smokster
New member
I have 19,000 on my fronts and they still look good.
The back got replaced at 15,000.
I ride aggressive, so any earlier than that, I would have to wonder on the dealerships and their assessment or blame game.
Good luck !
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tire problem, anyone else?...advice?
- Thread starter csmead
- Start date
The back got replaced at 15,000.
I ride aggressive, so any earlier than that, I would have to wonder on the dealerships and their assessment or blame game.
Good luck !
Spyderman55
New member
Inside front worn away
I'm just about at 11,000 miles and the inside edge of both front tires have worn down below the tread depth indicator. That's not tire pressure or agressive driving - it's too much negative camber. Great for cornering, but now I have to buy tires.
The rear tire is approaching the tread depth indicator, but I should make it to the Hollywood event and back with no problem (another 1,400 miles).
Has anyone found an alignment shop that can set the alignment to the factory specs?
I'm just about at 11,000 miles and the inside edge of both front tires have worn down below the tread depth indicator. That's not tire pressure or agressive driving - it's too much negative camber. Great for cornering, but now I have to buy tires.
The rear tire is approaching the tread depth indicator, but I should make it to the Hollywood event and back with no problem (another 1,400 miles).
Has anyone found an alignment shop that can set the alignment to the factory specs?
vt228
New member
they alined mine it rides better and tred is wareing same all across.
I asked them to check it they put lazers on it and my ride is better.when I put tires on my spydr I well have it alined so I get a smoth ride :thumbup:
I have about 12,000 miles on the tires. Back tire still has tread but dealership states that it meets their specs for replacement. I am going to call and give them the info that all of you sent about toe-in and camber, etc. This is now the 3rd week they have had my bike, with no resolution.
Thank you to all who respond, I have been reading all your advice and comments.
Firefly
Active member
Have them start reading on page 447 in the service manual - The process of aligning the steering is hidden on page 450 under the very misleading heading 'Steering Alignment'.
Good luck!
WaltH
Senior Member
At the time Spyder #1 was consumed by fire, it had 36,500 miles on the original front tires. I was beginning to get a little more wear on the inside of the right side tire. It looked like negative camber, but there is no camber adjustment (as far as I can tell). Even with this slight extra wear on the right tire they would have been good for an easy 40,000 miles. I carry 25 psi in the front and 30 psi in the rear. I get 20,000 miles on a rear tire.
My dealer had no idea of what might be happening. It would have been interesting to see the wear pattern on the second set of front tires. This would tell us if it was something mechanical, or if was something like the curvature of the road. Personally, I would be satisfied with 40,000 miles on the front tires, so long as the second set did the same.
My dealer had no idea of what might be happening. It would have been interesting to see the wear pattern on the second set of front tires. This would tell us if it was something mechanical, or if was something like the curvature of the road. Personally, I would be satisfied with 40,000 miles on the front tires, so long as the second set did the same.
Firefly
Active member
Not if I drove it like the little old lady going to church could I get anywhere near 20,000 on a rear tire. 8,500 and mine is almos BALD. Funny thing is I don't do many burn-outs--- but I do ride it like it was stolen!
VIspyderman
New member
Firefly, no one has said that toe adjustment can't be done, what is at question here is... can the camber be adjusted? Well, the service manual that is sitting on my desk... an authorized, Spyder service dept, with trained technicians... does not tell me how to adjust the camber. Again, would you be so kind as to demonstrate here where, how, and if, it's ever been adjusted!!!
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
That is true, to some extent, not specifically at least. Under Upper Suspension Arm Installation and Lower Suspension Arm Installation, it does explain the tools, approximate method, and measurements necessary to adjust the camber. It does not, however, explain exactly how to achieve these settings, or how these measurements directly relate to the actual camber spec. It also does not specify how to measure the actual camber, to see that it is within spec, although a variety of standard alignment tools would be capable of doing so. My experience says that unless there is an eccentric bushing or elongated opening at these bolt positions, insertion of alignment shims here would be necessary. BRP seems to have overlooked alignment shims, however, and does not specify a part number or speak of them.
-Scotty
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ataDude
Mod Maniac
hyea:
VIspyderman
New member
That is true, to some extent, not specifically at least. Under Upper Suspension Arm Installation and Lower Suspension Arm Installation, it does explain the tools, approximate method, and measurements necessary to adjust the camber. It does not, however, explain exactly how to achieve these settings, or how these measurements directly relate to the actual camber spec. It also does not specify how to measure the actual camber, to see that it is withing spec, although a variety of standard alignment tools would be capable of doing so. My experience says that unless there is an eccentric bushing or elongated opening at these bolt positions, insertion of alignment shims here would be necessary. BRP seems to have overlooked alingment shims, however, and does not specify a part number or speak of them.
-Scotty
Thanks, Scotty, for putting it the way you did. There is absolutely nothing concrete from BRP to explain how to stop the wearing out of the inner or outer edge of the front tires... except for the suggestion that uneven wear is caused by aggressive riding! GUILTY as charged!!! :roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:
Firefly
Active member
Sorry - not my job to figure out how to adjust it - it is the job of the dealer - and they are clueless in this case. I would be screaming mad.
They told her "they had no way to align it."
That is not true. They may not know HOW to align it, but it most certainly CAN be done.
They also told her that she caused it by making a lot of right-hand turns. LOL. Clueless dealer. They have now had her Spyder 3 WEEKS. There is no reason the tech shouldn't have been able to call BRP and get details on the whole alignment procedure. Other than a complete engine failure, there's no excuse for a bike to be in the shop for 3 weeks.
BRP apparently isn't providing proper training to all the dealers out there. I'm fortunate that my tech has an extensive bike background . I'm going there this week and will ask them about alignment. I doubt they have done one - because I'm the first on everything they have to do, but I'm sure if I needed it done - they would figure out HOW.
Her dealer is making lame excuses in my opinion - easier for them to just sell new tires and then they will look pretty good for another 10,000 miles.
Someone on one of these forums had an alignment done because they were going thru front tires like crazy.
VIspyderman
New member
Wow, I'm kinda glad you aren't near my shop. We've sold 12 Spyders, regularily service 2 or 3, mine is there all the time because I work there... and yet, my tech (who's a master technician on almost any motorsport product) still has to ask me what people on the forum are having fixed and why, what's not working properly, what issues are there out there and what are people not having problems with. No Spyder tech, short of the guys who were designing this and working on the prototypes, know all the answers yet. Most dealers, will accept advice from customers who have knowledge to pass on, especially those who frequent this forum, for example. Alignment, toe in or toe out, is an easy enough fix. Camber, which seems to be causing the outer or inner wear, is NOT. Maybe, somewhere out there it's been done. But for you to claim that your dealer would get it done, is pretty bold. My tech has and is currently, trying desparately to educate himself. And, if he gets the answers, I'll post it here.
McGone
New member
Firefly
Active member
Sorry if I get a bit testy about these things-I'm just one that expects top-notch service on things and hate it when I hear of others not getting the service they deserve. If I wasn't getting good service from my dealer, I would seek another one out.
Gotta be a first for it somewhere (alignment). My dealer has sold 70+ Spyders and the longest they had mine in the shop was 5 days for power steering problems. Going in to get my rear tire changed this week and will wait for it while they do it. Apparently they currently run the rims and tires to a close-by tire dealer to have them changed and balanced. I'm a bit shocked they don't do their own tire mounting in-house, but they said they are looking into it.
I'll ask them what they know about alignment.
Gotta be a first for it somewhere (alignment). My dealer has sold 70+ Spyders and the longest they had mine in the shop was 5 days for power steering problems. Going in to get my rear tire changed this week and will wait for it while they do it. Apparently they currently run the rims and tires to a close-by tire dealer to have them changed and balanced. I'm a bit shocked they don't do their own tire mounting in-house, but they said they are looking into it.
I'll ask them what they know about alignment.
VIspyderman
New member
Don't appologize for getting testy... :thumbup:, we are all very passionate here. I'm an owner, and a salesman with a reputation for being enthusiatic about the Spyder and a service writer... I demand that my tech knows what he's doing on my unit too. The only way he knows what to do... apart from what he learned at Spyder Tech School, is what I show him has been done to other owners bikes. He, like any good tech, is willing to hear what I have to say. Now, when I try to get ****y with him, he gets his back up. We mount tires, but haven't got the right tools to ballance the Spyder wheels. Any regular motorcycle wheel can be done, but the Spyder wheel is more like a car rim.
Anyhow, like I've said before, we've practiced doing toe adjustments, just not able to do camber.
mike3069
New member
At the Homecoming factory tour, one of the assemble stations was the front suspension. They had a VERY sophisticated computer controlled assembly machine that positioned and then checked the alignment on the Spyder. The engineer on that station said that this process was possibly to duplicate without the machine, but that it was not something they encouraged at this time.
If I remember correctly, he said that there were small slots for the mounting holes and that was why the machine was so important.
If I remember correctly, he said that there were small slots for the mounting holes and that was why the machine was so important.
bjt
Very Helpful Member
Being I had the front off my Spyder today to install the Evoluzione swaybar and change my grease zerks to 45s or 90s, I took a good look at the front suspension specifically looking for camber adjustments. IMO, there is no adjustment made at the point where the A-arm attaches to the Spyder frame. Those mounts are welded onto the frame.
The lower A-arm out at the ball joint / wheel end also doesn't appear to be adjustable.
The upper ball joint is bolted onto the wheel / spindle assembly so I would think that shims could be installed or removed at that point to adjust the camber. I cannot tell if there are shims in place on my Spyder but I don't think so. If thats the case, then shims could only be added to the upper ball joint assembly to increase the camber.
Sorry if these pics don't make it clear but its hard to get the camera in position to capture exactly what I can see.
ps. I'm no front end or alignment specialist so take this for what its worth, one SpyderLovers opinion.
The lower A-arm out at the ball joint / wheel end also doesn't appear to be adjustable.
The upper ball joint is bolted onto the wheel / spindle assembly so I would think that shims could be installed or removed at that point to adjust the camber. I cannot tell if there are shims in place on my Spyder but I don't think so. If thats the case, then shims could only be added to the upper ball joint assembly to increase the camber.
Sorry if these pics don't make it clear but its hard to get the camera in position to capture exactly what I can see.
ps. I'm no front end or alignment specialist so take this for what its worth, one SpyderLovers opinion.
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