sidecar install costs?

You can do it yourself, if you are a bit mechanically inclined, but it doesn't hurt to have experienced help. Where are you located? Maybe there is someone nearby who can help.

A medium rare steak, a good cigar, and a six pack of something cold and delicious gets you a lot of help in my neighborhood. 🙂

Seriously, Gary at Motorvation is a great help and will talk you through any problems you might run in to.

Sounds a bit steep to me. Maybe they have high overhead and slow techs.

Lonnie

they tell me the guy they have is semi-retired...at that price I'd be too..

the only thing I'm not sure on is getting the lean angle the same between the front and rear upper supports

Maybe we need to ask a few questions. Are you buying the sidecar new? Does it include all the mounting hardware to install it to your Harley? If the installer is supplying parts as well as labor, this may not be out of order?

It's a new sidecar and all the proper mounting parts for my bike are included ,including the subframe.....I know the instructions will be with it and I understand how to do the toein I just am curious on how the front and rear lean are adjusted together ? Or am I reading too much into this? Guess I've read too much info and am in overload waiting for the arrival of my car any day....

I know it's unAmerican, but follow the instructions that come with the sidecar and if problems arise consult with their technician.
Some tweaking will probably be needed after installation to achieve neutral steering. That's when you fine tune the leanout.
With the large bike I'd consider using some ballast in the sidecar at first if you have had no sidecar experience and download the training information available on this site. Then read, read, read and practice what you've read.

God luck,

Lonnie

You're right Lonnie.......guess I have the pre-sidecar jitters. I purchased the how to ride a sidecar manual awhile ago and almost have the pages dogeared...lol.When I first came on this site I read every post and learned how much I didn't have a clue about sidecars.....guess I'm suffering from sidecar TMI, being retired I have the time to do that...guess I'm just like a kid waiting for Christmas to arrive due to it should be delivered in another week......Thanks for everyone putting up with me!!!!

Which hack did you buy?

If you need a nudge while mounting it I'm near the phone between 9:00 and 9:00 Mountain time and check the email a few times daily.

Lonnie (208) 629-8409 or nwsidecar@aol.com

I bought a new Spyder from Mary at Motivation. Thanks for the offer Lonnie.....I know I will be picking the brains of the knowledgable people on this site before too long,

thanks again.. Bob

paddler8967 - 1/6/2011 8:09 AM
... I just am curious on how the front and rear lean are adjusted together ? ....

Hi paddler: After leveling the sidecar side-to-side and front-to-back, I have adjusted lean-out with the rear strut first, using a magnetic dial-gauge angle finder on the rear brake disk as my primary -but not only- measuring tool, then attached the front "as it falls."

When I bought my present Harley sidecar in December 2006 (2007 model) I ordered it to be delivered in the crate to the Harley dealer. When it came in, they offered to install it for ten hours at their labor rate, $95.00. Thus, it would have been close to $1,000 to have them do the modifications to the machine and install and set up the unit.

I respectfully declined since I fully intended to do the work myself in my shop. It took me considerably more than ten hours at the pace that I go but I knew this beforehand. The difference was that it was an awful lot of fun and I saved the money. For the record, I've installed several sidecars on my own motorcycles so it wasn't a problem.

Actually, $1,000 is a fair price given that there are numerous things that need to be changed in the motorcycle to prepare it for sidecar use.

Wow at those prices I'm glad I installed mine myself. Paddler, I just put an OLD Motorvation Spyder T1 on my 99 FLHT, Gary at Motorvation was very helpful. The work isn't that hard to do, although I needed an extra set of hands a couple of times (but then again I'm kind of busted up). I put 100# of ballast in my rig, Gary at the company suggested a 100 girl works best, but I settled for something that doesn't make any noise. Lonnie here is a great help also.

I'm a little late getting to this thread and wondering if the OP has gotten the sidecar mounted yet.

I bought a Hannigan Classic to mount to my wife's Harley Electraglide, and the local "sidecar specialist" dealer wanted $1,000 to mount it. I was a little nevous about doing it myself, but it turned out to be pretty easy. Took a few tries to get the lean out and toe in dialed in right, but myself and a friend, both fairly mechanically inclined but neither of us with any sidecar mounting experiance got it done in about 8 hours. The wife has about 5,000 miles on the rig now and loves it.

I'll be adding a sidecar to my bike in a couple months and I expect the mounting will go even faster now that I have a litle experiance with it.