I purchased a bullet sidecar and was going to attach it myself with the universal kit to my 2013 Harley 1200C. It appears I need custom work with my bikes dual tailpipes and hard to reach frame. Wondering if anyone has an idea on what cost I should anticipate for this. I know this is a very broad question but was looking for a ballpark place to start if some of you have had this experience.
Hi Lucinda,
Bullet is a name that has been used by many manufacturers. From whom did you buy your hack? Who was the manufacturer?
I know this seems really nosy but it will make a difference in the answers you get. Also, despite various claims by manufacturers, there is no such thing as a "Universal Mounting Kit". The better manufacturers that sell kits called that will tell you up front that their kits are not truly universal but rather are a good set of basic mounting pieces that you can use to arrive at a mount with some effort [and potential modification]. There are also a few manufacturers that sell such kits and actually claim that they will fit any motorcycle, which is absolutely impossible.
Good luck with your rig and don't be timid about asking questions.
If you go to the news section of our web site www.dmcsidecars.com the article the results of an improper sidecar mount and the proper fix will help. I am working off of a lap top the is malfunctioning as such I can not link it for you. This article is about a bike similar to yours with a Velorex sidecar which uses very similar mounts. We do the same thing with your sidecar which does require welding on the sidecar frame to convert it over to boss and clamp type mounts. We also do offer all of this hardware.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
866-638-1793
I know it does sound a lot like a sales pitch, but Jay is the man. Seriously consider his advice, it's some of the best around. Just because he happens to be one of the only people in the country that sells the things he does, doesn't mean it isn't good advice. 🙂
Lucinda, I'd have a couple concerns about putting a "bullet" sidecar on a HD 1200 using "universal" mounting hardware. I suspect the HD is too heavy for a lightweight "bullet" sidecar. By the time you ballast the sidecar enough to make it at all safe in right-hand turns you are really testing the limits of the "universal" mounts. Find reputable sidecar shop in your area to give you advice and assistance. If you mess up the alignment of the sidecar you will have handling problems and chew up tires.
When you have a sidecar attached by some one like DMC or Hannigan It is done right. They understand what needs to be done with the front end so the Rig will street it's best. Mounting is done right. You will not spent a lot of time changing and adjusting trying to solve issues. The rig will be a s safe as it can be. Hannigan installs sidecars they build. DMC installs a lot of different ones. That gives them experience in dealing with about any project you have in mind. My experience with sidecar is a lot of misinformation , lot of people want to tell you what can't de done. Pro's tell you what can be done why and how. When the Mounting system was made for my twin classic , it was built by people with experience done right he first time. Once installed by experience people it needed one minor adjustment and at almost 10,000 miles on it now has needed no more. Just the excess tire wear on an improper mount will coast you more than doing it right. Cost was cheap in the long run.
You can put a sidecar on anything. Not everyone can mount one right.
I think that Lucinda has left the building>
Quote from Big Tom on June 9, 2019, 12:08 pmI think that Lucinda has left the building>
Me too. 😉
I gotta agree with Smitty. I did my own, finally got it done, aligned, took it for a test ride. Really pushed it to its limits.
Bent the universal mounting hardware. Not that it was universal, additions, welding, all sorts of modifications to get it to work. And the base, factory, parts, bent. Sigh.
Do I need to beef up EVERYTHING those guys did? I mean sure, I shouldn't do what I was doing, but in a parking lot at low speed... Guess I'm just glad I wasn't on the e- way again. It never slipped or bent the first time... Then again, I probably have over 3x the traction the original tire had. It used to side slip way before that much force was ever put on the mounts.
Many apologies to those who have replied. I didn't realize I needed to subscribe to get notification of replies. I have done so now.
Correction: Hack is an Inder Rocket. It has been installed. (See my very interesting post at: https://sidecar.com/forum/topic/sidecar-wheel-bearings-advise-needed/)
