(Asked this at another sidecar site, but response was virtually nill.)
Has anyone towed a sidecar rig with a tow bar?
What sort of things do you need to do to make it work well and safe?
Is it feasable, since the wheels on a sidecar seem to be at different off-sets on some rigs? (Hope that question makes sense).
Does anyone sell a tow bar set up for a motorcycle or even a sidecar rig?
What are the problems one needs to be aware of in towing a rig?
In the past, I have towed an antique car all over the nation with only a VW towbar, and I never experienced a problem at all. Is towing a sidecar rig a horse of a different color?
How is a towbar made for a rig? I mean, does anyone have pics or a drawing of such to share?
Any bad experiences in towing a sidecar rig? I usually see mention of someone towing a sidecar with another sidecar, by use of a large tow strap, but I have not seen an actual discussion of how to tow a sidecar rig in the past.
Thanks for any input and info.
Huey
The early Harley Servicars used to be towed regularly by Auto dealers and garages. Many had a hitch permanantly installed so cars could be delivered then the mechanic could unhook it and drive the motorcycle back. Usually the speeds were limited to about 45mph.
These are symetrical trikes so they tow differently than an asymetrical sidecar outfit. The lateral forces from turning are equal whether left or right. Starting and stopping forces are a balanced push and pull.
A sidecar rig could be towed in the same manner at lower speeds, however the different forces incurred when turning, accelerating and stopping the tow vehicle (combination) could have adverse effects on the bike. The tendency to lift the (right hand mount) car when turning right would still be present and could cause the rig to tip over in a tight Highway speed turn.
Acceleration and braking would also cause adverse lateral or torsional forces on the bike front end since all the stresses would be concentrated at the front axle and forks of the bike and the weight of the offset car
could potentially cause frame damage.
I'd have to vote against flat towing a sidecar rig as an option to trailering.
Lonnie
Huey,
The topic of towing came up a few months ago at SCT. You might want to try searching the messages there to find the thread. The bottom line of the postings, however, was that towing a sidecar rig AROUND TOWN like Hal did was fine - five miles here or ten miles there - but trying to tow one at highway speeds and for further distances was downright dangerous. MUCH better/safer was to trailer the rig. My personal contribution to the thread concerned how well a lightweight tilt bed snowmobile trailer worked to transport my Ural Retro at freeway speeds for many miles.
Yes, towbars have worked well for some people. But, if you read the details, virtually every case involved distances under 20 miles and at city street speeds, not 65 mph on the super slabs.
Sarge
I don't seem to have the best of luck in finding the thread about your lightweight ATV trailer set up. Hal gave some good advise on how to tow a sidecar. After reading as much as I have, I think it is a project best put away in the memory bank at present. Maybe a hitch could be designed that made it all work easier, but I think his tow bar setup would actually work for what I would use it for (short trips to the shop and on regular roads and not the super slabs). However, I have sold off my welder, so all would require fabrication costs and I just don't think the end results would make it worthwhile at this point.
Many of the threads ot SCT are not really what the initial post header implies. I guess many threats get off on a tangent or discuss something far removed from the original post. Great info, but it gets hard to locate what you want when searching at a later time.
Can you tell me more about the ATV trailer you mention? What size was it and how much did it cost? What is the name brand or dealer if on the web?
I'd like to have a small trailer, but don't want to outlay the cash, only to find it is too small for a Ural to be handled well. Have to get a hitch added to my Mazda, but this means more money and outlay of cash that may make this a future project until Christmas and birthdays are all past for the year. 🙂
Thanks,
Huey
