Skip to content

USCA Sidecar Forum

For some extra information about navigating the forum you can go to Forum Tips

Please to create posts and topics.

Another California sidecar

I am new to the forum and to USCA as well. I purchased a rig two years ago and am FINALLY getting to work on it. The rig was originally purchased all together and is a 1993 Honda GW and a California sidecar. It was purchased in CA originally, second owner lives in Washington state and I am the third owner, in NC. The bike shows 47000 miles on the odometer. The second owner apparently kept the rig outdoors. :o:-( The bike is good mechanically. The SC smells like it was home to some kind of animal though, and apparently the second owner thought it might be a great idea to put lead-acid batteries behind the seat as ballast. The car interior shows evidence of old batteries.....a lot of the metal inside the car is corroded (frame bolts, seat hardware, etc.). I'm removing the fiberglass body from the frame this weekend for a thorough cleaning! The SC is fitted with a disc brake and some kind of lean angle adjustment. The linear mechanism is a Thomson-Saginaw ball screw actuator and was wired (very poorly) to a momentary toggle switch on the handlebar left-side. I have retrieved the California sidecar instruction PDF from this site, but have no information about this linear actuator, operation, etc. I believe it needs some lubrication, general maintenance. I'd appreciate some guidance on this as well as the theory of operation, what does it do? When and how is it supposed to be used? Obviously I am a complete novice to sidecars and their operation. Thank you.

I know the feeling, when I bought my sidecar it had the gas tank half full of 3 or 4 year old gas in it and the fill hose unhooked so it was like the car was an old gas can
you will really like the elec lean, I have mine wired to the left handle bar just under the horn button, it is the perfect place for it. it is very simple to wire it, power to one wire it goes out, power to the other it goes in
it is to let you adjust the lean out on the fly for over crowned roads or to adjust to different weights in the sidecar by lifting or lowering the sidecar at it's wheel.

USCA # 8913

The actuator is to lift the SC up and down. It should have a six pole toggle switch to run the electric motor forward and reverse to work the screw in the actuator. This is to lean the bike. If you have more questions PM me. I live In Andrews NC

Thank you for the reply.

Well, I feel foolish. I've just come to realize the sidecar I have is a Motorvation Formula II, not a California Sidecar. I have some information coming direct from the manufacturer. Thanks for all the comments.