Ballast is additional weight added to the sidecar, usually to improve stability when turning towards the sidecar(right).
Ballast should be secured so it cannot shift and should not be installed in the nose of the sidecar. It is most effective placed low, as near to the sidecar axle as is practical. Ideally, it will be placed inside the triangle formed by the three tipover lines. While the trunk is often at least partially behind the rear tipover line, it is often the most practical place to secure ballast.
Imagine a line drawn between the contact patches of the three wheels of the sidecar outfit. These are thetipover lines. Weight placed outside of the line between the front tire and rear tire of the motorcycle will increase the tendency of the sidecar to lift when turning towards the sidecar(right). Weight placed over the line between the front wheel of the motorcycle and that of the sidecar will increase the likelyhood of flipping the bike over the sidecar when turning away from the sidecar(left). The rear tipover line, between the sidecar wheel and the rear wheel of the motorcycle, is usually the least significant. Weight placed over the rear tipover line increases the tendency to lift the front wheel. Because most sidecars have the sidecar wheel in front of the rear wheel and because most motorcycles have a forward weight bias, this lift is usually not a problem. It does reduce the traction at the front wheel and can make it difficult to steer, particularly uphill or under hard acceleration.
Some rigs need ballast. Some rigs do not.
Beginners may want to use more ballast at first but as they gain experience may
not need so much. The least amount of ballast you need to feel safe is how much
ballast you should carry. Ballast is best made up of useful stuff as opposed to
deadweight. There are costs for carrying that weight- they include reduced
stability turning left, increased fuel consumption and braking distance,
decreased available horsepower. How much these costs are and if they are a
useful trade off will vary by rig, pilot and driving style. Rules of thumb are
general guidelines not the Word of God.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:27 am
Dave,
not seeing you or your rig, I can only make very general comments.
If you can’t use your body weight effectively as movable ballast, you need to modify your driving as well as add a little weight to the sidecar. This is an instance where adding fixed ballast is a good idea. You may want to add a some ballast to the chassis of your sidecar. Out near the sidecar axle, inside the triangle formed by the contact patches of the three wheels is where you want to put it.
You are fortunate to have a fairly stable combination, at least by all reports(I haven’t personal experience driving that combo).
Since you probably can’t shift your weight much into the corners,you are going to need to slow down. Get your speed way down BEFORE you get into the corner and use a little throttle coming out, controlling your speed with the front brake and throttle.
Practice in a safe, flat, open parking lot. Mark out a tight corner with an 8′ lane and practice slowing for the corner and using the throttle and front brake to get through it.
Modifying your front end for less steering effort will also help you in the corners. It is expensive, but it can be worth the money, especially if you have limited upper body strength or range of motion. Contact a profesional sidecar builder or shop for help with this.
August 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Being here in Massachusetts I obviously can’t make your class but I have a question. I have an ‘05 FLHT/I with a H-D TLE sidecar. My wife is my ballast. I have muscular dystrophy so the bike has a Pingel electric shifter a Champion reverse and all three brakes on the bike work off the front brake lever.
My question is how can I safely negotiate a tight and steep downhill left hairpin turn without hiting a guardrail and then sail off into oblivion over Clarksburg? Also how can I safely do the reverse, a tight, steep uphill righthand hairpin?
Thanks for any tips.
Handicapped rider,
Dave