I had a Liberty installed on my 09 SG early this year and really like it. The quality of the Liberty is second to none and the company is outstanding to do business with. I have have almost 4,000 miles on the hack and am completely satisfied. Liberty has a waiting list and I believe that speaks well for the product. I am sure the other brands of hack are great as well. It really comes down to what you like best. Good luck in your choice.

 

It all depends on how you're going to use it. If you want to accomodate a passenger, a Liberty I believe is slightly wider than the Motorvation and easier for entry. The honest reviews of the Motorvation usually bring out this one flaw. They are very narrow and hard to get into. If you're not planning on carrying a passenger, the Motorvation is a great option. In my book the Motorvation is the best looking rig, followed by the Liberty.

The Spalding, then Hannigan, are the best handling rigs. The Liberty uses the old style sprung body if I am not mistaken. Spalding and Hannigan employ a modern Progressive shock and arm system that does a great job of soaking up the bumps. Plus, the Spalding and Hannigan handle right turns better than the Liberty and Motorvation. They are heavier, wider, and have a lower stance/CG. Don't under estimate right turns with a sidecar. Wider, lower, and heavier are better when it comes to turns.

I highly recommend a sidecar with Electric Camber Control. Road crown, at least here in IL, varies considerable mile by mile. Without it, you will be constantly pulling on the bars one direction or another. Oh, and don't under estimate the weirdness of sitting straight up while the bike angles off in another direction by 2 to 4 degrees. Sometimes I don't notice it, other times it feels like the seat is all messed up...because it is, you're not sitting on it square.

Simply put, sidecars are not for every one. They are hard to steer, they are wide, eat tires, kill your MPG, and reduce much of the pleasure of riding a motorcycle, especially if you do a lot of interstate riding. Around town, they are great. Two lane highways, pretty good. But they reduce my enjoyment by 80% on the interstate. Solo, I can blast past semis and other traffic. Not so once you tack on 200 + pounds of sidecar. If a motorcyle ain't fun, there is no reason to be on one.

Best advice: Absolutely ride one before you plunk down your dough. Consider the downsides very carefully. Don't underestimate the steering effort, added wind blast (interstate riding), MPG hit, and so forth.

 

I have over 8k miles with my Liberty. Pete makes a first class product and has excellent customer service. Even called him a couple of years later to let him know how happy I was with the purchase. The quality is top notch and is holding up with no issues. I wouldn't hesitate to order again with them.

 

The Liberty has a modern wound shock suspension along with two leaf springs supporting the tub. The ride is quite good. I can't compare ride or handling with other brands but I am very satisfied and so is my passenger, (wife). I agree with previous comments, a side car is not for everyone. I took a big expensive gamble when I purchased mine, I did not have an opportunity to drive one. That being said, I really enjoy my rig and have no regrets.

Sam

 

Funny you say that. We've done 6 hour rides and when I stopped to get fuel my wife stayed in the sidecar. She was comfortable and didn't need to get out. I also installed a 6x9 speaker inside at the front to provide some music to the passenger.

 

A plus of the Liberty is that the passenger sits higher. In the Hannigan and Spalding, the passenger sits quite a bit lower. Of course the later two have a much lower CG for better handling than the HD TLE and Liberty.

The Hannigan/Spalding sidecars are much easier to get in and out of.

The Hannigan trunk is accessible from the rear using a gas assist deck lid much like a car trunk.

No perfect sidecar, just depends on what you're after.

Although the wife greatly appreciates all of the extra space in the Hannigan, she would have liked the Liberty's height. But since I am somewhat of a lead foot, I liked the lower CG and Progressive suspension of the Hannigan/Spalding.

Jack