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.

Maintenance Update

As a newer owner to sidecar I thought it best to start updating my rig and doing some preventive/overdue maintenance. Purchased my complete rig this pastt May31. I've put a little over 7500 miles on it. Picked it up in WI drove to FL then took the wife with me back up to WI to visit my sister. When I got the bike it had just had the belts done , new tires and brakes and a new windshield. When I got it home I changed out the oil to Amsoil and bled the brake system. Since then I've done the following ....changed coolant and added Royal Purple ICe to cooling system. Installed Speed Bleeders all around and flushed and bled the brakes again. Installed a Shift Pivot kit(HUGE improvement) . Purchased a spare rear wheel off craigslist for 20$ and the gentleman gave me ...A "Tulsa tall" ?? Windsheild an a stock Goldwing spare windsheild. I just finished mounting a new rear CT (dark Side) 195/55/16 on the bike and checked the rear pads (still lots of meat). Changed out the Air and fuel filters and going to mount the new front tire this weekend. BOth tires got pretty eaten up after 7500 miles , hence the CT to save $$.

Attached files

More

Attached files

please post the brand of tire you used as not all the 195/55-16 will fit in the swing arm on the 1500.
nice score on the windshields

USCA # 8913

Your new 195/55-16 1.64" smaller then regular 160/80-16. Make sure you check alignment of your rig.

Tire Brand is a Federal Formosa..............the rig seems to Ride "straight on. Will find out how to check alignment and do that. Took it out today for test ride and other than being lower it rides very nicely. Just an adjustment on the electric lift and it goes straight like an arrow. I did have to deflate the tire and I used Dawn dish detergent soap on the tire to coax it into position. Once in it mounted very easily and lots of room.

I have 175/R-16 on my bike. And have only 1/2" clearance on each side of swing arm. Do you know what clearance do
you have with 195/55-16? Many people told me it is no way to install 195 mm tire on 1500.

VLAD,
it seems that not all of the 195 series tires are the same. some will NOT fit in the swing arm without rubbing, BUT I think there are 2 that will. I'm guessing the Formosa is one of them. I think I read the clearance was about an 1/8 inch per side

USCA # 8913

Just went out to the garage to check and look under the bike. Have about 3/8 - 1/2 inch clearance. My model is a 1995 SE. I mounted the tire on the spare rim myself, used 2 ounces balance beads and sprayed the the rim with Pledge to get it to seat. Used approximately 65 -70 lbs to get it to seat. I tried to mount it with 35 lbs of air in it but no way would it fit. So, I deflated the tire and tried and it was still tight. I then got some Dawn dish detergent soap an spread it on the sides of the tire to "Persuade " it past the swingarm and wheel hub. With a little "muscle it slid it then I used some wood block to raise the tire up and side it on the splines Bolted it back together via the "Goldwingdocs tutorial on how to remove and replace the rear wheel and "Voila I now am Darksided. It's tight , it requires some pushing and maybe a friend if available to help , but it will fit. Federal Formosal Sorry for the sideways views.......sometimes when I transfer pics from my Ipad they do that .......have not figured out why yet.

Attached files

Old tire and rim and new tire. Comparison view.

Attached files

gota say that is a good looking tire and looks like a good fit. you should see long wear life out of it
only real downside is your going to lose fuel mileage due to the higher RPMS, up side you can pull off from any situation loaded to the hilt and not worry about lugging her down

USCA # 8913

I'll start checking my mpg more often now and use the gps for speedometer comparison. Hoping to get better mileage from the tire. Have a Honda Blackbird as my daily commuter and I do 20000 miles a year on it easily. Go thru avg of 2 1/2 sets tires on that a year an I'm not playing Moto Gp rider on it. The roads down here in Florida eat up the rubber it seems. On the Sportbike I get the most mileage from Shinzo Raven 009's.

Just changed the rear end gear oil in the bike. Most likely it's the first time it was done in 22years.

Attached files

bentleyssq - 9/2/2017 3:48 PM

I'll start checking my mpg more often now...

I'm curious re: mpg's after mounting the smaller tire. We dropped the gearing 4% in our 883 Sportster rig and overall fuel economy increased 3 mpg (Hey, that's an extra ~10 miles of range with a 3.3 gallon fuel tank!)

Lee / Summer Grove, Louisiana: Ural cT, CJ750, Burgman/Texas Ranger, Zuma 50F, MB5, TW200, CRF250L, GTV300

I'll post my findings when I have more time on the rig. Been using my sport bike but now that I have the Goldwing pretty much how I want it I'll keep track and pass it on. One thing for sure , the acceleration is a world of difference.

My fuel mileage went up as well when I lowered the gearing. In my case with the taller gearing I imagine what was happening was that I would twist the throttle and not a lot would happen ( highway speeds ) so I in effect was putting raw fuel into the engine that it couldn't use. With the lower gearing when I twist the throttle it picks up right away, as the bike is in a better spot in its torque range. RPM's increased about 400 rpm at 60 miles per hour.