Its official: BajaRon's swaybar is a MUST have for all RT owners!

[Bob Denman]

Yup!
If you wagged the tail out about 6", you had already crashed and just didn't know it yet...

[Sarge707]

You guys are just KILLING me!
I've got this beauty in my garage all unwrapped and begging to be added to the bike...
But I haven't got a clue or plan yet as to how!
And you're all happier than a bunch of clams in wet sand; and I can't join in the fun!

There,s Plenty of directions? Shouldn,t Take you a Hour!!

[liketoride2]

You guys are just KILLING me!
I've got this beauty in my garage all unwrapped and begging to be added to the bike...
But I haven't got a clue or plan yet as to how!
And you're all happier than a bunch of clams in wet sand; and I can't join in the fun!

Here's a link to pictures showing the installation, posted earlier on this thread. Join the fun!!

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/a...p?albumid=2506

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

[BajaRon]

You guys are just KILLING me!
I've got this beauty in my garage all unwrapped and begging to be added to the bike...
But I haven't got a clue or plan yet as to how!
And you're all happier than a bunch of clams in wet sand; and I can't join in the fun!

[DougB]

Still awaiting delivery.

[SpyderAnn01]

[QUOTE=Bob Denman;551800]You guys are just KILLING me!
I've got this beauty in my garage all unwrapped and begging to be added to the bike...
But I haven't got a clue or plan yet as to how!
And you're all happier than a bunch of clams in wet sand; and I can't join in the fun! [/QUOTE

Bob, if I can do most of the install myself you should be able to do it all by yourself. I got in a 100 mile ride today and it really does make a difference.

[Sarge707]

[QUOTE=SpyderAnn01;552336]

You guys are just KILLING me!
I've got this beauty in my garage all unwrapped and begging to be added to the bike...
But I haven't got a clue or plan yet as to how!
And you're all happier than a bunch of clams in wet sand; and I can't join in the fun! [/QUOTE

Bob, if I can do most of the install myself you should be able to do it all by yourself. I got in a 100 mile ride today and it really does make a difference.

He appears to be " Mechanically Challenged???

[BajaRon]

Still awaiting delivery.

PM your info to me and I'll check on this.

[BajaRon]

[QUOTE=Sarge707;552341]

He appears to be " Mechanically Challenged???

Hope this helps!

[Bob Denman]

"Appears to Be"... I'm the "POSTER CHILD" for what can go wrong; will!
That; plus the fact that the Missus doesn't even know that I've got it... I need to get rid of her for a very long day as well...
If she were to walk out into the garage and see me mucking about under the bike clutching another farkle.... You guys could probably buy the bike cheap from her while my meager estate is settled before she goes to jail...

[eddieshep999]

[QUOTE=Sarge707;552341]

He appears to be " Mechanically Challenged???

Thats just nut's !

[AbNormy]

I mistakenly ordered the bar for the RS last summer got it installed without removing Frunk, then Ron realized it wasn't an RS so he said take it back off. 2 hours first time about an hour the second.

[ringalls51]

you are right got the swaybar. put it on and was not hard at all. my wife and I could not believe the difference a swaybar could make. it is a must on rt. my wife has a 2012 spyder rt a/c. she has had it for about 2 monthes we were taking 40 mph curves at 49 mph and couldn't tell it. just have to watch my speed on curves now. worth every penny for the cost of the bar. had front tires at 30 lbs and shockes at 5 after putting on swaybar now front tires at 25 lbs and shockes at 3. rides so much better.

Arrived, installed and tested!

All I can at is OH MY FREAKIN' GAWD! THIS THING IS AWESOME, A MUST HAVE FOR ANY RT OWNER!

I noticed a difference from the first right hand turn in my neighborhood at 25MPH and it only got better in the twisties!

I took an unfortunately short ride in some of the twisties I am most familiar with and the difference is amazing! Turns that uses to put a little fear in me where smooth as glass at higher speeds than ever before.

I do see one downside for Ron though, he is probably going to be selling fewer brake pads as a result of this amazing performance enhancing product.

Well done!

[SpyderAnn01]

you are right got the swaybar. put it on and was not hard at all. my wife and I could not believe the difference a swaybar could make. it is a must on rt. my wife has a 2012 spyder rt a/c. she has had it for about 2 monthes we were taking 40 mph curves at 49 mph and couldn't tell it. just have to watch my speed on curves now. worth every penny for the cost of the bar. had front tires at 30 lbs and shockes at 5 after putting on swaybar now front tires at 25 lbs and shockes at 3. rides so much better.

\\

Wow, you run really high pressure in your front tires How are the tires wearing?

[Sarge707]

you are right got the swaybar. put it on and was not hard at all. my wife and I could not believe the difference a swaybar could make. it is a must on rt. my wife has a 2012 spyder rt a/c. she has had it for about 2 monthes we were taking 40 mph curves at 49 mph and couldn't tell it. just have to watch my speed on curves now. worth every penny for the cost of the bar. had front tires at 30 lbs and shockes at 5 after putting on swaybar now front tires at 25 lbs and shockes at 3. rides so much better.

25 Pounds is a LOT according to 100,s of posts on the Forum?? I think if you tried 20 Pounds with the stock shocks on 4 or even 5 and the Sway Bar you would see a BIG difference.

The manual says #4 Shocks =200 pound rider and cargo!
#5 Shocks=Rider, Passenger, and Cargo!

Just my opinion.

[ckiblue]

my husband ordered this from Ron, arrived within a few days, and he put it on very quickly with no problems with the instructions that Ron included. took it out for a test drive this past weekend and curves that stated 30 could go around them at 39,so,smooth, now states just have to watch his speed now because it makes it so smooth that you dont realize youre going that fast. best buy for the bucks. thanks ron!

[ckiblue]

25 Pounds is a LOT according to 100,s of posts on the Forum?? I think if you tried 20 Pounds with the stock shocks on 4 or even 5 and the Sway Bar you would see a BIG difference.

The manual says #4 Shocks =200 pound rider and cargo!
#5 Shocks=Rider, Passenger, and Cargo!

Just my opinion.

thanks for info. i'll try it at 4 ,we've only got 2000 on it and the mechanic said tires wear on the inside of the spyder,
have you heard anything differently? this is ringalls with wife here signed in,so hopefully i wrote what he wanted to say.thanks again, in the process of learning about our spyder open to any and all info.

[NancysToy]

thanks for info. i'll try it at 4 ,we've only got 2000 on it and the mechanic said tires wear on the inside of the spyder,
have you heard anything differently? this is ringalls with wife here signed in,so hopefully i wrote what he wanted to say.thanks again, in the process of learning about our spyder open to any and all info.

Mechanic is full of baloney. That is the standard answer, but the truth is that a Spyder whose tires wear unevenly on the inside of both front tires is :

a. Overloaded without the front spring (shock) preload being set high enough,
b. Misaligned, with insufficient toe-in,
c. Running inadequate front tire pressure in combination with aggressive riding,

A correctly aligned Spyder with the front suspension in good shape will wear the tires evenly, and the fronts will last 20K or more. At 22K mine are only half worn. Check your front preload, and set it higher if needed. I recommend one notch above the recommendation in your manual for your weight, passenger, and cargo load. Be sure your front tire pressure is even, and high enough. The 15 psi in the manual is too low for most riders. A good place to start is 18 for an RT and 20 for an RS. If all else fails, find a good shop, that has experience with front end alignment, and have it done (after a thorough front suspension inspection). If your Spyder tends to follow every bump and bank in the road, and you are not holding the bars too tight and overcontrolling, the chances are it needs an alignment.

[ckiblue]

\\

Wow, you run really high pressure in your front tires How are the tires wearing?

Only got 2000,on it since we just got it in oct, the spyder mechanic said the spyder tire wear down on the inside of the tires so thats why we're trying the highe pressure, have you heard anything differently? this is ringalls talking thru wife since I'm on at the moment. thanks for the info.always open to more info.

[ckiblue]

Mechanic is full of baloney. That is the standard answer, but the truth is that a Spyder whose tires wear unevenly on the inside of both front tires is :

a. Overloaded without the front spring (shock) preload being set high enough,
b. Misaligned, with insufficient toe-in,
c. Running inadequate front tire pressure in combination with aggressive riding,

A correctly aligned Spyder with the front suspension in good shape will wear the tires evenly, and the fronts will last 20K or more. At 22K mine are only half worn. Check your front preload, and set it higher if needed. I recommend one notch above the recommendation in your manual for your weight, passenger, and cargo load. Be sure your front tire pressure is even, and high enough. The 15 psi in the manual is too low for most riders. A good place to start is 18 for an RT and 20 for an RS. If all else fails, find a good shop, that has experience with front end alignment, and have it done (after a thorough front suspension inspection). If your Spyder tends to follow every bump and bank in the road, and you are not holding the bars too tight and overcontrolling, the chances are it needs an alignment.

Thanks for the info. will do...mechanic is certified by BRP "master" maybe he misunderstood our question when asked

[NancysToy]

Thanks for the info. will do...mechanic is certified by BRP "master" maybe he misunderstood our question when asked

I'm afraid that the alignment procedure is not stressed in the BRP certification course, if it is taught at all. Very few otherwise good techs really understand it...or realize when it is needed. BRP's official position on this was to rotate the tires regularly, so that does not help. With a little luck, your tech will be open-minded, and willing to invest the time to learn the procdure, and buy the simple tools and materials to do an alignment for you. Have a heart-to-heart with him, and if it bears no fruit, find another dealer if you can. There are some that understand.

[BajaRon]

Thanks for the info. will do...mechanic is certified by BRP "master" maybe he misunderstood our question when asked

Scotty is right. If your Spyder is right your front tires will last a very long time. If it isn't then you may be putting tires on every 5k or so. Scotty is right again about how little some Spyder dealers seem to know about proper front end alignment. Unless you get a good dealer this seems to be the order of response to bad front tire wear.

#1 Answer - It's supposed to wear like that, they all do. Expected front tire life is 5,000 miles. (Bull Puckie!)
#2 - Run higher tire pressure and or set spring adjuster to a higher notch. (This will help if the problem is load related, but it won't cure a bad alignment. I recommend the same as Scotty, 18~20 lbs in front depending on conditions and spring setting higher with a heavier load)
#3 - Fiddle with alignment by 'Guessing' with adjustment. (I was shocked to see dealers recommend this approach. Quick, cheap, easy but NOT a good idea)
#4 - Actually align the front end properly. If alignment is the culprit then this is the only effective solution. It appears that many dealerships do not know how to do this which may be the reason for responses #1-#3.

[SpyderAnn01]

Ron I've got to say that the sway bar is fantastic. I got in a nice ride yesterday on some curvy roads and the new bar upped the fun level several notches! I'm hoping that the Owner's Event is in Durango again this year so I can give the Million Dollar Highway another run.

[BajaRon]

Ron I've got to say that the sway bar is fantastic. I got in a nice ride yesterday on some curvy roads and the new bar upped the fun level several notches! I'm hoping that the Owner's Event is in Durango again this year so I can give the Million Dollar Highway another run.

It really gives you a brand new riding experience. It is difficult to convey what a good sway bar will do for the Spyder. But once you've tried it, no more explanation is necessary.

Have a great time on your new suspension!

[Spyder_Cowgirl]

I've got the bar, waiting on the "bump skid" and plan to do both installs at the same time (since the Spyder will be "up" anyway). One thing that I cannot find are torque specs for any of the bolts in the install. Near as I can tell, there are 8 involved (4 on the bar, 2 at the heim joint, and 2 to loosen the frunk). I've checked the BRP 2012 RT maint. manual (on CD) and all it shows are instructions on removal and replacement, no mention of torque for any of the subject bolts (though I see torque mentioned many other places in the manual).

Does any one (Ron, maybe? ) have a recommendation for each of these? Also, for the two collars that go on at the end of the install, would there be a recommendation to use loctite on those small screws?

Looking forward to the improved ride and keeping up with SpyderCowboy on his HD Ultra Classic!