New 17" Wheel Upgrade with Custom Wheel Adapters

[WAR209]

Well....... I ordered a set of custom hub adapters to go from our standard 3 bolt pattern to a more common 5 x 114 bolt pattern. I chose to order a 2 piece hub adapter so I wouldn't compromise the the integrity of the wheel by omitting any bolts. I also decided to go thicker than I wanted on the adapters, cause I wanted to avoid cutting the factory studs back, (which I had to do Anyways, cause the damn shop didn't exactly cut them to my spec :mad:).

Had the wheels & rubber for weeks, but had to wait over a month to receive the adapters.

Had a few :shocked: moments & wondered if anyone could provide any advice or words of wisdom. Especially those who've upgraded the wheel package on their :spyder2:

I went with a 17" x 8" wheel with a 45 offset, with 215/35R/17 rubber. The adapter is apparently 47mm thick in itself. Took it for a short test ride yesterday & wonder if I made a HUGE mistake with this upgrade.... First, I rode over a small lump in the asphalt down the street, going about 30mph, (drive over it every time I go out & never blinked twice), & it felt like I drove over a 3inch high speed bump at 80mph. That was my first :shocked: moment. I continued to drive down the street on level ground & couldn't keep a straight line to save my life.. That was my second :shocked: moment. Saying it's more responsive in an understatement. In my opinion, it's TOO damn responsive... I turned around & just parked it... I'm wondering if I just need to get used to the new feel, or........ ...... I don't even want to say it... Anyway... Any input or advice would be appreciated.

Here's some pic's of the adapter:

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4305/image1kqo.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6929/image2qau.jpg

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/2254/image3jea.jpg

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/116/image4sx.jpg


Installed:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4128/image5lm.jpg

[Buttsy]

But they look way cool................:doorag:

[WAR209]

But they look way cool................:doorag:

I KNOW..................... :dontknow: It's REALLY gonna hurt if I can't figure something out. I keep going into the garage to look at it... I feel like it's the day before I'm about to put down my dog of 19 years :(.
I just lowered my Fox Podium shocks to about 2 turns above their lowest setting, & also let some air out the tires. They were set to about 35psi, & I set them to 25psi. I donno... I'm hoping that'll prevent it from bouncing around on the slightest bump in the road. I expected a difference in going to such a low profile tire, but that was just ridiculous..

[mcaccamise]

WAR209 the wheels look great on the other hand im thinking your going to be puting to much strain on your hubs and bearings with the oversized tires and wheels moving them outward changes the geomerity of the suspension in tern the handling.If your feeling that much road imput than this may be dangerous at higher speeds,looks shouldent sacrifise safty imo.
Mike

[Jeriatric]

:agree:

[SPYD1]

Be careful! You got to have control of the beast. It does look good though.

[MikeinGA]

Well....... I ordered a set of custom hub adapters to go from our standard 3 bolt pattern to a more common 5 x 114 bolt pattern. I chose to order a 2 piece hub adapter so I wouldn't compromise the the integrity of the wheel by omitting any bolts. I also decided to go thicker than I wanted on the adapters, cause I wanted to avoid cutting the factory studs back, (which I had to do Anyways, cause the damn shop didn't exactly cut them to my spec :mad:).

Had the wheels & rubber for weeks, but had to wait over a month to receive the adapters.

Had a few :shocked: moments & wondered if anyone could provide any advice or words of wisdom. Especially those who've upgraded the wheel package on their :spyder2:

I went with a 17" x 8" wheel with a 45 offset, with 215/35R/17 rubber. The adapter is apparently 47mm thick in itself. Took it for a short test ride yesterday & wonder if I made a HUGE mistake with this upgrade.... First, I rode over a small lump in the asphalt down the street, going about 30mph, (drive over it every time I go out & never blinked twice), & it felt like I drove over a 3inch high speed bump at 80mph. That was my first :shocked: moment. I continued to drive down the street on level ground & couldn't keep a straight line to save my life.. That was my second :shocked: moment. Saying it's more responsive in an understatement. In my opinion, it's TOO damn responsive... I turned around & just parked it... I'm wondering if I just need to get used to the new feel, or........ ...... I don't even want to say it... Anyway... Any input or advice would be appreciated.

Here's some pic's of the adapter:

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4305/image1kqo.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6929/image2qau.jpg

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/2254/image3jea.jpg

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/116/image4sx.jpg


Installed:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4128/image5lm.jpg

You have changed the geometry of the front end. You now have changed your caster and camber and toe in. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering#Basic_geometry

[NancysToy]

You have also lost a lot of sidewall in the tires...sidewalls that flex to help absorb road shock. Everything you do to modify a vehicle is a trade-off. What you gain in looks or performance, you may lose in comfort and handling. Tough lesson...tough decision!

[D-Nice]

Nice ride bro I like the wheel you picked. Im running a similar set up with the 2 piece design and also had to cut my original studs about 1/2" im pretty sure I was one of the first to set there spyder up with after market wheels using an adaptor on this forum..I've had them for close to 4 years now and can tell you that all the differences you are experiencing are normal so to speak. You have to remember that we changed the dynamic of the bike by putting these wheels on no matter how simple it may sound. The wider tire, taller wheel, and thinner side wall all contribute to the different ride quality compared to a stock bike. I bet at highway speed you feel the bike drift side to side alot more huh? Small bumps will feel huge because you have less rubber under the wheel so you take the hit harder. I would recommend an upgraded sway bar if you dont have it already. It helped with some of the side to side sway while at speed. I just installed stage one elkas 2 days ago but havent had time to test drive it. Im hoping they also help dampen some of the sway and bumps. But bottom line is if you dont feel save then take them off. I have had mine on for 4 years with no major issues no premature wear on any of the steering or suspension parts. A year of that time has been with my aero charger turbo installed so thats more speed and torque that my bike deals with and its still sold. I would not be riding it if I thought I was in danger and I do ride it hard at times. Also I replaced the brakes stopping does decrease with the larger wheel the rolling mass is increased by alot vs stock wheel size but the upgraded brakes do help and the brake squeal is gone so thats a plus in its self. Hope this helps and if you have any more questions feel free to ask. Good luck with your ride.

[WAR209]

Nice ride bro I like the wheel you picked. Im running a similar set up with the 2 piece design and also had to cut my original studs about 1/2" im pretty sure I was one of the first to set there spyder up with after market wheels using an adaptor on this forum..I've had them for close to 4 years now and can tell you that all the differences you are experiencing are normal so to speak. You have to remember that we changed the dynamic of the bike by putting these wheels on no matter how simple it may sound. The wider tire, taller wheel, and thinner side wall all contribute to the different ride quality compared to a stock bike. I bet at highway speed you feel the bike drift side to side alot more huh? Small bumps will feel huge because you have less rubber under the wheel so you take the hit harder. I would recommend an upgraded sway bar if you dont have it already. It helped with some of the side to side sway while at speed. I just installed stage one elkas 2 days ago but havent had time to test drive it. Im hoping they also help dampen some of the sway and bumps. But bottom line is if you dont feel save then take them off. I have had mine on for 4 years with no major issues no premature wear on any of the steering or suspension parts. A year of that time has been with my aero charger turbo installed so thats more speed and torque that my bike deals with and its still sold. I would not be riding it if I thought I was in danger and I do ride it hard at times. Also I replaced the brakes stopping does decrease with the larger wheel the rolling mass is increased by alot vs stock wheel size but the upgraded brakes do help and the brake squeal is gone so thats a plus in its self. Hope this helps and if you have any more questions feel free to ask. Good luck with your ride.


......:banghead:

$$$'s spent, Weeks of looking for the "perfect" wheel, weeks of anxiously waiting for all the parts to arrive.. Felt like an 8yo on Christmas morning when I finally got the adapters. Was so excited to get everything installed that I didn't even care about having to cut the damn studs to mount things... Only had to cut about 1/8th of an inch, but I still did NOT want to cut, just in case THIS would happen. This REALLY bites... So adjusting shocks & psi probably wont do a good GotDam will it.....? I haven't upgraded the sway bar... but will it really make a difference? Just seems as though I'd be throwing a lot more money at the problem, with no real fix besides going back to stock.

:gaah:....... SO freakin disappointed....... I can deal with a stiffer/harder ride. I expected that much. What I can't deal with is riding down my street, on a fairly level road, & having to fight the steering so I wouldn't drift into the opposing lane.

The weather is suposed to be crappy for a few days. Once It clears up, I'll take it back out & see how I feel on a longer ride..

[mellowcmb]

I KNOW..................... :dontknow: It's REALLY gonna hurt if I can't figure something out. I keep going into the garage to look at it... I feel like it's the day before I'm about to put down my dog of 19 years :(.
I just lowered my Fox Podium shocks to about 2 turns above their lowest setting, & also let some air out the tires. They were set to about 35psi, & I set them to 25psi. I donno... I'm hoping that'll prevent it from bouncing around on the slightest bump in the road. I expected a difference in going to such a low profile tire, but that was just ridiculous..
One other thing to consider: you have just put a set of wheels and tires that were made to be put on a car. In other words, the wheel/tire setup was tested on cars which apply more pressure on the wheels. With the wheels even at 25psi, the spyder still doesn't apply enough pressure on the wheels for them to perform correctly. My suggestion is to drop the pressure down to about 16 - 18 psi and I'm sure you will notice a huge difference. It should be fine at this low pressure.
i have experience in this due to the fact that I use to own a Campagna T-Rex. A lot of us changed to aftermarket wheels and noticed that at the usual recommended psi pressure, the bike would be all over the place, especially in corners. When we realized that the pressure was too great and lowered them down to about 18psi, the performance improved greatly. I was pretty worried at first thinking that at such a low pressure that the tires would just come off, but they never did. I was constantly running the T-Rex at 90-100 mph without any issues. I say try it and see if it makes any difference in performance.
great looking bike and good choice on the wheels. Hope this helps!

[WAR209]

One other thing to consider: you have just put a set of wheels and tires that were made to be put on a car. In other words, the wheel/tire setup was tested on cars which apply more pressure on the wheels. With the wheels even at 25psi, the spyder still doesn't apply enough pressure on the wheels for them to perform correctly. My suggestion is to drop the pressure down to about 16 - 18 psi and I'm sure you will notice a huge difference. It should be fine at this low pressure.
i have experience in this due to the fact that I use to own a Campagna T-Rex. A lot of us changed to aftermarket wheels and noticed that at the usual recommended psi pressure, the bike would be all over the place, especially in corners. When we realized that the pressure was too great and lowered them down to about 18psi, the performance improved greatly. I was pretty worried at first thinking that at such a low pressure that the tires would just come off, but they never did. I was constantly running the T-Rex at 90-100 mph without any issues. I say try it and see if it makes any difference in performance.
great looking bike and good choice on the wheels. Hope this helps!

It's past midnight, & guess where I'm going.... Straight to my garage to drop my psi down. :) I know.... I'm an idiot.... But your at least giving me hope :pray:

I seriously Thank you guys for that..

[WAR209]

D-Nice (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?5646-D-Nice), You ever have a shop screw around with the alignment after your wheel upgrade? Just dropped the psi to about 17 like mellowcmb (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?11817-mellowcmb) suggested. Will take it out as soon as I'm able, to test if that made a difference:pray:. If it feels like it at least makes a dent in the issue of bouncing all over the place on the slightest bump in the road, then the other dent I need to make is the sway & drift issue. I guess I can drop a couple more $$$ on a sway bar upgrade. That'll help regardless of what wheels I ultimately end up with. After trying to read the wikipedia link that MikeinGA (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?8077-MikeinGA) posted I wonder if dropping $$$ on an alignment might help.

[Flanker]

Couple of good points already made by others...................you've just discovered the foibles of increasing the leverage (via your adapters moving the wheels/tires outboard to the stock location) your wheels exert on your suspension; the potential detriment of drastically increasing unsprung weight vs sprung weight (if you didn't know it's commonly accepted at a 1 to 4 ratio) without proportionately altering both spring rate and compression/rebound damping to compensate for the increase in unsprung weight, vividly demonstrating how low aspect ratio tires have stiffer sidewalls vs higher aspect ratio tires, thereby improving turn in response, decreasing rim protection, while increasing ride harshness, and requiring a minimum threshold sprung weight to function properly, as well as how important understanding the theory and practical implementation of toe in/out, camber, and caster settings are to proper suspension function. BTW: They do look bitchin'. As a practical suggestion....................Bajaron seems to have a pretty good grasp on the ins and outs of Spyder suspension based on experience and technical knowledge.................you might wish to consult with him r.e. potential mitigating measures for your new "pimpin' dubs". Good luck! Oh yea...................you've succeeded in making me nervous about swapping my front tires to 185/60/14s on the stock rims. Thanks! :joke: One more thing: I take it; it the roads are never wet at "your house"? Because if they are......................you'll discover why not having fenders over your tires sucks. OK, OK.................one more, one more thing..........................the taller OAD of the new front rim/tire combination with a corresponding increase in rear rim/tire OAD has fundamentally altered the overall stance of your ride, affecting center of gravity, polar moment of inertia, weight shift on acceleration and braking, roll rate and yaw response. They still look bitchin' though.

[WAR209]

Couple of good points already made by others...................you've just discovered the foibles of increasing the leverage (via your adapters moving the wheels/tires outboard to the stock location) your wheels exert on your suspension; the potential detriment of drastically increasing unsprung weight vs sprung weight (if you didn't know it's commonly accepted at a 1 to 4 ratio) without proportionately altering both spring rate and compression/rebound damping to compensate for the increase in unsprung weight, vividly demonstrating how low aspect ratio tires have stiffer sidewalls vs higher aspect ratio tires, thereby improving turn in response, rim protection, while incresing ride harshness, and requiring a minimum threshold sprung weight to function properly, as well as how important understanding the theory and practical implementation of toe in/out, camber, and caster settings are to proper suspension function. BTW: They do look bitchin'. As a practical suggestion....................Bajaron seems to have a pretty good grasp on the ins and outs of Spyder suspension based on experience and technical knowledge.................you might wish to consult with him r.e. potential mitigating measures for your new "pimpin' dubs". Good luck! Oh yea...................you've succeeded in making me nervous about swapping my front tires to 185/60/14s on the stock rims. Thanks! :joke: One more thing: I take it; it the roads are never wet at "your house"? Because if they are......................you'll discover why not having fenders over your tires sucks.

:roflblack:.. Dude....... I just got done reading that damn wikipedia post. Between it, & your post, my brain grew by about 12,700 microns. I'll reach out to Bajaron, since his sway bar will likely be the sway bar of choice. As far as rain, I tend to avoid riding in it at all costs. But.... Custom fenders were definitely on the laundry list of mods, but something told me to wait till the wheels were installed & free of any "foibles".
:cheers:

[D-Nice]

Never had a shop look at the alignment just some simple measurements I took my self to see if things where somewhat equal for both sides witch they where. Without taking a spin on your spyder its hard to guage they level of ride quality that your bike has vs mine but I will say the ride is harder and there is some sway at speed but i do not fight the bars to go straight like your describing and im not all over the road as your saying. Perhaps they may be another issue at play here thats being missed. My psi is what the tire recommends I think its 35psi and I havent done anything else aside from what I have mentioned to help improve my ride quality. My girlfriend also has a spyder its stock and she never rides mine but the one time she did she mentioned the sway and increase vibration in the bars as a difference. I feel the sway from time to time and the vibration has just become commen place as the years have gone by I guess im just use to it being there its been a while since I rode a stock bike to compare the ride differences. The sway bar helped some but wasn't a cure all but like you said it was an improvement over the stock one regardless if it help the wheel issues or not. Your big $ has already been invested try the lower psi and perhaps the sway bar..I cant see anything else being usfull to solve the problem alside from an alignment after that. I know a few people that have done this there complaints have been the same as yours and mine but yours seem alittle bit more severe ain the way your describing them I cant see why they would be because there basically the same bike witch leads me to think something else may be going on. Let us know how the lower psi works out.

[DrewNJ]

That's a fairly common problem to get a squirrelly ride when making a big tire/wheel change. We used to run into this with our jeeps. We used to have to dial out quite a bit of toe.

Do a google search for "shade tree alignment" and secure a few lengths of angle iron to the wheels and check your toe.
I'm going to guess you are going to see a LOT of toe in.
It will cost you nothing but some time to check your toe.
You can use an alignment shop too, but if you take your time it's an east DIY. Just remember that if you make any changes you have to make those changes to both sides. Work slow, write down what changes you make. Also try to get some weight on it when taking measurements.

On another note, I checked the toe on my 2012 RS and it was toed OUT quite a bit from BRP......still wondering about that one...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

"D" mentioned alignment; I'd take a look at what you've got going on there. :thumbup: Perhaps a small adjustment might help with tracking... :shocked:
As Scotty mentioned; losing sidewall can affect how you get moved around on the bike as it hits a bump. :yikes: Try bringing your knees in against the "tank" to steady yourself a bit more; that might help! ;)
And it does look COOL! :2thumbs:

[MikeinGA]

D-Nice (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?5646-D-Nice), You ever have a shop screw around with the alignment after your wheel upgrade? Just dropped the psi to about 17 like mellowcmb (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?11817-mellowcmb) suggested. Will take it out as soon as I'm able, to test if that made a difference:pray:. If it feels like it at least makes a dent in the issue of bouncing all over the place on the slightest bump in the road, then the other dent I need to make is the sway & drift issue. I guess I can drop a couple more $$$ on a sway bar upgrade. That'll help regardless of what wheels I ultimately end up with. After trying to read the wikipedia link that MikeinGA (http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/member.php?8077-MikeinGA) posted I wonder if dropping $$$ on an alignment might help.

The only problem with alignment on the Spyder is that there is no adjustments for caster or camber only toe in. You may want to talk to some one in a automotive frame shop. Working with steering geometry is an art in it self.

[WAR209]

The only problem with alignment on the Spyder is that there is no adjustments for caster or camber only toe in. You may want to talk to some one in a automotive frame shop. Working with steering geometry is an art in it self.

Well that Sucks.... I plan to take it in as soon as I can & have a shop take a look at the alignment. Hopefully toe in adjustments in itself will at least make a difference. Also sent bajaron a PM to get his input as well.

Will report back as soon as I can test things out. Again... tx for all the input everyone is giving.

[Bob Denman]

Good Luck! :thumbup:
And as bad as it might sound :shocked:; I hope that they find something in the alignment that needs addressing for you... ;)

[SpyderWolf]

I hope you are able to get it to a point where the ryde is stable and you feel safe. Those wheels do look great!

[Cruzr Joe]

Just think

YOU COULD HAVE HAD A V-8 :thumbup:

Cruzr Joe

[WAR209]

Ok..... Took her out for a couple hours, for more ride testing..

Did a little prayer, geared up, and drove over the first bump down the road. The one that caused the first :shocked: moment on my first test ride...... She drove over it like butter..... Kept going down the block, & guess what....... She kept a straight line......

I got excited & went on a bump hunt.... I purposefully drove over every bump, lump, and pot hole I could find, (including train tracks), at various speeds from 25 to 45mph. Took it all without a blink.. :ohyea:

Dropping the psi down to 17, made a HUGE difference. Thank you mellowcmb. I assume dropping the shocks also played a part, but I would never have dropped the psi that low without the suggestion. D-Nice, you should really consider doing the same... It was a night & day transformation in how it handles over road variations & bumps.

It's still more responsive than normal, but thats to be expected with the wider tire/wide footprint. DEFINITELY, not all over the road the way is was on my first ride.

Took her on the highway at about 70mph. Still had a sway at high speed, but even that felt better. It's not gone of course..... but better than my first test ride. I Still want to go the alignment route, to see if I can improve it further.

As far as the alignment - There's really only 2 Can-Am dealers in my immediate area. The shop I normally go to, won't touch it. :dontknow: They won't even take measurements for me... I'm gonna try not to hold that against them, cause I really like them otherwise.. Anyway.... Called another shop, that I would rather NOT go to, (no comment) & they're willing to do an alignment. I Plan on getting it done later in the week. They claim the alignment is "a lot more involved than you think".

If I can improve the sway by at least 50% from what it is now, then I'll be perfect... I'll probably still upgrade the sway bar too. Don't think I can go wrong in upgrading that... Waiting for bajaron's response to my pm.

[mellowcmb]

The upgraded swaybar would be my next step. Hopefully the alignment will help out. Glad its working out for you. Ride safe. Will keep an eye out for this thread.

[SpyderWolf]

I would also opt for the upgraded sway bar. Glad to hear things are getting better for you and it is rideable now.

[Bob Denman]

:agree: :2thumbs: :ohyea::ohyea::ohyea:

[carm044]

Good to here things turned out great:yes:. Bike looks nice, can't wait to see the custom fenders enjoy bro:clap:... Send pics..l

[Flanker]

Glad to hear you've got it working better (i.e. haven't stutter bumped yourself into an oncoming gasoline tanker :yikes:)! As much as I like my Spyder, I've always wondered why the BRP engineers decided to run with the tiny wheel sizes and not something in the 16 or 17" range? Would've made replacement tire selection much larger, and easier for us, and an additional selling point for Spyders. Larger wheel diameters would have made 320mm brake rotors and 4 to 6 piston calipers feasible as well (would have gone well with the 200HP, 6 spd, 640 lb Spyder :yikes: they should have built all along.........................just sayin').

[blambert]

Couple of good points already made by others...................you've just discovered the foibles of increasing the leverage (via your adapters moving the wheels/tires outboard to the stock location) your wheels exert on your suspension; the potential detriment of drastically increasing unsprung weight vs sprung weight (if you didn't know it's commonly accepted at a 1 to 4 ratio) without proportionately altering both spring rate and compression/rebound damping to compensate for the increase in unsprung weight, vividly demonstrating how low aspect ratio tires have stiffer sidewalls vs higher aspect ratio tires, thereby improving turn in response, decreasing rim protection, while increasing ride harshness, and requiring a minimum threshold sprung weight to function properly, as well as how important understanding the theory and practical implementation of toe in/out, camber, and caster settings are to proper suspension function. BTW: They do look bitchin'. As a practical suggestion....................Bajaron seems to have a pretty good grasp on the ins and outs of Spyder suspension based on experience and technical knowledge.................you might wish to consult with him r.e. potential mitigating measures for your new "pimpin' dubs". Good luck! Oh yea...................you've succeeded in making me nervous about swapping my front tires to 185/60/14s on the stock rims. Thanks! :joke: One more thing: I take it; it the roads are never wet at "your house"? Because if they are......................you'll discover why not having fenders over your tires sucks. OK, OK.................one more, one more thing..........................the taller OAD of the new front rim/tire combination with a corresponding increase in rear rim/tire OAD has fundamentally altered the overall stance of your ride, affecting center of gravity, polar moment of inertia, weight shift on acceleration and braking, roll rate and yaw response. They still look bitchin' though.



I put 185/60/14 Electra platinum tires and six spoke rims on my 2011 RS. Had to shim the fenders up and out a little bit them went on a four day ride though the Utah mountains, ran like a champ I also have Baja Ron's sway bar and rt front shocks. I have set on 5 setting on front shocks going to dial down to four setting to see if I get the same turn performance with a softer ride

[WAR209]

Thanks Guys... I didn't hesitate... Ordered Ron's sway bar a few days ago... Was supposed to arrive yesterday, but apparently some USPS worker in Philadelphia, must have forgotten his/her glassess & sent the damn package to a different county.
:gaah:Patience is not my strongest quality...

I'm hoping to get it today... but might have to wait till Tuesday, due to their mistake. Got my :ani29: lifted, naked & sedated in the garage, waiting for her new transplant. If it doesn't arrive, I'll be putting her back together.... Can't let the whole weekend pass without riding.

:lecturef_smilie: No, No, No,...... Not In My House!!!

[Bob Ledford]

You have already invested a bucket full of time and money so go the extra mile and find a front end alignment shop and have the alignment checked by a professional that can think outside of the box. Keep us up to date as you are definitely thinking outside the normal box !!,

[WAR209]

:ohyea::ohyea::ohyea:

Picked up BajaRon's Anti- Sway Bar from the Post Office yesterday. (Wasn't about to wait till Tuesday). I have to admit.... When I pulled it out the box, & installed it... I couldn't imagine how this thing would make a difference. Took her out today for a run on the highway. It's sunny & clear, but pretty windy today.... about 20mph cross winds on the highway. I felt today would be a perfect day to test this baby, and all I can say is OH MY EFFIN GAWD!!! The sway is gone.... Gone..... The whole ride to the highway was rock solid. Once I was on, I accelerated to about 90mph, turned around with a BIG Ole smile on my face, tucked.... & hit 105mph on the way back. It was like an Arrow....
:yes::yes::yes:. Amazing....

Haven't yet taken it to the shop for an alignment, (supposed to take it this Tuesday), but I really don't wan't them to mess with it to be honest. After today's ride, I honestly dont think I need it.. Feels more stable than it did before the wheel upgrade. I think I'm done guys..

SO... my magic fix was:


Dropped Fox Podium shocks down to only 2 rings above it's lowest setting
Dropped stock tire pressure from 35psi to 17psi
Installed BajaRon's Anti-Sway Bar


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE!! :bowdown:

[mellowcmb]

Good job!!! I was just gonna tell you NOT to do the alignment. Don't fix what's not broken. If everything feels good to you then leave it as is until you real need the alignment. From your previous post it sounds lime you don't trust the place too much. Enjoy the bike the way it is right now.
When you get a chance, can you PM me the details of your spacers and the specs of your wheels. Much appreciated!!

Mellow

[jerpinoy]

I'm happy for you, doing what you want is the best thing to do. Just keep doing it safely. Good luck.

[Jsalientes3]

Im really glad you got your Spyder running nice now. I have a question? I have a 2012 RS-S and I ordered new rims/tires 215/35/18 custom made from RideWrightWheels. I'm kinda worried because I hear stories about the Spyder's computer system goes crazy and that it goes into limp mode. Has anyone had any issues with this? Any info would help.
Thank you

[bzbaeren]

Great story and all the advice from members was great, I'm glad it worked out but more impressed by all the good advice and support you got. What a great group to belong to.:yes::yes::yes:

[WAR209]

Im really glad you got your Spyder running nice now. I have a question? I have a 2012 RS-S and I ordered new rims/tires 215/35/18 custom made from RideWrightWheels. I'm kinda worried because I hear stories about the Spyder's computer system goes crazy and that it goes into limp mode. Has anyone had any issues with this? Any info would help.
Thank you

Well.... My story didn't really have a happy ending... A couple weeks after my last post, the bike went into limp mode on an on ramp while I was doing about 80mph in a wide turn. I was surrounded by traffic, in the passing lane, with an 18 wheeler to my right. It was the scariest thing I've experienced in a LONG time. I seriously can't believe/understand, why the :cus: someone would design a bike of any kind, to shut down & completely drop speed when it senses a "fault". It felt like it dropped to first gear while in 5th. It's the most dangerous thing you can do to a rider. ABSoLUTELy STUPID!!! :mad: I thought I had a blow-out the way it was sputtering.... I saw my life flash before my eyes as I heard cars breaking inches behind me. I was forced to pull off to the right since there was no left side lane, while cars where swerving around me.

Anyway, I took it to be checked a few days later & they told me it was obviously caused by the wheels. The way it was explained to me was, the spyder has sensors that monitor a number of scenarios, and/or conditions; and when certain scenarios/conditions are met, it = limp mode. I questioned why I had not experienced this before, while having the wheels and going much faster than I was that day. He felt the magic ingredient was the fact that I was in a slight turn, AND going 80MPH, causing the sensor to think I was spinning out.

My daughter is always wanting to ride with me, & I never want to have that happen while I have her with me, so I went back to stock for now. When I did, I realized what a difference the ride quality really was. Nothing comes close to the stability of the stock set-up.

Keep this in mind, The greater the difference is in OD from the stock wheels, the greater your chances are of going into limp mode. My 17" tire size was only .48" larger, which is a 2.1% difference in OD. If your going with a tire size of 215/35/18, thats 1.48" larger which is a 6.6% difference in OD. If your also replacing your rear wheel & making sure the OD difference of the back tire matches the front difference, then you might be ok. If you weren't planning on replacing the back wheel/tire, then I'm willing to bet my left nut that your dash will light up like a xmas tree before you leave your driveway.

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Well this is another issue that you might need to sort out... but it's a do-able item! :thumbup:
I have heard of some folks moving all of the wheel speed sensors to just the rear wheel; it fools the 'puter into thinking that they're all happily spinning at the same speed...
:lecturef_smilie: I'm not suggesting it... I'm just sayin'...

[WAR209]

Yeah, I heard about the sensor move trick. The shop who checked out the codes, instructed me to call back & speak to their lead tech who was on vacation at the time. Apparently they install after market wheel all the time, & this particular tech knows how to either disable, or move the sensor to prevent limp mode. I know folks on this forum would argue to NOT disable or mess with the sensors.. But I'm sure if they ever go into Limp Mode, they'd be singing a new song. I'm gonna stay stock for now... We'll see... I'm keeping my mind off of the wheels for now, by redirecting myself & having some fun with HID lights, and some LED's from Tricled.. :D

[Bob Denman]

We can't wati to see what you cook up next! :thumbup: