Will Laser alignment help me??

[Pastapower]

I have a 2013 RTL that I purchased from a lady back in May who bought it new & only put 975 miles on it since June of 2013.
When I drove it to it's new home from San Diego to Palm Springs, the bike shuttered & vibrated almost uncontrollably at times, all above 45+ mph. I haven't been on a bike in a very long time & never a Can Am, so I didn't quite know what to think.

I did all my vetting homework on the bike before purchasing it, calling the service dept where she bought it & asking questions about the 600 mile checkup, ect.
They said everything was perfect.

I have since adjusted the tire pressure, put on the BajaRon sway bar & Heim links & Smooth Spyder belt tensioner. I even put the Counteract balancing beads in all tires as well.
With all that, the vibration & drifting dropped in half & felt like a diff bike altogether.

I have also adjusted the belt alignment & tension close to the new BRP's specs (630 +/- 100 nm)
Now my vibration is pretty much only at 53-55mph, but still annoying & unacceptable to me for a "new" bike that cost $30K when originally purchased.

Originally, Tightning the belt tension more through the adjusters or smooth Spyder made it worse. I have the smooth Spyder adjusted at 11 right now.

The belt alignment when I first bought the bike had absolutely no gap at the sprocket flange, zero....& the tension was at 200lbs tire on the ground (Criket II). I loosen it to 170-180lbs on ground/160up. But, damn it, still have vibration!

When I brought the bike in to my local Can Am dealer to have the air scoops & heat management kit put on for the 2013 recall, the tech did a complete checkup & said he had to adjust the steering through the on board computer, but other than that, everything looked excellent. Mind you, he never drove it. I asked him about laser alignment & he said it wasn't necessary & not to get caught up on all the hipe on it. Of course, they didn't offer it at this dealer (Malcom Smith).

Could it be that the bike sat more than being ridden and caused "flat spots" in the Kenda's??
I don't see or feel any flat spots and it runs true down the hwy w/out pulling left or right.
Short of getting a laser alignment, Elka shocks & or new front tires, I am absolutely stumped.
Anyone out there have any suggestions or is the more than normal vibration at double nickel hwy speed normal for a Spyder. I have read every single post/threads on this to no avail.

BTW, this is my first Spyder purchase.
Anybody know of someone in the SoCal area of Komifornia that does Laser alignment?? Maybe that's all she needs right now.
Any help would be very much appreciated.

Clint

[JIM W]

My guess would be flat spots on the tires

[cptjam]

Clint, we are in California for the NorCal rally. Ride up, we will Square you away! If it is within spec, it is free! We have done hundreds more laser alignments than any dealer in the west. Plus, meet lots of fellow Spyder Ryders !! Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Black Oak casino. Otherwise, see us in Las Vegas! Joe

[RudyB]

I for one will be there for alignment first thing tues am with great expectations RudyB



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[ThreeWheels]

I'm not sure what you mean by "shuttered".
An alignment problem will cause the bike to try to wander over the road without any input from the driver on the handlebars.
It's almost like it has a mind of its own. Sort of like being stuck 10 feet behind a truck, but with no wind or other traffic around you.
"Shuttering" ?
And don't listen to your dealer. He's got his head up his clinton. By all means get a laser alignment.
Does it feel like the bike is bucking ? If that's the case, it sounds more like an engine problem. Either something is wrong with the engine management, or maybe the throttle body ?
Clearly the bike sat unused for a long period of time. For starters, I'd recommend you throw some Sea Foam Motor Treatment into the gas tank and run it through to clean the injectors. This should be your first move. It's easy and cheap.
Sometimes the ignition wires on the 998 would go bad and cause misfiring. BajaRon has a set of plug wires that are much better, but changing the plug wires on the 998 is a daunting task better left to your dealer.

[BajaRon]

I would highly recommend the Laser alignment from someone who knows how to do it correctly. 'Hype'? Not at all. Dealers are still telling customers that abnormal tire wear is 'Normal'. Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

But having said this, I don't think an alignment is going to help your problem as it sounds belt related. You are going to get belt vibration. It's a Spyder, not a BMW. Belt drives will usually have a harmonic vibration at certain speeds. You can move that around and you can reduce it. But with the long belt on the Spyder, it's never going to go away completely.

There is no way we can know if your vibration is excessive and personally, I don't trust what the dealer tells you. It sounds like you've done pretty much everything possible to eliminate this aggravation.

[Chupaca]

There are so many little thing with these techy machines. Being your first I would think you may have had the death grip on the original ryde which has left an impression on you as the dps (dynamic power steering) tends to make quick corrections. The vibrations, as mentioned above, will never totally go away because of the length of the belts on these machines. You have to move it to a point that bothers you the least. You have done extensive mods and adjustments to help but I fear you still ryde it expecting it to fail yet again. Seeing as you have a 2013 you still have the V-twin 998 engine though I don't know which transmission you have. If you are on the auto model and do not run above 3,500 rpm this may be some of the problems of shuddering and comes from the clutch not being fully engaged. This is hard to get used to if you are new or coming from other bikes. The alignment will help your tire wear and tracking but will not do much for your other concerns.

[Pastapower]

I'm not sure what you mean by "shuttered".
An alignment problem will cause the bike to try to wander over the road without any input from the driver on the handlebars.
It's almost like it has a mind of its own. Sort of like being stuck 10 feet behind a truck, but with no wind or other traffic around you.
"Shuttering" ?
And don't listen to your dealer. He's got his head up his clinton. By all means get a laser alignment.
Does it feel like the bike is bucking ? If that's the case, it sounds more like an engine problem. Either something is wrong with the engine management, or maybe the throttle body ?
Clearly the bike sat unused for a long period of time. For starters, I'd recommend you throw some Sea Foam Motor Treatment into the gas tank and run it through to clean the injectors. This should be your first move. It's easy and cheap.
Sometimes the ignition wires on the 998 would go bad and cause misfiring. BajaRon has a set of plug wires that are much better, but changing the plug wires on the 998 is a daunting task better left to your dealer.

Thanks for everybody's input, it's much appreciated.
The bike is not bucking & it doesn't wander. I still believe in getting the laser alignment done though, that's a given.
The "shuttering" I'm referring to is probably not the best word to use to try to describe the feeling I get when I reach 53mph. It's just a lot of aggrevating shaky vibration from ground up through the handlebars as I go up through the gears. At 60-65 it smooths out. I'm still playing around w/smooth Spyder adjustments to see if I feel any difference. The tensioner is marked 10-13-16, right now I have it set at 10. I'm going to move it up to 12. Initially trying 13 made the vibration worse......have to find a sweet spot w/my Criket II belt tension set at 180 on ground.
Again, with all the mechanical mods & adjustments I have made since getting the bike, more than half of the initial vibration is gone.
I truly don't believe it's engine related as she runs smooth & purrs like a kitten on idle. I've been a hobby Motörhead my whole life so I feel confident the engine is solid.
The Can Am mechanic who installed the heat management kit, thoughouly checked the engine with his computer & updated the on board software. He also adjusted the throttlebody to the new specs after changing out the fuel management system as per recall.

Loosening up the belt tension some & getting the belt off the flange within specs I think did the most to lessen the overall vibration.

If I had to bet, I would say it's related to the Kenda tires & weak OEM shocks at this point.
With that said, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best front tires and shocks to start looking for, for my 2013 w/15" tires??
I think I'll replace the tires first and see if there is any improvement before I shell out the price for shocks like Elka.

[BajaRon]

Thanks for everybody's input, it's much appreciated.
The bike is not bucking & it doesn't wander. I still believe in getting the laser alignment done though, that's a given.
The "shuttering" I'm referring to is probably not the best word to use to try to describe the feeling I get when I reach 53mph. It's just a lot of aggrevating shaky vibration from ground up through the handlebars as I go up through the gears. At 60-65 it smooths out. I'm still playing around w/smooth Spyder adjustments to see if I feel any difference. The tensioner is marked 10-13-16, right now I have it set at 10. I'm going to move it up to 12. Initially trying 13 made the vibration worse......have to find a sweet spot w/my Criket II belt tension set at 180 on ground.
Again, with all the mechanical mods & adjustments I have made since getting the bike, more than half of the initial vibration is gone.
I truly don't believe it's engine related as she runs smooth & purrs like a kitten on idle. I've been a hobby Motörhead my whole life so I feel confident the engine is solid.
The Can Am mechanic who installed the heat management kit, thoughouly checked the engine with his computer & updated the on board software. He also adjusted the throttlebody to the new specs after changing out the fuel management system as per recall.

Loosening up the belt tension some & getting the belt off the flange within specs I think did the most to lessen the overall vibration.

If I had to bet, I would say it's related to the Kenda tires & weak OEM shocks at this point.
With that said, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best front tires and shocks to start looking for, for my 2013 w/15" tires??
I think I'll replace the tires first and see if there is any improvement before I shell out the price for shocks like Elka.

As you probably already know. It can be difficult to diagnose some problems over the Internet. I might ride your Spyder and say it's fine. Personally, I don't mind a bit of belt vibration. But it's your ride and it should work for you. It may be that you have a genuine issue. It may be that you need to adjust your expectations. It may be a bit of both. From here it's very difficult to know.

But we all wish you luck and will be very happy to hear how it goes and how you were finally able to resolve everything.

[youngers]

hey folks , I have been kind of wondering , with this thread , your shudder , or vibration , ... I had noticed on mine { not a month old for me , as spyder owner / driver } that maybe the vibration feels more like riding down a gravel road ? { I have been observing my 2012 r t , at various speeds and road conditions ---> a rough textured road surface as , too a nice smooth black top , on I do feel a type of gravel tremor at lower speeds , such as 35 too 40 but man at 55 too 60 smooooth as ice } so I was thinking may be yours has a sweet spot you haven`t quite gotten use too yet ! hope you get her figured out !

[Ohio1ryder]

I had a 2013 RT LTD and I had the laser Alignment done along with putting the Baha sway bar on this was not helpful but when I had 2600 miles it started having a bad vibration in the front. Turned out the front tires had worn uneven because one of the front wheels didn't have any weight on it. Both front wheels were out of balance. After I put new tires on and spin balanced it ran like it was on a rail.

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[Pastapower]

Thanks for everybody's input, it's much appreciated.
The bike is not bucking & it doesn't wander. I still believe in getting the laser alignment done though, that's a given.
The "shuttering" I'm referring to is probably not the best word to use to try to describe the feeling I get when I reach 53mph. It's just a lot of aggrevating shaky vibration from ground up through the handlebars as I go up through the gears. At 60-65 it smooths out. I'm still playing around w/smooth Spyder adjustments to see if I feel any difference. The tensioner is marked 10-13-16, right now I have it set at 10. I'm going to move it up to 12. Initially trying 13 made the vibration worse......have to find a sweet spot w/my Criket II belt tension set at 180 on ground.
Again, with all the mechanical mods & adjustments I have made since getting the bike, more than half of the initial vibration is gone.
I truly don't believe it's engine related as she runs smooth & purrs like a kitten on idle. I've been a hobby Motörhead my whole life so I feel confident the engine is solid.
The Can Am mechanic who installed the heat management kit, thoughouly checked the engine with his computer & updated the on board software. He also adjusted the throttlebody to the new specs after changing out the fuel management system as per recall.

Loosening up the belt tension some & getting the belt off the flange within specs I think did the most to lessen the overall vibration.

If I had to bet, I would say it's related to the Kenda tires & weak OEM shocks at this point.
With that said, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best front tires and shocks to start looking for, for my 2013 w/15" tires??
I think I'll replace the tires first and see if there is any improvement before I shell out the price for shocks like Elka.

Holy Crap, I finally got rid of the vibration at 53mph!!!!! It was annoying the hell out of me. I kept on & kept on playing around w/the belt tension adjusters & the smooth Spyder tensioner from low to high & everything inbetween till I got the right combination! I adjusted the belt tension w/tire off ground at 170lbs (Criket II), 190 w/tire on ground & set the smooth Spyder right at #13 tension. Bingo, bango, no more vibration at any speed up to 70. Haven't tried her on the interstate to go over 70 yet but I feel very confident she'll still be vibration free!!
I am one Happy Spyderman!
It took a lot of trial n error and patience though. I believe that this bike was never properly set up correctly out of the crate. I think that's why the lady I bought it from, sold it....she probably thought there was something seriously wrong with it. Shame on the dealer in San Diego who sold it to her that way.
Anyway, I don't think I would have resolved this vibration issue if it wasn't for Capt Jim's Smooth Spyder tensioner. At first I thought it was way overpriced for what it was & it didn't seem to work at first w/all the preliminary adjustments I was making loosening & tightening the drive belt but once I got everything dialed in, I am a firm believer in the Smooth Spyder hands down! Worth every penny!
I know every Spyder is going to have their own "sweet spot" for getting rid of excessive or annoying vibrations at certain speeds so the tension settings on my '13 RTL SE5 may not work on others. It took me the better part of 2 weeks in my spare time to fix this but I'm glad it worked out for me. And, the best part is that I am w/in Can Am's specs for my year.
It's all good! 🔧😎👍

[BajaRon]

Holy Crap, I finally got rid of the vibration at 53mph!!!!! It was annoying the hell out of me. I kept on & kept on playing around w/the belt tension adjusters & the smooth Spyder tensioner from low to high & everything inbetween till I got the right combination! I adjusted the belt tension w/tire off ground at 170lbs (Criket II), 190 w/tire on ground & set the smooth Spyder right at #13 tension. Bingo, bango, no more vibration at any speed up to 70. Haven't tried her on the interstate to go over 70 yet but I feel very confident she'll still be vibration free!!
I am one Happy Spyderman!
It took a lot of trial n error and patience though. I believe that this bike was never properly set up correctly out of the crate. I think that's why the lady I bought it from, sold it....she probably thought there was something seriously wrong with it. Shame on the dealer in San Diego who sold it to her that way.
Anyway, I don't think I would have resolved this vibration issue if it wasn't for Capt Jim's Smooth Spyder tensioner. At first I thought it was way overpriced for what it was & it didn't seem to work at first w/all the preliminary adjustments I was making loosening & tightening the drive belt but once I got everything dialed in, I am a firm believer in the Smooth Spyder hands down! Worth every penny!
I know every Spyder is going to have their own "sweet spot" for getting rid of excessive or annoying vibrations at certain speeds so the tension settings on my '13 RTL SE5 may not work on others. It took me the better part of 2 weeks in my spare time to fix this but I'm glad it worked out for me. And, the best part is that I am w/in Can Am's specs for my year.
It's all good! 🔧😎👍

Perseverance! When it pays off it's a beautiful thing!