I have a lead weight, approx. 55 # that bolts to the frame of my Harley TLE sidecar way over near the wheel, good spot for it. I wondered If I should make the effort to have this easily removable for when I have a passenger onboard. In other words do I want 50 more pounds on the chassis even when i carry a passenger? Most discussions I've seen on here mention sand bags or bags of lead shot that can be off-loaded very quickly. What say you?
If you were running a small light weight rig like the MZ silverstarr Gespan that I use to run 500cc single then yes, you would want to remove the weight. On your Road King while 55 lbs in theory would make a difference on fuel economy it more then likely is not worth the effort. Also should plans change along the way and you loose your passenger for any reason, if you leave the weight on the bike, you will still have it on the bike when you need it rather then at home.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
Thanks Jay, I'll leave it be.
I have the Harley cast iron weight that was sold as an accessory back in the 90's. I rode my rig without it for a year or so and then installed it to try it out. I think it makes the ride rougher and may take it off this year. It is just additional unsprung weight that puts more force into the bike when you hit a bump. I think putting some weight in the sidecar is probably a better idea for right turn comfort. I am going to put together a very complete tool kit to go in the sidecar for some useful ballast and see how the ride compares.
