Hopefully a new ACS question - can the ACS be set to a higher ride height?

[Bunson]

I have a problem with the rear bottoming out riding 1 up or 2 up. I disconnected the purge valve and manually fill the bag to 50lbs for 1 up and 75 for 2 up and the bottoming out stops. After riding for a hour I get a suspension fault that clears when the bike shuts off.
My question: can the ACS be programmed for a higher ride height than stock?
Thanks

[EdMat]

I have a problem with the rear bottoming out riding 1 up or 2 up. I disconnected the purge valve and manually fill the bag to 50lbs for 1 up and 75 for 2 up and the bottoming out stops. After riding for a hour I get a suspension fault that clears when the bike shuts off.
My question: can the ACS be programmed for a higher ride height then stock?
Thanks

You could recalibrate using BUDS with thicker spacer blocks.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You could recalibrate using BUDS with thicker spacer blocks.

OR you could dis-connect the AUTO fill feature and just do it manually like many here have done ..... Mike

[Snowbelt Spyder]

I have a problem with the rear bottoming out riding 1 up or 2 up. I disconnected the purge valve and manually fill the bag to 50lbs for 1 up and 75 for 2 up and the bottoming out stops. After riding for a hour I get a suspension fault that clears when the bike shuts off.
My question: can the ACS be programmed for a higher ride height than stock?
Thanks

Well, if you ride around 1-up for a time, and let the system work on its own with everything working as it should, come back and check the pressure, what pressure is the system maintaining? Is your air compressor even working anymore?

And, am I correct, in that, you actually starting having ride hight issues last year after a tire change? Sometimes a tech will remove the lower shock bolt during that job, and disconnect the sensor, in order to drop the swing arm further. Is the sensor linkage connected, and is it connected properly and not backwards? Or, does it look like it's been damaged, as in, he didn't disconnect the sensor when he hung the swing arm from it.

[Bunson]

Wow, I'm impressed Snowbelt. You must have the best memory around here.
Yes, this did start after a tire change but I haven't been able to draw a connection. The system works has intended as far as adding and releasing air. I'm 200lbs + gear and the ACS will maintain about 35 to 40lbs. I've found that if I disconnect the purge valve and run 50lbs (which lines up with the chart for manual fill in the manual), no more bottoming out.
I have noticed that the shock feels smoother at 50 versus 20. So I have wondered about the shock but see no leakage or damage and this began with 10,000 mi on the bike.
I have thought of making up an adjustable Heim joint rod to replace the stock rod from swing arm to sensor.

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Wow, I'm impressed Snowbelt. You must have the best memory around here.
Yes, this did start after a tire change but I haven't been able to draw a connection. The system works has intended as far as adding and releasing air. I'm 200lbs + gear and the ACS will maintain about 35 to 40lbs. I've found that if I disconnect the purge valve and run 50lbs (which lines up with the chart for manual fill in the manual), no more bottoming out.
I have noticed that the shock feels smoother at 50 versus 20. So I have wondered about the shock but see no leakage or damage and this began with 10,000 mi on the bike.
I have thought of making up an adjustable Heim joint rod to replace the stock rod from swing arm to sensor.

Well, full disclosure, I went back and read your older posts. Adjustable link - I like the idea. I like things to work the way they are supposed to work. Sometimes though, simple is better. So, if you ever change your mind, many of us have just gone to full manual. As long as your system doesn't leak, you should only have to unplug the vent valve, and remove the suspension relay or unplug the compressor. Typically, that doesn't cause a suspension fault light, unless the pressure / ride height gets too low. If your system does leak down, you'll need to just run tubing directly to the Schrader valve from the air bag and forget the rest. Good luck.

[Jetfixer]

It could be that your system needs calibration, which can only be done with BUDS.

[safecracker]

If it still looses air pressure you could have a bad/dirty check valve. This is the most common cause of the system bleeding/leaking air. Bruce

[Bunson]

I did have the ACS calibrated when the problem first started. It holds air fine. I disconnect the purge valve and can put whatever amount of air and it holds for weeks if not longer. That's my dilemma, it works fine except it runs about 10-15lbs less than what the bike needs and what should be correct based on the manual fill chart. I can continue this way but it sure would be nice if I didn't have to keep changing the pressure between 1 up and 2 up riding.
Manual Fill Chart.jpg

[Peter Aawen]

Ignore the chart, it's basically a WAG reflecting some BRP engineer's pretty clueless idea of what pressure might be needed in YOUR ACS air bag to carry YOUR load at the specified ride height (IF it's actually the correct ride height ) while YOU are riding YOUR Spyder under the specific conditions YOU are riding in, and it's very likely to be different to the pressure required by anyone else in THEIR ACS air bag to carry THEIR load at THEIR specified ride height while THEY are riding THEIR Spyder under the specific and probably quite different conditions THEY are riding in!

So it's pointless to worry about your pressure being different to that of anyone else's &/or different to any chart! I haven't seen any two Spyders with a functioning ACS that've ended up with the same pressures in their air bags after both rode the same route, even when they've both been carrying a fairly similar load, so I really doubt that the difference you see is going to be all that much of an issue! Use whatever pressure works for you most of the time; and if you're happy to keep on changing it when you carry a pillion instead of riding solo, just do that - OR you have the choice of either spending the $$ on getting the ACS working so that you can ignore the pressure in the air bag all the time; saving a bunch of $$
by bypassing the 'auto' bit & using ONE pressure setting for ALL of your riding, as many have done; or finally, modding your system &/or fitting a complete a/mkt system that allows you to choose your pressure setting somehow - some even do it on the fly via a switch on the dash but really, you can use any other adjust method you might prefer. But certainly don't stress over the arbitrary figures shown on a chart that really don't and can't take into account all of the many variables that might mean those figures are simply NOT CORRECT for YOU!

Read the large comment in my sig line below; maybe you should strive to follow the direction like I do - you'll probably be a whole lot better off in the long run if you do!

Just Sayin'

[larryd]

I did have the ACS calibrated when the problem first started. It holds air fine. I disconnect the purge valve and can put whatever amount of air and it holds for weeks if not longer. That's my dilemma, it works fine except it runs about 10-15lbs less than what the bike needs and what should be correct based on the manual fill chart. I can continue this way but it sure would be nice if I didn't have to keep changing the pressure between 1 up and 2 up riding.
Manual Fill Chart.jpg

Bunson, I sent you a PM yesterday with my contact information...I may be able to help with your air ride...CHECK YOUR PM IN BOX...larryd