have a question re: set up.
I have a 78 GL1000 and a California sidecar that I have put together.
I have never set one up before but did a lot of research and reading on this board and it is solid and smooth on the road. It seems to handle well to me but pulls a bit to the right.
My question is....when I adjust lean out, should it be done with my weight on the bike??? It is now about 1/4" leaned out without me on the bike.
As I said it pulls just a bit to the right. I have toe in set at about 3/4 of an inch, and the sidecar axle at about 9in of lead. Should toe in be adjusted or should I set the leanout with me on the bioke and try again first.
I have been in some tight turns and had it up to 65mph on the highway and it feels very solid.
I also have a counter weight that is around 100lbs bolted to the bottom of the sidecar until I get good at it.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.
Dan A.
Danbury CT
Dan,
the lean out is adjusted without you on the bike...but...after adjusting, take it out on the road for a test, at the speed and normal load in the SC that you usually use.If if it still pulls right, lean it out a little more and try again. Yoy will find the spot after a few trials.
Another thing might help is to reduce the toe-in to under 1/2".. that might also helt with the right pulling. It is normal to pull on acceleration so dont try and get rid of that.
As to the additionl ballast you have there, 'till you learn more', leave it in permanently. big mistake learning your rig with the ballast, then remove it. You will be learning all over again with a totally different balnced rig. the extra weight is a plus, so leave it!
Remember the 2/3 weight rule... the SC, without passenger, should weigh at least 1/3 of the bike, WITH RIDER, gas, oil, accessories, IE, a 900 pound bike and rider should have at least a 300 pound SC, NOT including passenger, to be stable on the road, in turns.
It takes some tedious trial and error. IMO, the toe-in is good so try leaning it out first. Also- it's important to do your main test on the roads you will be riding the most. I pull a tad to the right a lot because the roads here are all over the place camber-wise, but it tracks great on the freeway. Unless you can deal with adjustments for every surface type, it's a compromise.
Bob, thanks for the helpful info,
I readjusted the lean a bit and it helped. I have it so going down the highway is good.
I am very new to sidecars so I guess I will have to give it time to get used to the handling before I keep making adjustments that are not needed.
Thank you again,
Dan
Thank you Uncle Ernie,
I did adjust only the lean and it did help. I also have to keep in mind I have forks and not a leading link so it may just be I have to get the feel for it.
Thanks for your helpful input,
Dan
Dan,
LL front end vs tubular fork makes no difference in tracking. The LLs make steering easier though, as do raked triple trees, by reducing trail. If steering seems too heavy for comfort later on, consider having your triple trees modified for easy steering.
After you get used to the rig and have put several miles on it, check your sidecar tire for any unusual wear patterns emerging. Reading the tire wear pattern will tell you a lot about the alignment of the car. Whether it is dragging the tire left or right (scuff patterns) and if it is maintaining the proper ride heigth (wearing more on one side than the other).
Tweaking the alignment with small adjustments later will also improve your driving experience.
Lonnie
Thanks Lonnie,
sorry it took so long to get back to this board.
I followed the advice of the others and made adjustment to the lean and took some of the weight out (I had 150lbs now 75lbs) and it does gteat going down the road. I may look into LL steering someday but now all is good and I am having a blast.
Thanks again for you help.
Dan A
Danbury CT
Dan,
Glad your having fun.
That's what it's all about!
Ride safe!
