I am new on here and even newer in the sidecar section.
 
I’m fitting a Hedingham (UK) Sports Chair onto a K100LT.
I have Wasp subframe and forks and 15 inch wheels.
As fitting the subframe involves removing the centre stand and without a centre stand you can’t fit the wheels and the forks and even if you did fit the wheels and forks, you can’t get it off the centre stand, that bit is going to be interesting. I understand that it needs hoisting up to the roof!
 
I got some work to do on the bike first including painting all the plastic and the chair but most of the stripping (as far as I’m going) has been done.
 
Anyway, that isn’t the question or reason that I’m posting in this section. The LT has rubber mounted handlebars. I’m quite happy with the shape and style and riding position, but would anyone suggest firmer rubbers or rigidly mounting?


Thanks for replies
 
Watch this space
 

J

touchwoodsden wrote:
Anyway, that isn’t the question or reason that I’m posting in this section. The LT has rubber mounted handlebars. I’m quite happy with the shape and style and riding position, but would anyone suggest firmer rubbers or rigidly mounting?

James,

I don't know how adding a chair affects things but I would think that rigidly mounting the handlebars will give you a lot of vibration issues to your hands - that would not be comfortable for riding. The bar end weights are quite effective at dampening the usual vibration when the handlebars are mounted in the rubber mounts, so my thoughts are to leave it as it is.

When I got my current LT about 14 months back, my handlebars felt like they had too much movement in them (compared with my previous LT which felt much stiffer) - I tightened up the mounting bolts and have been happy with them since (I reckon that the PO had not tightened them properly and there was way too much play, which was disconcerting).

Hi touchwoodsden,

I've been using the rubber mounts for 27 years without any problem but I do have the short RS bars. 

Wasp forks subframe and wheels are the best option IMO, (well, that's what I've got!)

If you find that the rubber mounts are a bit flexible, it is possible to tighten them by adding some 10mm 'penny' washers under the rubbers.
Bear in mind that the standard 8mm washers and nut tighten up to the shoulder on the handlebar clamp.

Paul.

Edit: Second thoughts, it's probably easier to drill out the standard washer to 10mm clearance and add a normal 8mm washer under the nut.

I use a K75s top triple clamp. No bushes at all.  The steering is now very direct, feels much better than it did with handlebars that move.

I've run these on all my K sidecars since I discovered them.


Al