anyone ride with a side car ?
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 45
Likes: 6
From: Mountain Home, Idaho
anyone ride with a side car ?
I see a few bikes with side cars, and was just curious as to how the bike handles with the side car attached. Thought I'd see if anyone on the forum had experience riding one, what model of bike and and their thoughts on how they handle.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 166
Likes: 31
From: FL
My Son in Law has a sidecar attached to a "Moo-Glide". My daughter rode in it that thing for about 5 miles and got on the back of the bike. It came in handy on the way home because we stopped and filled it up with beer.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 22,999
Likes: 11,439
All depends on how well the work is done and if short cuts were taken.
The two rigs I have handle very well. They do Drive different than riding a motorcycle. But you can switch back and forth with no problem doing either.
Had one on a 1996 Fatboy
Have one on a 2015 HD Street 750 and one on a 2017 RGU
The two rigs I have handle very well. They do Drive different than riding a motorcycle. But you can switch back and forth with no problem doing either.
Had one on a 1996 Fatboy
Have one on a 2015 HD Street 750 and one on a 2017 RGU
Last edited by smitty901; May 20, 2019 at 08:15 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,958
Likes: 1,988
From: CA
My wife and I both have added sidecars to our bikes after many years and many thousands of miles of riding on two wheels. Hers is an '05 FLHT with a Hannigan Classic hack, mine is a '17 FLTRU with a Hannigan Super Sport hack. Both ride and handle great, but it is a different experience than riding on two wheels, you don't lean through turns, you steer. Braking and acceleration inputs affect a sidecar rig differently than on two wheels. Riding a sidecar rig is a blast once you get used to the differences.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 26
Likes: 14
From: nowhere
If you want the whole skinny on sidecars, you can read Hal Kendall's books on the United Sidecar site. He writes up how to set them up and drive them.
Sidecar books
Sidecar books
Thread Starter
|
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 45
Likes: 6
From: Mountain Home, Idaho
My wife and I both have added sidecars to our bikes after many years and many thousands of miles of riding on two wheels. Hers is an '05 FLHT with a Hannigan Classic hack, mine is a '17 FLTRU with a Hannigan Super Sport hack. Both ride and handle great, but it is a different experience than riding on two wheels, you don't lean through turns, you steer. Braking and acceleration inputs affect a sidecar rig differently than on two wheels. Riding a sidecar rig is a blast once you get used to the differences.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 22,999
Likes: 11,439
On Saturday we returned from a trip of 3,000 miles with ours. The first time we took it on that long a ride in one trip. Ours is setup so wife can ride in the sidecar or on the bike. Surprised me when wife rode 90% of the time in the sidecar. We met all of the goals we had for the trip and really enjoyed it.
I can not stress enough that if you do it , do it right. No short cuts.
I can not stress enough that if you do it , do it right. No short cuts.
Trending Topics
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 33
Likes: 4
From: USA
I have one which I am riding for one year. First time I face a problem with this and I don't handle it in the right way, but now it is perfect for me.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 4,752
Likes: 3,271
From: West Central Florida
I have an 11 Limited with factory Harley sidecar. The last year Harley manufactured the sidecar to match the bike.
We took it from Florida to Kentucky last year and had a blast with it. The wife rides in the sidecar or the back of the bike depending on her mood
The ride is different as mentioned for sure but I love it.
We took it from Florida to Kentucky last year and had a blast with it. The wife rides in the sidecar or the back of the bike depending on her mood
The ride is different as mentioned for sure but I love it.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 142
Likes: 44
From: North Saanich, Vancouver Island, BC
2017 Slim S
I just finished a 3,000 mile run through BC, Idaho and Oregon. The challenge I have is trying to keep up with my friends on their dual-sports in the mountains. It has taken several years to learn the tricks - its more than just driving the car. With the sidecar, you are using engine braking/throttle a lot more (my mantra is "right on; left off"). It's fun, especially as you see your driving improve. I can now keep my friends in sight - I'm a little slower than them in tight, low speed turns (signed at 20 & 30 mph ... that's as fast as I can go). As the postings get faster (45mph and up), I can keep up. So on twisty roads, I fall further and further behind, catching up on the straight's. My problem is that I haven't been able to deactivate the tip-over sensor and at low speeds I have to be careful, or the engine shuts down - fixing it will be this winter's project. The car itself has become a hobby, of its own. I've removed the battery from the bike and replaced it with an AGM car battery in the car. I fabricated a dash and added voltmeter and ammeter in the car ... and a clock. I really recommend trying out a sidecar. I'm loving it.
