Laser Alignment for Toe Issue

[BMac920]

I'm having a laser alignment this Tue on my 2018 F3-L with a total of 3600 miles on it. The Spyder does not pull to the left or right, rather it is very abrupt turning to the right at 40 mph or higher and to a lesser extent turning left at the same speeds. It is my hope the Toe is off causing some of the inconstancy comparing left to right and general desire to over steer in both directions. My question is for those who have had the alignment is: 1. Has anyone notice a reduction in turn-in nervousness? Do you know what the Toe was set at during your alignment? Thanks in advance for any reply on the subject...Regards,

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'm having a laser alignment this Tue on my 2018 F3-L with a total of 3600 miles on it. The Spyder does not pull to the left or right, rather it is very abrupt turning to the right at 40 mph or higher and to a lesser extent turning left at the same speeds. It is my hope the Toe is off causing some of the inconstancy comparing left to right and general desire to over steer in both directions. My question is for those who have had the alignment is: 1. Has anyone notice a reduction in turn-in nervousness? Do you know what the Toe was set at during your alignment? Thanks in advance for any reply on the subject...Regards,

:welcome: .... Let me be frank, we here on the Forum have learned over the past 14 years that the majority of Spyders are DELIVERED with BAD alignment .... Some were so BAD that they actually wore out the ( crappy Kenda) tires within 4 to 5000 miles . most are not but a BAD alignment will cause excessive tire wear - Period. From what you said, you can actually notice something is wrong .... most don't until the outside tire edges start showing a lot of wear .... A CORRECT Laser alignment will fix this over the long term.. The person that does the Laser alignment matters .... Most dealers don't use it, because BRP doesn't endorse it. ..... Who is doing yours ???? maybe someone will chime -in about the company or person you name ..... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[BMac920]

Hi Mike thanks for the feedback! I will be using a dealer by the name of Broadway Powersports in Tyler Texas. It is a few hours ride north of me, however I liked how the shop mechanic spoke on the phone, leaving me the impression he is particular about his work..we'll see! I'll be leaving a bike that doesn't pull either way but is quick off the center, faster right than left. I know in racing you can effect a cars turn-in rate / stability with both Toe and camber changes, however I don't believe there are camber settings on my F3 from what I've read. Thanks again Mike...Regards,

 

[Bartender]

When I bought my 2019 RTL i quickly hated riding it for the reasons you have outlined. Twitchy, overly quick reaction to handlebar input and generally unsettling to ride. I came directly from 50 years of two wheel riding the the Spyder and thought I had really screwed up. The dealer I bought from did not have the equipment to laser align and didn't know about the process. I had the bike laser aligned at Lamonster Garage in Nixa on my way to Arkansas for an extended ride. Admittedly, I changed other things at the same time, added a BajaRon Sway bar and links as well as the alignment. My bike did not pull either way when I took my hands off the bars or on braking so I'm not surprised to hear that is your experience. All I can say is that I rode out of Lamonster's garage on a dramatically different handling bike. How much is attributable to the alignment and how much to the sway bar, I can't say. I also didn't ask how far out the alignment was because I just cared that it was now correct. You will be amazed. If you don't have the heavy duty sway bar and links I would add them at the same time. Can't hurt and may help.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Hi Mike thanks for the feedback! I will be using a dealer by the name of Broadway Powersports in Tyler Texas. It is a few hours ride north of me, however I liked how the shop mechanic spoke on the phone, leaving me the impression he is particular about his work..we'll see! I'll be leaving a bike that doesn't pull either way but is quick off the center, faster right than left. I know in racing you can effect a cars turn-in rate / stability with both Toe and camber changes, however I don't believe there are camber settings on my F3 from what I've read. Thanks again Mike...Regards,

You are correct ... the Spyder front suspension has NO camber adjustments in it's design ..... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 09 I went from 60+ years on TWO wheels to the Spyder design. .... I didn't have much difficulty making the transition ( un-like many here ) .... The manger gave me the best riding advice .... drive it like a car, guide it rather than Steer it ... and test the brakes as soon as you can they are very powerful ..... It did take about 3 to 4000 mi. to get really proficient at it, but I was already retired and had the time to practice ..... good luck ... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Woodaddict]

after laser alignment the spyder going into curves was much more smoother. no more moving bars back and forth to keep line that I wanted. this is where you will notice most, in a curve.
make sure its ROLO LASER, not just a regular alignment. some dealerships "say" they can do it, but its not the BEST laser type

 

[BMac920]

Thanks Wood, yes I actually found this dealer through a list of ROLO Laser dealers I had run across here- http://www.spydercomfort.com/dealerstx.htm. Regards.

 

[Little Blue]

Alignment

:chat: ...The 'ROLO' is the better equipment to use.
Like anything else it needs to be done by a qualified Technician.
Hopefully you will find that at your Spyder Dealer. ... : )

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

When I bought my 2019 RTL i quickly hated riding it for the reasons you have outlined. Twitchy, overly quick reaction to handlebar input and generally unsettling to ride. I came directly from 50 years of two wheel riding the the Spyder and thought I had really screwed up. The dealer I bought from did not have the equipment to laser align and didn't know about the process. I had the bike laser aligned at Lamonster Garage in Nixa on my way to Arkansas for an extended ride. Admittedly, I changed other things at the same time, added a BajaRon Sway bar and links as well as the alignment. My bike did not pull either way when I took my hands off the bars or on braking so I'm not surprised to hear that is your experience. All I can say is that I rode out of Lamonster's garage on a dramatically different handling bike. How much is attributable to the alignment and how much to the sway bar, I can't say. I also didn't ask how far out the alignment was because I just cared that it was now correct. You will be amazed. If you don't have the heavy duty sway bar and links I would add them at the same time. Can't hurt and may help.

An improved suspension ( shocks, sway bar etc, ) will NOT effect Alignment - for good or bad ..... Mike :thumbup:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Toe-out can cause over steer. My bike is set for about 1/2" (I think) toe-in measured over six feet.

 

[BMac920]

Well..To finish this thread, had the alignment completed today and rode it back home just over 170 miles. The result is more than a modest improvement for my bike and riding style.

Although the mechanic could not visually see anything wrong with the front end or the tire wear pattern he went ahead and completed the alignment at my request, umm almost three hours labor. He did reset the Toe to "zero" which I thought unusual, however it has calmed the off center initial turn-in a fair amount and it is now very consistent or symmetrical turning both directions, and is as stable with no hunting around while going straight. I consider that a win for my riding style! Thanks to all that have replied....Regards,

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Well..To finish this thread, had the alignment completed today and rode it back home just over 170 miles. The result is more than a modest improvement for my bike and riding style.

Although the mechanic could not visually see anything wrong with the front end or the tire wear pattern he went ahead and completed the alignment at my request, umm almost three hours labor. He did reset the Toe to "zero" which I thought unusual, however it has calmed the off center initial turn-in a fair amount and it is now very consistent or symmetrical turning both directions, and is as stable with no hunting around while going straight. I consider that a win for my riding style! Thanks to all that have replied....Regards,

If a mechanic told me ... He could VISUALLY tell if the alignment was off. I would run ..... and if the " TOE " is off that needs to be corrected, when my Laser alignment was done - the TOE was within spec. but the tie rods needed slight adjustment .... Glad you got it fixed .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[pauly1]

Check out Thornoli's in Houston for future alignment needs. I see that your sig includes an F3-L, which should have the automatic leveling air suspension in the rear.

Your initial description of the handling indicates not enough toe-in. On our 2018 F3-L the rear leveling needed to be reset. My wife complained she was bottoming out a lot and she rides solo. Also complained about similar handling as yours. When the rear suspension drops due to low air pressure, or excessive loading, the front end shifts toward less toe-in, and contributes to the "twitchy" handling as you've described. I have a 2018 F3-T, with manual rear air suspension: if the air pressure drops, the handling will deteriorate as you've described. The fix on the F3-L was to replace a fuse and then recalibrate the level sensor on the rear swing arm. The fix on the F3-T was to keep 16 - 20 psi in the air bag; I did have a very slow leak in the Shrader valve that I fixed.

Generally, if the front end has too much toe-in, the rider won't experience negative handling as much as excessive wear on the outside of the front tires. Tire wear on the inside of the front tires is indicative of too much toe-out, and likely very crappy handling.

 

[davev1pa]

I'm heading to phoenix in April..the 2014 RTS has had a laser alignment by the previous owner...likely years ago.......I'm planning on doing it at RIDE Now in Chandler quoted 129$....unless there is another Rolo alignment that the group recommends Thanks!

 

[redrazor]

Toe-out can cause over steer. My bike is set for about 1/2" (I think) toe-in measured over six feet.

:cheers: I set mine at 3/8 inches of toe-in. Did it myself, but not a quick/easy job. Steering great and no abnormal tire wearing! :yes: