Anyone have any experience or info on mounting a CSC Friendship III 2 seater sidecar to an HD 2007 Police Roadking??? or a CSC FIII to any other bike?
I picked up a good used one...but...it came off a Goldwing 1500 so I had to buy a complete frame conversion kit for it plus all the mounts to the HD. Not wuite sure yet but I have all the parts now. The instructions that came with it are rather weak....at least for me.
Anyone else ever mount one of these? A local HD dealer is listed as a CSC dealer but they have never mounted a CSC sidecar. They have done HD sidecars though. Anything specifically different on the CSC?
Any help is greatly appreciated! I am down in L.A. (Lower Alabama!) About halfway between Mobile and Pensacola, FL. Thanks!
Jim
There is considerable difference between the FS III and a TLE as far as mounting. Harley uses 3 point mounts, CSC cars use 4 adjustable mounts.
I've had a Harley Dealer in Washington bring a CSC to me for mounting after their tech's spent up to 16 shop hours ($$$) on one and it still wasn't mounted.
(See Peace Officers Edition attached). Same mountings as the FS III.
You'll need to mount the CSC sub-frame mount set first then go to the S/C instructions. Set the sidecar and bike side by side with the car level and the bike as level as possible. If the sidecar has electric tilt the screw should be in the center position. Connect the two lower Heim joints and set the initial toe-in. Start with a toe-in of about 1" measured at the bike axles (this can be adjusted easily after road testing the outfit). After the initial toe-in is set, load the bike with the expected road weight then give the bike about 1 degree of lean-out and connect the 2 upper struts. If using fairing lowers, you will have to relieve the right side one for upper strut clearance or remove it altogether.
At this point your sidecar is firmly mounted after you secure all the nuts and bolts. The rig is now drivable and the alignment can be fine tuned.
The lighting, electric lean and brake hookups can be left to a shop if you don't have a shop manual or are unsure of the correct places to tap into for connecting these items so they will function well without causing problems.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Lonnie:
Much thanks! The instructions that came with all the mounting parts and sub-frame kit were rather weak. This helps a little. Any more pictures or info on the moounts would be much appreciated. I know the HD dealer I am taking it to next week has never done CSC but have done a few of the HD sidecars. I called a number of listed SCS dealers and most have never done a sidecar. I guess their biggest seller is the trike conversions. I wasn't sure how difficult the frame would be but from looking at the new one it does not look all that difficult. It appears that 5 or 6 nuts and the entire body lifts off the frame. Then just a matter of swapping out the swingarm, wheel and electric lean off the old one to the new one.
I actually wondered if it wouldn't be easier to just attach the sidecar, minus the body, to the bike and align and when all is finished, re-attach the body??
It is great weather this time of year here by the gulf....does Northwest Sidecars make house calls??
😉
Jim
Another question for you hack gurus out there. After I get this CSC FIII mounted to my 2007 Road King Police bike, I want to install a trailer hitch. What is the best trailer hitch to use? Most of the ones I see attach to the rear of the bike. Some rigs have a trailer hitch attached between the bike and sidecar so the trailer basically pulls from the middle of the two. Is there any advantage/disadvantage to either one? Who makes a hitch that attaches to the rig and bike?
Jim
It's always easier to do the sidecar mounting with the body off the frame.
Much easier to access the attachment points. Fine tuning should be done later with a complete and road weighted rig.
A hitch that pulls from the inside sidecar frame rail is desirable since the combined outfit will take up less lane space. This is especially true of a double wide combo that can easily run off the pavement in some tight narrow mountain road turns.
State and National Park roads and many Scenic Byways are good examples of roads that are not up to USDOT standards in lane width and turn radii.
The attached GL/FS III outfit had a bike mounted hitch and was pulling a trailer when it went off the road in the mountains due to excess width.
Luckily no injuries were incurred but it took quite a bit of time and $$$ to get it back on the road again.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecars
Lonnie:
Where can you find a triler hitch like that? Or is that something that has to be fabricated?
Jim
Jim,
You might check with the vendors listed here on the home page. With the sidecar Mfg'r. or any trailer hitch shop can fabricate one for you.
Lonnie
Thanks for all the help on this. I bit the bullet, as I wanted everything mounted correctly and professionally and took the sidecar, new frame, mounts, and bike to Bob Darden of Texas Sidecars. He did a fantastic job mounting everything and the entire rig looks and runs great! I would highly recommend him to anyone and everyone for anything sidecar related.
Jim
