I have to old style Garage Pro boxes on my CB500X. A large from my trunk and mediums for my side cases. They work ok. Real cheap, less than $100 for all three, IIRC.
progress on the front end. I installed the Hagon shocks. they work great. I got the speedo cable connected. Brake lines also connected, but had problems bleeding one side. I think corrosion internally is blocking things. that didn't stop me from taking a short trip around the block to check it out. the LL front end is definitely different. very light to initiate a turn, but heavy once it starts leaning. should work well for sidecar use though!
Looking good. What is the spring rate and travel of your shocks? Looks like the wheel travel would be nearly double and the wheel rate about half of your shocks.
the spring rate is 35g. that's the same rating as a ural. I am not sure of the travel dimensions, but appears to be close to 5 inches. these are 330mm length. I have plenty of space to put a longer shock on for more travel, but I think this will be ok for street use. the guys at Hagon would be able to build something to your specific requirements though.
Made a blast from Charlotte to Jacksonville and back yesterday. this followed me home. the gel coat is a bit rougher than I expected, so paint will come sooner instead of later. everything else about the car looks good. I used some cleaner on it and it looks pretty good. got the brake rotor cleaned up a bit and the hub now spins as expected. over the next few weeks I'll work on wiring up the pig tail. it has power for the trim as well as radio wiring. gotta wire for running lights and turn signals. I need to read through the paperwork some to see all the details. Another two months and it should be all buttoned up.
I got my front brakes all squared away over the weekend, so the LL front end is complete and ready to be used. did a small amount of joy riding just to get a feel for it. sure is strange to hammer the front brake and have the front end rise instead of dive. :) Looking for someone locally to paint the sidecar and my front fender from the LL setup. Still waiting on subframe. wiring for the sidecar needs completed. paying work keeps getting in the way lately. ugh.
so....sub frame arrived. much less to it than I expected. I'm going ahead and having Doug at A Wing And A Chair do the install of the frame, the setup of the bike for the electricals and brakes, and attach the sidecar. Might have it in a week or so depending on his schedule. then it'll be a road trip to Knoxville for paint.
a couple additional things....thanks to Jay for the sub-frame components. also, this was the first time Doug has seen the sidecar. I feel even better about buying it since he told me I got a steal on it. at least I did something right, huh? :) he also pointed out the additions to the sidecar which were done because it was intended to be used on the goldwing. it's got an extra bit of frame at the front connection point. it also has a rear tube which can add a hitch for trailer towing. I didn't realize that. a nice plus for down the road. let's see how the 1000 does with the weight of the sidecar first.
You may need to talk to someone with lots of experience in front end work, one never sees leading links heading down from the pivot, the axles is always level with or about the pivot, probably about the axle swinging thru an arc.
Thanks DB. that picture was taken with the bike on the center stand, so no weight on the front end. when it's sitting on the ground, there is just a slight bit of downward angle to that lower tube. in addition, the bolt point at the top of the shock is a pinch tube type, so is adjustable for angle and length of shock. hopefully I will have another picture to share in about a week once the sidecar is hooked up. take a look then and let me know what you think. always open to expert opinion! :)
I'm no expert, nor have I ever stayed at a Holiday Inn. However, I've set mine to be level at full droop (fully unloaded). That way it will be slightly inclined (the axle pivot above the swingarm pivot) when it is a ride height. If the axle pivot is below the swingarm pivot, then as it moves upward it will also move slightly forward. When the wheel hits a bump, it is desirable for the wheel to slightly move backward, which it will when the axle is above the swingarm pivot. They are minor differences, but they could affect the handling. Anyway, as Anne Elk said, it's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
OMG! I'm in love with my C10 all over again for a completely different reason! I picked up the C10 and sidecar today. as soon as the rig started to move, I was in love. the leading link steering is beyond amazing. people said it was to sidecar driving like power steering was to a car. they are beyond right. the steering is so sensitive, it took me some time to stop OVER-steering the rig. Once I got the feel, it was fantastic. the bike is so easy to steer and the grip and feel around curves is FAR better than my Nomad rig. Denise was following me home and we stopped for gas. My first comment to her was "wow". my second comment was I hope she learns to like to ride in the car, cause this one is a keeper! I can't WAIT to get some color on the sidecar. This thing is gonna be fantastic!!! pics will follow. it was starting to rain just as we got home, so had to put it in the garage. I'll get some taken tomorrow.
Riding wheelies and flying the chair yet? If ya get down this way, I'll take a spin around town in the car.
you're welcome to take it for a spin to try it out. I can't say enough about how easy the steering is. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't go this route. well, yeah...cost. but if you can figure out a way to do it in a cost effective way, it's WELL worth it.
