CB1100 Sidecar Experiment

[tinboatcapt_imp]

I traded my Old Wing Sidecar rig away last summer and bought my '14 Std. I may, in the future ad a hack to the CB. But, for now, I am enjoying it too much as it is.

Sidecars are cool. There is a wealth of information on sidecars, riding, and technical answers on Sidecar.com Stop inn and give them a visit, if you haven't already.
Jim

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Glad you did it Mark!
Did Bob add a chain Oiler? If so, which one. You’re right, he does good work. Play with air pressure to fine tune handling.
I don’t have a sidecar brake on my Triumph rig and don’t miss it, with the dual front brakes on the CB you should be good. Sounds like you have a LOT of ballast in the tub, be a good idea to reduce it and practice a bunch and learn how much you actually need. In the Ural I just had the usual stuff in the trunk, Triumph I’m running about 30# without dogs or monkey. With my dogs I use a regular harness and tie off (loosely) to two points so they can move freely and still stay “restrained”. With the Ural I had a sidecar door that gave them the idea they were supposed to stay in the car, you can get them over at Soviet Steeds. They all take to the sidecar at their own pace, luckily mine seem to enjoy it.
That should be a fun rig. Let me know if you ever get close to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

[deltamark]

Before you do the heated grips, check these out Tusk Hand Mitts | Parts & Accessories | Rocky Mountain ATV/MC

Out of stock at the time of this posting. Don't know if they would fit the CB with the stock mirrors.

Or maybe these: https://www.hippohands.com/pages/honda

I actually took a pair of Hippo Hands (from another of my bikes) on my ride Saturday, but they didn't fit well because of the stock mirrors. I might be able to cut holes in them to make them fit. Not sure I want to do that yet.

I traded my Old Wing Sidecar rig away last summer and bought my '14 Std. I may, in the future ad a hack to the CB. But, for now, I am enjoying it too much as it is.

Sidecars are cool. There is a wealth of information on sidecars, riding, and technical answers on Sidecar.com Stop inn and give them a visit, if you haven't already.
Jim

Did create an account on sidecar.com and joined the USCA.

Glad you did it Mark!
Did Bob add a chain Oiler? If so, which one. You’re right, he does good work. Play with air pressure to fine tune handling.
I don’t have a sidecar brake on my Triumph rig and don’t miss it, with the dual front brakes on the CB you should be good. Sounds like you have a LOT of ballast in the tub, be a good idea to reduce it and practice a bunch and learn how much you actually need. In the Ural I just had the usual stuff in the trunk, Triumph I’m running about 30# without dogs or monkey. With my dogs I use a regular harness and tie off (loosely) to two points so they can move freely and still stay “restrained”. With the Ural I had a sidecar door that gave them the idea they were supposed to stay in the car, you can get them over at Soviet Steeds. They all take to the sidecar at their own pace, luckily mine seem to enjoy it.
That should be a fun rig. Let me know if you ever get close to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Bob did recommend that I consider adding a Scottoiler chain lubricator. Its on the list. : )
I will tinker with the tire pressures and see what happens. After all, I have that high-tech Ural manual air pump in my trunk.
Thanks for the advice on the ballast. I'll definitely remove some.
I'll also look up the sidecar door on Soviet Steeds.
Love the Blue Ridge! Hope to make it back there soon.

 

[ecka00_imp]

dude, did i see u in perrysburg a few weeks ago? i was in a jeep on 3rd street and saw what looked like a cb1100 coming over the tracks with a sidecar however, i immediately thought no way--must have been a triumph.

 

[Banned_imp]

dude, did i see u in perrysburg a few weeks ago? i was in a jeep on 3rd street and saw what looked like a cb1100 coming over the tracks with a sidecar however, i immediately thought no way--must have been a triumph.

That is a very good name you have given your steed...:worship:

 

[cookiemech]

Strangest thing . . . this weekend I was talking with Bob Wark in Mount Morris, PA and he was looking at my 2017 EX, saying that he set up a sidecar rig on a CB1100 and that he really liked the way that bike pulled a chair.

Had to be yours!

 

[peterbaron]

Dog looks well trained

Thanks Ferret. We've been really lucky. He's a rescue and came to us as a 1 year old with the most amazingly laid-back attitude and complete willingness to accept any type of training. He is now over 8 years old though, so I really wanted to get this in soon.

Well, would like to see Rudi's helmet and riding gear

pb

Hey Peterbaron, I'm still in the process of acquiring gear for Rudi, but here's his raincoat and eye protection.

Being that I plan on removing the windshield from the sidecar, and that it rains nearly every time I'm on a road trip, I'd feel better about providing at least a little weather protection for Rudi. And believe me, if there was a truly protective helmet for canines, I would pursue it. Woof!

pb

Empty sidecars need lots of weight added.

I am currently riding with two 40-lb. bags of water softener salt in the sidecar. When Rudi rides, I'll of course remove the salt. He weighs about 94 lbs.
[/QUOTE]

Well, would like to see Rudi's helmet and riding gear

pb

Hey Peterbaron, I'm still in the process of acquiring gear for Rudi, but here's his raincoat and eye protection.

[/quote
I am currently riding with two 40-lb. bags of water softener salt in the sidecar. When Rudi rides, I'll of course remove the salt. He weighs about 94 lbs.
[/QUOTE]

watch out, Rudi may train you :rofl:
:beerchug:

pb

 

[deltamark]

dude, did i see u in perrysburg a few weeks ago? i was in a jeep on 3rd street and saw what looked like a cb1100 coming over the tracks with a sidecar however, i immediately thought no way--must have been a triumph.

Ha! Yes, very likely that was me. I work in that area and often go through there to ride along the river. Small world. : )

Strangest thing . . . this weekend I was talking with Bob Wark in Mount Morris, PA and he was looking at my 2017 EX, saying that he set up a sidecar rig on a CB1100 and that he really liked the way that bike pulled a chair.

Had to be yours!

Wow, yes, again ... small, small world! It must have been my CB Bob was talking about. I began discussing it with him last November and he told me he had not installed a sidecar on a CB before, but was willing to do the job. Sure glad he did!

 

[deltamark]

Finally got some tolerable weather, so I took the opportunity to do some things to the rig and get Rudi out on his first test ride.

I added a cargo rack to the rear of the sidecar.

I then removed the sidecar seat botton and took off the windshield to create more space for Rudi. I cut a foam pad to put down on the floor of the tub to make it more comfortable for him.

After a lot of adjusting and fitting attempts coaxed with pup-peronis, I got Rudi's protective eyewear to fit him decently.

I'm lucky he's such a willing participant. Many dogs might not take to wearing these things so quickly, let alone put up with all of my clumsy attempts at getting them to fit him.

I also had to spend some time adjusting Rudi's harness for fit. I will probably replace this harness with a heavier duty brand, as this one doesn't seem all that robust. I then experimented with a few attachment points on the rig for his lead. I settled on the left sidecar frame for now. I wanted to give him enough room to move around a bit, but not exit the sidecar on the right side. There seems to be a many approaches in trying to secure a dog in a sidecar and it may be a while before I find something I'm more comfortable with.

I live out in a rural area and so was able to take it pretty slow on Rudi's first test ride. Stayed mostly between 30 - 40 mph because I wasn't sure what he might do. I even rode with the emergency flashers on to try and gain a little more visibility. Also added what is supposed to be a high-viz sticker on the back of the tub.

Rudi seemed content to stay in the sidecar while we were riding. It was pretty cool to see him looking around at everything while we explored some local country roads. He seemed to be enjoying it. A couple of times, he got a little squirmy, so I slowed down just in case. Pulled over at one point to take a picture.

It was funny to see people's reactions. In the limited number of people we encountered, most smiled, waved, made comments and gave a thumbs up sign. Hoping to do some more road testing tomorrow.

 

[Cormanus]

Dogs are so patient with us humans sometimes.

Your bike and the rig look great, deltamark, and Rudi looks a fine fella.

 

[cookiemech]

I'm not even a dog person (I have always had cats), but you have a winner there in Rudi! Great photos. The rig is beautiful, though I'd expect that if Bob Wark set it up. I'm glad it's all working out.

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Bike looks better with a dog as the monkey!
Check out some handguards for a Yamaha SuperTenre, inexpensive and will break that cold winter wind. I left the windshield on the tub to give the dogs some relief and folded it down under the tonneau cover when riding solo which actually improved gas mileage noticeably.
Guy by the name of Rich Maund on SOvietSteeds makes and sells covers and doors, good quality.

 

[deltamark]

Bike looks better with a dog as the monkey!
Check out some handguards for a Yamaha SuperTenre, inexpensive and will break that cold winter wind. I left the windshield on the tub to give the dogs some relief and folded it down under the tonneau cover when riding solo which actually improved gas mileage noticeably.
Guy by the name of Rich Maund on SOvietSteeds makes and sells covers and doors, good quality.

Thanks for the tips, 4Paws! I will definitely look into the hand guards.

I also agree that the rig looks better with the dog as the monkey, but my wife did make a comment about the "Caution K9" bumper sticker, expressing concern about when she might ride in the sidecar. (I may have to rethink that bumper sticker.)

I would have preferred to leave the sidecar windshield on, but it seemed that Rudi didn't have enough room. How big is your dog? Rudi is about 94 pounds and very long/tall. Have been researching shorter windshields. One that I might be able to relocate further up on the tub.

I'll also look into the guy who makes the sidecar covers. That item has definitely been on my list.


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Dogs are so patient with us humans sometimes.

Your bike and the rig look great, deltamark, and Rudi looks a fine fella.

Thanks Cormanus. Yes, I hope to learn and acquire some of Rudi's patience.



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I'm not even a dog person (I have always had cats), but you have a winner there in Rudi! Great photos. The rig is beautiful, though I'd expect that if Bob Wark set it up. I'm glad it's all working out.

Thank you cookiemech. Yes, Bob Wark is a pro and I knew after the first time that I spoke with him about a year ago that I wanted to work with him.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deltamark]

Hey there CB Riders,

Hope those of you who attended had a great time at the Berea, Kentucky rally! Really wish I could've been there.

Wanted to post a little update on my side car/canine rider experiment. I've now had the opportunity to take a number of rides with my dog, Rudi and am getting a real good feel for the CB1100 rig, as well as Rudi's tolerance level for riding in the sidecar. I’m certainly loving it! The CB runs like a top and pulls the sidecar really well. Plenty of power and stopping ability. The CB seat is a little too sloped for me and I may add some bar risers, but all is still good!

Rudi and I have covered several hundred miles together and its been a lot of fun. It is so cool to see him looking around, sniffing the air and taking in the scenery.

My wife even took a ride with us last week (she was on the back of the bike) and took some Rudi-eye-view videos:

Rudi in the Hack

[url=https://youtu.be/XORSdDm6Xvs]Rudi-eye-view

A lot of people smile, wave and make comments when they see Rudi riding in the sidecar. Once we stopped for gas and when I turned around from filling the tank, there was a car that pulled up next to us and they were taking pictures of Rudi. This seems to happen often. I took him for ice cream last weekend and one of the workers came out from the shop and asked to take Rudi’s picture. And of course, Rudi gets a treat when we make the ice cream stops! Hopefully he associates the rides with good things.



On the real side, I realized that Rudi was not comfortable at speeds over 45 mph. Without the sidecar windshield, I suspect that the wind is too much for him at speed. Unfortunately, the sidecar windshield leans so far in, that I think Rudi would be very uncomfortable if I put it back on. I had a hunch that his ears might be bothering him. Rudi has long ears and you can see from this pic that they flap in the wind.



I previously purchased a neck warmer with the intention of putting it on him for cooler weather rides, but thought that I’d give it a try now, even though the temperature was around 90 degrees. It definitely made a difference! We took a ride of about 40 miles and most of it was around 50 mph and he didn’t seem bothered at all!



I’m trying to work up to the point where we can take some longer road trips. Still trying to make the sidecar as comfortable as possible for him. He seems to want to lie down at times while we are riding, but as soon as he does he gets right back up. I currently have a 3/8” sleeping bag rubber pad on the floor of the sidecar and will probably try a thicker foam to see if that makes a difference.

If all goes well, we'll take our first road trip next week. Planning to pile all of the camping gear on the rig and head to the United Sidecar Association rally in Indiana. Wish us luck!

 

[Stichill]

So far, so good! Love the barn shot with Rudy scouting ahead!

 

[the Ferret]

Awesome. Glad you and Rudi are enjoying it.

 

[Lord Popgun]

That rig is totally awesome!

 

[peterbaron]

I would like to see Rudi in the rider's seat....does not have to be riding/no M license??? but at least sitting there, please
And good luck to both of you

pb

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Mark, check out safeandsoundpets.com for mutt muffs, might help out Rudi. Also post up a question on Soviet Steeds about cutting down or lower windshields for the tub. A British company makes one but not cheap, some of the SS crowd will have suggestions, maybe one or two decent. Gene at Holopaw in Florida is an excellent resource. I saw Rich Maund recently at a rally near where I live and asked about a sidecar door, thinking of Rudi and you, he had at least one in stock. Thread on ADVrider - Hacks and Pups, read and ask questions there. Serious about dogs and sidecars. The more I get to know the CB the more I thinks it’d be a perfect tug. Jay at DMC mentioned to me a replacement triple tree he was making that would reduce the Trail and consequently reduce steering effort, night and day difference.

Dan

 

[deltamark]

Thanks stichill, ferret and popgun for the positive comments! Appreciated.

I would like to see Rudi in the rider's seat....does not have to be riding/no M license??? but at least sitting there, please
And good luck to both of you

pb

peterbaron, I have no idea how I'd get Rudi up on the rider's seat. Might have to think about that one!

Mark, check out safeandsoundpets.com for mutt muffs, might help out Rudi. Also post up a question on Soviet Steeds about cutting down or lower windshields for the tub. A British company makes one but not cheap, some of the SS crowd will have suggestions, maybe one or two decent. Gene at Holopaw in Florida is an excellent resource. I saw Rich Maund recently at a rally near where I live and asked about a sidecar door, thinking of Rudi and you, he had at least one in stock. Thread on ADVrider - Hacks and Pups, read and ask questions there. Serious about dogs and sidecars. The more I get to know the CB the more I thinks it’d be a perfect tug. Jay at DMC mentioned to me a replacement triple tree he was making that would reduce the Trail and consequently reduce steering effort, night and day difference.

Dan

Dan, thanks so much for the helpful information! If the neck warmer doesn't work out, I will look at the mutt muffs. Looks like quality stuff.

I actually posted on Soviet Steeds about the windshield. I saw the shorter British windscreen, but am not sure it would do the job, as Rudi's head would be well above the top of it.

Thanks for the note on Gene at Holopaw. Will look him up. Also appreciate the inquiry with Rich Maund. I did contact him once about a sidecar cover but he was pretty backed up. May reach out again on the door and other items.

I've also posted on ADV hacks and pups. May pursue that option again for further advice.

And if I begin to feel that the steering is too much, I will definitely contact Jay about the triple tree.