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trailer hitch
Quote from Bone on October 13, 2017, 4:27 pmDoes this pic help with how the frame work is attached to the car and bike. I was thinking of laying a 2" square heavy wal tube on the large round cross members. Going from front of the bike to back of the bike as the mount in the back is the same as the front, and installing a hitch on the back of the 2" tube. Or something of that nature. I will better pics later today.
Does this pic help with how the frame work is attached to the car and bike. I was thinking of laying a 2" square heavy wal tube on the large round cross members. Going from front of the bike to back of the bike as the mount in the back is the same as the front, and installing a hitch on the back of the 2" tube. Or something of that nature. I will better pics later today.
Quote from Bone on October 13, 2017, 8:53 pmHere are some more pics of the mounting of the CSC friendship 3 as mounted by CSC. let me know if you can make head nor tails of these pics. Then my nesxt posting will be of what I had in mind as far as installing a hitch goes. if you have any input to this after viewing the pics please let me know.
Here are some more pics of the mounting of the CSC friendship 3 as mounted by CSC. let me know if you can make head nor tails of these pics. Then my nesxt posting will be of what I had in mind as far as installing a hitch goes. if you have any input to this after viewing the pics please let me know.
Quote from AceinSav on October 14, 2017, 7:17 amthat is a beautiful looking rig
OK I get what your saying now, it has been done, I have seen a few rigs set up that way but still have to say for me I wouldn't do it. if you go back and look at the picture of the back of my bike you can see the ball is inside the area of the saddle bags. even that causes some pull but that was as close as I could get and not have my camper hang out when in a straight line. I don't think you can get your hitch more than even with the inside bag unless you found a way to go under them. the other thing is you would be adding more forces to those connections than they are designed to handle. you may have an issue with keeping the joints tight enough to not move out of alignment. Like I said I have seen it done, I think the tube was secured using u-bolts to connect it to the cross tubes. I'm still fairly new to sidecars and have a lot to learn still but I'm a firm believer that each part and connection is for a specific purpose.
that is a beautiful looking rig
OK I get what your saying now, it has been done, I have seen a few rigs set up that way but still have to say for me I wouldn't do it. if you go back and look at the picture of the back of my bike you can see the ball is inside the area of the saddle bags. even that causes some pull but that was as close as I could get and not have my camper hang out when in a straight line. I don't think you can get your hitch more than even with the inside bag unless you found a way to go under them. the other thing is you would be adding more forces to those connections than they are designed to handle. you may have an issue with keeping the joints tight enough to not move out of alignment. Like I said I have seen it done, I think the tube was secured using u-bolts to connect it to the cross tubes. I'm still fairly new to sidecars and have a lot to learn still but I'm a firm believer that each part and connection is for a specific purpose.
Quote from Bone on October 14, 2017, 10:45 amFirst off thanks for the compliment on my rig. 🙂 I flew to St. Lewis, Mo. to pick it up and drove it home to Woodland, Wa. I took a little over two weeks to do it and some 3,000 miles. Did a lot of sight seeing on Route 66 up to Grants NM. and then headed north west. It only had 42,000 miles on it.
AJ, I agree with everything you have said and that was my first concern, those small clevis joints being able to take the extra load of the trailer.
So these next pics will be sorta what I had in mind. If I do it the way shown in the pics then the ball will be in about the same place as yours. I would have to make a jog in the 2" square tubing running from the front to back because that round tube adjustment point in the front sticks up higher then the frame work. After it was all welded together I would make support brackets at the welded joints . you will see what I mean in the crude drawings I made on the pics, hehehe, I not such a good artist. 🙂 Please assume that the gold tube and my red lines are the 2" square tubing. Let me know what you think of this.
First off thanks for the compliment on my rig. 🙂 I flew to St. Lewis, Mo. to pick it up and drove it home to Woodland, Wa. I took a little over two weeks to do it and some 3,000 miles. Did a lot of sight seeing on Route 66 up to Grants NM. and then headed north west. It only had 42,000 miles on it.
AJ, I agree with everything you have said and that was my first concern, those small clevis joints being able to take the extra load of the trailer.
So these next pics will be sorta what I had in mind. If I do it the way shown in the pics then the ball will be in about the same place as yours. I would have to make a jog in the 2" square tubing running from the front to back because that round tube adjustment point in the front sticks up higher then the frame work. After it was all welded together I would make support brackets at the welded joints . you will see what I mean in the crude drawings I made on the pics, hehehe, I not such a good artist. 🙂 Please assume that the gold tube and my red lines are the 2" square tubing. Let me know what you think of this.
Quote from Bone on October 14, 2017, 11:10 amIf I were to do it like this then this is approximately how it would sit behind the wing. The edge of the trailer would be inline with side of the bike.
And a few pics of the rig on my way home.
How come some of the pics show up sideways and some don't ?
If I were to do it like this then this is approximately how it would sit behind the wing. The edge of the trailer would be inline with side of the bike.
And a few pics of the rig on my way home.
How come some of the pics show up sideways and some don't ?
Quote from Deleted user on October 15, 2017, 9:59 amI have a 99 gl1500 with a Hannigan super sport sidecar. I bought it used. I tow a Kamperoo popup trailer 360 pounds.
The hannigan is only 200 pounds, I felt it was a little light for the wing. Since I needed a hitch and some ballast I used
a piece of 1"x2" stock 6ft. long weight 58 lbs without the ball. I mounted it under the lower front strut and over the rear lower strut
this gave me the ball height I wanted. The trailer left side wheel is in line with the bike rear tire. This way the rig basically a 2 track
outfit. If you tow off the bike you are 4 track, makes it hard to miss a pot hole. The bike is triple disc and the sidecar has a disc
hooked to the bike rear. No brakes on the trailer. It tows and stops fine.
fly
I have a 99 gl1500 with a Hannigan super sport sidecar. I bought it used. I tow a Kamperoo popup trailer 360 pounds.
The hannigan is only 200 pounds, I felt it was a little light for the wing. Since I needed a hitch and some ballast I used
a piece of 1"x2" stock 6ft. long weight 58 lbs without the ball. I mounted it under the lower front strut and over the rear lower strut
this gave me the ball height I wanted. The trailer left side wheel is in line with the bike rear tire. This way the rig basically a 2 track
outfit. If you tow off the bike you are 4 track, makes it hard to miss a pot hole. The bike is triple disc and the sidecar has a disc
hooked to the bike rear. No brakes on the trailer. It tows and stops fine.
fly
Quote from Bone on October 15, 2017, 3:17 pmFly - 10/15/2017 6:59 AM
I have a 99 gl1500 with a Hannigan super sport sidecar. I bought it used. I tow a Kamperoo popup trailer 360 pounds.
The hannigan is only 200 pounds, I felt it was a little light for the wing. Since I needed a hitch and some ballast I used
a piece of 1"x2" stock 6ft. long weight 58 lbs without the ball. I mounted it under the lower front strut and over the rear lower strut
this gave me the ball height I wanted. The trailer left side wheel is in line with the bike rear tire. This way the rig basically a 2 track
outfit. If you tow off the bike you are 4 track, makes it hard to miss a pot hole. The bike is triple disc and the sidecar has a disc
hooked to the bike rear. No brakes on the trailer. It tows and stops fine.
flyHello fly. Thanks for chiming in. I think I saw a pic of how you did that somewhere but I was wondering if you could post a few pics of your set up. I am still hatching ideas up there in the ole grey matter or at least what's left of it. hahaha. I think I came up with another idea I haven't seen in here. I'll let you all know when I have the idea a little further along.
Bone
Fly - 10/15/2017 6:59 AM
I have a 99 gl1500 with a Hannigan super sport sidecar. I bought it used. I tow a Kamperoo popup trailer 360 pounds.
The hannigan is only 200 pounds, I felt it was a little light for the wing. Since I needed a hitch and some ballast I used
a piece of 1"x2" stock 6ft. long weight 58 lbs without the ball. I mounted it under the lower front strut and over the rear lower strut
this gave me the ball height I wanted. The trailer left side wheel is in line with the bike rear tire. This way the rig basically a 2 track
outfit. If you tow off the bike you are 4 track, makes it hard to miss a pot hole. The bike is triple disc and the sidecar has a disc
hooked to the bike rear. No brakes on the trailer. It tows and stops fine.
fly
Hello fly. Thanks for chiming in. I think I saw a pic of how you did that somewhere but I was wondering if you could post a few pics of your set up. I am still hatching ideas up there in the ole grey matter or at least what's left of it. hahaha. I think I came up with another idea I haven't seen in here. I'll let you all know when I have the idea a little further along.
Bone
Quote from Deleted user on October 15, 2017, 8:34 pmHi Bone, I am a computer dummy. Don't know how to do pics.
my phone #330-547-2141 if you want to talk. I will answer any questions I can.
fly
Hi Bone, I am a computer dummy. Don't know how to do pics.
my phone #330-547-2141 if you want to talk. I will answer any questions I can.
fly
Quote from SIDECARRICH on December 18, 2022, 3:01 pmHowdy, I see it's been a ton of years but how did you make out with your trailer hitch? I put 2 inch steel tubing on my 99 with CSC FSIII right down the middle like you were talking about and take it every year back and forth from Indiana to Florida always the wrong way about 2500 miles and have never had a problem with our little Tag A Long trailer may be loaded about 250 lbs, my rear bearings have always gone first ever since we install the hack in 2000, I was thinking now to drop some weight and go with flat rolled steel about 1/4" thick 1 1/2" wide and 72" long??? Thank you Rich
Howdy, I see it's been a ton of years but how did you make out with your trailer hitch? I put 2 inch steel tubing on my 99 with CSC FSIII right down the middle like you were talking about and take it every year back and forth from Indiana to Florida always the wrong way about 2500 miles and have never had a problem with our little Tag A Long trailer may be loaded about 250 lbs, my rear bearings have always gone first ever since we install the hack in 2000, I was thinking now to drop some weight and go with flat rolled steel about 1/4" thick 1 1/2" wide and 72" long??? Thank you Rich
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Quote from Tax Man on December 20, 2022, 9:21 amI tried something different. I took my trailer to the local blacksmith shop and asked him to put about a 45 degree angle in the center of the tongue so that the trailer would track to the right of center on the bike. I wanted the left side of the trailer to track more in line with the bike wheels. My sidecar sets further to the right of the bike than most sidecars do. Then when I'd hitch the sidecar to the ball hitch behind the rear fender on the bike I had a pretty wide vehicle.
I had considered placing the ball hitch behind the tilt actuator, but would cause side draft to the right when taking off from a stop, and would further compound the push of the bike's front wheel to the left in a stop. It worked!! The trailer helps to stabilize the bike so that the natural drag of the sidecar when pulling away from a stop is not as noticeable as without the trailer hitched behind the bike's rear wheel. Stopping is the same. The trailer counters the push of the sidecar when stopping.
Think about it. Even though the trailer trails to the right of the center line of the bike, the forces of the trailer are still centered on the bike. I don't think a 90 degree angle in the trailer tongue would work as well. The trailer would try to pivot to the right around the ball hitch in a sudden stop because my trailer doesn't have brakes.(nor does my sidecar).
I pulled the trailer to Hotchkiss in early July to bring rally supplies back with me. I went over Wolf Creek Pass and Monarch Pass without any handling problems, though it made the Valkyrie snort
I tried something different. I took my trailer to the local blacksmith shop and asked him to put about a 45 degree angle in the center of the tongue so that the trailer would track to the right of center on the bike. I wanted the left side of the trailer to track more in line with the bike wheels. My sidecar sets further to the right of the bike than most sidecars do. Then when I'd hitch the sidecar to the ball hitch behind the rear fender on the bike I had a pretty wide vehicle.
I had considered placing the ball hitch behind the tilt actuator, but would cause side draft to the right when taking off from a stop, and would further compound the push of the bike's front wheel to the left in a stop. It worked!! The trailer helps to stabilize the bike so that the natural drag of the sidecar when pulling away from a stop is not as noticeable as without the trailer hitched behind the bike's rear wheel. Stopping is the same. The trailer counters the push of the sidecar when stopping.
Think about it. Even though the trailer trails to the right of the center line of the bike, the forces of the trailer are still centered on the bike. I don't think a 90 degree angle in the trailer tongue would work as well. The trailer would try to pivot to the right around the ball hitch in a sudden stop because my trailer doesn't have brakes.(nor does my sidecar).
I pulled the trailer to Hotchkiss in early July to bring rally supplies back with me. I went over Wolf Creek Pass and Monarch Pass without any handling problems, though it made the Valkyrie snort
Quote from SIDECARRICH on December 20, 2022, 9:38 amGreat idea, in the past 40k+ miles between our homes in IN & FL with lots of stops in the mountains I have never had a problem with the little trailer in the center, and rear wheel bearings go out about as much as with just the sidecar, riding on the Darkside my rear tire can outlast the bearings so I replace about every 10k anyway to be on the safe side. I also redid the brakes so the rear brake peddle does the sidecar too. But I will keep your idea in mind while building the new hitch, I was just trying to get the weight down from that 2"x 6-foot steel tube.. Thank you, Rich
Great idea, in the past 40k+ miles between our homes in IN & FL with lots of stops in the mountains I have never had a problem with the little trailer in the center, and rear wheel bearings go out about as much as with just the sidecar, riding on the Darkside my rear tire can outlast the bearings so I replace about every 10k anyway to be on the safe side. I also redid the brakes so the rear brake peddle does the sidecar too. But I will keep your idea in mind while building the new hitch, I was just trying to get the weight down from that 2"x 6-foot steel tube.. Thank you, Rich