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Ballast Sandbags

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I've decided, at least while I still have my newbie fuzz, that I should have ballast in the sidecar when not carrying a passenger.

I've found a 35-pound bag of sand helps. Problem is, its plastic bag was not designed for endurance. Otherwise I am really happy using sand as a ballast -- it is dense, doesn't rattle, and while getting hit with a bag of sand won't improve your day, it is less likely to bust you up in an accident than an iron barbell weight.

So, my question, where can I buy a bag that IS designed for long-term use? Ideally it would be made of something like Carhardtt brown 'duck' fabric, have a pillow-like shape, and have one or two strong straps for lifting and handling. It should also have a plastic lining, to keep it from leaking sand and to keep out rainwater. It would be extra nice if it held, say, 25 pounds of sand, so it could be easily lifted and it would be possible to load multiple bags, fore and aft, for even weight distribution.

Any ideas where to find such? Or failing that, anybody know where such things could be ordered custom-made?

Best,
Ed Bianchi
Delaware USA

'87 K75C/Dauntless "Lady Carol"

take a pair of blue jeans sew the waist shut and the legs, fill through the fly. works,

Buy a sack of sand and pick up two (or more) of the cheap carry bags with straps that all stores seem to be selling these days. Line the bag with plastic and put as much sand as you wish in each bag (most of my new clients like to start with 50# in each bag).
Some roll the sand in plastic and tape it closed. The bags are easy on the back when installing and removing and the weight can be easily adjusted as one gets more proficient at hacking.
Plus it's very inexpensive soft ballast.

Lonnie

My early days I spent with 2 five gallon collapsible water carriers, they can be found pretty widely in Wally World, any camping store, etc. They are fairly easy to pinpoint in the hack for the best weight distribution, and if you pick up a passenger and don't need the water jugs for a while, you can just dump them on the driveway or ground, collapse them down to about the size of a couple of books and store them in the trunk, or passenger compartment under the passenger's legs. This, however, won't work if you are in the northern parts of the country or world where freezing may prove to be a problem.
I would guess, that they could also be, at least partially, filled with sand for the more northern areas.

Doc

I'm using kitty litter in the 25# bags. Tidy Cats litter comes in those new fiberglass/plastic mesh bags that are very tough. I've never had one leak.

FWIW - 100# of ballast seems just right for me (I weigh 220#). When solo, I keep 50# of ballast just ahead of the side axle (where the seat is but with the seat folded forward so the litter is against the bulkhead) and the other 50# I keep just behind the side axle (up against the trunk's bulkhead). I've found this arrangement gives me neutral handling.

Bill

If you are in an area that has thrift shops or goodwill stores you may be able to find some kind of bag or whatever pretty cheap. Sand is a good ballast material. I broke a bag of seed in my old velorex one time. Thought it was all cleaned out until a month or so later some small sprouts began to come up from under the floor mat.

I took a pair of old brown socks and loaded them up as large as I wanted with, not sand, but sandblasting grit. That way, when I was done with them I could always use the remaining blasting grit in the sandblaster. A large bag of sandblasting grit was pretty cheap at Tractor Supply Company, and there was enough in a single bag to make tons of ballast bags. I took some large baggies or clear plastic bags and then inserted the pre-filled socks into them, and placed the bags at the front of my hack seat. They worked really great, but I eventually found some black leather, weighted bags at the local Goodwill store for about a buck or so each, and replaced the home made ones. I could pretty well move them all about and palce them wherever I wanted in the hack or where I felt the ballast worked best. Both stood up to the abuse the hack monkey may have done to them and were much easier then looking for shot to fill with. I finally gave them away to someone else who wanted some ballast in his Ural Tourist.

I live near a river that sometimes floods. Plenty of sandbags getting passed out as the rainy season starts.
Another alternative is an exercise sandbag. I use mine for working out when not carried in my sidecar.
Howard
Napa, CA

Quick question does everyone use ballast when they are not carrying a passenger? With my set up I have to really get on it in a right hand corner to fly the chair. And I usually carry no ballast, when just riding around town, pro and cons if any. With less than a year but now pushing 7500 miles with the hack, I still have a lot to learn.

Thanks
turtleman

I used ballast when I started out but no longer do.

Some like the three wheels on the ground at all times, some like to grandstand and some prefer to look "old school" by hanging off in the turns. There are those who follow the caution signs with their heavy sidecar who have never lifted a wheel and there are some with a light sidecar who have had the Sh** scared out of them in a decreasing radius right turn when they found themselves in the oncoming lane.
Having some properly placed ballast in a rig is somewhat like having a good spare tire in the trunk of a cage; very handy when one needs it.

Lonnie

Yeah - I've ridden with and without the 100# ballast and, in my opinion, the rig just feels better on the road with the ballast. That extra 100# makes the rig smoother as well as more stable and predictable. My rig feels twitchy and somewhat squirrely without ballast. In short - for me it's simply a more comfortable and enjoyable ride with the ballast there.

I can understand why some run ballast and some don't. There are pros and cons to both approaches. To each his own.

Bill

Doktor - 11/2/2010 8:21 PM

My early days I spent with 2 five gallon collapsible water carriers, they can be found pretty widely in Wally World, any camping store, etc. They are fairly easy to pinpoint in the hack for the best weight distribution, and if you pick up a passenger and don't need the water jugs for a while, you can just dump them on the driveway or ground, collapse them down to about the size of a couple of books and store them in the trunk, or passenger compartment under the passenger's legs. This, however, won't work if you are in the northern parts of the country or world where freezing may prove to be a problem.
I would guess, that they could also be, at least partially, filled with sand for the more northern areas.

Doc

Collapsible water jugs is what I use for the above reasons. Around town if without a passenger I don't bother with added ballast, but I do like some when traveling any distance. The sidecar rides smoother with some ballast and two jugs seems just right. I just seat belt them in.

i carry a battery jump start box it has a light, power inverter 110v, air compressor works great

Here's what I've done...

I bought two Blitz brand 10-quart oil drain pans/containers at my local Walmart. They cost (if I remember right) about $7.00 each.

I rigged ropes around each of these containers to make them easy to lift. In order to do that I had to drill holes and mount 1/4" cable clamps in strategic locations to keep the ropes where I wanted them.

These oil drain pans have two openings -- a large one to receive the oil and a smaller one to empty it out. I used the large opening to fill each of these containers with about 30 pounds of sand, packing it in by hand as I went. Then I added water to increase the weight to about 35 pounds each and closed them up.

I found one of my containers leaked water from the drain hole. I opened it up, slathered the inside of the cap with silicone sealant, then closed it again.

I knew going in that these oil drain pans were cheap and crappy before I bought them. Based on user reviews they don't hold oil worth a darn. But for what I'm doing they're quite good enough, even if I had to use some silicone goop to make them tight. They're heavy, but not too heavy to lift without straining. The ropes make moving them around a LOT easier.

We'll see how they perform. I'll report back in a bit.

Best,
Ed Bianchi
Delaware USA
'87 BMW K75C/Dauntless "Lady Carol"

I found here where they carry sandbags you can get a junk truck inner tube cut it in half and fill with sand and seal with 2 pieces of flat iron with bolts on both ends they use that here for traction going up hills in beds of pickups

The Collapsible water containers can be found at Walmart, REI and other stores and online for $9 to $11. At Amazon they were $10.00, buy two and find something else for $5 and the shipping is free. You could put a mixture of water & sand in them, but with water it's easy to dump the water if you pick up a passenger, and to refill if the passenger leaves. Plus you have an emergency supply of water if your caught in freezing winter storm, lost power and pipes busted (or the water well pump stops working.

Or at worst you'll have a lot of ice. lol

lonnie

Further update...

I've ridden around a bit with my two oil-drain-jug ballasts, and I like them. They seem to stay put -- no disconcerting bangs -- and the amount of weight seems right. I've got a lot more confidence going into right-hand corners that my outrigger will stay planted.

Not doing any riding now. Too cold, too much of a chance of ice on the road. We'll see if my feelings about ballast change over the next riding season.

Best,
Ed Bianchi
Delaware USA

The inner tube thing can be done with bunching and twisting the end and wrapping it tightly with bailing wire. Fill it with sand and do the other end the same.
It has several advantages. One being that it is flexible to stuff anywhere, the other is it does not have any edges to damage the body of the hack it is in from bumps and vibration.
When you stop and camp, it makes a great pillow.
Best of all, it is cheap.

Phelonius

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