Perhaps I missunderstood:
You let off the hands from the handlebar and then the shakeing starts at all speeds?
That is obvious.
On a sidecar rig You allways have a little pull on the stearing, to the left or the right depending on speed. With the hands off the pull will impuls the handle into one direction and when the track (Nachlauf) builds up its force on the frontwheel the handle will shake back for to make the same thing on the other side. The rotary impuls of the front wheel will not allow to get to a point of equilibrium (like in a single bike) but overshoot and enforece the shakeing if you still didn't put your hands back.
(sometimes I force shakeing intencionally) I allways get impressed of how much force is involved in a shakeing handle bar and to regrab it may hurt pretty hard.
A rig is not a single bike where you can drive free hand. Keep one hand allways put for to compensate the pull.
This pull on the stearing is the reason why you allways know at every moment how the wheel's traction is. And it is the reason why driveing on mud, roll split and ice is much safer with a sidecar then any other vehicle I know of (except perhaps a hoover craft)
If I missunderstood again then its really time for you to check the hole setup from tires to frame.
And remember often a problem is not caused by one single aspect, but by the added up sum of many minor or bigger missadjustments, gibs, wear.....Every single part has to be in perfect condition. On save stearing and breaks depends your and your passengers life.
Safety first!
Regards Sven Peter
Originally written by claude #3563 on 7/12/2007 7:31 AM
peterm pan wrote:
>>All sidecars tend to shake at very low speeds 20-30kmClaude wrote...
'Tend to shake' and actually doing so are not one and the same.Fact is that Some do and some don't. I do not want to sound argumentative but to say that almost all rigs have a steering damper is simply not correct. We do all we can to alleviate the necessity of a damper and actually very few rigs that leave our shop need one. Some do but it is the exception and by far not the rule. Guess I am just a terrible salesman.
My K bike/motorvation rig does NOT shake at any speed over 10-15 MPH.
at speeds of 50-60-70-80.... I can remove my hands [keeping them VERY near the grips af corse, just to try it out]
also, I have no damper installed.
get the rig set up right, ..head bearing tightness toe-in .also make sure the mounts are tight.
My '73 /5 bike also needed NO damper..only shook at very low speed, driveway bump, ETC.
Well this has been a very informative link, I logged on for the specific purpose of asking about head shake and there it was, answers already posted! My rig's a 2000 Aprilia Pegaso (dual-sport for those not familiar with the model)with a Sputnik, all joined together by Dauntless Motors. The first couple of times it did the head shake thing I was alarmed but found that it stopped with a bit of firm-handed control. It only happens at very low speed and then not always, usually due to something setting it off, i.e., road irregularities during turns, etc. It's never happened at normal riding speeds although I've never gone beyond 70 mph indicated.
Thanks to everyone who posted their comments!
Since I installed a Steerite triple tree to reduce the trail, my Valk/Spyder has no headshake at any speed. In fact the local dealer who knows sidecars said he was impressed.
As far as letting go of the handlebars, why? I used to get a big kick out of many Gold Wing owners who complained about a "shimmy" when decelerating from 45 mph with their hands off the bars. Again, why?
My rig is now stable enough that I can steer with one hand at highway speeds but trusting my rig to stay stable with NO hands, No way.
