2003 EV rear shock adjustment

[drdwb]

So this is going to sound dumb, but the 03 EV now has side car, the guy who set it up weighs 230lb, he could easily ride it with one hand, I weigh 155 on a good day, I drove it and the front end wobbled so bad I couldn’t get it out of first gear. After taking all the tension off the steering damper, and getting the tire pressure exact on all 3 tires 38 rear, 36 front, 40 side car, I can ride the thing.
But it’s still a little wobbly in first if I hit a bump. Lee the guy who set it up suggested I adjust rear shock, they are original and have never been touched. I’ve looked through all the books I have ( including Richards Guzziology) and can’t find a good explanation of how to adjust them to lower the rear end. Guzziology suggests staying with original shocks to avoid messing up the integrated brake system. And searching the forum I find suggestions on different aftermarket shocks. But I also read about a special c shaped tool that I don’t have. Can anyone point me to instructions on how to adjust/ lower them?
Thanks

[n3303j]

Can't figure out why you have 40# on the chair tire unless you are hauling gravel.
Ural is 36 front, 40 rear and 30 chair.
Front end wobble is isn't an uncommon problem for sidecar rigs.
But this is the first time I've heard it blamed on the rear shocks.

I'd take a real close look at all 3 wheels (especially chair) to make sure they have no ability to wobble(sidecar swingarm pivots, etc) Then check steering bearings to remove any inconsistencies that would effect tracking. Be sure there is no brake drag. Then start playing with alignment. Sidecar level, bike lean and toe in. Any alignment issue can induce a wobble. It's a bit of fussing but a joy when you get it right.

[StuCorpe]

On my 03 EV when I put the sidecar on it developed the same wobble you describe.  Tightening the steering damper helped a bit until the damper was completely worn out in a couple thousand miles.  Took it off and threw it away.  Installed a hydraulic steering damper from a Volkswagen and that stopped about 98% of the wobble (I still get a little bit at times).  Had to make a custom mount but it does work.

[bigbikerrick]

I have a 98 V 11 EV with a DMC M72 sidecar. I added a VW steering damper to mine,and found that adding Harley" FLH takeoff" air shocks helped quite a bit. They are about 1" shorter that oem shocks,and can be adjusted by adding air to them, as well as replacing the 10 oz of oil in the shocks with different viscosities. There are a bunch of you tube videos on how to do that. . Playing around with the air pressure in the shocks,as well as adjusting the fork tubes where they are about 3/4"up through the triple clamps helped with my rig.
Its all trial and error, with alignment settings, tire pressures, etc.
Rick D.

[drdwb]

I can spin the chrome collars multiple times around with no measurable difference in height, not sure how a tool grabs the inner collar as I can’t see any indent that it would get into.But it clearly indicates with arrows soft or hard.

Thanks for responses. Big Biker, I had air shocks on  Yamaha XS 11, which the hack came off of before mounting to EV, they were great,and very adjustable. I may look at that, but again Guzziology recommends being very careful of replacing EV rear shocks due to 1 there’s very little clearance under the fender due to the stupid placement of the rear wiring harness, 2 messing with rear height can mess up the functioning of the integrated brake system.

Rerouting the wiring harness isn’t a big deal had to do that to accommodate shorter shocks for wife’s 04, Stone Touring after a rear tire flat ripped that up.Lesson learned.

N333- reason I’m at 40lbs, as the hack currently has a flat profile side car tire on it that says run at 40 lbs, and on my first ride, with wobble from hell, I checked tire pressure as stated, the hack tire had maybe 25-30 lbs, filling it to 40 lbs helped make it drivable.
 Interesting about the use of a Volkswagen steering damper. ( any particular VW Steering damper I should find?,) on my second ride I played with it a little, anything more than full off increased the wobble, even one turn, so that made me think about just taking it off and see if that helped. In the 14 years I’ve had the EV I’ve played with it a bit but never noticed much difference, even pulling our fully loaded pop up Kwick Kamp trailer.

I will be installing an EZSteer triple tree shortly, and will probably play with different a different damper, if required after that.
This AM I picked up a 50lb bag of sand,now in hack, later today I hope to get in a test drive.
The  78 Yamaha XS11 rig had been completely sorted out long before I got it. I could ride on some interstates no handed. I had hoped putting it on a heavier bike with a lower center of gravity would be simple and relatively painless.But there I go thinking again.

But I still have to think there must be some way to mechanically lower the shocks. Again I thought  all bikes came equipped with crude multiple step spring tension adjustments, maybe not all Guzzi’s.
I got to quit making projects for myself, at 70 years old I need more ride time than shop time.

I’ll post more in time as I experiment, and sort this out.

Please keep suggestions coming to paraphrase my hero,Red Green, we’re all in this together, If the women don’t find you handsome better to find you handy.or something. Keep your stick on the ice.

[Lee Bruns]

Can't figure out why you have 40# on the chair tire unless you are hauling gravel.
Ural is 36 front, 40 rear and 30 chair.
Front end wobble is isn't an uncommon problem for sidecar rigs.
But this is the first time I've heard it blamed on the rear shocks.

I'd take a real close look at all 3 wheels (especially chair) to make sure they have no ability to wobble(sidecar swingarm pivots, etc) Then check steering bearings to remove any inconsistencies that would effect tracking. Be sure there is no brake drag. Then start playing with alignment. Sidecar level, bike lean and toe in. Any alignment issue can induce a wobble. It's a bit of fussing but a joy when you get it right.

I set the rig up with 5/8 toe-in over an 8 foot run. 2 degrees lean out and 10 inches of stagger. The mounts are solid, beyond sold. You could lift the bike up by the sidecar. half inch thick 1 1/2 inch wide plate steel subframe. It's a Vetter terraplane. My thought was that since my 230 lbs compresses the rear suspension more than his 155, that shorter rear shocks, would achieve the slight mod to trail that the weight difference is creating. Stiffer steering damper might be the way to go, but WOW, what a dramatic difference between me riding it and Dave. It's bizarre.

[n3303j]

I'd try reducing toe-in. You only need enough to take up the slop in the system. Too little and the steering will hunt. Too much and tire wear increases and you could be flexing the bike enough to induce wobble.

Then play with bike lean to make the bike track straight under constant power on a road with an average crown. Bike lean is always a compromise. You want it to be right for conditions you ride most of the time.

I'm spoiled as my Ural has an honest to goodness differential providing full time two wheel drive. It does not yaw at power setting changes (But I can't fly the chair).