Hello, all. Bill Lee from Marietta, GA. Never been on a sidecar, but it's about time...
I want a sidecar for a 2004 GL1800. Leaning toward the Hannigan, and the current install date would be mid-late July, probably too late for the Beaver rally.
My Elite 3s will not last until July, so what tire would work best? ME880 Marathon? I've been reading lots of these threads, you folks do a wonderful job and answer so many questions; you've probably answered this but jump in with any and all suggestions.
I'm going to a Georgia SC rally in early June at TWO in Suches, GA, and can ask lots of questions then, but need to select a tire real soon.
Lots of anxiety here - big buck$ for me, wondering how much fun I'll get in the North Georgia mountains, fuel economy and range, tire wear, extended warranty concerns, my habit of not knowing the right product until I've experienced the initial incorrect choice... Overriding these anxieties is the realization that at 65 I don't need to crash on 2 wheels to demonstrate to myself that it's time to get a third wheel.
Thanks so much for any suggestions, and maybe it's not too late to make the National in late July.
Bill
You can't go wrong putting a Hannigan on your GL1800. Another good choice would be the Liberator from Dauntless. I'd contact Dauntless or Hannigan and see what they recommend for tires.
Personally, I'd like to see a Ural on one, but that's only because I already have a Ural car and I'm wondering how it would look. 🙂
Hi Georgia Bill,I like your choice in a rig. Never seen one personally though, but if I had the dough and somebody that new what they were doing to rig it up, that would be a sweet ride!Plenty of help and good folks willing to help sooth those newbee anxieties here, so stick around! Maybe we’ll catch up to you in SuchesduckBtw I’m finally filling out my USCA membership form ?
Hey Mike - thanks for the response. I just looked at those Liberators. They are beautiful, and I know Jay posts here a lot. Looking at all those pretty colors makes me wish I hadn't chosen white for the GL.
Metzler has a plant near here in Rome, and I'll call them tomorrow. I had Metzlers on a GL1100 about 15 years ago, and put them on a ST1100 four years ago. Great results both times, but those tires had a rounded profile. Looks like I need a tire with a flatter tread, with durability more important than stickiness.
Bill
Hey, LDuck, look forward to meeting you in Suches. I'll still be a wannabee and will probably be riding a KLR650. There are some great forest roads in the surrounding National Forests, and one of my entry points is a half mile south of Two Wheels Only - I think it's Cooper Gap which quickly becomes NF42.
Never been on a sidecar and already thinking how sweet it would be to have a dual-purpose rig. Spent yesterday in the forest north of Chatsworth, with lots of gravel on the roads and I don't do gravel well. A DP sidecar would be the thing.
You're already in the N GA mountains in Cleveland - do you ride the mountain roads much - what is your rig? How does it Handle GA60 or Wolfpen Gap?
Bill
LDuck, glad to hear your are finally getting around to it.
Bill, we never care if you show up to our Rallies on 2,3 or even 4 wheels. But be careful who you ask questions of. Some of these guys will talk for hours!
You've already got the KLR650. Why not put a sidecar on that? Dauntless Motors has some examples of other makes of dual sort bikes on his web site
>Never been on a sidecar and already thinking how sweet it would be to have a dual-purpose rig.<
Bill, I’m a newbee so I won’t be of much help in the tech area, except that I would advise that you read all you can and take it slow, our rig is an 06 HD ultra classic with the 103 motor (to pull the heavy rig) and a liberty rake (for ez’r steering). We chose this rig because of the manufactures warranty, dealer set-up, etc. and for touring. We did take a quick trip up to Clarksville today…and never got wet:) 🙂
Thanks, Joyce. Looks like a lot of good info on this site.
Bill
Hey Mark in Idaho - a KLR650 rig would be fun. I believe I saw a reference to a Suzuki V-Strom also.
Bill
"Bill, I’m a newbee so I won’t be of much help in the tech area, except that I would advise that you read all you can and take it slow..."
Good advice, LDuck. I'll keep going through these back threads. I'm really enjoying a diary by Sheldon Arbut chronicling his trials and tribulations with a Ural Sportsman. Found the link on SidecarMike's site. and Sheldon's joy with the rig despite his problems is an inspiration.
Bill
Newbie....
We all started there. I have run Metz 880's for the bast 13,500+ miles without one problem. Except the rear is starting to look tired. I am switching the rear to a car tire, 165/15 steel radial made by Peerless. You have to be careful on running square tires on the front of the bike. Check with Pokie, he can probably give you the best input for your particular rig. And stay with Hannigan. You will pay less in the end, and get the job done much faster. You will also enjoy the time your rig is being worked on.
Uber
Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I'll probably try the ME880s and go from there.
I'm planning to visit Hannigan on Tuesday and expect to leave a deposit and begin the wait for installation. Wish I had some patience.
Bill
"And stay with Hannigan. You will pay less in the end, and get the job done much faster. You will also enjoy the time your rig is being worked on."
Hey, Jim, sounds like you have spent some time in Murray. I'm scheduled for an early August install, and they plan to provide a 2 or 4 wheel vehicle during the 2-day install - a 3-wheel wasn't mentioned. What activities do you suggest for the 2 days?
I ended up with another E3 on the front, and a Kumho Ecsta SPT from Discount Tire on the rear. I wanted to see how the car tire works on 2 wheels so I would know if I could temporarily revert to 2 wheels as needed. Great so far and the price looks even better - about 1/3 retail and double the expected mileage. Plus lifetime replacement if defective.
Four weeks and counting...
Bill
You might check that "lifetime replacement". Usually they weasel out of that saying it only applies if mounted on an automobile. 🙂 You may have to pull it off the rim and carry it in by itself.
