Bluehole
01-21-2015, 12:11 PM
I have been testing BajaRon's latest project as a test pilot. That project being shock spring pre load adjusters for the 2013/2014 Spyder RT's.
a pic--101063 The following is my feedback to Ron over the past 8 days and approx. 300 miles.
Hello Ron,
Got lucky and made it down to Wal Mart today for a few quick maneuvers before heading out to the rough patch of road. Decided to start out at 3 turns on the adjusters after much debate with myself. The left one (repaired) turns easier than the right. Suspect the right needs some more lube/anti-seize in it.
Just barely made it out of my gravel driveway and I could already feel a certain tightness in the suspension. Made my first 90 degree turn to the right and knew there was a difference in the corning. The road to Wal Mart felt smoother. I could have sworn the steering felt a touch lighter also??? Anyway, got to a side parking lot at Wal Mart where there were no cars and did a few hard 90 turns to the left and then right. Did a spirited straight line brake test and noticed that the front end did not dip as much as usual. Also noticed when mounting/dismounting the bike, there is not as much give/lean as there used to be. Yet another sign of the improved tightness of the shock springs.
So, off I went heading to the rough section of road for my first test. Arriving I noticed that the whole bike seemed a bit smoother through the roughness of that section of road. The mirrors seemed to have less vibration in them. The ride just seemed more solid. Getting up to 55mph on a fairly smooth stretch I definitely noticed a bit lighter touch needed on the steering--not much but I could feel a difference. The 55 mph is the legal speed limit around here.
Over all first impression---it was well worth the effort involved in the installation!! As I get used to the setup and the weather will allow me, I will take the adjusters higher to see if I get more improvement or too much harshness. I think it will be a fun ride around Lake Crescent as soon as I can get there!!!
Tuesday night the weather man out of Seattle was calling for sunshine and 50 degree temps Wednesday. I was relishing the chance of a full day of testing. Got up Wednesday to gray clouds and 40 degree temp. Taking all things into account---I chose to head East on Hwy 101 toward Olympia, WA. About 35 miles East of Sequim I ran into that sunshine and 50 degree temperature the weather man was talking about!!! It was a great day from there!!!
Found out a few things I wanted to know. We have BIG log trucks up this way and I, for one, have not enjoyed meeting them heading in the opposite direction that I am traveling!!! They tend to push everything out of their way with the air they are moving. I met a convoy of 5 of them on Hwy 101 moving at a pretty fair clip and to my surprise---the Spyder flinched ever so slightly but maintained course and speed nicely! Just to prove a point---I met up with another convoy of 3 about 3 miles further down the road and got the same results. OK, answered that question! Another question I was having---how does the Spyder handle in tight high speed corning?? Some history is in order. After first receiving my Spyder and not liking the handling, a quick search on SpyderLovers.com told me to get your sway bar and a laser alignment. That being done, I noticed something I call “snap to attention” coming out of tight turns. That is the point at which you are just starting to exit the apex of a turn and drift back to the outside. With almost no effort the Spyder would straighten the wheels/handlebars and assume an upright posture in an instant. To me, it was a feeling of total control and oneness with the machine or a split hair away from total destruction!! I lost that when all new tires where installed due to the alignment not being set properly. After much fiddling with said alignment, I got it back real close but not perfect. Wednesday’s ride proved that I got far closer than I thought. The “snap to attention” action was back!! The rest of the ride was all about control and stability, both of which were on full display. I traveled over primary and secondary 2 lane roads as well as a 4 lane divided highway. Speeds ranged from 50 to 70 mph. I covered a 200 mile round robin from my house in a little over 3 ½ hours. There was nothing that I could find wrong or objectionable to a setting of 4 turns on the adjusters. They smoothed out every kind of road I was on. They made the ride more comfortable & stable while not being too harsh. It was all miles of smiles!!!
I got yet another short day of testing in yesterday. I chose to stay close to home out of weather concerns. Got almost 40 miles in on all side streets. Dropped in on a couple parking lots with speed bumps and found a few more rough patches to test out. I continue to marvel at the difference these adjusters make! I really question why BRP did not do this from the factory.
I have not had any encounters that would cause me to have to make a sudden stop or evasive maneuver since installing the adjusters, so I try to make my own at the Wal Mart parking lot. I have set up a few using cones that I got out of the material from the MSF Trike school that was required before getting my endorsement here in Washington. As an added test, it was pouring rain when I took the riding exam!!
The setting of 4 turns seems to be ideal for me. It provides plenty of dampening of the rough roads without being overly harsh. It provides the necessary feedback to the rider to let that rider know he/she is in complete control of the machine. It provides a better level of comfort and stability for the rider. It is just plain great!!!
I would think all the other testers are sounding off in like manner???
Thank you Ron, for taking the initiative to bring such a great product to market!!!
another ride...this time with the CO on board. Neither of us could tell much difference in the ride from our respective position. It was just as smooth with her as it was without her. From her perspective, the ride felt much the same as it has always felt.
I went over the same rough patches as I took myself and at the same speeds with no ill effects at all. Cornering was crisp and smooth as it had been solo. All is looking right with the world here!!!
Tomorrow I am hoping for something between 50 and 100 miles to get in another great day of testing. There is a rough road over by Chimacum, WA called Center road. It takes you to Quilcene, WA. It is about 15 miles of chip seal with off camber turns and uneven pavement. Beyond that I am just going to put on more miles. I will be running solo tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.
My note: The install was lengthy but not all that difficult. If instructions are followed to the letter--a person would have no trouble. These make a great improvement in
all aspects of Spyder comfort/stability and handling.
Bob
a pic--101063 The following is my feedback to Ron over the past 8 days and approx. 300 miles.
Hello Ron,
Got lucky and made it down to Wal Mart today for a few quick maneuvers before heading out to the rough patch of road. Decided to start out at 3 turns on the adjusters after much debate with myself. The left one (repaired) turns easier than the right. Suspect the right needs some more lube/anti-seize in it.
Just barely made it out of my gravel driveway and I could already feel a certain tightness in the suspension. Made my first 90 degree turn to the right and knew there was a difference in the corning. The road to Wal Mart felt smoother. I could have sworn the steering felt a touch lighter also??? Anyway, got to a side parking lot at Wal Mart where there were no cars and did a few hard 90 turns to the left and then right. Did a spirited straight line brake test and noticed that the front end did not dip as much as usual. Also noticed when mounting/dismounting the bike, there is not as much give/lean as there used to be. Yet another sign of the improved tightness of the shock springs.
So, off I went heading to the rough section of road for my first test. Arriving I noticed that the whole bike seemed a bit smoother through the roughness of that section of road. The mirrors seemed to have less vibration in them. The ride just seemed more solid. Getting up to 55mph on a fairly smooth stretch I definitely noticed a bit lighter touch needed on the steering--not much but I could feel a difference. The 55 mph is the legal speed limit around here.
Over all first impression---it was well worth the effort involved in the installation!! As I get used to the setup and the weather will allow me, I will take the adjusters higher to see if I get more improvement or too much harshness. I think it will be a fun ride around Lake Crescent as soon as I can get there!!!
Tuesday night the weather man out of Seattle was calling for sunshine and 50 degree temps Wednesday. I was relishing the chance of a full day of testing. Got up Wednesday to gray clouds and 40 degree temp. Taking all things into account---I chose to head East on Hwy 101 toward Olympia, WA. About 35 miles East of Sequim I ran into that sunshine and 50 degree temperature the weather man was talking about!!! It was a great day from there!!!
Found out a few things I wanted to know. We have BIG log trucks up this way and I, for one, have not enjoyed meeting them heading in the opposite direction that I am traveling!!! They tend to push everything out of their way with the air they are moving. I met a convoy of 5 of them on Hwy 101 moving at a pretty fair clip and to my surprise---the Spyder flinched ever so slightly but maintained course and speed nicely! Just to prove a point---I met up with another convoy of 3 about 3 miles further down the road and got the same results. OK, answered that question! Another question I was having---how does the Spyder handle in tight high speed corning?? Some history is in order. After first receiving my Spyder and not liking the handling, a quick search on SpyderLovers.com told me to get your sway bar and a laser alignment. That being done, I noticed something I call “snap to attention” coming out of tight turns. That is the point at which you are just starting to exit the apex of a turn and drift back to the outside. With almost no effort the Spyder would straighten the wheels/handlebars and assume an upright posture in an instant. To me, it was a feeling of total control and oneness with the machine or a split hair away from total destruction!! I lost that when all new tires where installed due to the alignment not being set properly. After much fiddling with said alignment, I got it back real close but not perfect. Wednesday’s ride proved that I got far closer than I thought. The “snap to attention” action was back!! The rest of the ride was all about control and stability, both of which were on full display. I traveled over primary and secondary 2 lane roads as well as a 4 lane divided highway. Speeds ranged from 50 to 70 mph. I covered a 200 mile round robin from my house in a little over 3 ½ hours. There was nothing that I could find wrong or objectionable to a setting of 4 turns on the adjusters. They smoothed out every kind of road I was on. They made the ride more comfortable & stable while not being too harsh. It was all miles of smiles!!!
I got yet another short day of testing in yesterday. I chose to stay close to home out of weather concerns. Got almost 40 miles in on all side streets. Dropped in on a couple parking lots with speed bumps and found a few more rough patches to test out. I continue to marvel at the difference these adjusters make! I really question why BRP did not do this from the factory.
I have not had any encounters that would cause me to have to make a sudden stop or evasive maneuver since installing the adjusters, so I try to make my own at the Wal Mart parking lot. I have set up a few using cones that I got out of the material from the MSF Trike school that was required before getting my endorsement here in Washington. As an added test, it was pouring rain when I took the riding exam!!
The setting of 4 turns seems to be ideal for me. It provides plenty of dampening of the rough roads without being overly harsh. It provides the necessary feedback to the rider to let that rider know he/she is in complete control of the machine. It provides a better level of comfort and stability for the rider. It is just plain great!!!
I would think all the other testers are sounding off in like manner???
Thank you Ron, for taking the initiative to bring such a great product to market!!!
another ride...this time with the CO on board. Neither of us could tell much difference in the ride from our respective position. It was just as smooth with her as it was without her. From her perspective, the ride felt much the same as it has always felt.
I went over the same rough patches as I took myself and at the same speeds with no ill effects at all. Cornering was crisp and smooth as it had been solo. All is looking right with the world here!!!
Tomorrow I am hoping for something between 50 and 100 miles to get in another great day of testing. There is a rough road over by Chimacum, WA called Center road. It takes you to Quilcene, WA. It is about 15 miles of chip seal with off camber turns and uneven pavement. Beyond that I am just going to put on more miles. I will be running solo tomorrow. Will let you know how it goes.
My note: The install was lengthy but not all that difficult. If instructions are followed to the letter--a person would have no trouble. These make a great improvement in
all aspects of Spyder comfort/stability and handling.
Bob