Dire need of guidance

As much I am able to see in such a short moment: Do yourself a favour and stay on the safe side with a better match to your bike. Heavier and sturdier sidecar plus a well made subframe attachment done by a professional installer.

The Cozy uses to fit to a 350-500ccm bike, for which it was originally designed (,if it is the sidecar, I think it is).

A rig and a solo bike have only in common the engine and way to shift. The behaviour is totally different, which requires a complete different set of body reactions and the forces on the assembly are tremendously stronger then a solo bike. Most of us long time solo riders had a troublesome transition to 3 wheels. (I went 3 times straight into the pasture on my first day back in December 1986 and made a 3/4 Salto mortale in the ditch 3 weeks later in Norway)

2 Cents that might avoid a potentially fatal accident. The rest of the amount you already  spent, you might reuse on a smaller bike for the Cozy or write off as "experience". 

Sven

I can appreciate that.

No installers in my area that’s why I am just trying to do it myself .

 I’ll  be staying 4o  mph roads. Just trying to stay on the bike for a few more years.

Hello Joe,

seriously no insult intentioned with my first reply.  Definitely many of us have asked us after changing to 3 wheels:"Why didn't I do it many years earlier?"

But rig pushing is a completely different animal to solo riding. I propose you get a cheap small bike that might fit to your Cozy (Ex: Royal Enfield) for to test if rig pushing is for you or you get a second hand rig. (here on the forum come up well sorted out hacks frequently).

 Or at least get a subframe from one of the professional installers. They often use to help out with details for installation and set up too, if you buy for self installation. The Cozy will need lots of ballast in every case.

Good luck with your decision to make. And keep in mind the costarrican saying:"¡Lo barato sale caro!" - "The cheap turns out expensive!" In any case you pay:  earlier or later, the one or other way... Stay safe.

Sven

I can't speak too much about your mounts but I can say if I understand your question correctly you do NOT want to clamp or mount anything to the swing arm for the sidecar. remember the swingarm is going to move up and down while riding and you do not want that. as best I can tell from your picture a subframe may be your only option to do this safely, I get the only 40 mph but loosing control of a rig at 40 mph can be just as lethal as 100 mph 

where abouts are you calling home, we have members all over and there might be one close enough to you that could offer a little assistance 

more pictures would be good, the more pictures the better we can tell what you're up against 

Oh and congrats on your first sidecar, now let's see if we can help you get it together safely 

Hi Joe David:   I'm not an installer, but on a rigid mount Sportster, you may be able to use a frame clamp coming straight down from the right side frame rail under the engine, with a rod running, more or less, at a right angle under the exhaust.   Seems a lower rear bracket capturing both frame rails extending out under the exhaust may be a better option.   Maybe call Bob Wark at the Warkshop in Ohio 740-538-4746 or Texas Sidecars (833) 897-4332 regarding appropriate mounting points/brackets.

Thanks for the lead SwampFox. Bob can bail me out in about a month. He’s only an hour from me and I won’t have to chance getting it wrong. This is exactly the help I was hoping to get from a well informed forum.

Thanks SwampFox for your insight.  Bob at the Wark Shop fixed me up.  My  rig is set up very well  indeed.  It was the best way to go. The universal mount which came with the sidecar was usable for the most part but needed massaged a bit as well as a custom sub frame that Bob designed as he worked through his process. It took a Texas Side Car and a Westonian mountings to make this a truly custom build which seems to preform very nice. It was very advantageous to have someone who has done this many times doing the work.      The guy who sold it me this rig only used for 10 months and driven only 300 miles and the tire was worn through the its wear bars. A very poor setup.
Now it’s time to research driving techniques and maybe even a class if I can find one.  In the meantime I have added 100 lbs of sand to the rig for counter balance and I’m off to gingerly enjoy the rural roads in my area. 
I hope to meet up with other enthusiasts as my journey begins.

Glad to hear you got it sorted out, now the fun times can begin

Hello Joe. 

I learned with the German original of this book:

https://sidecar.com/hal-kendall-manual/

And want to recommend this other one too:

https://sidecar.com/tech-reference/

A book I really enjoyed was the book "How to ride a Ural", as it is close to typical riding situations. A new link for it showed up:

http://welcome-ural.ru/documents/HowToRideUral.pdf

A Step-training weekend for rigs would be well worth every second.

Thanks Pete Pan! I’m sure this will be handy😃

Now: practice, practice, practice.....

did I say practice?. Yeap, practice again.

And your smile from ear to ear will become unerasible from your face.

The dangerous moment comes when you start to feel confident.... TOO CONFIDENT.... in a unexpected moment you will react as a solo rider. 

It is important as an experienced solo rider to put it into your brain as soon you sit on the rig.... IT IS A RIG, NOT A SOLO.

It happened to me each time on all 3 rigs, that after the first month in some sudden surprise I reacted as solo rider (and other way round too-I still wonder how I once could pass on the solo KLR between 2 open sewer tops on the street! Latino constructions do not ask for warning signs.). 

Its said, and now go and practice.

Best wishes on all your trips and ways.

Sven from 10ºN, 84ºW

Small tip to test if you got enough ballast inside the tub. At stand still step with all your weight on your left foot peg and try to lift the rig off the ground. If it comes up easily, you need to add more ballast. Better too much ballast (always low and far in the back of the tub) then too less, because in an emergency sway a light rig comes up and goes straight into the upcoming traffic.

By the way: I prefer to keep my jerry can between bike and tub.... the last hit I received at the sidecar fender... Truck driver did not expect a sidecar hanging off the bike.

I was given the figure of 100 lbs of ballast. Low and to the rear. After a few days I decided to lighten it by 30 lbs and found control had much improved. I finally got my first taste of floating the third wheel. After a few more days of practice I removed 20 more pounds and read about the left foot peg test. All my weight bouncing only depressing bike springs. If I grab hold and hike out I can just bounce the 3rd wheel.   Looks like I’m in a good spot for now.  

Your description sounds about your are in the right ball park, but better make the emergency sway test on a huge parking lot for to determine If you go up a bit with ballast again. I have all kind of spares, tools and a jerry can in my already heavy rig. (Better to have and not need, then to stay in a dark rainy night in the middle of nowhere. Like on Jan 5 to 6th 2019 10km off the next paved road)