Well just got the car mounted to the bike....I think I have the toe right...kinda hard to measure 1/4 to 1/2 an inch....took it for a ride and is it always gonna pull a little to the left and right when braking and acceleration??? she tracks straight on the hwy .....some head wobble at low speeds though but not always...the pull is not severe but this is the first time I have driven a rig so I have nothing to compare it to....the pull kinda scared me the first time but now when I brake or accelerate I just make sure I have a firm hold on the handle bars and some pressure in the oppisite direction.....any comments would help...Thanks Steve
You have remember that you now have the weight of the sidecar off to the side of your bike. When you accelerate the bike will pull twords the car abit, because your pulling all that weight that's on the side. When you brake the bike will pull away from the car, because the mometum of the car is still moving forward. Alot of sidecars have a brake on that third wheel, which helps stop that momentum.
OK so what your saying alittle pull is normal??? since the rig tracks straight all is good??
Well I'm no expert, since my only experience is mounting my own sidecar. And from what I've read, it seems normal for the rig to pull alittle when accelerating and braking. My rig has a sidecar brake that's "T'd" inline with the rear brake. So I can brake without it pulling, since my braking is shared by all three wheels.
Originally written by reddragon774 on 9/13/2007 9:13 PM
OK so what your saying alittle pull is normal??? since the rig tracks straight all is good??
yup.
A LITTLE pull and push from the SC is normal when accellerating and braking. After a short while you will learn to compensate for this and will barely notice it.
If you have a LOT of pull and push, the SC is too big[heavy] for the bike.
If it tracks straight with little effort to hold it straight at highway speed you normally travel, it is set right.
make sure the toe-in is set right, for normal tire wear. 1/4 - 1/2" is good.
Thanks......I'll drive it awhile and get use to it....I already have to some degree....just need time to pratice for thoses panic stops
I may put a brake on the car sometime in the future....Thanks Steve
sounds like you have a good setup,learn to be smooth with your throttle and it will become less noticable.tightening your headset bearings a little will help reduce the wobble. enjoy the new toy!
My wobble gets worse when the tire pressure is down- especially the front tire. When it occasionally gets to be a bit much, I quickly steer a small hard left and then right while giving it a little gas- just to settle it. (not enough to scare any on-coming traffic)
Ok thanks.....I am going to tighten the head nut a tad and a little more air in the front tire......if that's not enough I'll try gettin a dampner...Steve
When you tighten the head check for wear. The balls (or cones) make nests, when so, then throw them out the same instant.
Safety first!
Sven Peter Pan
Thanks....I'll give them a look see......Steve
Originally written by reddragon774 on 9/14/2007 3:43 PM
Ok thanks.....I am going to tighten the head nut a tad and a little more air in the front tire......if that's not enough I'll try gettin a dampner...Steve
........................................................
If the wobble is that small headshake type thing it i snot uncommon. Yes tightening th esteering bearinsg is a godo thing with all sidecar rigs... a tad tighter than stock is good. Play with airpressure as sugegsted. If it gets a little better but stil is there you may want to just elt it be and you will get used to it in time. Some are more sensitive to headshake than others. Installing a damper is the last resoprt IMHO.
I second all that has been said about head bearings, however...For what it is worth, I am one of those who believe you should never tighten a bearing without first cleaning, inspecting and repacking it with fresh grease. (OK, unless it is a 'fine tuning' adjustment very shortly after you have done all the preceding)
Obviously this is more critical in the case of a wheel bearing, but it is a good rule of thumb for any bearing - most often the bearing is loose because it needs re-packing. In the case of wheel bearings, I know of several people who have found their sidecar wheel bearing to have some play just as they were about to head off on a rally and have popped the cap off and tightened it. Each of them wound up burning that bearing out before the end of the trip. Ironically, if they had left it loose it would have been fine....
Just something to keep in mind.
Stout
PS: If you guys keep quoting toe figures without reference to what distance you are measuring them over, Lonnie's going to be all over you like a cheap suit...LOL
..and he's right too.
Stout
