New sidecar owner needs some tips.

[swamprat]

I just bought a 02LTE with Hannigan side car, it has the hydraulic steering assist, seat belts, tire is in great condition (chrome rim) vent system looks awesome.

My concern is the left pull when I touch the front brake, I have been told that there will be a pull but how bad. I nearly kissed a JB HUNT truck bringing it home. scared the SH-- out of me. Once I started to understand the hydraulic steering it was a much better ride. I really am nervous about using the front brake now but it contributes to so much stopping power, at least on a normal bike.

anyone have some advice?

Thanks

[Way2Fast]

I have never had that problem with my rig. I would give hannigan a call and ask them. The best bulletin board for sidecar questions go to sidecar.com and link onto the ISOK board of sidecar owners. Good luck and be careful when you make those right turns. If the sidecar starts to lift add throttle to get it down. If you let off the throttle it will come down but you will go left when it comes down.

[SilverBuffalo]

It sounds like you've got a really sweet rig there.
For what its worth:
I had an old R90/6 that I hung a California sidecar onto, I read all the books, drew lines in the drive way set the toe in and canter.
When I got it all together I took it out for a ride, it scared the sh*t out of me, I put it back in the garage to check everything over cause I thought "there's something seriously wrong with this thing". There wasn't.
It just took some time to get used to the feel of a hack.
Within a couple of weeks I was "flying" the side car and making the girls scream, it was fun. If you're hack doesn't have a brake on it when you apply front brake the hack will try to "pass" the bike giving you the left pull.
When you turn right the hack will want to come up, you have to lean into it, same with left turns, they are a lot more work than 2 wheels.

[vtwinwilly]

If the sidecar brake is connected to the bike's rear brake, a strong pull to the left is expected as the front braking force is only stopping the left hand side of the rig (the sidecar on the right continues to try and move forward).

The best setup I have seen to prevent this is to have the sidecar brake connected to thebike's front brake. With this arrangement you can grab a hand full of front brake, and the rig will wind down to stop in a straight line, and pretty quick... well at least as quick as can be expected. Sidecar rigs aren't known for their stopping ability.

If you have no sidecar brake (but I think the Hannigan comes standard with it) then yes... braking will cause it to pull to the left (as acceleration causes it to pull to the right).

If your sidecar brake is already connected to the bike's front brake, and it's still pulling to the left, something is wrong with your sidecar brake.

Good luck,

Bill B