always kinda thought it would be cool to put a sidecar on my nightster and cruise around town with my dog....any ideas/opinions about it? how much are sidecars anyways? can you easily attach/detach them or is it the kind of thing where once its on, its on?

 

Can't give you much about a hack on a Sporty, but here's a link where you might find some info:
http://www.sidecar.com/megabbs/category-view.asp
They have been having problems with the website, so if it's not working, just try again later.

Generally speaking, sidecars can be removed and reinstalled, but it's not just a matter of removing a couple of bolts. There are brakes and lights that have to be disconnected and reconnected as well as rechecking the alignment and bike lean angle. What I've found is that a car can be removed in maybe 30 minutes and reinstalled in probably 1 to 2 hours if there are no problems to deal with. A new H-D sidecar will run you in the neighborhood of $7 - $8 thousand. Cheaper if you can find a used one. Other brands, probably more fitting for a Sporty, can be found much cheaper.

If you do install one, take it easy until you learn your limitations and get used to it. It's definitely not like riding 2 wheels.

 

Not sure if you found what you're looking for yet, but I had a Velorex 563T mounted onto my '07 Sportster Nightster and am loving hacking. Let me know if you want more info. I am thinking of upgrading my sidecar to a Motorvation Spyder, but the Velorex is like 1/3 the price, so started with that one! Where are you located?

By the way, I would recommend starting with a 3-wheel riding class by the motorcycle safety folks... riding 3 wheels is counterintuitive to those of us who started on 2 wheels and I think some people hate it - it is work! You drive a 3-wheeler - no countersteering in curves. I agree, read all you can on sidecar.com. Great folks.