For some extra information about navigating the forum you can go to Forum Tips
Motorvations Formula II Hood
Quote from Barbara Behm on August 30, 2020, 4:44 pmI recently bought a Motorvations Formula II sidecar, reasonably priced and great shape, The hood came with it but no supports to hold it up. Could anyone help me out with what the original supports looked like?
I recently bought a Motorvations Formula II sidecar, reasonably priced and great shape, The hood came with it but no supports to hold it up. Could anyone help me out with what the original supports looked like?
Quote from Al Olme2 on September 1, 2020, 12:09 pmThis is for Barbara in the tech forum from Ace Jones [he's having a posting issue and yes, I'm working on it ;^)]
Hi and Welcome to USCA
I have a Motorvation FII sidecar and will take some detailed pictures when I get home tonight and post for you. Is it missing all the front mounting hardware or just the struts
Thanks,
Ace Jones
This is for Barbara in the tech forum from Ace Jones [he's having a posting issue and yes, I'm working on it ;^)]
Hi and Welcome to USCA
I have a Motorvation FII sidecar and will take some detailed pictures when I get home tonight and post for you. Is it missing all the front mounting hardware or just the struts
Thanks,
Ace Jones
Quote from Al Olme2 on September 2, 2020, 1:48 pmAgain, this is being posted for Ace
Hi Barbara
I think I misinterpreted what you were asking for at first. I think what you wanted was to know about the frame for the canopy that would cover the inside of the car Here are a couple pictures of what it looks like. It is actually 2 pieces the are connected in the middle by a sleeve and slides into the holes in the body on each side at the back of the seat.
Hope this helps
Ace
Again, this is being posted for Ace
Hi Barbara
I think I misinterpreted what you were asking for at first. I think what you wanted was to know about the frame for the canopy that would cover the inside of the car Here are a couple pictures of what it looks like. It is actually 2 pieces the are connected in the middle by a sleeve and slides into the holes in the body on each side at the back of the seat.
Hope this helps
Ace
Uploaded files:- You need to login to have access to uploads.
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 3, 2020, 4:16 pmThanks so much Al Olme and Ace! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much, That's so much less complicated than what I was thinking.
Thanks so much Al Olme and Ace! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much, That's so much less complicated than what I was thinking.
Quote from AceinSav on September 4, 2020, 9:21 amGlad to be able to help. just ask if you have any more questions. so how about a picture of your new to you sidecar
Glad to be able to help. just ask if you have any more questions. so how about a picture of your new to you sidecar
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 4, 2020, 8:28 pmThank-you both! This is my new to me sidecar.
Thank-you both! This is my new to me sidecar.
Uploaded files:- You need to login to have access to uploads.
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 5, 2020, 7:33 pmThank-you. I was looking at your pics compared to mine and it seems like your bike and car are a lot closer together. I was wondering if there was a reason for that?
Thank-you. I was looking at your pics compared to mine and it seems like your bike and car are a lot closer together. I was wondering if there was a reason for that?
Quote from AceinSav on September 6, 2020, 2:27 pmsome of that is an optical illusion because my wing is much wider overall than your bike
when I bought the car I have it came off a Goldwing 1500 so all the mounting hardware was already there and pretty much pre adjusted
so when I mounted it I ask what was a good width for the rig rear tire to sidecar tire. it was pretty much right in the range so I left it
plus if I was any closer I wouldn't be able to open my pass saddle bag, I can only open it part way as it is.
some of that is an optical illusion because my wing is much wider overall than your bike
when I bought the car I have it came off a Goldwing 1500 so all the mounting hardware was already there and pretty much pre adjusted
so when I mounted it I ask what was a good width for the rig rear tire to sidecar tire. it was pretty much right in the range so I left it
plus if I was any closer I wouldn't be able to open my pass saddle bag, I can only open it part way as it is.
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 8, 2020, 8:08 pmThat makes sense. I wasn't thinking about the difference in the size of bikes.
That makes sense. I wasn't thinking about the difference in the size of bikes.
Quote from Tax Man on September 9, 2020, 10:16 amBarbara, I agree you have a nice looking rig. Do you have any idea what happened to the paint on the right side of the sidecar? The only place where I've had paint peel off the body of my Formula II LTD is below the filler cap for the sidecar gas tank. I do have a few scrapes in other places Mine is mounted on a 1998 Honda Valkyrie. A sub-frame had to be made for the bike to be able to connect some of the hardware. My wheel track is nearly as wide as a car.
Barbara, I agree you have a nice looking rig. Do you have any idea what happened to the paint on the right side of the sidecar? The only place where I've had paint peel off the body of my Formula II LTD is below the filler cap for the sidecar gas tank. I do have a few scrapes in other places Mine is mounted on a 1998 Honda Valkyrie. A sub-frame had to be made for the bike to be able to connect some of the hardware. My wheel track is nearly as wide as a car.
Quote from AceinSav on September 9, 2020, 12:23 pmHey Tax Man
I think your seeing an optical illusion. that paint job looks amazing to me, the shine is so good the reflections made it look like something is wrong. It looks like that is a reflection of trees and you can actually see the color of them in the reflection
Hey Tax Man
I think your seeing an optical illusion. that paint job looks amazing to me, the shine is so good the reflections made it look like something is wrong. It looks like that is a reflection of trees and you can actually see the color of them in the reflection
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 9, 2020, 6:32 pmHi Tax-man, it is an optical illusion. After I posted them I had to go back and look at them myself. They had just repainted it last year and it's only got a couple of spots that if you look real close you can see a blemish, they had a light on the right side that they decided not to put back on and so covered it up. It is taking some getting used to, so far I've only cut one corner too short! I'm not sure where you guys are located, but do you ride yours in winter? Where I live we get a fair amount of snow.
Hi Tax-man, it is an optical illusion. After I posted them I had to go back and look at them myself. They had just repainted it last year and it's only got a couple of spots that if you look real close you can see a blemish, they had a light on the right side that they decided not to put back on and so covered it up. It is taking some getting used to, so far I've only cut one corner too short! I'm not sure where you guys are located, but do you ride yours in winter? Where I live we get a fair amount of snow.
Quote from Tax Man on September 10, 2020, 9:26 amBarb, I live in NW Iowa. My wife and I went for a 325 mile tour of every town in two counties on Monday and I got pretty chilled. I thought it would warm some as the day went on. It may have got into the low 50s in mid-afternoon before it started cooling again. The rig pretty much hibernates in the winter months. An even coating of snow wouldn't be so bad, but here on the plains we get wind drifted snow which would be pretty tricky to ride through. I would think even a 2-wheel drive Ural would pull to the right pretty hard when hitting a snow drift. If Ace still lives where he did in 2015 he has a longer riding season.
Barb, I live in NW Iowa. My wife and I went for a 325 mile tour of every town in two counties on Monday and I got pretty chilled. I thought it would warm some as the day went on. It may have got into the low 50s in mid-afternoon before it started cooling again. The rig pretty much hibernates in the winter months. An even coating of snow wouldn't be so bad, but here on the plains we get wind drifted snow which would be pretty tricky to ride through. I would think even a 2-wheel drive Ural would pull to the right pretty hard when hitting a snow drift. If Ace still lives where he did in 2015 he has a longer riding season.
Quote from Deleted user on September 10, 2020, 10:13 amHi Everyone:
I have to agree that Barb's rig is really nice looking. I am a little partial to Motorvation Formula sidecars. Joan and I rode one for 20+ years. We actually rode it from coast to coast and border to border. We sold it because we found a rig (from Al O.) that had a flip front so Joan could more gracefully enter and exit the sidecar. (Our Formula was not a flip front model.)
On the subject of winter riding - did I see - Barb, that you live in Minnesota? Yes - you will have snow and COLD. We lived in western MN for 15 years (Appleton, MN not Appleton, WI). We know about snow and cold in MN. The Black Hills of South Dakota still gets snow but it goes away quickly. I have ridden in the winter. With electric heated clothing the cold is tolerable. Traction is the issue with such a small tire patch on the ground. I have gotten into situations where I thought I would have to get off and push until I found bare pavement. The riders with 2-wheel drive Urals have been known to go out and squirrel around in the fresh snow just for fun but they probably freeze their anterior adipose (Fat Butts) off.
Don - do you have connections for heated clothes? I can imagine that that 325 miles might have been a little chilly. How are you and Jane doing?
Will Short
Ex-President USCA
Hi Everyone:
I have to agree that Barb's rig is really nice looking. I am a little partial to Motorvation Formula sidecars. Joan and I rode one for 20+ years. We actually rode it from coast to coast and border to border. We sold it because we found a rig (from Al O.) that had a flip front so Joan could more gracefully enter and exit the sidecar. (Our Formula was not a flip front model.)
On the subject of winter riding - did I see - Barb, that you live in Minnesota? Yes - you will have snow and COLD. We lived in western MN for 15 years (Appleton, MN not Appleton, WI). We know about snow and cold in MN. The Black Hills of South Dakota still gets snow but it goes away quickly. I have ridden in the winter. With electric heated clothing the cold is tolerable. Traction is the issue with such a small tire patch on the ground. I have gotten into situations where I thought I would have to get off and push until I found bare pavement. The riders with 2-wheel drive Urals have been known to go out and squirrel around in the fresh snow just for fun but they probably freeze their anterior adipose (Fat Butts) off.
Don - do you have connections for heated clothes? I can imagine that that 325 miles might have been a little chilly. How are you and Jane doing?
Will Short
Ex-President USCA
Quote from AceinSav on September 10, 2020, 11:14 amYep we still live in the deep south, I ride year round here. there is usually about 2 or 3 weeks were I will wear heated gloves and chaps
Yep we still live in the deep south, I ride year round here. there is usually about 2 or 3 weeks were I will wear heated gloves and chaps
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 14, 2020, 12:11 pmThanks everyone - I'm pretty happy with it, now to sort out everything I've been reading and put it to use. I live in Central Wisconsin (I'm going to have to rethink that part) I had watched "Sit, Stay and Ride" and was struck by all the riding in snow, where I live a lot of the time it's hard enough to get a four wheel vehicle down the road!
For those of you that have the Motorvation, do you have the modified forks and damper or one or the other? This one has quite a wobble at 25 -30 mph and is hard to steer.
Thanks everyone - I'm pretty happy with it, now to sort out everything I've been reading and put it to use. I live in Central Wisconsin (I'm going to have to rethink that part) I had watched "Sit, Stay and Ride" and was struck by all the riding in snow, where I live a lot of the time it's hard enough to get a four wheel vehicle down the road!
For those of you that have the Motorvation, do you have the modified forks and damper or one or the other? This one has quite a wobble at 25 -30 mph and is hard to steer.
Quote from mike m on September 14, 2020, 2:05 pmHello Barbara. I see you have a Heritage Softail. I have a 2001 Heritage softail with a Claude Stanley sidecar. I had the triple trees changed out and it made a huge difference in steering ease. I bought the triple trees from Hawg Halters, Inc. 706-864-7800. They're in Georgia. They have triple trees that are specific to the Harley Heritage 1984-2017. They have a 4 degree and 6 degree trees. I bought the 6 degree. As far as your wobble it can depend on the road, your tire pressure or setup. They all seem to have a wobble at slow speed. I think mine goes away at around 15-20 mph. Interestingly. I put new tires on this spring and it almost eliminated the wobble completely. Go figure.
Hello Barbara. I see you have a Heritage Softail. I have a 2001 Heritage softail with a Claude Stanley sidecar. I had the triple trees changed out and it made a huge difference in steering ease. I bought the triple trees from Hawg Halters, Inc. 706-864-7800. They're in Georgia. They have triple trees that are specific to the Harley Heritage 1984-2017. They have a 4 degree and 6 degree trees. I bought the 6 degree. As far as your wobble it can depend on the road, your tire pressure or setup. They all seem to have a wobble at slow speed. I think mine goes away at around 15-20 mph. Interestingly. I put new tires on this spring and it almost eliminated the wobble completely. Go figure.
Quote from Barbara Behm on September 14, 2020, 4:00 pmHi Mike, Thanks so much for the input. I will have to check them out, going straight no problems but turning can be a workout. With the triple trees installed did you find you needed a dampener? If I'm understanding it right, most are finding that they didn't? Fortunately, from the reading I had done, I was anticipating wobble at some point and I can live with that, I did find that depending on the road the wobble got better or worse.
My two wheels is also a Heritage and I really love that bike so thought I'd stick with what I like and work out any kinks.
Hi Mike, Thanks so much for the input. I will have to check them out, going straight no problems but turning can be a workout. With the triple trees installed did you find you needed a dampener? If I'm understanding it right, most are finding that they didn't? Fortunately, from the reading I had done, I was anticipating wobble at some point and I can live with that, I did find that depending on the road the wobble got better or worse.
My two wheels is also a Heritage and I really love that bike so thought I'd stick with what I like and work out any kinks.