Sidecar Installation Guide Harley Davidson FLH Model 2009 - Up Rev. 1 Champion Motorcycle Accessories International, Inc. dba Champion Sidecars 11841 Monarch Street, CA 92841 (800) 875-0949 (714) 847-0949 Fax (714) 847-1539 www.championtrikes.com
Table of Contents 1 General Information...3 1.1 Installation Information...3 1.2 For Your Safety...3 1.3 Important Safety Precautions...3 1.4 Specifications...4 1.5 Maintenance...4 1.5.1 Paint...4 1.5.2 Wheel Bearing...4 1.5.3 Tire and Tire Air Pressure...4 1.5.4 Shock Suspension...4 1.5.5 Sidecar Removal and Reinstallation...4 1.6 Wiring Description...5 2 Removal of Original Parts...5 3 Installation...6 4 Brakes... 12 5 Electrical Installation... 13 5.1 Sidecar... 13 5.2 T.I.L.T. Option... 14 5.3 Electrical (OEM Plug)... 15 6 Driving a Sidecar... 15 6.1 General Sidecar Questions... 15 Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 2 of 16
1 General Information The Champion Trikes Sidecar Kit is designed with the utmost consideration for safety, quality and ease of installation. The kit comes complete with all necessary hardware and fasteners. It is recommended that the installer obtain an OEM service manual for the vehicle on which the sidecar kit is to be installed. Please review the installation instructions before installing the kit. 1.1 Installation Information The information contained in this installation guide is intended for use by technicians of advanced to professional skill levels. Attempting installation without the proper training, tools and equipment may result in damage to the vehicle, cause unsafe conditions, or cause personal injury to you and/or others. a. Altered or Changed from OEM Warning 1.2 For Your Safety Because this guide is intended for technicians of advanced to professional skill levels, we do not provide warnings about many basic shop safety practices. If you have not received shop safety training or do not feel confident about your knowledge of safety practices, we recommend that you do not attempt to perform the procedures described in this guide. Some of the most important general safety precautions are given below. Champion Trikes cannot warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise. Only you can decide whether or not you should perform a given task. 1.3 Important Safety Precautions a. Make sure you have a clear understanding of all basic shop safety practices and that you wear appropriate clothing and use safety equipment. Be especially careful of the following: Read all directions before you begin, and make sure you have the tools, the parts and the skills required to perform the tasks safely and completely. Protect your eyes by using proper safety glasses, goggles or face shields anytime you hammer, drill, grind, pry or work around pressurized air or liquids, and springs or other stored-energy components. Use other protective wear when necessary, for example gloves or safety shoes. Handling hot or sharp parts can cause severe burns or cuts. Protect yourself and others when you have a vehicle up in the air. Anytime you lift a vehicle, either by hoist or a jack, make sure that it is securely supported. b. Make sure the engine is turned off before you begin work. Carbon Monoxide poisoning from exhaust gases: Be sure there is adequate ventilation whenever you run the engine. Burns from hot parts: Let the engine and exhaust system cool before working on those areas. Injury from moving parts: If running the engine, keep hands, fingers and clothing away from moving/rotating parts. c. Gasoline vapor and hydrogen gases from batteries are explosive. To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when working near gasoline and batteries. d. Use only nonflammable solvent, not gasoline, to clean parts Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 3 of 16
e. Never drain or store gasoline in an open container. f. Keep all cigarettes, sparks or flame away from the battery and all fuel related parts. 1.4 Specifications Escort(E) Daytona(D) Legend (L) Vintage (V) Tire (E)(D) Wheel Bearings (E)(D) Wheel Bearings Seal (E)(D) Brake Pads (E)(D)(L) Shock Progressive T.I.L.T Actuator (All) 145SR13 DUNLOP #L44643 bearings L44610 race #AD7128EO #220018 Brembo Escort#6602-007 Daytona#6602-011 20A at 1500 lbs. 1.5 Maintenance 1.5.1 Paint Champion uses only PPG paint products for maximum quality and finish. Your sidecar is painted using only base coat/clear coat urethane finishes. This finish is hand polished at the factory and requires very little maintenance except normal wash and wax. It is advisable not to wax your sidecar for roughly three to four weeks after receiving it in order for the paint to cure thoroughly. 1.5.2 Wheel Bearing The wheel bearings used on your sidecar are automotive grade tapered wheel bearings. It is advisable to check the wheel bearing adjustment periodically, and to clean and re-pack the bearings roughly every 3000 miles. These bearings and seals are available at most automotive part stores. 1.5.3 Tire and Tire Air Pressure The tire used on your Daytona or Escort sidecar is manufactured by the Dunlop Tire Co. and is available at most tire centers. This tire is manufactured to automotive stress and wear factors that are much higher then those you will ever experience with your sidecar. There is a good chance that through normal use of your sidecar you will never wear out the tire tread, but you must inspect the tire periodically for air pressure, dry rot and sidewall damage. The manufacturer recommended air pressure for this tire is 28 lbs. psi, but because of the light duty application this tire is being used for, you may want to experiment with the tire pressure to enhance the suspension comfort. Tire pressure for the Legend/Vintage should be maintained at 40 PSI. 1.5.4 Shock Suspension The shock suspension used on the Daytona, Legend, Vintage and the Escort sidecar are manufactured by Progressive Suspension. Progressive Suspension has a reputation for manufacturing high quality aftermarket motorcycle shocks and springs. Although the sidecar is shipped to you from the factory with the shock spring set at it s softest setting, there are a total of five performance adjustments you can set your shock spring at. 1.5.5 Sidecar Removal and Reinstallation To remove the sidecar from the motorcycle first remove the two ½" bolts connecting the struts to their upper eye mounting positions. Be sure to have someone support the motorcycle as you remove the last of the ½" bolts. Now with the side stand in it s down position lean the motorcycle to the left so it rests on the side stand. Now with the sidecar frame supported with a jack or dolly remove the two lower 5/8" bolts connecting the lower mounting positions. Disconnect the wiring harness plug, brake quick coupler, and steering damper if you are using one. Now slide the sidecar away from the motorcycle. (IMPORTANT NOTE)(UNLESS IT IS YOUR INTENT TO RE- Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 4 of 16
ALIGN THE SIDECAR DO NOT LOOSEN ANY OF THE JAM NUTS OR PINCH BOLTS DURING REMOVAL OF THE SIDECAR) To reinstall the sidecar reverse the process. 1.6 Wiring Description (Most applications require the removal of the seat.) 1.7.1 Fuse link When connecting wires directly to the positive terminal of the battery always use a fused connection to prevent fire or damage to motorcycle and sidecar if a short occurs. 1.7.2 Ground The ground wire should be connected directly to the battery ground or negative terminal or to another suitable frame ground. The ground connection on the sidecar is not connected to the sidecar frame, however the sidecar frame is connected to the motorcycle frame. 1.7.3 Accessories This should be attached to the switched accessory terminal of your bike. If you are already using this circuit, it would be advisable to use the accessory terminal to control a relay that feeds this. This will prevent overloading the accessory circuit on your bike. 1.7.4 Canopy Switch on Bike (Daytona Sidecar) -This goes to a momentary switch installed anywhere on the bike to open the canopy latch. It is recommended that the power to this switch comes from switched power on the bike, thus only allowing the canopy to be opened when the bike is switched on. 1.7.5 TILT There are a total of 6 wires involved in the TILT system. The red and black wires of the second harness need to go to the positive and negative terminal of the battery respectively. This is because of the high current draw. The switch is momentary only and therefore cannot cause unnecessary drain on the battery. You must run the power for this through a 20 amp fuse. The yellow and purple wires from the switch are connected directly to the yellow and pink wires from the harness using the butt connectors provided. Mount the switch in a convenient location on the left side of your fairing. The switch should be mounted so that moving it to the left or away from the sidecar causes the sidecar to lift and the motorcycle to lean to the left. Moving the switch to the right or toward the sidecar should cause the sidecar to lower and cause motorcycle to lean to the right. 2 Removal of Original Parts 1. Seat 2. Right side exhaust shield 3. Right upper side panel 4. Right footpeg/rear floorboard 5. Right hard bag 6. Left upper side panel Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 5 of 16
7. If you have purchased thet.i.l.t option remove the gas tank to run the tilt swtich wiring through the OEM wiring harness. 3 Installation a. In Figure 1, the major components are itemized followed by a table for descriptions. Figure 1 Table 1 Item Description 1 Damper and Bracket 2 Rear Lower Support 3 Front Upper Mount 4 Lower Support Frame 5 Rear Frame Mount 6 Rear Strut (Short) 7 Front Strut (Long) b. Attach the Rear Strut Support to bike frame using 3/8-16 x 1-3/4 HHCS, with lock washer, and washer as shown in??. Remove the two screws from the RHS rear crash bar. Slide the Rear Frame Mount onto the bike with the indicated hardware. Keep all hardware loose. See Figure 2. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 6 of 16
Figure 2 c. Insert the bracket between the OE frame and the crash bar. Use 3/8-16x1-3/4 BHCS with lock washer and washer. Keep hardware loose. See Error! Reference source not found. for other hardware used to install the Rear Frame Mount. Keep hardware loose. Figure 3 Figure 4 d. Remove the 1/2" screw from the Rear Frame Mount and install the Rear Lower Support using the 1/2 screw with lock washer and washer. On the LHS, use a 7/16-14x1-3/4 HHCS, with lock washer, and washer. See Figures 5 and 6. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 7 of 16
Figure 5 Figure 6 e. After installing the rear component torque all hardware. See the following table for torque specifications. Table 2 Hardware Torque (ft-lbs) 3/8-16 HHCS 40 3/8-16 BHCS 30 3/8-24 HHCS 50 7/16-14 HHCS 60 1/2-13 HHCS (without Nylock Nut) 90 1/2-20 HHCS 72 Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 8 of 16
f. Near the RHS front floorboard there are three screws that need to be removed. Install the Front Lower Support with two 3/4" OD, 1/4" long spacers and using three 3/8-16 x 2 HHCS, with lock washer, and washer. Torque to 40ftlbs. See figure below. g. Attach the Upper Front Mount on the motorcycle frame by using two frame clamps with four 3/8-24x1-1/2 SHCS with serrated washers. Torque to 50 ft-lbs. See Figure 7. Figure 7 h. Slide the sidecar on the lower support. The sidecar is marked from the factory for correct installation. Verify that the front marker and rear marker are line up correctly. See Figure 8. Use both 5/8-18 HHCS w/washer and nylock nuts. Snug tight the hardware. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 9 of 16
Rear Marker Front Front Marker Front Rod End Rear Rod End Figure 8 i. Attach the front strut and rear strut onto the sidecar and motorcycle. Both struts are pre-measured from factory for easy installation but may require quarter turn for the alignment to the eye on upper mount and eye on sidecar frame. The long strut is installed on the front of the motorcycle and the short strut is attached to the rear. For both struts, place a washer between the strut and the upper/lower suspension mount eye. See Figure 9 and 9 Figure0. Torque the 1/2-20x2-1/4 HHCS w/washers and nylock nut to 90ft-lbs. Note: The best approach to install the struts is to mount the rear and then match the front strut. Figure 9 Figure 10 j. Remove the OEM hardware from the RHS fork tube housing. Attach the provided steering damper to the housing, using M10 SHCS, w/lock washers and washers. See figure below. Torque the M10 screws to 40ft-lbs. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 10 of 16
k. Attach the mount bracket for the steering damper onto the sidecar by using the 1/2-20 HHCS w/washers and nylock nut. Snug tight the 1/2 bolts. Note: 1/2 bolts will be addressed later. Attach the steering damper to the mount using a 3/8-24 jam nut and two washers. Torque to 43ft-lbs. See figure below for details. l. Recheck the front marker and rear marker on the sidecar and sidecar mounts are lined up correctly. Torque all four 1/2-20 HHCS pinch bolts w/washers and nylock nuts to 65ft-lbs. See figures below. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 11 of 16
m. Torque the both front and rear rod ends 5/8-18 HHCS to 140ft-lbs. Remove the marked tape. NOTE: If the sidecar needs to be removed from the motorcycle please follow the instructions below. 1. Remove both upper strut 1/2-20 HHCS bolts. 2. Remove both front and rear rod end 5/8-18 HHCS bolts. DO NOT REMOVE ANY OTHER 1/2-20 HHCS BOLTS FROM THE SIDECAR. FAILURE TO FOLLOW STEP 1 AND STEP 2 WILL DESTORY THE FACTORY SETTINGS FOR THE SIDECAR TO REMOUNT PROPERLY. n. Cycle the steering left to right to verify that no binding occurs with the steering damper. Factory steering capabilities should not be hindered. 4 Brakes (IF EQUIPPED) Locate the rear brake master cylinder usually located near the rear brake pedal. The brake connection is accomplished by removing the existing banjo bolt connecting the rear brake line to the rear master cylinder and replacing it with a longer double banjo bolt supplied by Champion. The double banjo bolt will go through both the new brake quick coupler banjo end and the existing brake cable banjo end shown. (be sure to use new crush washers between all banjo fittings and connecting surfaces). Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 12 of 16
The brake cable to the sidecar is aircraft quality steel braided hose with a quick disconnect coupler. This coupler is sealed in both directions to prevent any brake fluid from leaking out. The sidecar is shipped without any brake fluid so it will be necessary to replace the fluid with DOT 4 brake fluid and bleed the brake system before riding the sidecar combination. Also at any time the rear brake pedal feels spongy or softer than normal, the sidecar brake line should be bled and checked. (NOTE) It is recommended to bleed the brakes every 3 rd. or 4 th time the sidecar is removed. 5 Electrical Installation 5.1 Sidecar a. The Champion harness layout is described in the following figure. b. Route the Champion wiring harness through the motorcycle as shown in Figure 1. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 13 of 16
Figure 11 c. Connect the Champion plugs to the OEM male and female plugs. Attach the positive terminal wire to the battery. The OEM plug is indicated below. 5.2 T.I.L.T. Option a. Remove gas tank. b. Attach the tilt switch bracket near the clutch lever as shown in Figure 2. Reuse the OEM hardware. Route all four tilt switch wires on the neck of the bike. Connect the Champion harness purple wire to the purple tilt switch wire then connect Champion harness yellow wire to the tilt switch yellow wire. Connect Champion s red fuse wire to Positive terminal and the red tilt switch wire. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 14 of 16
Figure 12 c. Disconnect the OEM plug and connect the Champion male and female plugs to the OEM plug. Attach the negative wire to the negative terminal. d. Install the removed gas tank onto the Harley Davidson motorcycle. 5.3 Electrical (OEM Plug) OEM Plug Layout Plug Number Wire Color Description 1 Brown RHS Turn Signal 2 Orange/White Accessory 3 Purple LHS Turn Signal 4 N/A - 5 Black Ground 6 Red/White Brake 7 Blue Running 8 N/A - 6 Driving a Sidecar NEW OWNER DRIVING AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS It is important to know that driving a sidecar will be nothing like riding a solo motorcycle. So take my advice and forget most of the twenty years of experience you have spent riding motorcycles and be prepared to spend some time to change habits and learn some new tricks. 6.1 General Sidecar Questions 1. It is normal for a sidecar to feel different during a left or right turn. 2. It is NOT recommended to drive a sidecar with a passenger on the rear of the motorcycle without either a passenger in the sidecar or sufficient weight in the sidecar. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 15 of 16
3. A sidecar could lift while making a hard right-hand turn without sufficient weight in the sidecar. To prevent the sidecar from lifting either reduce speed on the right- hand turn or increase the weight in the sidecar. 4. It is normal to feel a slight movement in steering when reducing or increasing the acceleration of the rig. 5. Champion does NOT recommend the use of a EZ Steer product and a steering damper at the same time. 6. Champion does NOT recommend and advises against removing the sidecar to ride the motorcycle solo if an EZ Steer option has been added to the sidecar rig. 7. It is common to experience increases the wear on the motorcycles rear tire if the sidecar has been installed. An automobile tire can replace the motorcycle tire which will increase the life of the tire but it is NOT recommended to ride the motorcycle solo after adding the automobile tire to the rear wheel of the motorcycle. 8. Changes in the sidecar passenger weight will affect the handling of a sidecar and without Champions T.I.L.T. device the sidecar may require some minor adjustments to compensate for the weight. The T.I.L.T device will allow the driver to adjust the sidecar rig for weight and road crown changes. The adjustments can be made as the vehicle is driven. 9. It is common to experience some low speed wobbling (after installing the sidecar) in the steering without the use of either a steering damper or Champions EZ Steer products. Installation Guide HD FLH Sidecar 2000-2008 Page 16 of 16