Laser Align

[bruiser]

How many of you have had the laser alignment and have not noticed a difference in operation?

[Bob Denman]

I get the feeling that we're gonna have a bit of a wait...

[5PYD3R]

I am pretty sure this is an instance where someone could say "I CAN speak for everyone when I say that EVERYONE has noticed a difference" If you have yours done and it needs it (which a great percentage of them do) then you will definitely notice a difference. Add the BajaRon Sway Bar if you haven't already and it will be a completely different bike.

[Bob Denman]

Nce Screen Name too! It's Home 040.jpg

[Larry rt]

I had mine done , 2 in. Off to right. Did not notice that much of a difference , BUT , prior to this had bad wear on outside of front tires! After alignment and 5000+ miles no uneven ware ! I am sure the alignment resolved tire ware! Also did sway bars, a little stiffer in corners now , less sway.
I think prior to 2013 models see more of a difference , the 13's because of changes are stiffer and track better . That is my opinion .

[FLAlaserman]

I had mine done , 2 in. Off to right. Did not notice that much of a difference , BUT , prior to this had bad wear on outside of front tires! After alignment and 5000+ miles no uneven ware ! I am sure the alignment resolved tire ware! Also did sway bars, a little stiffer in corners now , less sway.
I think prior to 2013 models see more of a difference , the 13's because of changes are stiffer and track better . That is my opinion .

Larry is correct...2 ways to know the change...

# 1 if you ride alot your body will tell you it is better( or maybe your arms will tell you !!!)

#2 is tire wear...if you notice odd tire wear your Spyder is not aligned correctly. After the last Spyder event I have done over 300...and only 5 have been perfect. The laser system debued at the owners event at Maggie Valley 2013, so this laser technology custom designed for the Spyder has only been around for less than a year.

No matter what.. get yours CHECKED....you might be one of the perfect ones. But you won't know until you have had it checked.

[PW2013STL]

I felt a slight differance. It was not a night and day type, but I the steering felt tighter. The teck said the right side was out 1/2" and the tires were showing signs of uneaven wear.

[NM Wrench]

I had my ST-L laser aligned by Fargaron services yesterday. Cliff and his wife took a break on their cross country trek to take care of me and my Spyder. They are wonderful people and did a wonderful job. I can't say how much I am glad I did it. My Spyder was out of alignment on both sides 1/8 of an inch. Luckily I hadn't yet gotten to the point of seeing abnormal outside tire wear. After test riding it before they left all I can say is WOW! What a difference it makes. Before it was always pulling left and now it tracks straight! I highly recommend it to everyone that has a squirrely Spyder........

[MouthPiece]

It, the laser alignment, is a "must". So much of a "must" that I've suggested to my dealer, Seminole Power Sports in Sanford, Florida, to include it in the "prep fee" when a new one is sold.

Chris

[CentralCoastCA]

On my RT I wasn't too sure until the high winds in the Mojave Desert kicked up.

[ARCTIC]

It probably rides better just like a clean car drives better

[Plyrod38]

I didn't notice and difference after the laser alignment. I got my alignment done at Honda of Winston Salem. The tech found one wheel 1/8 inch toe out. The tech said it was the second best one he'd seen. When I got my alignment done, the tech said he had done about 25 laser alignments.
The best one was in perfect alignment.

[Pampurrs]

Larry is correct...2 ways to know the change...

# 1 if you ride alot your body will tell you it is better( or maybe your arms will tell you !!!)

#2 is tire wear...if you notice odd tire wear your Spyder is not aligned correctly. After the last Spyder event I have done over 300...and only 5 have been perfect. The laser system debued at the owners event at Maggie Valley 2013, so this laser technology custom designed for the Spyder has only been around for less than a year.

No matter what.. get yours CHECKED....you might be one of the perfect ones. But you won't know until you have had it checked.

Is there a way to know for sure that my Spyder NEEDS to be aligned before I drop $150 on a laser alignment? I'm a Charter Member of the "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it" club. I've only had mine three weeks and 1,600 miles, and it feels fine to me. Especially after installing the BajaRon Sway Bar.

Thanks

Pam

[Orange Spyder Man]

it seems to me BRP could do a better job on alignment... why should just about every new spyder need alignment ?

osm

[900Dave]

I had mine done early last summer. Both fronts just slightly out of alignment. This spring I noticed severe cupping mainly on the left front, slight cupping on the right front. I had another alignment done and the left front was out quite a bit and the left front tire was basically junk. So I also replaced the front tires also. Federal EVO's.

Long story short, dont think if you had it done one time you will never need it again. POT HOLES will wreak havoc on your alignment.

[JayBros]

Is there a way to know for sure that my Spyder NEEDS to be aligned before I drop $150 on a laser alignment?
Pam

In a short word, no. Unlike car manufacturers that turn them out by the hundreds of thousands and have their acts together, BRP has no such volume and does has a rep for turning out misaligned Spyders. The 1,600 miles you have on yours may give you an indication if your tires are wearing equally evenly but it's tough to tell. Would you prefer to spend $150 to know your Spyder is properly aligned or maybe spend it prematurely for new tires. JMO.

[Gray Ghost]

Is there a way to know for sure that my Spyder NEEDS to be aligned before I drop $150 on a laser alignment?

Find a straight stretch of un-crowned road with no traffic, ride along the road at a speed just high enough to engage the cruise control, barely lift your hands from the grips and see if the bike drifts left or right. Not as scientific as getting it checked, but can let you know if you have a major problem. Again you need to keep your hands close enough to latch on in a hurry and I would only do it on roadway that I had rode along and checked for holes, etc first.

[retired1]

Is there a way to know for sure that my Spyder NEEDS to be aligned before I drop $150 on a laser alignment? I'm a Charter Member of the "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it" club. I've only had mine three weeks and 1,600 miles, and it feels fine to me. Especially after installing the BajaRon Sway Bar.

Thanks

Pam

I know a couple of vendors that use the ROLO laser alignment system, do not charge if the bike is not out of alignment.

[Pampurrs]

How many of you have had the laser alignment and have not noticed a difference in operation?

What exactly is the difference that you notice?

Pam

[ThreeWheels]

My 2010 had a lot of handling problems. RonBar. Badly worn tires. Three alignments in the shop prior to the introduction of laser alignment.
I bought my 2014, and had the laser alignment done within the first week of delivery.
I didn't have enough time to notice any difference.
Nevertheless, I consider it very good insurance.

[Scoot2Mtns]

Is there a way to know for sure that my Spyder NEEDS to be aligned before I drop $150 on a laser alignment? I'm a Charter Member of the "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it" club. I've only had mine three weeks and 1,600 miles, and it feels fine to me. Especially after installing the BajaRon Sway Bar.

Thanks

Pam

I went to Netzley's in NY for a laser alignment and installation of a BajaRon swaybar. I watched them do the alignment on my 2015 RT and it was spot on. When it came time to pay the bill, he said he wasn't charging me for the alignment cause it hadn't needed any adjusting! I'm definitely going back there when it's time for new tires, even though its a bit of a trek for me.

p.s. The swaybar changeout definitely stiffened up the cornering. Don't know if that's due to the swaybar itself, the solid heim links, or both. But definitely worth it.

[Highwayman2013]

What exactly is the difference that you notice?

Pam

To me the RT felt effortless to ride.

[jroberts650]

I gained a consistent gain in MPG, picked up 2 MPG. Mine wasn't terribly off but my steering sensor is what made a biggest difference. It was about 2-3 degrees off center. So it was causing a constant pull.

[Trbayth]

Squared Away did mine at Spyderfest and I noticed the difference mainly on the ride home.

Shoulders and back ached on the way out as I had to constantly micro-correct the Spyder, especially on the highways. On the way home the bike didn't need anywhere near as much corrections and on straight and true roads (like much of US60 East of Springfield) the bike would track straight without wandering.

I'm a believer.

[Omcge]

I had both my 2013 & 2014 RTL's done and neither needed adjustments. I was still charged.