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RT shocks on a RS ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter arntufun
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arntufun

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I just put my RT shocks (thanks GloryRyders :thumbup:) on and took her for a test flight. I have them set on 4 and it certainly will go through the corners alot faster. But.......I also lifted a wheel once while I was pushing the limits through a turn and the nanny started to be mean to me.

The Question is, do I go down to 3 or raise it to 5 to help me eliminate this. What do you guys have yours set at ??? These questions are for owners of RT shocks on a RS.
 
I have mine set at 5, 2011 RTs on RS, don't have any issues but I may not ride as aggressive as you.
 
These questions are for owners of RT shocks on a RS.

Well, I'm going to answer anyway ;)

I think I've run into the same issue with my Fox shocks. I always rode my stock RS shocks set at 5, so when I put the Fox shocks on, I set them to 5 as well. While it handles better in many ways, I've also noticed that I definitely feel like I'm about to unleash the inside wheel from time to time (haven't lifted it yet).

The Spyder was in the shop, picking it up tonight, but I've already convinced myself to dial back the Fox shocks a bit and see if that helps me achieve a "happy medium".

Why the heck not? Don't cost nuthin'. :p
 
2011 RT shocks on my 2008 GS. They are set at 3 and I would feel every bump if set to 4 or 5. I'm dialed back when riding as compared to you. I believe the springs on the 2011 RT shocks are stiffer.

I'm guessing that you going to 5 would increase your chance of wheel lift.

I know your weight affects what you set your shocks too. I weigh 175# and the gf weighs in at 105#. When she's on the back I don't feel the bumps as much.
 
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2011 RT shocks on my 2008 GS. They are set at 3 and I would feel every bump if set to 4 or 5. I'm dialed back when riding as compared to you. I believe the springs on the 2011 RT shocks are stiffer.

I'm guessing that you going to 5 would increase your chance of wheel lift.

I know your weight affects what you set your shocks too. I weigh 175# and the gf weighs in at 105#. When she's on the back I don't feel the bumps as much.

Springs are the same as the 2010 RT shocks, but the damping is much more on the 2011s. The RT springs are stiffer than your RS springs, though.
 
I'm going to take it down to 3 and push the Spyder again through the same turn and see how it feels. If anyone is on the fence about picking a set of these 2011 shocks up for thier RS ....... Don't be. :thumbup:

Holly is not going to be very happy when I tell her we will be able to whip through the twisties. Thank goodness for my new Passenger Palms. :roflblack:
 
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I've got 2010 RT shocks on my RS, set on 5 initially, dialed back to 3 after a couple of rides, handles better than it did with originals set on 5, rides much better.

john
 
I got 2010 rt shocks at 4th position and evo swaybar but rss with fox shock on showroom floor was way more solid, far less rocking/swaying when rocked.
I don't know what setting fox shocks were set to but difference was huge.
I think there might be more money parting from my wallet. :(
 
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What you're experiencing are the immutable laws of physics. Please bear with my long winded explanation to explain. I'll keep it as brief as possible. It's worth a read because it covers some interesting differences between OEM and high performance shocks.

BRP chose the OEM shocks/springs as a compromise between comfort and handling (as well as economics but that's another story). The OEM spring rate (stiffness) is low to moderate (depending on the user adjustable cam setting), and the hydraulic valving is "soft" to give a comfortable ride (at the expense of better handling). In normal riding these shocks usually do a good job and nothing more is really needed. However in aggressive riding (or high crosswinds) the low to moderate spring rate may result in significant weight/load transfer which we feel as a lateral (side to side) roll. Roll may give us an uneasy feeling of movement and the sensation of the vehicle being unstable. This is good instinct because excessive weight/load transfer will ultimately result in loss of traction and we all know that's not a good thing. Other factors may exacerbate this such as total rider/passenger weight. A secondary issue is the soft hydraulic valving. Such valving allows greater comfort by allowing freer movement of spring compression/decompression which helps soak up bumps but also allows greater weight/load transfer. Now the Vehicle Stability System (VSS), or the "nanny" as it is colloquially referred, has been carefully calibrated to take all of this into account and it acts when it senses an impending significant loss of traction or stability. Like a fighter jet the Spyder is not inherently stable in turns and requires sophisticated electronics to keep it on the road in aggressive maneuvers and other conditions such as wet pavement. This is why BRP insists on going into a low speed limp mode when the VSS system is compromised (again another multi-sided story for another thread).

Riders who want better traction for high speed maneuvers often opt for high performance shocks. In the case of the Spyder this includes Elkas, Fox, and even substituting the RT shocks on an RS. These shocks all have a higher (stiffer) spring rate and in the case of the Elka and Fox shocks also have harder hydraulic valving to improve handling. The stiffer springs and the harder valving reduce weight/load transfer and thus increase total available traction. This permits more aggressive maneuvers and with less lateral roll. Now we all know there's no such thing as a free lunch so what's the catch? The catch is some loss of comfort. With stiffer springs and harder valving you can easily understand that some comfort will be lost.

I told you all that just to explain this, now to finally get to the topic at hand:

There are also some other interesting side effects of high performance shocks as well. If the stiffer springs resist weight/load transfer and in turn lateral roll, then where does the force go, or more accurately, how does it act upon the suspension? The performance shocks can't alter physics, the faster you turn the greater the centripetal force. It has to act somewhere. In the case of the OEM shocks the forces act to further compress the spring on one side and you get a greater lateral roll. In the case of the high performance shocks with their stiffer roll resistant springs, the force may result in wheel lift. The VSS plays a part here too. Normally the yaw rate sensor detects the roll and is calibrated to allow only so much before it acts. With stiffer springs the roll is reduced at a given speed and the VSS, which is calibrated to the OEM shocks, may not detect a problem, so the power is not cut until possibly after you get some wheel lift. Is this dangerous? Well wheel lift is certainly not good, it results in significant loss of traction, but if the lift continues the VSS eventually will detect it and power will be reduced. Skillful riders know how far they can push the limits of the Spyder with high performance shocks and expect and compensate for problems such as this. We all (hopefully) know that you can only push aggressive riding so far before the limits of a vehicle are reached. It should be noted that high performance shocks effectively increase traction so wheel lift will probably only occur at corning speeds the OEM shocks usually couldn't reach due to the VSS. That said, there are some very skillful riders that can achieve wheel lift on an OEM equipped Spyder as well.

Bottom line is that if you modify your suspension with performance or non-OEM shocks, including RT shocks on an RS, expect positive and yes, some negative changes. It's up to you to determine if the positive results outweigh the negative for your style of riding.
 
GEEEZUMMMMM Pro10is !!!!!!!! That was a great post !!!!!! Thanks. :thumbup:
 
That is the best explanation I have heard of why or why not to get non-oem shocks. Thanks froma fairly new spyder rider. :doorag:
 
I'm not sure I would ever want Elkas. The Spyders limits will never let me use them to the fullest extent they were designed for ??? These 2011 RT shocks are enough for me and I don't see to many other people being much more aggressive than I am when I ride alone.

A BajaRon sway bar is the only element left I need for my Spyder to be perfect. :yes:
 
I am with you on this one, I have RT shocks and dialed into at 3, and I _still_ achieve wheel lift due to my over-zealous attacking of the handling versus the road. So I would suggest hitting them up at 3, I am very pleased with how they perform, and I too and interested in Bajaron's swaybar, if it doesnt pan out I have 2 fabricators that have made swaybars for racing cars that are looking into the project / price.

I still havent found those thrice dammed earbuds, I think sonja is hiding them, but when I do, they will be on the way bro.

And really... Hillary? really? Roll some Ming Na Wen
 
rt shocks

i bought r t shocks from cowtown about a month ago. i don't know what year, no response to pm. they were set on three, still are. i was shocked at how rough they rode, just wasn't expecting that. i don't think i would want them any stiffer ( don't say thats what she said ) they handle great for me. i only occasionally ride aggressively, but those occasions occur more frequently all the time:yikes::thumbup::yikes: hillary hasn't looked that good for a long long time.
 
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i bought r t shocks from cowtown about a month ago. i don't know what year, no response to pm. they were set on three, still are. i was shocked at how rough they rode, just wasn't expecting that. i don't think i would want them any stiffer ( don't say thats what she said ) they handle great for me. i only occasionally ride aggressively, but those occasions occur more frequently all the time:yikes::thumbup::yikes: hillary hasn't looked that good for a long long time.


What Hillary ??? :roflblack:
 
My 2008 GS is wearing 2011 RT shocks set on five and I am quite happy. Had the 2010 RT shocks and they were better than stock, but not quite a big enough improvement for me. I also have the evo sway bar. Good luck on finding the setup that is right for you :thumbup:
 
I'm not sure I would ever want Elkas. The Spyders limits will never let me use them to the fullest extent they were designed for ??? These 2011 RT shocks are enough for me and I don't see to many other people being much more aggressive than I am when I ride alone.

A BajaRon sway bar is the only element left I need for my Spyder to be perfect. :yes:

People in general do not understand the relationship between shocks (spring rate/valving) and sway bar. You can't fix a sway bar issue with a better shock anymore than you can fix a shock issue with a better sway bar.

Each of these affect one or more components of suspension. But neither adequately addresses all the critical forces that get you around a corner or stabilize you in windy conditions.

Because an improvement in either (shock or sway bar) gives an overall improvement, many get the impression that it doesn't get any better and quit with an upgrade to one or the other. But shock manufacturers will tell you that the right sway bar will greatly enhance the performance of their shocks (no matter how good they are) and a sway bar manufacturer will say the same about the shocks that are used.

If you want to get around corners significantly better with less interferance from the Nanny, you really need to improve both the shock and the sway bar. Especially on the RS and the 2010 RT.

Of the 2 you will pay a lot more for a great set of shocks than you will for a good sway bar. It's just a matter of high tech needed to improve a shock system as opposed to the low tech requirements of getting a better sway bar.
 
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