Hi all. I'm mounting a 88 TLE off a Electra Glide on my 04 Road King. The HD dealer said I have the right parts, with Some new ones just bought from them to mount it. The rear mount is in place and lined up ok. The front lower lined up ok. The front upper mount is on the bike but the upper sidecar strut or arm is about 2 1/2 inches high and not lined up to be flush with the bike mount. Any ideas? I know there are two front upper arms made but the dealer said I have the right one. Thanks, Dick
Have you loosened the 2 clamps under the sidecar?
Even with the clamps loosened the upper arm 'brace' may be too high to connect to the fixed upper mount. I had to pull this brace arm down to connect it, using a very crude twisted rope method. Once connected I can lean the bike IN or OUT quite easily while watching the brace slide in and out of the clamp blocks under the car. Gradually tighten the inside clamp block (the one you can see from the bike seat) while you get the lean where you want it.
Note: be sure to tighten the upper clamp when in proper position seated between the frame down tubes. This mount has a single clamping bolt - 1/2-13 (3/4" wrench) and can pivot quite easily. Try to imagine the forces on this mount when the sidecar wheel hits a bump in the road! I have added two 3/8-16 thru bolts on either side of the center bolt for more rigidity.
Stuart
Do you have the rear arm from the mount to the sidecar frame adjusted correctly? The end that clamps to the sidecar frame is adjustable to level the sidecar frame.
That would make a difference at the front.
Yes, of course. I adjusted the rear arm/mount FIRST to get the sidecar frame level and to obtain the correct toe-in.
I am quite sure these adjustments are correct - everything looks OK and it drives very well, not pulling too much to the right on a cambered road and nearly straight - no pulling - on a flat road (like an interstate).
The last arm to connect should be the top mount, and this required some wrestling to get fully connected. In order to perform some other work on the bike (exhaust leaks) I removed the sidecar and re-attached it, all myself, and again the top mount required pulling down about 1/2" to align and completely seat the male-female conical connection. That top arm has some 'spring' to it, but once connected it is rock solid.
Once the top mount is connected and hardware tightened, I can quite easily pull the bike to lean in or out, and then gradually tighten up the mounting arm 'inside' and 'outside' clamp blocks (under the car). A very small distance in and out of these block (even 1/8") makes a significant different is lean angle and driving comfort.
Thanks,
Stuart
OK. I know mine's always a little challenge to get back on if I've had it off. If it's driving good, I'd say you're alright.
You know, that bar is actually part of the suspension, kind of like a torsion bar, hence the three point mounting as opposed to four point mounting.
Yes, that makes sense. My previous sidecar experience, and most setups that I've seen, have the traditional 4 mounts. But most other cars have suspension on the wheel.
Thanks for pointing this out. Good when things begin to make more sense.
Stuart
Yes thank you as I am yet to hook mine up and am soon to cross that bridge as well
jeff
I just reconnected my tle for the first time and had the exact same experience and concerns. In searching the site archives someone had commented that the upper mount functions somewhat like a torsion bar and that what we experienced was normal. Made sense to me and the rig runs like it did before I took the car off.
I'd be curious to see that comment - that the top mount functions as a torsion bar, of sorts. I did a brief search but did not come across this comment.
Thanks,, Stuart
Mine Lines up perfectly...No stress on it at all!!!
the mounts on hd sidecars ARE flexible - the brace will flex, it has a cone at the top mount and hiem joints at the bottom that are greased.
the older ones had a spring bolt at the top mount and ball joints at the bottom two
when you go over bumps the sidecar wheel will bump up and down some without shaking the bike all over. setups like the liberty are rigid with 4 mounts and have a shock on the sidecar wheel. the hd design originated on rigid frame bikes and has always been slightly flexible.
its possible to shake the handlebars from side to side maybe 3 inches
to
Stuarto49 - 2/20/2012 12:40 PM
I'd be curious to see that comment - that the top mount functions as a torsion bar, of sorts. I did a brief search but did not come across this comment.
Thanks,, Stuart
I think the thread I was referring to had "Sacramento" in the title. I am working off my phone and am unsure how to add the link. "Torsion bar" could have been my term.
careyjasm01 - 2/20/2012 6:11 PM
Stuarto49 - 2/20/2012 12:40 PM
I'd be curious to see that comment - that the top mount functions as a torsion bar, of sorts. I did a brief search but did not come across this comment.
Thanks,, Stuart
I think the thread I was referring to had "Sacramento" in the title. I am working off my phone and am unsure how to add the link. "Torsion bar" could have been my term.
The upper brace on the TLE sidecar has a good deal of flex. It's made of some very good steel. There is some give to it, but not enough to bother the handling.
