Has anyone converted a manual model RTS to semi auto

[Dubliner]

I’m considering buying an early model RTS. Has anyone converted one from manual to semi automatic? Is there a lot involved in the process?
Thanks

[ARtraveler]

[starrider60]

Yes, there is a lot involved. Trade it on the other rather even attempt a conversion

[BajaRon]

Yes, there is a lot involved. Trade it on the other rather even attempt a conversion

I don't know about the 'YES' part. But I agree with the rest of the statement.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Yes, there is a lot involved. Trade it on the other rather even attempt a conversion

…………. The cost would make it prohibitive, even if you did ALL the labor ….if had to buy all the parts to build any Spyder it would cost you $75,000 +/- ….. Sell yours and look for an SE …..jmho …. Mike

[Chupaca]

I think if you price it out parts and labor you will find it better to just move on over to a semi auto unit....

[Peter Aawen]

I’m considering buying an early model RTS. Has anyone converted one from manual to semi automatic? Is there a lot involved in the process?
Thanks

The difficult bit would probably be the clutch & controllers for the gear selection. While certainly still expensive & difficult, I'd guess it's possibly fairly doable on the 2013's & earlier with the centrifugal clutches & solenoid activated gear changes over the manual box, altho I think there'd be new clutch/trans casing required to carry all that gear as well as all the different internal bits, but not positive on that! There almost certainly would be a whole 'nuther Transmission Control Module required, then all the solenoids & wiring etc necessary to make the gear changes work & work in split second timing with the clutch & engine revs et al, so of course you'd probably hafta get the rest of the Control Modules re-flashed to match the different trans & all those requirements too... and I doubt that's all, even tho it's most likely the EASY version!!

Once you hit 2014's & on with the 1330 motor, the SE Clutches rely on oil pressure & computer controlled electro-hydraulics to work, so I suspect there'd be a whole ship load of internal & external changes & parts necessary to make all that stuff work, PLUS all the TCM & ECM & VSS whatever/etc module changes necessary! Certainly not something you would be likely to do in just one afternoon, & definitely not anything that'd qualify as 'plug'n play'.... if fact, most likely it'd be a full on engine out & pretty near complete strip down job I reckon!

So to paraphrase what others have said, if you really want an SE, you'd probably be better off to buy one rather than try & convert an SM to SE! That said, IIRC there was a time when there were some pretty nifty 'automated clutch & gear changing' kits available for some motorbikes.... they were a/mkt bolt on kits, so always looked like an add on, but again IIRC, some of them worked pretty well. Might be worth a look, if anyone still does them?!

[Bike-O-Din]

Just a thought. Since this is an RT, you could just hire someone to sit in the front and from the rear position you could just tell them when to shift. Fully automatic, and probably cheaper in the long run.

I know this can work, since my wife used to do this frequently. I have tried to get her a bike of her own so she could shift to her hearts content, but so far no luck. She is completely content to ride along as an "advisor."



Happy New Year.

[Easy Rider]

I’m considering buying an early model RTS. Has anyone converted one from manual to semi automatic? Is there a lot involved in the process?
Thanks

Sure. It is easy.
You SELL the manual model and replace it with one that came from the factory with an automatic.

Seriously, I think that conversion is NOT something you want to try.
Too many things involved.

[Dubliner]

I have one of those too!