little things

[retread]

Okay, just to make things clear, I don't own an RT, but as soon as I can afford it, I'll have to build a bigger garage.
I had a chance to spend some time on an RT yesterday, and there are 3 things that I noticed; first, the handlebars need to be adjustable, second, the rider's footpegs need to be adjustable, or at least moved forward and down about an inch, third, the horizontal peak (crease?) in the side panels just above the footpegs catches my legs just above the ankle..
I know, little things, but they're mine, and I'd probably have to look into changing them for my own comfort. Anybody else?

john

 

[NancysToy]

John,
The RT felt odd to me, too, after spending a couple of years on the GS/RS. Feels like home now. Of course I am not as set in my ways as you older fellas.

 

[jgwoods]

All handlebars need to be adjustable as do all foot pegs.

 

[NancysToy]

All handlebars need to be adjustable as do all foot pegs.

??? Guess I am too old to understand that. We used to have to change handlebars to move them much, and the footpegs stayed where the factory bolted them. With the adjent of cast aluminum handlebars and footpegs, they became even more fixed. My BMW RT is probably even less adjustable than my '65 Triumph. Guess I need to check out a "modern" bike to see an example of these adjustable bars and pegs. :dontknow:

 

[retread]

While i'm busy nit picking, one of the other thing I noticed was the brake pedal, the guy that designed it is a lot more flexible than me, my right foot has problems twisting that far in.
Scotty, I remember a bike in the late 70's, I think, that had adjustment points in the handlebars, I think it was a Yamaha, but guys my age aren't sure of much except the older we get, the better we were.:roflblack:

john

 

[jgwoods]

All cars have adjustable seats, most have tilt and telescope steering wheels, a few have pedals that move fore and aft too, all to make a wide range of drivers comfortable. Motorcycles should be the same way.
The old tubular handlebars could easily be rotated in the clamps to provide a little bit of change, and handlebar swaps were easy. BMW and now a few others offer different seat heights to attract a wider range of folks, and a very few bikes have some pedal adjustment.
For the price of these RTs and the technology they offer I wish they would add a range of pedal adjustment- footpegs, brakes, shifter, so more folks could fit to their ideal. They have a power windshield, how about a power seat?!, I've never seen tilt and telescope handlebars...how about it Can Am? None of these ideas would be easy to fix, none are impossible.

 

[rickm]

I know at 5' 6" I could use some adjustment on the handle bars ! I lean in and I feel it, I'm 63 if that plays into it ( Scotty ) I was took by my dealer that there were risers made for the RT before I bought it. I guess it showed me what they knew ? But then I was told at first it had heated seats too. Rick

 

[boborgera]

If BRP Added all the little feature's every one would like, Instead of calling it a Spyder They'll have to rename it ;
A ''Homer'', Then they would go broke like the Homer.

 

[Dudley]

The only thing I will eventually change on our RT is the seat. If BRP could do anything, they could make the seat with a leather covering. Whatever is used by BRP is not conducive to hot and humid weather riding. So, eventually we will be getting another Corbin. Wish I could have exchanged it from our 2008 SE5.

 

[ARtraveler]

I would like to see adjustable handlebars or adjustable foot pegs or even floorboards on the RTS. There is no such thing as a universal person--so the concept of making one motorcycle fit all comfortably, is not a good idea.

I'm vertically challenged (5'5") and have a bad back and now hip. It has been very difficult for me to go on long rides (250 miles plus) without several "stretch" stops.

I also have a Vulcan 900 LTD--after adding a lower Saddleman seat, the height adjustment for the seat is now 25" or so. I can comfortably reach the ground at stops, and the floorboards allow sufficient room for me to move around enough to outride the gas tank--(about 175 miles) without stopping--should I desire.

RTS: I have played with seats--original, original & Utopia backrest, Corbin with driver backrest, Sheepskin seat pads, and finally seal floorboards. With the Seal Floorboards, I built up the brake pad so that it is almost two inches thick. I am now more comfortable on RTS--but, its still looking like 100 miles or so max for me at one time. A few individual adjustments may make the machine more user friendly to a larger group of riders. Those who cant heft around a gold wing or choose to not ride a trike with the wheel in front--would have a really great option--if only some manufacturer would do it.

 

[NancysToy]

Scotty, I agree with 95% of what you say but this falls into the other 5%.

I really don't think you can argue against adjustability on any of the ergonomics associated with rider comfort.
A very good friend of mine would love an RT but he can't even sit on mine in a way that makes him feel comfortable enough to drive the the thing.

Just poking some fun at my friend John, here. I'm not really taking sides, but I will say that the Spyder RT is the most comfortable machine I ever rode...bar none! Everyone is built differently, though, and that affects how each machine feels to each of us. The concept of adjustabilty is not common on motorcycles, but it does exist. Some BMWs have seats that adjust a couple of inches for height (but not downward!). I do believe John is right in that there have been some with fully adjustable bars, but my memory is even fuzzier than his...I may have just dreamed that one up. I don't remember any adjustable footpegs, but some have adjustable control pedal heights. There are also aftermarket solutions for some models. That is probably the best solution for the RT, as it was with the RS, but at the same time it is a more complex problem, and the products would cost more by comparison if it could be done. I doubt that any motorcycle will ever have the adjustability of today's autos. They will also not ever have the same weather protection. I would never buy a siamese cat and expect to turn it into a leopard...LOL. :roflblack:

 

[Bob Denman]

There's not a manufacturer on the Planet who could build enough adjustability into the control systems to make everybody comfortable all of the time. I also remember with great fondness rotating, cutting and even replacing bars for comfort, adding cushions and covers to seats, and even buying mirrors with different stalk heights. Perhaps some of that has been lost due to how the bikes are offered today with styling being apparently more important than function at times. :gaah:
The Spyder is no more guilty than any other bike though...

 

[Lamonster]

An adjustable seat would be a hard one but adjustable bars and controls should not be that big of a deal. My Boss Hoss and controls that slid on the frame to get your feet where you liked it. With some forethought I could see the same thing being done on the Spyder. They already have adjustable bars on the Seadoo's so that's very doable too.

 

[Tonga]

Adjustability

I'm with Lamont!!! I need some adjustability to get comfortable. The seal floorboards look good but they sit on top of the foot pegs and I need lower. That means the ISCI floorboards might be what I need but I wish I could see and then sit on a RT with them on to see how they fit!! They can be lowered 1 1/2 inches to get my legs lower. Those handle bars would be nice about an inch back but I'm dreaming now. A Corbin seat would be nice as well!! My Wish List.

 

[rickm]

Lamont What do you have when you remove the 4 bolts that show on the handlebars ? Do you think that you could put 3/4 inch spacers under them ( longer bolts of course ) and get a little rise ?

 

[Lamonster]

Lamont What do you have when you remove the 4 bolts that show on the handlebars ? Do you think that you could put 3/4 inch spacers under them ( longer bolts of course ) and get a little rise ?

It sound easy but it's not that easy. Removing the bars on the RT is one of the hardest things I've done to date. There are hidden bolts that hold the ignition switch that would have to be modified.

 

[rickm]

So your saying the switch has it's own mounting, would the bars be able to come up some and still leave the switch in the same place as long as the key would still fit and function ?

 

[Lamonster]

So your saying the switch has it's own mounting, would the bars be able to come up some and still leave the switch in the same place as long as the key would still fit and function ?

Here's what you are looking at. You may be able to get a 1" spacer in there but getting the bars off to do so is a major pain.

 

[rickm]

Thanks

 

[bikeguy]

Like akspyderman, I am also vertically challenged. I can remember rotating, cutting, and changing bars to gain some adjustability as well as cutting down seats and even replacing shocks and lowering triple clamps on the forks just to be able to touch the ground. Sometimes this came at the expense of handling but it doesn't make any difference how well a bike handles if you can't ride it. The seat on my BMW R1100RT was adjustable but even in the lowest position it was still too tall.

One of the biggest obstacles to adjustable bars and controls has always been the length and routing of control cables. With the RT's fly-by-wire throttle and lack of front brake control this obstacle has been removed from the right side of the bars except for electrical wires which are much more flexible than cables. It shouldn't be too hard to do away with cables and hydraulic hoses on the left side and then the bars could easily be made adjustable.

Since I don't have to worry about touching the ground anymore, I can leave all the padding I want in the seat and make it as wide as I like. Hooray, I can easily ride out a tank of gas without being uncomfortable - I love it! Even so, adjustable pegs might be nice. My wife loves the adjustable passenger pegs. Being able to raise the pegs and take some weight off her thighs has made her ride much more comfortable. She is more severely vertically challenged than I am.

I agree with Scotty that the RT is, by far, the most comfortable touring bike I've ever owned and I don't have a problem with it just the way it is. More adjustability might make it even better. But, as they say, there's no free lunch. The seat on our Ford Excursion is adjustable every way imaginable and that's great until somebody else drives it and adjusts it for them. It seems like there is no way I can get it re-adjusted just the way it used to be. Yeah, I know some of them have several pre-adjustments stored in memory but mine doesn't have that option. Somehow, I doubt that even going back to a position stored in memory would feel just right , either. After all, what would I do if I had nothing to gripe about?

Cotton