EZ STEER TRIPLE TREE

Jim, from one newbie to another, these rigs take a little while to get comfortable on. I don't have the years of solo riding that you have so it might even be a little worst for you. Give it a little time and take it easy for a while. I don't think you'll want to invest the extra money in the EZ Steer until you get a little better feel for the rig. From what I understand, and the experts will surely give you better info than me, the EZ steer acts like power steering. It makes it much easier to turn but the trade off is the "self centering" action of the front wheel is much less. Again, don't take my advise to seriously because I'm still a newbie too, but I think what you might want is a steering dampener. From what I've been told the EZ steer is worth every penny if you have a hard time getting the rig around corners.

I've only been riding for about two months. I ride it to work almost everyday because the roads are very familiar. It's given me a chance to get comfortable because I know what was coming down the road in terms of bumps, turns, and traffic. I've decided that I actually like the heavy steering of my rig.

Anyway, if it makes you feel any better, the first day or two I had my rig I took my wife for a cruise around the block and took out a trash can in the first turn. I under estimated the width of that extra wheel. It's made me cautious about that issue ever since.

Rob

Since most Harley dealers don't have a clue when it comes to sidehack rigs. Take a sidecar class if one is available near you. If not you might download some of the how to books here and read up on some of the tricks of piloting a sidecar outfit. Then find some vacant space or road to practice some of the things you have read. Soon you will be more relaxed and not so aware of small bumps and undulations.
The first thing I tell new operators is to stay in the left wagontrack when on the road. Keeping the bike on that side will keep you from knocking down the mailboxes or running up on the curb in a right turn.
Slow down a bit before turns and (lightly) accelerate out of them.
Most experienced solo riders depend mostly on the front brake.
Sidecarists should use both brakes (all three in your case) for straight line stopping. You've got 5 speeds to play with so you can be in the proper rpm range for the best power for all conditions without lugging your bikes motor, use them.
If you have normal upper body strength raked triple trees shouldn't be absolutely necessary. They will ease steering a bunch but at the cost of the self centering caster action built into the stock steering. Some find it too quick and have a tendency to oversteer the rig.
Give yourself some time to get used to the idiosyncracies of the rig before making a decision on steering modifications. You may find you don't need the extra expense.
That 30 years of solo riding doesn't mean much after you add that third wheel. No more easy push on the bars and banking into the turns.

Lonnie

You will need some time to get used to a sidecar. You really don't need 150 pounds of weight to hold the wheel down on a Harley sidecar. I have a 50 pound weight over the right spring and it's plenty since it's set far out.

You need to take things slower at first. Good luck.

Jim,
Before you spend the money try these things.
1.) Download and read Hal Kendall's tomes.
2.) Check the lean out and toe in on your rig. Adjust as necessary.
3.) Spend a quiet Sunday or two in an empty parking lot doing circles, figure eights, starts, stops, right turns and left turns. Accompany all the turns with the appropriate body English. IMPORTANT - do this at Tai Chi speed.
4.) Fly the car once.
5.) Exhale. Enjoy the ride.
Macdonald

hd's can be a real bear with the stock raked tree - once its aligned properly it will go straight fine but turn with lots of effort.

# 1 safety tip with a hd - dont use the rear brake if the sidecar is empty for actual stopping - always put your foot on the pedal but just nudge the rear - use the front for hard stops with a empty sidecar, you can grab as much front as you can manage [it wont tip over] - that info is IN THE MANUAL the sidecar disk is set to overpower the rig so that when the sidecar is fully loaded it will stop straight - you cant panic stop with just the rear brake - you WILL crash. its fairly obvious from somebody on his third hd rig since 1980 that you chomped on the rear brake without the front - you WILL CRASH if you keep doing that. when you have 200 pounds of person in the sidecar - you still cant panic stop with just the rear brake - you will still need front brake to keep it from pulling into the ditch. the manual says to balance the front and rear to stop straight, more rear the heavier the load - you have FOUR disks - one front, one rear and one side - half the braking is the front two - use them.

a raked tree WILL make it a one finger affair - assuming its aligned right in the first place.

i have a liberty tree on my 07 ultra/04tle hd and it truely is a one finger, one hand drive down the highway. in town it takes two hands but mostly to hang one not to steer.

the liberty tree or a ez steer or a hd trike tree puts the front end of your HD in the exact configuration of a sidecar bike ordered FLH prior to 1984. hd supplied sidecar bikes with raked trees from 49 or so to 84 or so. [and with reverse as well if you ordered it that way]

ive bugged long time mechanics at the dealer a number of times & have been told two stories on why they dont offer the factory raked sidecar trees any more.

1: guys would put the front end in the sidecar position so it looked WAY COOL and try to go and ride it solo & then the family of the deceased sued for damages

2: it cost too much to maintain a stock of two different trees.

i suspect that both are true - these days hd does have a trike tree you can use.

to

Thanks to everyone that replied