1959 side car setup

[renrawmot]

Hi Everyone, i have an original 59 pan with the original sidecar. I had the bike restored from the ground up and am a little confused how to exactly hook up the sidecar correctly. All of the mounting hardware was also removed for the restore so i am not sure if all that is lined up correctly. Any info or tips would be greatly appreciated

[Rubone]

renrawmot,
It is all very straightforward so don't get too worried. The upper front bracket fits in the "V" formed by the steering head and the tubes above the lower tank mount. It is best to install this before the tanks go on. In fact it is nearly impossible to do it with them on. The lower front one goes on tubes at the curve. the bracket with the little cast loop on it is the right side. They are formed to fit the frame curve and clamp on with the U-clamps. The front mounting rod fits through them from right side to left. The flat on it engages with the right side bracket to align it. It also has a spacer/sleeve that centers it in the left side. The thick offset bracket with the attached stud goes in the hole in the swingarm and lines up with the rear mount.
I'm sure someone here has a picture of it all they can show you. I would if my POS scanner was working!
Robbie

[renrawmot]

Thanks Robbie. I will see if it makes any sense once i get the bike out of the shop. I did have the sidecar on once and it was ok, but i think it needs some fine tuning. I am sure you have helped, thanks

[Sargehere]

When you go to hook on the sidecar, after all the connectors are on the bike frame, with the bike blocked up vertical, sidecar blocked up next to it, bolt the front lower ball joint on first - that's the angled one. Leave the "third member," the one from the front of the sidecar frame to the bike's neck, laying on the ground nearby.

The front ball joint on, the rear mount clamped loosely to the bike will need to be moveable, a little play, to exactly meet the rear ball on the sidecar frame. It slides around to line up with the sidecar rear connector, on the back of the swingarm (don't worry, it really is a great arrangement- it has swingarm up-and-down, but no side-to-side, when everything is tightened up) That's provided you still have a '59-style, old rigid frame style, sidecar frame, with rear connector all the way back near the rear axle.
After you have the ball joints tightened up and screwed down with their gland nuts, fish the front connector in under the neck and use the nut, washers, spring and cotter pin to attach that.

Then, lastly, use the four bolts on the two sidecar frame saddle blocks. Where that is tightened down determines how straight the sidecar tracks down the road. If the "third member" has not gotten bent or distorted in its life, I found that you get the correct amount of lean-out of the bike if you leave about an inch, 1", of it sticking past the end pillow block, near the sidecar wheel, but you will have to experiment. Just make sure those four bolts are REAL tight when you cinch them down each time. You don't want the pillow blocks to slip, going around a corner, under terrific stress!

Your rear driving tire, "the pusher" will not last very long. Tire life will be about halved. Ditto for swingarm bearings, also about half the gas mileage the bike would get as a solo. But it makes up for all those things in FUN! Sidecars are a barrel of fun to drive, and everyone, EVERYONE does a double-take when they spy a sidecar coming down the road: making it the Number one safety device ever invented for motorcycles. And you will drive it with a little body english, gas and brakes: gas the bike to help around right corners (assuming a RH sidecar), and let off the gas, or feather a little rear brake, and the bike slows down and the sidecar goes around it, in a left corner. You'll love it.

[renrawmot]

Thanks Gerry. I am looking forward to getting the bike back from the shop and getting the sidecar hooked up. I did have it out once for a short ride and it was a blast!!! Thanks again!!