Hello everyone,
New here and it's nice to see there's a place for sidecar riders to swap info. My question is this: what is the cause of the low speed head shake on some sidecar rigs? I have a Enfield with cozy car, doesn't pull to either side at all but at a certain speed (maybe 10mph) the handlebars oscillate somewhat for a moment. Really I could probably trial/error adjust for an hour and get it to go away (maybe), but I'd like to understand it a little too. Any info is certainly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-PJ
PJ,
Head shake (wiggling the nose) is a normal thing that happens at low speed when accelerating or decelerating with some (probably most) sidecar rigs to some extent. The worst culprits are cycles with a large amount of trail.
On other bikes, loosly adjusted head bearings, worn or out of balance tires, bent wheels, worn swing-arm bearings or misalignment can also cause or aggravate this problem. It is something most get used to after a short time of driving the rig. If it is uncontrollable a steering damper will eliminate head shake.
One problem with the Cozy is the rubber gasket in the mount and the single mounting strut which makes for a fairly flexible attachment between the bike and the sidecar. A supplemental mount can be added to make a more rigid connection between the two.
One of my customers with a Cozy added a strut with a turnbuckle in it to preload the sidecar mount and that seemed to help.
Lonnie
Hey PJ- I'd like to hear how you like the RE- solo, and how it does with the Cozy.
Lonnie, thanks for the advice. I have a damper and the wobble really isn't very bad, but it helps to understand it a little. I was apprehensive to mess too much with adjustments as i don't want to make a good situation bad.
As for the ride Ernie, it's pretty cool. Despite the name, the Enfield is no bullet; but with the new 5-speed it'll get up over 60mph w/sidecar (unless on a steep grade) basically because it's very light. My wife rides it mostly and I think she caught the sidecar bug now. Small, light and easy to handle...and it always draws a crowd.
Paul,
Just a note to say we did get your RON DEE VOO registration money. All is well.
