thats the real rub....
my 07 96" is so way way way better than my 77 was.. i can set the cruise control at 80 and it will hold with a passenger in the sidecar. the 77 was only really good to about 55 - of course in 79 55 was fine - now its not.
but to get it to steer like my 77 i changed the tree
reverse from baker is near 2k & thats way more bux than i have handy.
nobody, i mean NOBODY makes a proper hand shift for the newer bikes - all the guys i know riding hand shift bikes have foot shift transmissions - none of them even know that a hand shift transmission does not have a ratchet - its got a pair of gears.
if i could find a broken twin cam transmission to use for mock up i think id spend the time in my machine shop to make a hand shift top. i have a horizontal dividing head for my mill with centers that i could cut a shift drum on & i think a pair of boston gears could be made to do the job. it might even be possible to put a gear on the end of a factory drum and then make a top to hold the gear and lever... a chunk of 6061 aluminum about 6" x 8" x 3" would be big enough to make a hand shift top.. then just plug the rachet lever hole.. would it work? dont know - but ill bet the total market is about 3 each.
and a tank gate is mostly the hassle of repainting the tank... although in the 70's i remember seeing hand shift gates mounted on a casting from the frame tube on cop bikes.....
now that baker makes proper kick starters and proper reverse [though you cant put both on the same transmission] i keep hoping they will make a hand shift top so i dont have to.
if i get through this summer not living in a box a hand shift top is my next "project"
to
Well just from the couple photos that I looked at showing the sidecar and reading what he had to say I can tell you that the first two noticable things are I think he has a L&W interior in it and the windshield is not correct or even close, the windshield should come around the sides and is in a metal frame work the windshield apron aside from being mounted to the front edge should drop down the sides snaps in place the "extra" cover should be part of the front apron and when riding with a person in the sidecar the cover rolls up and is cliped in place to the underside of the sidecar windshield L&W makes that too.
Another thing I am not certain about this, but the body looks to be fiberglass to me although HD did make a few fiberglass bodys in the peanut body style like he said from 66 to 69 they also continued to make the steel body till 1967.
Attached is the only photo that I could find showing the windshield of my last sidecar
hdrghack - 1/1/2010 10:43 AM
Well just from the couple photos that I looked at showing the sidecar and reading what he had to say I can tell you that the first two noticable things are I think he has a L&W interior in it and the windshield is not correct or even close, the windshield should come around the sides and is in a metal frame work the windshield apron aside from being mounted to the front edge should drop down the sides snaps in place the "extra" cover should be part of the front apron and when riding with a person in the sidecar the cover rolls up and is cliped in place to the underside of the sidecar windshield L&W makes that too.
Another thing I am not certain about this, but the body looks to be fiberglass to me although HD did make a few fiberglass bodys in the peanut body style like he said from 66 to 69 they also continued to make the steel body till 1967.
Attached is the only photo that I could find showing the windshield of my last sidecar
[/QUOTE
If that is indeed a late fiberglass version of the steel body, it's a rare duck. As far as that goes, judging from the many early steel-bodied HD sidecar tubs I've seen, they are very prone to rust. Probably a lot of them get removed and stored under poor conditions, often outside and in the rain. I've seen them with the bottoms rotted out and major damage to the steel. The fiberglass tubs, while not as appealing to some, are really quite durable and weather-resistant and are quite easily repaired. The top section comes off after removal of the many rivets around the centerline. I've done two major repairs on older ones that way and once you get the top off, repairs are straightforward with glass cloth and epoxy when fixing holes and dents. .
The difference in the windshield would be a turnoff for me. I like motorcycles and sidecars that are "anatomically correct". In my book, originality is King, especially in vintage bikes and sidecar rugs. JMO.
GNM,
The photo of my last sidecar that I attached is a 1969 HD fiberglass sidecar in the top right corner in the photo is what it looked like when I bought it in 1992
I bought it from a guy that lived just out side of Ottowa Canada he said that he bought a few of them from the police department there he brought it down to Syracuse New York where I met him doing some research on it later when I got it home.
I spoke to a lady at Willwerts HD in Iowa I believe her name was Dorthy she seemed to know quite a bit about this type sidecar. She says that the largest buyers of this fiberglass body sidecar were the Ottowa Canada,Pittsburgh,Detroit and NYC police departments she also said that some of the police departments would swap out the steel body's in the summer to the fiberglass ones in the winter months to continue with "traffic duty"
I have to agree with wanting it correct I addeded the windshield and seat only because we liked to travel and camp by motorcycle and with the addition of my daughter well we needed some more room for her and "stuff" I happen to have 2 of the correct style primary covers that the 66 bike needs one of them I drilled a few billion holes it it for ventelation for the inclosed primary drive that I was running at the time before my sidecar days.
My old sidecar went to a new home in Cleveland Ohio and was also attached to a 1972 fl like my last bike wish I could find the photos he sent me of it attached to his bike it looked real sharp...............still wish I never sold it but I have my sights on a 30 now:)
hdrghack - 1/3/2010 7:46 AM
GNM,
The photo of my last sidecar that I attached is a 1969 HD fiberglass sidecar in the top right corner in the photo is what it looked like when I bought it in 1992
I bought it from a guy that lived just out side of Ottowa Canada he said that he bought a few of them from the police department there he brought it down to Syracuse New York where I met him doing some research on it later when I got it home.
I spoke to a lady at Willwerts HD in Iowa I believe her name was Dorthy she seemed to know quite a bit about this type sidecar. She says that the largest buyers of this fiberglass body sidecar were the Ottowa Canada,Pittsburgh,Detroit and NYC police departments she also said that some of the police departments would swap out the steel body's in the summer to the fiberglass ones in the winter months to continue with "traffic duty"
I have to agree with wanting it correct I addeded the windshield and seat only because we liked to travel and camp by motorcycle and with the addition of my daughter well we needed some more room for her and "stuff" I happen to have 2 of the correct style primary covers that the 66 bike needs one of them I drilled a few billion holes it it for ventelation for the inclosed primary drive that I was running at the time before my sidecar days.
My old sidecar went to a new home in Cleveland Ohio and was also attached to a 1972 fl like my last bike wish I could find the photos he sent me of it attached to his bike it looked real sharp...............still wish I never sold it but I have my sights on a 30 now:)
That's interesting. You want a '30 VL with sidecar, eh? I liked the VL's. For a brief time in Chicago, I owned a 1935 VL. It had lots of nice low speed torque which would have been great for pulling a sidecar. Many VL's were used by police departments all over the US.
When I was a kid back in Chicago, there were two separate police departments: The Chicago PD which used Panheads with and without sidecars, and the Chicago Park District, which used Indian motorcycles. They had lots of Indian Chiefs and some four cylinder Indians with factory sidecars, all painted silver. They were gorgeous as I recall.
The two departments were merged when the first Mayor Daley came into power in 1956. He hated the fact that the Park District was autonomous and when he took over he got rid of the Commission controlling it and with it, the Park District. Harley-Davidson provided all of the bikes for Chicago's PD thereafter, including lots of three-wheeled Model "G" Servicars, later to have electric start units added on. Those were built up to the 1970's. As far as I know, Chicago discontinued the use of solo bikes in the early 1960's since there had been numerous fatalities on Chicago's famous black ice.
From time to time, you will see the occasional Harley VL sidecar connection part on eBay. They are as rare as hens' teeth now, however. I've seen a few nicely restored VL's but only one VL sidecar rig to date. Obviously, being steel many of them have been destroyed by the ravages of time.
GNM,
I have a 30 Vl and currently working on/restoring it ,I do know where there is a 31VL sidecar complete with all the mounts and optional lights and I also know where there are 2, 1930 sidecar frames.......which is what I would Prefer to make the 30VL "correct" in year to the sidecar, like the 1966 shovelhead sidecar rig that we were discussing earlier in this thread.
The local HD dealer here has an original paint silver and blue 1935 VLD that they bought new, complete with corbin speedo and leather saddle bags.
Speaking of Indians........I reciently picked up a 1942 Indian model 741 in early september of 09....the wife was impressed that this one runs 😀 that money could have gone towards the VL sidecar or towards the VL but well...........Guess I always wanted an Indian motorcycle.
hdrghack - 1/3/2010 7:51 PM
GNM,
I have a 30 Vl and currently working on/restoring it ,I do know where there is a 31VL sidecar complete with all the mounts and optional lights and I also know where there are 2, 1930 sidecar frames.......which is what I would Prefer to make the 30VL "correct" in year to the sidecar, like the 1966 shovelhead sidecar rig that we were discussing earlier in this thread.
The local HD dealer here has an original paint silver and blue 1935 VLD that they bought new, complete with corbin speedo and leather saddle bags.
Speaking of Indians........I reciently picked up a 1942 Indian model 741 in early september of 09....the wife was impressed that this one runs 😀 that money could have gone towards the VL sidecar or towards the VL but well...........Guess I always wanted an Indian motorcycle.
7 or 8 years ago, the last time I rofe to the Laughlin, Nevada bke week, I met a fellow who had a wonderfully-restored 1939 Indian Four at the motel where I was staying in Kingman, Arizona. It was the best one I had ever seen. This bike was written up in American Iron Magazine around that time. I spent a lot of time talking to him and swapping stories about Indians. (My first job was sweeping hte floor at a local Indian dealer in Chicago. This was about two years after Indian had breathed its last. The dealer had switched to Britich bikes and restoring used Indians.)
In any case, the fellow told me that he had take nearly ten years to collect all of the parts for his bike. He started with a motor that someone had installed in a go kart. (Indian four in a go Kart. LOL) Then he found a frame and so on. You mentioned a Corbin Speedometer. He paid $1,000 for a used one that didn't work and another $1,000 to have it rebuilt.
He was upset when he showed the bike and got only 99 points. One of the judges knocked off one point because he said that the washers the owner used on the bolts holding the rear wheel stand were incorrect. That's the kind of stupidity that goes on in judging these bikes. He was so upset that he told me he didn't intend to show it to anyone ever again. Other than the suspect washers, the bike was absolutely flawless and ran like a sewing machine.
About ten years ago, I saw an original Indian '40 or '41 four with an original factory-mounted sidecar at a bike show in Sacramento. It was "Barn Fresh" and ran beautifully. The owner found it in a barn in Lake County, California. I offered him $10,000 for it and he laughed at me.
There's an old fellow who lives near me that has a 1942 WLC (Canadian Military Harley '45) in original condition. He told me he'd take $30K for it. That's funny. I owned a Harley '45 when I was a kid that I got in baskets for $25. LOL.
The deal with older bikes is supply and demand. There were never that many to begin with and now, 70 years later, the supply is almost exhausted. When I was in Chicago, a friend had a shaft drive Indian 841, the Indian counterpart to the Harley 45. It needed a ring gear and he could never locate any parts. That was long before the internet, however.
Good luck on your parts hunt!
I see that the 1966 sidecar rig didn't meet the $14,000 reserve only brought $12,600.03
hdrghack - 1/5/2010 3:48 AM
I see that the 1966 sidecar rig didn't meet the $14,000 reserve only brought $12,600.03
That's really a little more than the rig is worth. A 1966 bike was neither fish nor fowl. It's not a really old bike and it's not really modern. The sidecar wasn't original, either.
These are tough economic times, too. People are not buying luxury items right now. In my area alone, four Harley-Davidson dealerships have closed, probably permanently.
I looked at the closed listing and he had 20 bids. That's usually indicative of the fact tht the reserve was a bit high. The seller will probably eventually take less.
I see it has been relisted 🙂
hdrghack - 1/8/2010 3:26 AM
I see it has been relisted 🙂
It's part of the process. If it doesn't sell at one price, they will eventually drop the price. There are Shovelheads available in the newspaper near me every day for $4.,000. Add on a sidecar and you might get to $8K. An older one like that '66 might bring a little more. He should have sold it at the price bid but he didn't.
There's another fellow who has a vintage JD Harley rig on eBay that's been listed several times at $55,000. It's in terrible condition but relatively complete. You are advertising to a very small market at that price and a sale is clearlt problematical.
I've listed sidecars and had a very difficlult time selling them. I'm keeping the one I have but if I were to try to sell it, I'd be lucky to get 50% of new price.
Relisted and now sold at $14,000.
We may think it was overpriced, but a willing buyer was eventually found. I was seriously thinking of this rig, but priced out.
I am still searching for a reasonably priced matched set, or servi-car. Anyone?
64duo - 1/8/2010 2:06 PM Relisted and now sold at $14,000. We may think it was overpriced, but a willing buyer was eventually found. I was seriously thinking of this rig, but priced out. I am still searching for a reasonably priced matched set, or servi-car. Anyone?
64duo
To give you an idea of what I was getting at earlier about a matched set meaning a 66 bike and 66 sidecar. I am always watching sidecar related items on e-bay a couple days back a 1941 hd frame for a knucklehead or a flathead reciently went up to $1850. and didn't meet reserve, A person wanting to create a "set" only needs to be patient for that year frame to come along.
As for the 1966 bike that you were looking at with the sidecar, I personally think the bike was worth a bit more than it was mentioned earlier reason being is it was the first year of the generator shovelhead motor which ran from 66 to 69 and to get it closer to what it should be was mainly bolt on items like the primary cover that was mentioned in the ad there is nothing you can do about it being repainted,the sidecar....well........would of needed a fair amount more of work.
Pick up a copy of Walnecks cycle trader theres always older sidecar rigs for sale and the "Sidecar" issue will be coming out in a couple months good luck.
hdrghack - 1/19/2010 4:57 PM
64duo - 1/8/2010 2:06 PM Relisted and now sold at $14,000. We may think it was overpriced, but a willing buyer was eventually found. I was seriously thinking of this rig, but priced out. I am still searching for a reasonably priced matched set, or servi-car. Anyone?
64duo
To give you an idea of what I was getting at earlier about a matched set meaning a 66 bike and 66 sidecar. I am always watching sidecar related items on e-bay a couple days back a 1941 hd frame for a knucklehead or a flathead reciently went up to $1850. and didn't meet reserve, A person wanting to create a "set" only needs to be patient for that year frame to come along.
As for the 1966 bike that you were looking at with the sidecar, I personally think the bike was worth a bit more than it was mentioned earlier reason being is it was the first year of the generator shovelhead motor which ran from 66 to 69 and to get it closer to what it should be was mainly bolt on items like the primary cover that was mentioned in the ad there is nothing you can do about it being repainted,the sidecar....well........would of needed a fair amount more of work.
Pick up a copy of Walnecks cycle trader theres always older sidecar rigs for sale and the "Sidecar" issue will be coming out in a couple months good luck.
I saw that sidecar frame. It looked pretty good but I think it was missing the crossbar for the upper front mount. Those are nearly impossible to find.
I saw that sidecar frame. It looked pretty good but I think it was missing the crossbar for the upper front mount. Those are nearly impossible to find.
GNM109
The guy in PA. at L&W body makes the upper front mount crossbar for the earlier frame's he is usually at the AMCA meet in April at Oley PA.
