[Sticky] Introduce Yourself!

Howdy from Texas. My name is Chris, and I have been a part of the motorcycle community for many years. As I approach my 66th birthday next month, I find myself more excited than ever about my riding adventures. I currently ride a 2005 Honda Goldwing that I bought new, but I've decided to add a sidecar to my collection. The Goldwing, as you can imagine, is not getting any lighter, and my wife thinks she might ride again with one. I'm open to any advice or recommendations, as this new addition is not justΒ an inexpensive new toy, and I would like to budget around $ 10,000 for it. From what I've seen, it might be easier to buy a complete rig and sell mine. I attended a Ural demo day to ensure I liked riding with a sidecar and, indeed, I loved it.

You've done a very good thing in this process.Β Going out on a trial ride in a rig is a great way to determine if you have a brain storm or some other brain event.... Β
You will get several recommendations to your question about build a new rig or buy one with a GL1800 tug.Β My recommendation is to buy an existing rig with Hannigan, Champion, DMC (Texas) or other heavy, reputable sidecar builders (assuming you want to stay with an 1800 Wing as a tug).Β If you're open to other bikes as the tug, there's a lot of options out there.
A build will be in the neighborhood of the $10k you describe, possibly a bit less, but transportation to and from the builder will be some additional cost.Β My suggestion is to call Texas Sidecar in Teague, Texas and have a conversation with them about options.Β They won't steer you wrong.Β Phone:Β (254) 218-3990
Glad to have you in the wacky family!
Illegitemi non carborundum est!

@thane-lewis Thanks, Thane. I will call TSC and have a chat. They are only a couple of hours from Dallas. If I do go the complete rig route, I do think I will stay with a Goldwing. I saw a rig with a 2018 GW somewhere, if I recall correctly. π

Posted by: @chrisntxHowdy from Texas. My name is Chris, and I have been a part of the motorcycle community for many years. As I approach my 66th birthday next month, I find myself more excited than ever about my riding adventures. I currently ride a 2005 Honda Goldwing that I bought new, but I've decided to add a sidecar to my collection. The Goldwing, as you can imagine, is not getting any lighter, and my wife thinks she might ride again with one. I'm open to any advice or recommendations, as this new addition is not justΒ an inexpensive new toy, and I would like to budget around $ 10,000 for it. From what I've seen, it might be easier to buy a complete rig and sell mine. I attended a Ural demo day to ensure I liked riding with a sidecar and, indeed, I loved it.
Chris from Texas, WELCOME to the Rice Paddy, where we all drink Sake, and Guinness, and.....
Let me set a few things straight....to add a new sidecar to your current Goldwing 1800 will cost you in excess of $ 10k...if you have a brand new sidecar made for you, plus all the attaching mounts, plus the subframe for your Wing, plus the labor to properly and correctly install it to the bike....PLUS you will need to remove the triple trees on your bike, and install a new set of trail reducing triple trees, to make the steering so much easier.
Reality is, figure somewhere from a LOW of $ 12.5k to a HIGH of $ 20k...all depending on your tastes and selections.
Your 2005 Wing is a very good bike for adding a sidecar to...for many reasons...I KNOWΒ Β
YES, you can buy an already built, and Road Ready sidecar rig for less than $ 10k, and I will give you a perfect example:
1995 Honda Goldwing 1500 SE...with a California Friendship ll sidecar, located 390 to 396 miles North by Northeast of you, so draw a line North of Dallas/Fort Worth, that includes 380 to 400 miles along the line, and in a Northerly, by Northeasterly direction, and you will find this sidecar rig waiting for you, and it comes in just under the $ 10k price mark, at $ 9,500.00.
If a Goldwing 1500 SE is something you might be interested in....it is owned by a well known sidecarist here, has all the proper and correct tires on it, just had TSC/DMC install the trail reducing triple trees on it, has a NEW Alternator, etc, etc, etc.
Yes, your 2005 Goldwing is a step UP from a 1995 Goldwing 1500, but.....a 2006 Goldwing 1800 is also a step UP from your '05, as the bike changed in '06....and the 2018 Wings are even a bigger step up.
But it comes down to, your appetite, your budget, your enthusiasm, and do you want to only have a 3 wheeled sidecar rig, or also keep a 2 wheeled motorcycle in your stable, whilst at the same time owning a sidecar rig ?????????
It is quite possible to find a 2006 to 2017 Honda Goldwing 1800 with a good/decent sidecar, all properly installed, and road proven, for under $ 20k....but an example of one that is priced higher than that, is the 2015 Wing with Hannigan GTL sidecar at the dealer in Ohio, and they are asking $ 25,990.00.Β Reality, it is worth $ 23,500 to $ 25,000....or it is worth what a buyer is willing to pay.
People like my friend Thane @thane-lewis got into a 2006 Goldwing w/Champion Daytona 2+2 for a LOW price, because it was a buddy deal....when I sold it to him.
I am currently sell my 2015 Goldwing 2/Hannigan GTL sidecar to someone else on these forums, but it is in excess of $ 20k, not because I don't like him as much, but because it is a 9 years newer bike, lower mileage on the bike, and a newer sidecar, with everything done to perfection, so there is a price for that.
My immediate advice would be:
# 1:Β think about this 1995 Honda Goldwing SE w/California Friendship ll sidecar, that many of us have seen, and know the seller....$ 9,500.00
# 2:Β contact Kent Silk at TSC/DMC in Donie, Texas, and ASK...do they happen to have a take-off sidecar...something like a Champion Daytona 2+2, or a California Friendship lll, or a Hannigan Astro 2+2, etc...that they would be willing to sell to you, with THEM making the subframe for you, them attaching it to you bike, and then installing the trail reducing triple trees on your bike, and "IF" they have a take-off sidecar like that, you "might" be able to come in at $ 10k.
TSC/DMC is a good company to deal with, so if they don't have a used sidecar sitting around, collecting dust, they can build you exactly what you want, from beginning to end, but expect to pay something in the neighborhood of $ 12.5k to 17.5k with them, and that is with you supplying a bike that you already own.
You don't say how many MILES are on your '05 Wing.....?????????
I see that you would "like" to stay within a budget of $ 10k....and that is a comfortable target.
Here are examples of spending a LOT more money, on Goldwing sidecar rigs:
In that first picture, the '06 Wing on the left w/Champion Daytona 2+2 sidecar...I spent close to $ 25k on the completed rig, and sold it for $ 10k..to my friend.
In that second picture, the '19 Goldwing w/DCT trans, and Hannigan Dream sidecar, I spent right at $ 50k all-in, and will keep it for life.
In that third picture, the 2015 Goldwing w/Hannigan GTL sidecar, that I currently have in Germany, I will have spent in excess of $ 42,500. by the time I ship it back to the US, and it is being sold to another friend for $ 23,500.00
WE....know where some very good sidecar rigs are, that are for sale. Be mindful, and thoughtful, when it comes to buying a used sidecar rig, and allow US to help you, as we may see some things that you may overlook, and pictures can tell us a lot.
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