Thoughts on Pedal Commander vs Pedal Box - & where's yours mounted?
I am thinking of getting either the Pedal Box or Commander. They both seem to do basically the same thing. The commander is not waterproof, but comes with Bluetooth so I would most likely mount it under the seat. The Pedal Box is water resistant (not water proof) and has an option for Bluetooth for an extra cost. I see that most of the Spyder dealers associated with the forums sell the Pedal Box (I believe the non Bluetooth version).
I am curious on what the thoughts are on these. Which is the most popular and why? And where have you mounted it?
I considered both before choosing the pedal box. I like the fact that it is water resistant so I could mount it on the handle bars allowing instant adjustment.
We used that yesterday when we left the hotel and it was 36° out. The Spyder kept killing until I took it off the sport + mode. Once it was warmed up I could then turn it back on. With the pedal commander I would of had to get off the Spyder to get my phone out of the trunk to do both. Also when it starts to rain out I can turn it off just by moving my hand over to push the button.
2021 Sea To Sky, 2020 RTL
Isn't it weird that in AMERICA our flag and our culture offend so many people...... but our benefits don't?
I have the Pedal Commander mounted on the RT dash between the right speakers. I put a piece of tape over the USB port & I've ridden several times in heavy rain for long hours without any problems.
I have a pedal commander, I like it very much. I zip tied it by the plug used to hook it up and adjust my setting via bluetooth on the phone which is mounted on handle bars. Chris
I have the pedal commander on my F3T. I rerouted the cable so that it is located underneath the panel to the right. Where you would check the oil level. It is out if the way, but easily to get to. It is also out of the weather. This was much easier than mounting it on the handle bars like the instructions said.
2021 RTL , brake pedal from "Web Boards" chalk white
I have a pedal commander, I like it very much. I zip tied it by the plug used to hook it up and adjust my setting via bluetooth on the phone which is mounted on handle bars. Chris
This is my set up too
Works well but I have to say I don’t adjust the settings as often as I thought I would
2021 Spyder RT Limited (Palm Desert)
Grey - dark edition
I'm not exactly sure what the advantages are of the pedal box, but I do know that my 2021 RT has a lot of power when I need it. Found that out yesterday while running out of on-ramp. Something I'd have to think about and weigh the pros and cons.
I have a Pedal Commander and I love it. Have ridden in heavy rain without worry and it gets hit when I spray the bike off, but I don't direct the spray directly at it, however, again, no issues with weather on it. I have a 2018 RTL and I snipped out a very small section of the speaker grill when it was popped out and so the cable takes up that small space. I then mounted it with a RAM mount so I could easily change the settings (it is on the throttle side however) but the way it is mounted I can see and reach it easily. I have never had it in Sport Plus mode, but Sport at zero setting brings the motor to life and I cannot imagine going back to stock quite honestly. My buddy who I ride with thought it came with the bike, so I guess the way its mounted looks pretty good and I do like where it is on the mount on the body. I like the bluetooth interface on the phone. That works well too and so I can change it if I want to on the fly from my phone, which is RAM mounted on the left on the SPYDER cuff from LaMonster. However, I dont change the settings much at all, I found the sweet spot, which for me is Sport at the 0 setting. If memory serves me, I think that are 9 settings per mode and four modes as I recall. Zero problems with it and although pricey, it was a great add and again, cant imagine going back to stock. The other device you are asking about, I have no experience with.
Thanks to everyone for your responses.
I am leaning toward the Pedal Box from Lamonsters Garage, the one with the top cuff mount. Originally I was thinking of hiding it under the seat, but after looking under the seat, I'm not sure if it would fit. Then I thought that I would just put it under the access panel you take off to connect it to the bike. But that could be a pain if I wanted to change the settings. (for when my wife is wanting to drive it, I'm sure she won't like the same settings I do). The Bluetooth version is a bit more expensive, then you have to mess with your phone to change it. So go back to the old saying K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid).
Slingmods owns the exclusive rights to the Pedal Commander (for Spyder) so it can't be bought anywhere else. Slingmods and Pedal Commander are local to me so that's what I purchased. The pedal commander has the potential for errors due to their aggressive programming, especially in sport mode. I leave mine at city only. The pedal Box isn't as aggressive and doesn't suffer from that potential issue. Mine is mounted on the airbox near where you add oil under the cover. I leave it on city and never change it.
I have a pedal box on my 2015 RT. Most folk are talking about the improvement in throttle response and it does make a difference, but what I like about it more than throttle response is the smoothness that I have noticed in my machine. We ride a lot of tight twisty roads with a lot of shifting and throttle variation. We get a lot of abrupt on and off with the ride by wire system which can cause the bike to be jerky in the tight twisties. Shifting can be a tad jerky as well in these situations. After installing the pedal box the bike is smooth as silk during the throttle changes and shifting is smoother as well. The infamous gap or hesitation that some mention between first and second gear is gone. If you don't ride hard maybe you don't notice it, but we tend to get rather frisky in the twisties and we notice it. The pedal box has pretty much eliminated this issue. My wife rides as passenger 99% of the time I ride the RT. The first twisties we hit she commented on how smooth the bike was. "Do you have that gadget turned on?" Yeah why? "This thing is like riding on a cloud, did that gadget cause this? Yep, I reckon it did should I keep it? "Oh yeah we're gonna keep it." My wife may be a back seat passenger, but she notices changes and she likes how smooth the bike works with the pedal box. Is it worth the $$$? I guess it's like oil and tires - the arguments can be endless. I know it transformed our RT for the better when riding hard. I have mine set in sport mode with two lights on the + side and it works very well for us.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 10-07-2022 at 11:50 PM.
Reason: we - well + ;-)
I have the Pedal Commander and really like it. Coming from a BMW GS and 21 Goldwing, I found the RTL really slow and unresponsive. Not very motorcycle like. Pedal Commander doesn't make it faster, but does do away with the dismal throttle response and LONG twist of the wrist to get it to do anything. I have the silicone cover for it and it has gotten wet in light rain - with no issue. I don't think the Pedal Commander got wet - just the silicone cover, It is mounted on a RAM mount on the handlebars. I keep it on City+4 mode and it seems to be the sweet spot for me. It makes the bike more enjoyable.
2021 Spyder RT-L in Deep Marsala Red/Black - BRP Comfort Seat, Adj Handlebar Riser, Running Board Lights, Driver Backrest, Passenger Armrests. Fobo TPMS, Grip Covers, UltraGard Full & Half Cover, Passenger & Driver Drink Holders, Wide-Vu Side Mirrors, Show Chrome Luggage Rack, SpyderExtras Aluminum Belt Tensioner, Show Chrome Accessory Fuse Block, SpyderExtras Adj Highway Pegs, Carbon Fibre Grills, Full Repair and Maintenance Manual, Kapplock Garmin Nuvo XT Lock & Ram Mount Lock, LidLox Handlebar Helmet Lock, Hopnel Dashboard Storage Pouch/Trunk Organizer/Side Cases, Garmin Nuvo XT GPS, Signal Dynamics Heads Up Voltage Monitor, M1 Motorsports F/R Dash Cam, inView Helmet-Mounted Brake and Turn Signal Light, Pedal Commander w/ Silicone Cover & RAM mount, Spyder Extras Driving Light Bar, Denali D3 Driving Lights, SpyderExtras Light Bar, TAC Designs Side Mirror Stabilizer Kit, Carbon Fibre Trim, Hi-Gain Short Antenna, Headlight Skins, Mirror Turn Signal Lights.
Pedal box all the way. Apparently the commander can throw up error codes. I have installed it with the box under my seat. I set it to sport and forget about it. Usually you set it and leave it.
we have the Pedal Commander, love it! Feels so much more responsive and precise, really easy to adjust via the app, direct access w/o tools if needed is really easy.
I ordered the Pedal Box from Lamonster. It will be here Sat., and get it installed next week. I am really looking forward to trying it out and seeing what the difference is.