Feedback Loop
Feedback Loop
Q Your answers in the Service column are usually so illuminating and detailed that I was amazed that you never mentioned trail reduction in connection with the question on sidecar steering (“A little car on the side?,” July, 2008). The high trail of a solo bike’s fork works against the rider under all conditions when a sidecar is attached. Heavy steering effort, as a result of high trail, is the single greatest reason for disenchantment among novice sidecarists. Raked triple-trees and leading-link forks are two possible solutions to the need for trail reduction. In looking at any motorcycle as a candidate for a sidecar, one of the first questions that should be asked is, are components available to allow the trail to be reduced by 50 percent or more? European builders strive for 80-percent trail reductions, and I have experimented with trail as low as 15mm with stellar results. Far too many potential sidecarists in the U.S. are in the dark on this subject, and the resulting hard-steering and heavyhandling outfits are bound to disappoint. Pete Larsen
Liberty Sidecars Seattle, Washington
A I have to confess, Pete, that in most matters related to sidecars, I’m not completely in the dark, but I definitely am lurking deep in the shadows. I’ve only ridden a few sidecar rigs during my 43 years in the bike biz, and now that you mention it, I do recall the need for less front-wheel trail on those vehicles. But when composing my response to that letter, I didn’t remember that important fact. So I guess this time, you’re doing the illuminating, not i. Sorry for the oversight.
