Ballast in sidecar - do you add any?

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Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 2/20/2008 6:23:11 AM    btefft Posts: 2861 Joined: 3/4/2007 Status: offline Somewhere buried in another thread I read that some of you hackers run with ballast in your hack.  I usually run with my hack empty - no ballast, either.  If you add ballast, tell me how much you add. Obviously, it would help in right hand turns to keep from flying the hack, but wouldn't it work against you on hard acceleration and expecially hard stops.  What's your experience? Hack _____________________________ '06 Road King Classic w/ Sidecar. Patriot Guard Rider, CMA Member Retired Science Teacher (taught for 30 yrs). They call me "Hack" because of the sidecar, not the amputated leg. Proud Former Paratrooper - 2/505, 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division Post #: 1

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 4/9/2008 8:26:43 AM    silvergoldsmith Posts: 1621 Joined: 12/23/2007 Status: offline The theory is with you on the m/c, the s/c wheel should be carrying 1/3 of the weight.  You add ballast to get the weight 'needed' to make this weght. Wheel lead affects everything as my HitchHiker is teaching me. _____________________________ Greetings from Arizona (in reply to btefft) Post #: 2

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 4/9/2008 9:56:53 AM    mcralph   Posts: 9 Joined: 4/4/2008 Status: offline I use two 25lb bags of shot in my TLE. In addition,the way the price of lead is going, it seems like a good investment. (in reply to silvergoldsmith) Post #: 3

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 4/9/2008 4:30:27 PM    badinfluence63   Posts: 1300 Joined: 11/8/2007 Status: offline I was told by the factory that the MOCO set up does not.  And I don't add anything and so far so good.  However I have only owned the rig since September of last and I am far from a expert.  Hopefully our resident side hack guru a man of many miles............ "BTEFFT!"  can hopefully share his many miles of sidecar experience. Btefft where are you........... _____________________________ A bad day riding is better then a good day at work. http://forum.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/index.php (in reply to mcralph) Post #: 4

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/2/2008 11:56:32 AM    rhbuilds Posts: 41 Joined: 11/29/2007 From: perkasie,pa Status: offline when i purchased by bike, the hack had 50lb of chains laying on the floor. _____________________________ 1990 electra glide ultra classic hack (in reply to badinfluence63) Post #: 5

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/8/2008 8:36:33 PM    mrdeere1959 Posts: 57 Joined: 3/12/2007 Status: offline I have been running 60lb sand bag behind the seat. I took it out the other day as the wife was ride with. We did the run for the Son. I did not put it back in and boy I miss it. I made a right hander and up she comes. Gets the blood pumping. lol The sand bag is back in. Just my 2 cents worth. _____________________________ In His Grip Dale in Casper 08 Ultra Stage II CMA Member (in reply to rhbuilds) Post #: 6

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/11/2008 1:37:18 PM    legacycycles   Posts: 18 Joined: 9/23/2007 Status: offline I use weights ussally about 90lbs.I have a calif. side car and i think they do reccommend using weight.Just try it and see which way you prefer. (in reply to mrdeere1959) Post #: 7

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/12/2008 2:41:53 PM    badinfluence63   Posts: 1300 Joined: 11/8/2007 Status: offline I was fortunate to have met and talked with Dale from Wheels thru time in Magggie Valley recently and he recommended putting 25lbs of sand behind the side car seat.  I did and it made a difference.  Also he advised the passenger(wife) of the sidecar to lean right on right bank turns especially and even left banked turns.  It made a nite and day difference for me to have her assist in that manner.  Coming down mountains and banking right at the same time was made less unerving with the sidecar passengers leaning that and lower speed. _____________________________ A bad day riding is better then a good day at work. http://forum.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/index.php (in reply to legacycycles) Post #: 8

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/20/2008 8:27:10 PM    btefft Posts: 2861 Joined: 3/4/2007 Status: offline I recently found about 25 lbs of lead shot in my garage.  Don't have a clue about when I bought it. Anyway, I think I'll drop it in the hack a see how it does.  After reading what badinfluence said, I think I drop it on my trunk. I"ll let you all know the sotcome later. Hack _____________________________ '06 Road King Classic w/ Sidecar. Patriot Guard Rider, CMA Member Retired Science Teacher (taught for 30 yrs). They call me "Hack" because of the sidecar, not the amputated leg. Proud Former Paratrooper - 2/505, 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division (in reply to badinfluence63) Post #: 9

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/22/2008 5:34:29 PM    badinfluence63   Posts: 1300 Joined: 11/8/2007 Status: offline btefft, Hey man how you doing?  I thought about you while I was tooling the east and west bound lanes of I-40!  As I had mentioned in my PM the ride there was freaken scary. Those 55-65mph right banked turns going down hill were spooky and made spookier by the 18 wheelers breathing down your back. Passing through Black Mountain was like staring death in the face! Left banked turns were of equal concern but not as bad as the right bank turns.  On the way back utilizing Dales advice, it really made a difference. Having my wife in the sidecar and leaning outwards on all turn made a difference.  It may have been a PITA to her but it sure helped me out a lot. I still feel I have a long way to go before I feel remotely proficient.  It was a great experience though.  Next year I plan on taking 2 weeks and going thru Alabama (Barbers in Birmingham),Mississippi and Louisianna.  I believe if God has been good to us I will pencil a stop in good old Columbus,Ga if that works out for you. _____________________________ A bad day riding is better then a good day at work. http://forum.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/index.php (in reply to btefft) Post #: 10

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/22/2008 8:54:13 PM    btefft Posts: 2861 Joined: 3/4/2007 Status: offline Hey bad.  I'm doing good, hope you and yours are too.  You're becoming the guru on riding with a load.  I hardly ever take passenger and the loads in my sidecar are not heavy. As far as getting good - you just got to ride.  I had two close calls today, about 5 minutes apart, the kind that you see happening and just know is gonna leave a bruise, but I avoided both.  I'll start a separate thread to share the experience with the forum. You ain't got to "make a trip" to Cols, I'd be happy to meet you somewhere in Bama, since you're the one on the road so to speak. Ride Safe. Hack _____________________________ '06 Road King Classic w/ Sidecar. Patriot Guard Rider, CMA Member Retired Science Teacher (taught for 30 yrs). They call me "Hack" because of the sidecar, not the amputated leg. Proud Former Paratrooper - 2/505, 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division (in reply to badinfluence63) Post #: 11

RE: Ballast in sidecar - do you add any? - 5/24/2008 5:38:02 AM    badinfluence63   Posts: 1300 Joined: 11/8/2007 Status: offline bteft, Glad you came thru on those unexpected moments(I will go read those after this). You were lucky(luck = preperation and opportunity).  I don't know if you caught my thread in the general section but the very day I arrived back from Maggie/Valley (385miles) I was less then 10 miles from my home and a car just sped diagonally across 4 lanes of traffic and he missed me by less then an inch (of course I had to pull hard to the right while leaning, clutch/down shifting and braking.  He didn't slow down a second.  Thankfully the car to my right had braked allowing me that right lane manuever.  Had me and the speeding car hit it would have been huge. Thankfully my wife would have been a buffer(LOL).  I jest.  I did everything in my power to place me and the bike between her and the arsehole. I don't know about guru.  I truly and sincerely differ to you and your acculmulated years of experience and mile slogged.  I just throw my experience into the fray hoping in the long run to be a better sidecar driver.  I laugh at how many non motorcycle riders I have met that thought having a sidecar would make there ridng a motorcycle a more enjoyable experince. Yikes. With regards to next years trip perhaps we could meet in Birmingham at "Barbers aero mach motorcycle" museum? Its still a ,ong way off and anything can happen in a years time,eh? _____________________________ A bad day riding is better then a good day at work. http://forum.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/index.php (in reply to btefft) Post #: 12

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