any 2020 RT info?

[JP58]

Why is shaft drive so important to the two of you?

Because the drive belt vibrates like a guitar string and the belt tensioner only helps a little. Also would be much easier to do tire changes with no belt to adjust. Also don't have to worry about rocks getting in the belt. That happened to my friends RTS when we were half way around our Lake Superior tour in Canada. 4 rocks from gravel patch of road. We were lucky it didn't tear the belt or we would of been screwed. No dealers, no parts for 200 miles.

 

[ollicat]

Because the drive belt vibrates like a guitar string and the belt tensioner only helps a little. Also would be much easier to do tire changes with no belt to adjust. Also don't have to worry about rocks getting in the belt. That happened to my friends RTS when we were half way around our Lake Superior tour in Canada. 4 rocks from gravel patch of road. We were lucky it didn't tear the belt or we would of been screwed. No dealers, no parts for 200 miles.

Thanks for this info. I am still in the hunt for my Spyder, (next year I hope) but I have rented them for weekends 3 times before and fell in love. I never noticed any vibrating belts before. bu it makes sense about ease of changing tires and of course the rock in the belt issue. If one stays on the the road though, are rocks much of a factor? I have a Kawasaki Vulcan right now, belt drive, and have never had a issue and am on the same belt at 80,000 miles. So I was wondering if the belt on a Spyder is more exposed.

 

[seaweed]

Still a bug/butterfly/trash collector

I was hoping that they would redesign the grill so that it would not capture and collect everything in the world. I have had several occasions where there was a large amount of bugs/butterflies/trash collected and trapped in the grill. The following pic shows the results of a trip from Topeka, Kansas to Deadwood, South Dakota.


The next pic shows the result from Hastings, Nebraska to Fort Lupton, Colorado.


I believe that I have solved this issue with a grill protection (unlike the Knotts grill which mimcis the same direction of the OEM grill). This grill is toward the very front of the Spyder and is sloped so that the bugs/butterflies/trash is directed away from the Spyder rather than being captured. I bought this from a fellow ryder at Spyderfever. It is his design and homemade. I love it.

I followed a silage truck after putting on the new grill covering and had no trash caught (but did have some in the treads of the front tires). For all those that have seen all the silage/trash coming out of silage trucks you know how bad it can get.

 

[Yeochips]

They really look nice Dean.

 

[JP58]

Thanks for this info. I am still in the hunt for my Spyder, (next year I hope) but I have rented them for weekends 3 times before and fell in love. I never noticed any vibrating belts before. bu it makes sense about ease of changing tires and of course the rock in the belt issue. If one stays on the the road though, are rocks much of a factor? I have a Kawasaki Vulcan right now, belt drive, and have never had a issue and am on the same belt at 80,000 miles. So I was wondering if the belt on a Spyder is more exposed.

If you stay on all paved roads no problem. But it is almost impossible to avoid road construction. Motorcycles have curved tires that dont pick up rocks easily. Spyders have car tires with deep flat tread that tends to pick up rocks which can end up in the belt fairly easily. The belt vibrates most at hwy speed above 70 mph. I still love everything else about the Spyder. It is a fun ride.

 

[JackinSpokane]

FYI - My belt tensioner took ALL the vibrations out at all speeds.

 

[DGoebel]

And My missing belt guard has stopped all rocks to the belt, and I've had 50 plus mile stretches of gravel/dirt roads.

 

[Peteoz]

If you stay on all paved roads no problem. But it is almost impossible to avoid road construction. Motorcycles have curved tires that dont pick up rocks easily. Spyders have car tires with deep flat tread that tends to pick up rocks which can end up in the belt fairly easily. The belt vibrates most at hwy speed above 70 mph. I still love everything else about the Spyder. It is a fun ride.

If you have a look at the ride videos, they show the new RT frequently riding over dirt and gravel roads, JP. I am sure I heard one of the BRP guys saying it was ok to do so. I am assuming that means that they have addressed the “rocks in the belt” issue on the new model. On the other hand, it might mean that BRP just wants to sell more belts:thumbup: . Whether they have addressed the vibration issue is another matter :dontknow:

Pete