"Stealth" Project Elka...

[Bob Denman]

Well The Missus got out of the house this morning for a couple of hours, so I dug out every 15mm wrench I could find, a prybar and a rubber mallet.
(Oh! A flashlight too!)
Backed the RT ouf of it's pit stall and where I'd have some fighting room... Jacked it up, and got the nuts off the ends of the shock mount bolts, (That one on top is a real ; First bleeding episode within 5 minutes!)
Punched/pulled the bolts out and the stocker, as usual; got all fouled up in the a-arms and plastic... three minutes of wiggling and cussing (The shock; not me!) and it was free.
Installation:
They're pretty to look at! It took me ten minutes to re-trace the route back up into the bodywork, and then I couldn't line it up well-enough to get it within the bracketry... After twenty minutes of jacking/lowering/jacking, I found the sweet-spot and the top was where it needed to be. Ten minutes of dropping the top bolt; it was in!
THE BOTTOM...
Didn't want to co-operate at all... Another twenty minutes of jacking prying tapping practice... AND I KNOCKED MY LEFT MIRROR OFF!
Now I'm getting ticked...
Okay; it's lined up well enough that the bolt grumbles it's way into place. I re-install the nuts and take a look at the mirror...
No Damage to the pins!
So here I am; one shock on, bleeding from two puncture wounds, and The Missus is due back any minute for lunch...
I'm gonna go puke...
...And the other side can wait a while!

[can-am sam]

After installing the Elkas, the Spyder sits higher. The headlights will need to be adjusted lower.

[mcaccamise]

WOW what a beach hope you have better luck on the other side maybe removing the body panel would be easyier to locate the upper mount and some gloves for the bleaders.
Mike

[Bob Denman]

Well I'll be a Monkey's Uncle (And apologize to our Simian friends as well...); the second one slid into place about as easy as I would have hoped.
I even got it in place JUST before the Missus walked in... I didn't even have time to note it in the bike's records yet...

So at least the Elkas are on... The RonBar is next!

[Bob Ledford]

Isn't that the it is supposed to work?

[Tin Can]

Bob
Wouldn't it have been easier if you took the Frunk off. Had more room to work on the Shocks and you can get to the sway bar while you have it apart. I am going to do the same thing as soon as it warms up. Like you have your opinion on this. I have a spyderpop gaurd on mine. Thinking if I have to take the gaurd off and the two bolts on the bottom, it would be just as easy to take the frunk off...Have a heck of a lot more room.

[BajaRon]

Bob
Wouldn't it have been easier if you took the Frunk off.

No.... The shocks would be somewhat more easily accessed but you're going to more than pay for that with the difficulty and time spend removing and replacing the Frunk on an RT.

[Bumblebee67]

After installing the Elkas, the Spyder sits higher. The headlights will need to be adjusted lower.

100% (if you don't believe me, just ask the man who drives the car with the pretty blue lights on top )!!!

[Bob Denman]

No.... The shocks would be somewhat more easily accessed but you're going to more than pay for that with the difficulty and time spend removing and replacing the Frunk on an RT.

That's why I still haven't tackled project, "Stealth RonBar" yet ; Building up my courage...

Headlight adjustments: Mine have always seemed dismally low; I'll wait until I've had a chance to point them out into the darkness before figuring out that part of the deal...


Whenever I tackle anything much beyond opening a jar of peanut butter; I always seem to find a way for the effort to become.... more involved than my worst nightmares would ever have thought possible!

[Tin Can]

Thanks guy's for the input....Will take your advice.

[ulflyer]

For those who are planning on getting them, hold out till Spyderfest and let the pro's install them. I had mine done at Lamonts BBQ last fall and there was no charge for installation.

[Bob Denman]

I was never too good at waiting to become "patient"...
It's probably a good thing to break out the wrenches and Band-Aids in an attempt to learn something about what makes these bikes tick!

[Trooper]

For those who are planning on getting them, hold out till Spyderfest and let the pro's install them. I had mine done at Lamonts BBQ last fall and there was no charge for installation.

Indeed. I always bring plenty of Band Aids with me for that event anyways.

[pwilbarger]

Bob that doesn't sound very encouraging. I just bought some '12 OEMs from flybuddy for my '10 RT-S and now wonder if I should wait for spring and let the dealer swap them.😜NAH! I can do it. Also have the BajaRon bar to do.


Spyder Phyl

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[Bob Denman]

You have to remember that when I discuss my mechanical ineptitude; there are very unfortunate souls on the Planet who come close to matching it!
You'll have not trouble at all!

[mhoecker]

Well I'll be a Monkey's Uncle (And apologize to our Simian friends as well...); the second one slid into place about as easy as I would have hoped.
I even got it in place JUST before the Missus walked in... I didn't even have time to note it in the bike's records yet...

So at least the Elkas are on... The RonBar is next!

Bob, did you also purchase an Elka rear shock? I missed which model shocks you bought. I'd probably get new all around as two up is pretty common for us. Also thinking the sway bar is a good investment. You have a good head for these things and I'd like to know your thinking on why you selected the model Elkas you did. Thanks so much!

Madonna

[SpyderAnn01]

Bob that doesn't sound very encouraging. I just bought some '12 OEMs from flybuddy for my '10 RT-S and now wonder if I should wait for spring and let the dealer swap them.NAH! I can do it. Also have the BajaRon bar to do.


Spyder Phyl

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Don't wait you can do both of these projects easily. Swapping the shocks shouldn't take long at all. Maybe the Elka's make it more difficult or maybe it is just Bob being Bob. We swapped 10 for 11 shocks on mine and it was a piece of cake.

Removing and reinstalling the bump skid takes more time than swapping out the sway bars.

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for that encouragement!
Trust me; I AM that bad...
It's an unfortunate combination of health issues and basic clumsiness that have mated together to create "The perfect Storm" of ineptitude!
(Low vision, and neuropathy from 48 years of Type I diabetes; I can't feel what I pick up, and my right thumb doesn't work anymore!)

[Bob Denman]

I'm actually planning on using a little bit of subterfuge... AGAIN!
Since the Stebel also needs to be mounted, I'm going to mope around a bit; bemoaning all of the body parts that need to be moved for that to happen. The "RonBar" will just sort of appear in the background; unnoticed!

Of course; two projects at once is going to take at least eight hours now!

[DrewNJ]

I was never too good at waiting to become "patient"...
It's probably a good thing to break out the wrenches and Band-Aids in an attempt to learn something about what makes these bikes tick!

NICE!!

[rhansen309]

Indeed. I always bring plenty of Band Aids with me for that event anyways.

Do you know of any specials yet for Spyderfest. I want o get a set of Stage 1 for my 2011 RT.