Skltr , thanks . The Dealer told me yesterday , I would have a four to eight week wait to pickmy Road King with the sidecar.Thats fine with me because spring will be in full force and I will be riding everyday .

 

Congrats on the new addition. Have you ever ridden one before? I have had one for less then a year and its been interesting. Fun but interesting.

 

Special Liberty,

If you have experience with a hack, ignore my response, but...

You can find the same sort of Basic Motorcycle Course for threewheels (trike and sidecar).

The CFO and I took the course offered by the NOVA Community College system in Nothern VA. The class may be offered through APEX or others, but check with the folks that do BMC and ERC (Experienced Rider Course) in your area.

Others here have found publications (BMW if memory serves) that gave them an insight to the dynamics of side car.

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Badinfluence63 Thanks, I have never rode a hack before. I'm taking the basic riders course for motorcycles very soon.It will be a new experience for me . I plan on practicing first on a parking lot early in the morning . With different turns and trying to put some weight in the sidecar with slow speeds to see how she will react.I would imagine steering probably feels like an ATV. I live out in the country ,some of the back roads have a lot of turns .I plan on riding after I get it back from the Dealer up till october maybe even november.

 

FLGEEZ , Thanks for the info .Its my first time on a Hack . I will inquire aboutwhat you said .When I take basic rider course at the community college.A friend of mine collects Harleys and has a Hack probably for over 20 years now or longer.Hehandles it like a pro.I plan on picking his brain for some good pointers.

 

SL,

I wasn't able to take the course, you are very fortunate. I bet you get alot out of it and it will take most of the trial and error out of it. However I read alot. Everything I could get my hands on. What continues to save me is the resounding advice of "take it slow!!". Take it slow on the corners, right and left, take it slow when anticipating a stop sign/red light. Maybe with time I will develop a subconscientious technique and won't have to think about it. The worst is goingright while going down hill and trying to decelerate. Also gauging my position in the road. Don't want to be too far over right or left. I bought mine and 1 hour later I was on a 4 hour ride down the interstate(dealership was close enough to the interstate you could throw a rock and hit it) to home. Trial by fire. The sidecar shakes the bike in a manner that I as a 37+year solo bike rider wasn't use to. Crowns in the road, grade changes and other things impact it too. Once I got use to the difference I settled down and its been going well (except that one time a 4x4 was lying lengthwise in the road and there was no way to avoid it[:@]).

I know you haven't gotten your bike yet but be sure to post some pictures when you get of your new machine.

 

First, when you start forward, there is no power (usually) on that hack; it will lag and your steering will pull to the hack side till it gets moving.

Next, when you stop, there is no brake (usually) on that now moving hack. It will want to keep rolling. Pulling your steering to the off side.

Panic stops will raise the rear wheel and loose traction. Anticipate, anticipate,,,, Three wheel pivot axis. I was unable to lock the front wheel in practice. It can be done, but all my ride time said not too hard on the front. It is different. If you don't have to overcome years of two wheel, it may be easier. But aalways, anticipate,,, Look out ahead two/four seconds, eight seconds, twelve seconds. Situational Awareness.

Right hand turns will "FLY" the car, literally. Shift your weight to the car side, add a little two finger front brake and power at the same time. Diving and drifting your right hand (car side turn). When the car goes up, you are on two wheels. Counter steering is in effect.

On three wheels, NO counter steering. Push right - go left. (Same for trike)

This is why down hill, right hand, (much worse off camber) turns are to be slow, slow, slow.

I have had only two days on a hack in class, but nothing is better than knowledge, followed by practice. Lot's of practice.

 

Thanks Badinfluence63 and Flgeez . I will take your advise and practice, practice and practice.Also I will post pics , when I get her back from the dealership.

 

Liberty, like bad-63 and a few others, all my learning was OJT. Best advice I can think of is TAKE YOUR TIME, and expect the rig to handle NOTHING like a 2 wheeled motocycle.

All the advice I would have given, has been given. But I would add that you may benefit if you get into a big parking lot, watch for the overnight light poles, and do some turns and circles, keep increasing the speed of the turn and tightness of the circle - and you'll see what we're taking about when we refer to "flying the hack". If it does start to lift on a hard right hand turn don't freak out. Either straighten out the turn or slow down and the hack will "land".

Some hackers use ballast and some don't - I learned with an empty sidecar and that's how I like to ride.

When you carry a passenger as opposed to being empty, the dynamics change - big time.

Good luck,
Ride safe
Hack

 

Wife had a 2001 Fat Boy and it was too much bike for her. She was just like the old Laugh In show where the dude stops and falls over. She could ride all day but couldn't stop the thing. She fell in front of me about 4 times and damn near scared me to death. She finally quit riding because she was scared of it.

Well we had friends with a trike and soon as we saw it , I knew I had found my answer. All it takes is $$$. We had it converted to a trike with a DFT kit and Champion reverse. Best thing we ever did. She rides everywhere now and isn't the slightest bit afraid. Matter of fact she may be too eager to ride. I had to have it ported, polished, bored and cammed. Its a 95ci with 203 cams and a gear cam drive. Runs great with a Power Commander on it. It will outrun my 2007 96 ci FXSTC. That thing is a dog anyway!

We really enjoy the trike. She has ridden it through Rocky Mtn National Park a couple of times and going over Trail Ride road is a real good test.

Did we have to have it changed to a trike? Only if I wanted my riding partner back. She really enjoys the riding as much as I do now that she has her own ride back.

I'll probably convert mine if these knees keep acting up.