Laser Alignment & BajaRon Swaybar Good to Go!

[Imnotlost]

Thanks to DocRiverside and his array of tools, jigs, lifts carts, and laser alignment system, we were able to replace the OEM sway bar, change the oil, adjust the drive belt tension & position and perform a laser alignment.
I must say, the drive belt alignment is not for the faint-hearted - at least on the 2014 model RT. Poor Doc had to re-adjust it 5 times before it finally settled into a good place on the sprocket. I certainly learned a LOT doing all of this maintenance and was quite impressed with the results. The bike tracks perfectly now and riding over the Buckman bridge in Jacksonville during a blustery afternoon ride home, I didn't experience the typical twitchy whipsawing I had in the past.
So, hats off to Doc and many thanks for the hard work and patience he showed when I could never find a tool he was needing! :opps:
Working with stand-up Forum members is always a bonus, because when things don't always go as planned, mutual trust and respect helps to solve problems that may arise....like Dell laptops that eat passwords!, right Doc? :banghead: ;)
It all worked out for the best anyhow, and I am happy to have gone through the learning experience.
Many thanks!

[RBS66]

Sounds like a great experience. It's nice having people you can trust work on your bike

[Imnotlost]

Absolutely! I would ride 200 miles to perform maintenance on my bikes with someone knowledgeable and trustworthy as opposed to having to take it in to my local dealership and hope they don't screw something up.

[DC1]

We ride the twisties a lot and probably exceed the Spyder RT weight limit also...I upped the air pressure in the front tires and it helps some but I guess my question is....Does that swaybar and beefier shocks really make that much of a difference in holding the twisties on a 2014 RT?..I thought BRP had beefed them up already when they went to the 3cyl...And how much stiffer does it make the suspension on a highway trip (bumps, potholes, Ect)?......

[bodymanpainter]

I agree, Doc is the best. He did my laser alignment and made a big difference in my 14 RTS.
I will be going back when the time comes to change the trans. filter and oil.
Thanks Doc!
Toby

[2 Cruysyn]

...Does that swaybar and beefier shocks really make that much of a difference in holding the twisties on a 2014 RT?..I thought BRP had beefed them up already when they went to the 3cyl...And how much stiffer does it make the suspension on a highway trip (bumps, potholes, Ect)?......

The sway bar doesn't effect the ride as long as you're traveling in a straight line. But, in turns and dirty air from semis and other large vehicles or even a stiff crosswind is when you'll notice the difference between the oem bar and Baja Ron's bar. It's called roll and there's a lot less of it.

You can get carried away with stiffening up the preload on your Sachs Shocks, which you have no way of doing on your '14 without Ron's preload adjusters which are more about maintaining ride height when you load the frunk. Nice thing about 'em though is, frunk loaded or not, you can tweak the preload to your liking for the kind of riding you do.

I suspect that if you, at least, swapped the bar (and links that come with it) you'd be pleasantly surprised next time you hit the twisties.

[robmorg]

The sway bar doesn't effect the ride as long as you're traveling in a straight line. But, in turns and dirty air from semis and other large vehicles or even a stiff crosswind is when you'll notice the difference between the oem bar and Baja Ron's bar. It's called roll and there's a lot less of it.

You can get carried away with stiffening up the preload on your Sachs Shocks, which you have no way of doing on your '14 without Ron's preload adjusters which are more about maintaining ride height when you load the frunk. Nice thing about 'em though is, frunk loaded or not, you can tweak the preload to your liking for the kind of riding you do.

I suspect that if you, at least, swapped the bar (and links that come with it) you'd be pleasantly surprised next time you hit the twisties.
:agree:, wholeheartedly with BOTH points. About 18 months ago I was where DC1 is, wondering how much difference a little larger swaybar could actually make. Then I finally installed BajaRons swaybar, and I was literally amazed by how much less role there was, and how much less I needed to lean in every turn.

Then later I installed his shock adjusters, and was surprised again by how they stiffened and smoothed out the ride. I would heartily recommend both - especially for larger riders , or folks who carry a lot of weight on their Spyders. I think they will Improve the ride on any Spyder, but the more weight you carry, the more you really need both of these mods. :thumbup:

[samsonone1]

Thanks to DocRiverside and his array of tools, jigs, lifts carts, and laser alignment system, we were able to replace the OEM sway bar, change the oil, adjust the drive belt tension & position and perform a laser alignment.
I must say, the drive belt alignment is not for the faint-hearted - at least on the 2014 model RT. Poor Doc had to re-adjust it 5 times before it finally settled into a good place on the sprocket. I certainly learned a LOT doing all of this maintenance and was quite impressed with the results. The bike tracks perfectly now and riding over the Buckman bridge in Jacksonville during a blustery afternoon ride home, I didn't experience the typical twitchy whipsawing I had in the past.
So, hats off to Doc and many thanks for the hard work and patience he showed when I could never find a tool he was needing! :opps:
Working with stand-up Forum members is always a bonus, because when things don't always go as planned, mutual trust and respect helps to solve problems that may arise....like Dell laptops that eat passwords!, right Doc? :banghead: ;)
It all worked out for the best anyhow, and I am happy to have gone through the learning experience.
Many thanks!
Where is Doc located an how do you get in touch with him. Is he in Jacksonville?

[Doc - Riverside]

Where is Doc located an how do you get in touch with him. Is he in Jacksonville?

Just North of Jax, take US 1 into Folkston, Ga. I'm 12 miles North of town on River Road.

[DC1]

The sway bar doesn't effect the ride as long as you're traveling in a straight line. But, in turns and dirty air from semis and other large vehicles or even a stiff crosswind is when you'll notice the difference between the oem bar and Baja Ron's bar. It's called roll and there's a lot less of it.

You can get carried away with stiffening up the preload on your Sachs Shocks, which you have no way of doing on your '14 without Ron's preload adjusters which are more about maintaining ride height when you load the frunk. Nice thing about 'em though is, frunk loaded or not, you can tweak the preload to your liking for the kind of riding you do.

I suspect that if you, at least, swapped the bar (and links that come with it) you'd be pleasantly surprised next time you hit the twisties.

May just do the BajaRon mod, get it laser aligned once more afterwards, and just see how it is from there....Sounds like a nice winter project...I appreciate the info...

[Chupaca]

for now...:roflblack::roflblack: you got a lot done and know your enjoying the new handling..lucky you have Doc close by..congrats..!! :ohyea::ohyea:

[Fat Baxter]

After I had my RonBar installed, I found I could add at least 10 MPH to some of the local sweepers. Reducing body roll goes a long way to building confidence in handling curves, as well as adding speed through the same curves.

[Imnotlost]

I have not taken my RT through twisty turns since installing the swaybar, but as was mentioned in this thread, it makes a noticeable difference in reducing the whipsawing affect you feel in crosswinds and truck air-wakes. I also suspect it will help reduce the drifting and bobbing that I experience in cloverleafs.

Related to cornering and twisties, I have discovered that "stepping" down on the floorboard on the outside leg during a turn really helps in reducing the level of centrifugal force felt and helps me maintain better control through the turns. I'm sure most of you have discovered this as well, but its a new technique I've found helpful and something that doesn't seem natural having transitioned from riding 2-wheels. But hey, it works for me!