Here at Metalcraft Racing we pride ourselves in offering our Houston area customers motorcycle fabrication and welding services that are custom to their unique needs and wants. Recently we had a customer contact us about a 2016 Triumph with sidecar attached, that had been customized in the northwest. The customer was experiencing twitching in the motorcycle’s steering and at speeds over 30 mph was actually almost jumping into the other lane. It was extremely dangerous to drive and of course an issue that needed to be remedied.
Our initial step was to take a few measurements of the motorcycle and in doing so discovered the bike was setup with an incorrect trail. The Triumph was installed with a leading leg style of front forks, built and installed with the motorcycle’s sidecar. After a little research and debate over what steps could be taken, we decided to remove the leading leg’s lower portion and design an adjustable leg system to set trail exactly where desired. This customization to the motorcycle now gives the option to change trail anytime changes are made to the vehicle and allows it to be driven safely and at optimal conditions. Quite a hack that now rolls down the highway at 75 mph beautifully!
Our involvement working with motorcycle sidecars has been an exciting adventure and since then it’s been great to network with Claude Stanley, a sidecar building legend, and also Kent Silk, owner of Texas Sidecars. We look forward to helping additional sidecar owners with similar projects and continuing our relationships with such motorcycle enthusiasts and professionals!
Metalcraft Racing’s design of a sidecar adjustable leading link suspension.
