Suspension question

[DS74BMW]

I now have my sidecar attached, and have been adjusting for alignment, tracking, etc. , on my '74 R60/6.

The front forks are quite soft, even before sidecar attachment, and I presume the original springs have lost some of their stiffness, as well. Any suggestions on stiffening the front end with better/different springs? Also, I don't know what wt of fork oil is presently in the forks [Clymers recommends 5 wt], so a recommendation on wt/ brand would be helpful, too.

The rear shocks are original, as well. I have adjusted the "lean-out" on the bike for me on the saddle and my wife in the car [ this adjustment allows the bike to be vertical while riding]. However, because the rear shocks are 'tired', when we're both on the saddle, and the dog [43 lbs] in the car, the bike leans more to the left. I'm thinking that a pair of air shocks would be in order here, whereby a pressure adjustment could be made to maintain vertical to compensate for the load shifting. It could also be that the original rear shock springs are so tired that changing the preload handle position does not do much.

As usual, I appreciate the insights and collective wisdom the board members have given to me.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[20774]

I know crapola about sidecars, but Snowbum seems to understand the beasts. He has a section on sidecars at the bottom of this page:

http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/techindex.htm

I don't know how many sidecar enthusiasts hang out here, but he has links to other sidecars sites on the Internet which might be helpful.

 

[yappo]

advrider is a good source for info.when your on site click on "hacks".lots of stuff.i have a similar setup.mine was a /5,same model as yours but with ural hack.i found it underpowered on the interstate and later rebuilt her to r90 specs.big difference all around but you dont have to go that route.it all depends on how you use her and whats important.i want to cover some ground when i use her to go camping and touring,hence more hp.i also added a steerite tripletree and upgraded the charging system for extra lights on hack and for heated winter clothing.my experiance with suspension issues was trial and error.once i was up and running i added progressive springs to forks and progressive rear shocks.i found the ride harsh to an extreme and went back to the original /5 springs,but left the new shocks in place.at that time i rebuilt the forks and with the original springs back in place,the ride returned to comfortable with no harshness.all things being equal,suspension comfort is totally subjective.

 

[sdpc2]

I don't have a lot of driving experience

when it comes to a hack. However, i have done a great deal of reading about the subject as my wife has two of them.

One thing that you need to know, is that the configuration that you are talking about with your wife on the back of the bike, and the dog in the chair is a BIG NO NO! Don't ask me the technical reasons why, but i know that for three people, the lightest person is supposed to go on the back of the bike, and the heaviest non-driver goes in the chair.

sc

 

[DS74BMW]

advrider is a good source for info.when your on site click on "hacks".lots of stuff.i have a similar setup.mine was a /5,same model as yours but with ural hack.i found it underpowered on the interstate and later rebuilt her to r90 specs.big difference all around but you dont have to go that route.it all depends on how you use her and whats important.i want to cover some ground when i use her to go camping and touring,hence more hp.i also added a steerite tripletree and upgraded the charging system for extra lights on hack and for heated winter clothing.my experiance with suspension issues was trial and error.once i was up and running i added progressive springs to forks and progressive rear shocks.i found the ride harsh to an extreme and went back to the original /5 springs,but left the new shocks in place.at that time i rebuilt the forks and with the original springs back in place,the ride returned to comfortable with no harshness.all things being equal,suspension comfort is totally subjective.

I will check out the site. Maybe new springs in the front would help, as springs do tend to lose their characteristics over time. What kind of rear shocks did you go with and what source?

when it comes to a hack. However, i have done a great deal of reading about the subject as my wife has two of them.

One thing that you need to know, is that the configuration that you are talking about with your wife on the back of the bike, and the dog in the chair is a BIG NO NO! Don't ask me the technical reasons why, but i know that for three people, the lightest person is supposed to go on the back of the bike, and the heaviest non-driver goes in the chair.

sc

I will have to add ballast to the chair when the dog is in it - What you stated above has been brought to my attention, and I certainly appreciate your insights.

 

[yappo]

i have progressive shocks on rear.front forks have 71/2 weight fork oil in them.2 up on a r60 with a hack containing ballast and a dog makes for a sedate ride indeed.stay off any highway that exceeds 55mph.with all aboard you will be white knuckling it.you simply wont have the power for hills and safe lane changes.you will find on multi lane roads a lot of rubber necking directed to you and yours,this can become problematic and scary by other drivers who have suddenly discovered that "funny"looking family on "their"road.so what?take nothing for granted.

 

[DS74BMW]

i have progressive shocks on rear.front forks have 71/2 weight fork oil in them.2 up on a r60 with a hack containing ballast and a dog makes for a sedate ride indeed.stay off any highway that exceeds 55mph.with all aboard you will be white knuckling it.you simply wont have the power for hills and safe lane changes.you will find on multi lane roads a lot of rubber necking directed to you and yours,this can become problematic and scary by other drivers who have suddenly discovered that "funny"looking family on "their"road.so what?take nothing for granted.

Where did you get your Progressive shocks? I will get some 7 1/2 wt oil. I just made a pin spanner to remove the top caps. Still considering better/newer springs.

Good advice above! I don't like freeway riding, unless I have some HP under me! Good point on the rubber-necking.

Thanks.
Richard

 

[yappo]

bike bandit!