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Polar Bear



Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 110
Location: Denia Spain Ex Birmingham UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:04 pm    Post subject: Questions Questions Reply with quote

Hi Guys,

Talk to me people .. talk to me Please Smile

What Car Tyres are best on a road going Sidecar outfit ?

What type of Seat Belt do you guys fit in a Sidecar ..
Single Lap Strap, Over one Shoulder like a Car or the Full Monty Rally Car Harness?

I'm having an extra front light fitted to my new Rig .. how well does a Solo Bike Battery stand up to all the extra work?

Look forward to reading your expert thoughts .. Cheers Very Happy

Stay Safe Wink Trev The Polar Bear Spain
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Paul



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 182
Location: Utah

PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Questions Questions Reply with quote

Polar Bear wrote:
What Car Tyres are best on a road going Sidecar outfit ?

Whatever the stickiest sport car tyre you can get. Wear isn't an issue - they'll die of old age before you scrub off even half the tread.


Polar Bear wrote:
What type of Seat Belt do you guys fit in a Sidecar ..

Question Seat belts?? They'd just get in the way of the monkey hanging out....


Polar Bear wrote:
I'm having an extra front light fitted to my new Rig .. how well does a Solo Bike Battery stand up to all the extra work?

Don't worry about the battery, worry about the alternator. If your alternator puts out 20 amps at redline and you're drawing 25 amps with extra lights, etc. no battery in the world will help.

Figure out your charging system output how you typically ride, then add up everything that draws power (don't forget the engine itself). An additional headlamp is significant - maybe 5 amps. Or, you could hook up the lamp temporarily and put in an ammeter, and go for a ride - see if you are charging or draining the battery with the additional load.

Some bikes have high-capacity alternators available, like this: http://www.compufire.com/honda-main.html
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Polar Bear



Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 110
Location: Denia Spain Ex Birmingham UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi There Paul,

Well that answers the questions I guess Smile thank you very much.

Electrics was never my strong point .. we had gas lights when I was a kid!
I'll need to get some details about the Bike before I know what course to steer. Thanks for the link!

My Monkey will not be hanging out .. strap or no strap .. I have tried to get her to agree to at least give it a go .. but she's bothered about getting back in .. realistically at our age .. I think it's a Dream a bit Too Far Crying or Very sad

The Tyre considerations continue .. looks like the Japanese Toyo's are leading the field so far .. I've had those on a BMW Trike in the past .. no problems to report and they still had lots of life left in them at 12.000 miles or so. Shocked

Again my Thanks .. its a good gang this! Very Happy

Stay Safe Wink Trev. The Polar Bear in Spain
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Paul



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 182
Location: Utah

PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A great site for car tyre shopping is http://www.tirerack.com - they have both expert reviews, and customer feedback. Great place for comparison shopping even if you don't buy from them.
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docmike



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: Eastern NC

PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What Paul said
Quote:
A great site for car tyre shopping is http://www.tirerack.com - they have both expert reviews, and customer feedback. Great place for comparison shopping even if you don't buy from them.


I usually search for a high performance summer tire, since I live in the "sunny south" snow and cold weather handling aren't very important. I eneded up with Dunlops this time. Showed the tirerack page to the local tire guy, and he got them for a reasonable price.

As for seat belts. I installed lap belts when the kids were little. The belts kept them seated and gave a way to anchor a childs car seat.

In a minor accident they would probably be of some use, keeping the passenger in the car.

However as was pointed out to me, probably by someone here or some other forum, In a major wreck there is probably minimal safety advantage to having a seat belt bolted to a fiberglass sidecar body. In a serious wreck the sidcar body will probably go to pieces, so no advantage, the passenger will fly off with the pieces. If you bolt the belts to the sidecar frameyou could end up with the passenger secured to the frame while the sidecar body disintegrates around them. Unless you had a full cage in or around the car.

Kind of like the old saying about helmets, " Tell me about the wreck you're about to have, and I'll tell you what helmet to wear."

Mike
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Mike Currin
93 BMW K1100RS / EML Speed 2000
89 Honda GB 500 (6,700 miles, all original except tires)
67 Triumph 650 chopper
92 Suzuki GS500 (eldest son)
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M@kke



Joined: 04 Dec 2008
Posts: 19
Location: Belgium

PostPosted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the dunlop sp sport 01 should be good
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David



Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 109
Location: Chelsea Michigan

PostPosted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 5:15 am    Post subject: Questions Questions Reply with quote

Hello Polar Bear,
I'm 68 years old and I have a ZX14 Bandito by Hannigan. I am running Yokohama s.drive tires. I am very pleased with them. Also like Toyo proxes r888 or r1r. Beware, HPSidecars can be extremely exciting!! Whole new learning experience, can make you feel young again!!! Also can give you shortness of breath, ringing in the ears, and occassional loss of bodily function. Dang, these things are fun! Big Grin

Dave Hutting
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