Overly Sensitive VSS

[Marcy]

Just looking for information on the VSS. I went riding the twisty's with 6 other riders. We were all riding the same road, same speed, but my VSS was going off constantly. At one point I couldn't power through a curve and crossed the centerline chasing the bike. A little scary, nothing was coming, but wondering if my VSS is just too sensitive. No, I was NOT riding the brake, highway pegs, fluids are good as is the tire pressures and tread. Any ideas for the tech folks on the forum? Thank you.

[JKMSPYDER]

If you crossed the centerline not meaning to, there might be something wrong with your VSS. I would get it checked out ASAP!

[Snowbelt Spyder]

First, see attached...

VSS.jpg

In order to make sure we're being technically correct, I'm going to challenge you a bit.

First, HOW DO YOU KNOW the VSS was going off constantly?

And

WHY DO YOU THINK, that the VSS caused you to cross the center line?

Yaw sensor problems not withstanding, the VSS system is designed to help prevent you from crossing the center line, and would not cause you to by activating too often. And the way you said that you were trying to "power through the curve" leads me to believe you were relying on two wheel techniques somewhat in that situation, rather than just leaning in and steering through the curve. I could be wrong - I don't have a lifetime of two-wheeled experience like most folks on here. I'm not saying don't have it checked out. But, could this have more likely been a technique issue rather than a VSS issue. Am I wrong?

[SPYD3R]

HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND.......?????????

i found that on both my RS & F3, when i upgraded the tires to non-Kenda's, that my VSS acted differently.... if this is not the case with you, have your dealer check it out... hopefully, this would be covered by the warrantee.....
Dan P
SPYD3R

[Marcy]

Thank you for your response. I know it was the VSS because the VSS light kept coming on. The attachment is interesting, perhaps it was a mixture of events coming together. I'm waiting on my trailer to come in so I can tow it to the dealer. I'm sure Ryan will have fun trying to replicate everything.

First, see attached...

VSS.jpg

In order to make sure we're being technically correct, I'm going to challenge you a bit.

First, HOW DO YOU KNOW the VSS was going off constantly?

And

WHY DO YOU THINK, that the VSS caused you to cross the center line?

Yaw sensor problems not withstanding, the VSS system is designed to help prevent you from crossing the center line, and would not cause you to by activating too often. And the way you said that you were trying to "power through the curve" leads me to believe you were relying on two wheel techniques somewhat in that situation, rather than just leaning in and steering through the curve. I could be wrong - I don't have a lifetime of two-wheeled experience like most folks on here. I'm not saying don't have it checked out. But, could this have more likely been a technique issue rather than a VSS issue. Am I wrong?

[Marcy]

I have the original tires and it's never been an issue. Yes, thank goodness it's still under warranty.

HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR TIRES TO ANOTHER BRAND.......?????????

i found that on both my RS & F3, when i upgraded the tires to non-Kenda's, that my VSS acted differently.... if this is not the case with you, have your dealer check it out... hopefully, this would be covered by the warrantee.....
Dan P
SPYD3R

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Just looking for information on the VSS. I went riding the twisty's with 6 other riders. We were all riding the same road, same speed, but my VSS was going off constantly. At one point I couldn't power through a curve and crossed the centerline chasing the bike. A little scary, nothing was coming, but wondering if my VSS is just too sensitive. No, I was NOT riding the brake, highway pegs, fluids are good as is the tire pressures and tread. Any ideas for the tech folks on the forum? Thank you.

The same speed doesn't necessarily mean you were driving the same as the others ..... The VSS is sensitive to handling inputs ...... if you aren't smooth or change your line mid-turn the VSS wil sense this and make a speed correction........ I don't know how many total miles you have with a Spyder vs what the other riders had but that could be the difference....... Not dissing you on this just trying to help ....... After I learned you had OEM tires I dis-carded the tire improvement thing as a factor ............ good luck ....... Mike

[Highwayman2013]

I would also think it would step in more if you have the stock sway bar.

[Peter Aawen]

As others have mentioned, the VSS (or Nanny) coordinates all those other things as a result of all the input from a range of sensors, so juggling the balance of info from all those sensors & applying the resultan triggered actions or reactions is what's important & what catches many people out!! It's fairly easy to ryde your Spyder sedately & smoothly, thumb in bum & mind in neutral, & I'm sure that was one of the design goals; but due to the inate nature & stability of the design they can also be ridden spiritedly & at a speed without stability issues that would (& does) astound most 2wheel riders & pretty much all car drivers!! That said, it certainly gets progressively harder to match & balance all the things YOU need to do juggle in order to avoid triggering any ONE of the sensors reporting the need for a VSS intervention of some sort via one or more of those sub-systems.

For example, I've found that it is very easy to feed in too much throttle when I'm trying to go fast thru the twisties & consequently trigger the VSS, when often it's not that I need more throttle but rather that I need a touch less steering input at that increased throttle setting, or possibly more 'body english' in order to keep my weight down & inside to avoid the tendency to try & throw me off the top of the Spyder; or if I want to go faster thru a corner or series of corners, I might need to put in a fair bit more 'body english' to get my weight across to the inside of the Spyder thru each corner & keep my weight down low so it doesn't trigger a yaw sensor intervention with that steering & throttle level of input... I also find that often the very WORST thing you can do when trying to take the twisties fast is to push on the outside bar!! Pushing on the outside end of the handle bars needs you to brace yourself back on the machine & thereby keep your weight up high & in the wrong place for really spirited cornering so it triggers that yaw sensor revolt & a subsequent intervention; while keeping everything else the same & JUST PULLING on the inside bar (but still pushing down on your outside leg) to draw your weight down & into the corner helps keeps the weight transfer down low & to the inside of the Spyder & the corner within the acceptable bounds of steering, throttle, & roll sensor inputs & so avoiding Nanny intervention.

Basically, I don't think you need to worry too much about the VSS being set incorrectly just yet - our Spyders have one of the better Stability Control Systems out there & it CAN help you A LOT to enjoy your spirited ryding, just so long as you make the effort to think a little about what the various sensors might be reporting & how to work within the safety limits imposed by the VSS!! If it's triggered while you are trying to corner fast, ask yourself what YOU did that's likely to have caused that & how you can change what you do to reduce/remove that trigger? It is most likely one or a combination of:

• your current speed & the amount of steering input you just dialed in (maybe less initial speed or gentler steering input would help?);
• your current degree of steering & the throttle input you just fed in to try & accel out of the corner (again, is sooner or less steering possible, or maybe a little less overall throttle but starting winding it in earlier & then progressively building as you surge thru the corner?);
• how high your weight is on the Spyder & how much that will be causing the Spyder to try to roll/lift an inside wheel/understeer & maybe roll the outside tire bead off the rim (fitting tha Sway bar upgrade, or getting your weight down low & to the inside of the corner, pulling hard on the inside bar to help drag your weight in & down rather than pushing & keeping your weight up & out?);
• how your method of steering input & consequent weight transfer will be impacting upon the roll centre of the Spyder (pulling on the inside bar rather than pushing on the outside will help move your weight inside & down, as will leaning in & forwards toward the inside mirror, possibly even moving your bum off the seat & lowering it into the corner?)

There's likely at least a few more things that could be mentioned, but that should give you an idea & besides, generally, if I try something & the Nanny steps in, trying to work out what I did to trigger that intervention & working out how I can to change or lessen that trigger usually doesn't take a heap of time or trying too many options before it becomes obvious what the problem was & how to reduce/avoid it in the future. These days, there aren't too many local road or track sports bike riders around here who have the slightest misapprehension that they can leave me on my RT behind thru the tight corners if I'm trying to keep up - and more often than not, I push them!! If they can't take the corners flat chat, then it's almost certain that I can keep up & very likely gain on them!! All Spyders just have that much more grip & stability thru the corners due to their design that that the sports bike riders just can't maintain the same sort of speed thru the corners, and we can get on the power sooner on the way out too; so in the tight stuff where they can't access their flat chat speed advantage, our overall cornering speed is somewhat higher than anything they can manage!! And that's with an unfit old bugga like me on an RT, so I've no doubt that a younger & fitter ryder with a reasonable degree of riding skill on one of the sportier Spyders could scare the helloutuv just about any non pro sports bike rider!!

Think about what you're doing & learn to work with the Nanny rather than upsetting her & you can soon be scaring the crap out of sports bike riders too!!

Ps: throw away the crappy Kendas & get some good tires too - you'll never look back after that, except to see where you left everyone else after you blew past them!

[BajaRon]

Sometimes when we are trying to keep up with others, they may make it look easy, but and you can get out of shape trying to keep up (or worse, trying to catch up). Especially if the other bikes have handling upgrades.

Wrong speed going into or out of a curve, bad positioning in the curve, or wrong application of brakes, even just a little bit when pushing the limits (of skill, the machine, or both) can give you (and the VSS) fits. Have no idea if this is a contributing factor. But I have been there myself.

As mentioned above. The VSS likes smooth, it does not like anything else.

Just throwing things out to consider.

[Bob Denman]

Smoothness counts!
It's not an overly sensitive VSS: it's probably just your inputs...

(And I don't mean this as an indictment of your riding skills...)