When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hacked, Conversions and Trailering"Harley Sidecar, Conversion Trikes and Motorcycle Pull Behind Trailering Enthusiasts"
A forum for the discussion of your sidecar, Conversion Trike or Pull Behind Motorcycle Trailer.
I am considering the purchase of a low mileage 98 RK with a factory sidecar. I have never owned a motorcycle with a sidecar. I do like the idea of being able to take passengers and more gear on longer trips. Are these bikes comfortable to ride and are they good on long trips? I would like to drive cross country and I was wondering if anyone could share their experience with touring the United States on a motorcycle with a sidecar. Also, as I get older I like the idea of transitioning to a three wheeled motorcycle. I know that the asymmetric design of a Sidecar versus a trike may provide very different writing experiences and skill set. Is the sidecar something that people can live with as they age and continue to pursue riding? Any thoughts, recommendations, or expenses would be appreciated. Thank you.
Before you jump into the fire a ride on a hack would be advisable ... They are a totally different animal and some just can't get comfortable ... One ride around the block for me was enough ... I did some engine work on a rig many years ago for a friend and test ride it afterwards ... no thanks
Get plenty of training and experience before riding one across the country. They are tricky to ride and unstable if you don't know what you are doing.
Join a sidehack forum for more input.
Trikes will be a never bike for me, can't lane split with it.
Last edited by upflying; Feb 16, 2020 at 10:09 AM.
Before you jump into the fire a ride on a hack would be advisable ... They are a totally different animal and some just can't get comfortable ... One ride around the block for me was enough ... I did some engine work on a rig many years ago for a friend and test ride it afterwards ... no thanks
That's my exact feelings.......................when I rode a Trike.
Good advise so far. Sidecar Rig is a different world. Even from one rig to another. It is an expense best taken on after a good education. We enjoy ours both the large and smaller one . Big importance is it being setup right. The better it is setup the better it will do what you want.
If looking at as something you can live with it may not be right. It must be something you embrace. Any specific question post them up we will try to help. Many answers will not be simple yes and no. There is a learning curve to driving one you do not ride it.
At one time sidecar rigs were very common they filled a need when motorcycles severed a daily need rather than most recreation .
How stable or unstable a sidecar Rig is depends on many things. A lot of it has to do with setup.. This one will run 100 MPH all day long. Safe and comfortable on any road in any weather. If you understand it. Pictured here on Deals gap aka The Dragon. It was being pushed pretty hard.
And playing in the snow.
Last edited by smitty901; Feb 16, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
My wife and I both have sidecars on our bikes, love them. As Smitty said, there is a learning curve to driving a sidecar rig, it is a different animal than riding on two wheels, but once you get it, you will have a blast. We use our's for everything from cross country trips to runs to the grocery store for a month's worth of groceries. We took our two 30# dogs cross country in the wife's hack, and we have picked up the grandkids from school with them. Set up right, a sidecar rig handles just fine, mine is rock solid at 90, as fast as I have had it so far. Besides, sidecars are way cooler than trikes! Hannigan Supersport sidecar on my '16 Road Glide 2000 FLTRSEI with Hannigan SP2 sidecar
The wife's '05 FLHT with Hannigan Classic sidecar Beth's '05 FLHT with Hannigan Classic sidecar.
Not much i can add that has not been said. We tour the country on ours and love it. I have a Harley rig also and 100mph is no problem if set up right. It is a different beast and my brain is wired for it. I am looking to add a regular 2 wheeler for around town hops but i will never get rid of my Side Glide
The smaller Rig Harley 750 Street. Payton still likes to ride in it also. We do some stupid stuff in it from time to time. This little rig will fly. Taken when we were switching sidecar wheel to take the same car tire the bike uses. In the picture it it has the stock 750 tire on the wheel still and hub cover was no finished yet.
Try to have a good idea what you want the sidecar rig to do for you. That will help in choices you will have to make. Spending some time here picking the brains of those that really do have them and drive them will save you a lot of cash and heart ache. When it comes to sidecar Rig they say and I heard have little meaning.
Last edited by smitty901; Feb 16, 2020 at 03:15 PM.
I had a sidecar rig for 10 years. Loved it. Best I can describe is that it's like riding a lopsided tricycle. Before you commit to a long ride with one log several hundred hours locally. But once you've got it down, and the rig is dialed in and balanced, it can become a natural riding process for you.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Sidecar
