Amazed at difference with a swaybar........

[BajaRon]

It does help, thanks. It also begs the question of why, if there's only upside potential and no down-side, why would Can-Am not install the stronger sway bars in the first place? Has anyone asked Can-Am that I wonder? Did it come up as a topic of conversation at the Homecoming or Spyderfest? :shocked:

Also wondering how mods such as these affect the warranty / BEST extended? Probably not at all but thought I'd ask. I imagine there are some mods Can-Am would rather we not do to our rydes but this is probably not one of them.

A very good question. And there are some theories as to why. But the bar does not affect warranty. There are some dealerships that put the bar kit on demo Spyders because they say they sell better with the bar installed.

 

[Jheck]

Alignment needed after installation or no...
Also can you describe the improvement more? Not quite sure about the bars scraping the pavement lol. Just wondering if it improves the feeling of the front tires feeling like theyre about to fold over on rider inputs sometimes. Front feels super sensitive to sudden inputs that arise to avoid things sometimes.

Had my Swaybar done by Netzley Tire last summer. Had the lazer alinement done at the same time. Amazing difference! My RT tracks like its on rails now.:yes:

 

[SteveLaoyster]

When I had my motorcycles I used to like to serpentine with the bikes. Gives you a good feel for how the bike corners & handles. I tried doing this when I first got my RTS & I didn't feel comfortable doing it. After I put the RonBar on I tried serpentine again & it handles a lot better.

 

[Bob Denman]

I think that Ron did a bang-up job of describing the process! :bowdown:

Let me see if I can "boil it down" just a little bit...
STOCK:
You initiate the process by turning the bars...
The bike starts to lean over, until it "takes a set"...
(this is where all of the delays in the process happen)
Once it has settled over: the turn starts.
WITH RON'S ANTI-SWAYBAR:
Everything happens the same way; but the bike leans a whole lot less, and settles in to start the turn much quicker! :thumbup:

 

[Slowpoke387]

Ok I'm sold, I give in, you all got me wanting one. Order will be placed soon. (like tomorrow)

 

[UtahPete]

Is replacing sway bars a D-I-Y install?

I think that Ron did a bang-up job of describing the process! :bowdown:

Let me see if I can "boil it down" just a little bit...
STOCK:
You initiate the process by turning the bars...
The bike starts to lean over, until it "takes a set"...
(this is where all of the delays in the process happen)
Once it has settled over: the turn starts.
WITH RON'S ANTI-SWAYBAR:
Everything happens the same way; but the bike leans a whole lot less, and settles in to start the turn much quicker! :thumbup:

I will probably get replacement sway bars then based on what you all have said. Is this a D-I-Y install?

 

[SteveLaoyster]

I will probably get replacement sway bars then based on what you all have said. Is this a D-I-Y install?

If you can get the front up high enough it's not difficult at all. Just takes some time. I think someone on here managed to do it in 2 hours.

 

[Bob Denman]

Isn't "Group-Think" marvelous??? :clap:

Seriously: :congrats: You won't be disappointed! :thumbup:

 

[SpyderBears]

Slowpoke387....you will not be disappointed!

 

[Slowpoke387]

Slowpoke387....you will not be disappointed!

Any online vids of the install?

 

[Jheck]

Any online vids of the install?

 

[Jheck]

Any online vids of the install?

 

[BajaRon]

Make Sure You Are Watching The Correct Video

This sway bar video is for the 2008-2012 models. If you have a 2013-2017 this video will do you no good at all.

 

[Jheck]

This sway bar video is for the 2008-2012 models. If you have a 2013-2017 this video will do you no good at all.

Oh, good catch Ron. Sorry just trying to help. Is there one for 2014 up?

 

[BajaRon]

Oh, good catch Ron. Sorry just trying to help. Is there one for 2014 up?

Not getting on you at all. I know everyone here is trying to help.

I don't keep up with the video's so I can't say if there is one for the 2013+ models. I like video's too. But for most, the written instructions are all they need.

 

[Peteoz]

Nor does the heavier sway bar have any affect when traveling straight ahead, (unless you are being buffeted by heavy cross winds or when passing a big semi-truck at freeway speeds. The sway bar will help stabilize your Spyder in these situations even while traveling straight ahead).

Hope this helps! :thumbup:

Ron, I know you have said this before, but it appears to me that my F3 does track better on some straight roads with the Ronbar. I am talking about narrow, unkerbed country roads with a high crown and uneven surface. Pre the Ronbar, I felt the F3 was constantly trying to take me into the bush, which was quite worrying. I don't get this feeling any more. Am I imagining things, or is this possible?

Pete

 

[Slowpoke387]

Ron, I know you have said this before, but it appears to me that my F3 does track better on some straight roads with the Ronbar. I am talking about narrow, unkerbed country roads with a high crown and uneven surface. Pre the Ronbar, I felt the F3 was constantly trying to take me into the bush, which was quite worrying. I don't get this feeling any more. Am I imagining things, or is this possible?

Pete

Please tell me this isnt your imagination. Lie if you have to. Ours does the same thing. Its like it wants us to ride right off into the bushes. Still waiting to recover from ordering the windscreen and a loaded up Corbin seat and backrest before i spend more cash. But if what you say is true i may have to speed up the process.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Ron, I know you have said this before, but it appears to me that my F3 does track better on some straight roads with the Ronbar. I am talking about narrow, unkerbed country roads with a high crown and uneven surface. Pre the Ronbar, I felt the F3 was constantly trying to take me into the bush, which was quite worrying. I don't get this feeling any more. Am I imagining things, or is this possible?

Pete

Hey Pete, you aren't imagining things & the improvements you are feeling are not imaginary, they are real & well recognised in the motoring & suspension design industry! Still, I don't think many people who haven't actually experienced them understand exactly HOW 'uneven' our non-major roads can be!! (Not that some of our 'Major Roads' are all that much better tho!!) Anyone realising that the 'unevenness' we experience is sufficient to really get the suspension articulating enough to effect the steering & wheel alignment & (especially on things with front suspension like our Spyders) induce noticeable steering direction changes on one or both wheels, then they would be much more likely to understand why fitting stiffer sway bars DOES improve our straight line riding!! The 'less than ideal' nature of much of our formed road network is one of the reason that sooo many vehicle manufacturers spend so much time & money extensively testing their vehicles here in Aus - even if they aren't going to sell the particular vehicle here, they've likely been testing them here, which has made for a reasonably lucrative 'retirement income' for me! It's not only the rugged nature of our Outback & the wide open spaces that attract them, but also the quality (or lack there-of) of our formed roads & the level of punishment they can mete out that allows virtual years of driving elsewhere to be experienced here in a relatively short space of time!! But you & I get to ride it every day!! :thumbup:

Now, getting on to the how & why stiffer sway bars improve the straight line ride... The bigger bumps & uneven sections of road we have here DO flex the suspension significantly, & if you look at the front suspension on your Spyder you'll notice that big enough suspension movements will noticeably change the camber & the toe in/out on the steer wheels as the suspension articulates, which means that as the road surfaces causes suspension flex on one side or the other, the 'straight ahead' & steering efect for the tire on that side will vary a little & as a result we get those continuous 'small direction changes' whether we like them or not!! And I'm not trying to be rude by mentioning that effect is probably compounded by your (greater than usual) weight & the higher load you put on the front suspension as a result too!! :shocked:

By installing a stiffer stabiliser bar, you've got more of a direct link across both wheels & between the different sides of the front suspension; meaning a 'bump' or pothole under one wheel or side actually reacts LESS overall on that side than it would if it was reacting alone; simply because due to that linking stabiliser bar the impact is now shared to some extent by the suspension on the other side as well, since the bar is there specifically to do that & to transfer or share some of the suspension movement across to & with the other side. So both wheels reacting to someextent produces less total camber & toe in/out change than that which can occur when it's just one wheel & the suspension on that side reacting alone, & that means the result is less total suspension induced steering waddle &/or 'head for the bush' effect. Similarly with the high crowned roads we have - a stiffer stabiliser bar transfers some of the 'leaning load' that's being applied to the lower side wheel across to the other wheel, so the lesser total impact reduces the individual change in camber & toe on the downhill wheel (which is what makes your Spyder want to 'head for the bush' in the first place, besides the purely gravitational effect!) & by sharing the load thru a stiffer stabiliser bar it allows similar but lesser changes on the uphill wheel too, the uphill changes counteracting to some extent the lesser tendency to head for the bush a bit more!!

Mind you, having a good wheel alignment to start with certainly helps too!! As will your new shocks & springs - less 'spongy' suspension means those uneven bumps & potholes will have less adverse effect on the steering changes that the suspension flexing MUST induce as we ride - you could probably get rid of the adverse impact entirely by making one suspension or steering component sooo rigid that it wouldn't allow any adverse impact to occur, but it'd probably stuff the steering, ride, & handling!! By putting on a (slightly) stiffer stabiliser, it's made some small changes for the better without introducing any nasty compromises; by fitting better shocks & springs as wel, it'll make similarly small improvements without introducing adverse impacts from that approach too! Individually, all of these changes you are making are enough of an improvement to be noticeable without the compromise down-side being unacceptable; & collectively they all add up to mean that the overall ride & handling improvements are significant, but still without the collective down-sides being too painful to bear or likely even noticeable!! :thumbup:

 

[Peteoz]

Please excuse me for not using the "reply with quote" option, Peter, but I thought I might wear my thumb out "scrolling down" :roflblack: . That reply is very much appreciated and makes perfect sense, even though I had to ask my wife the meaning of some of the 4 syllable words.

You have also answered Slowpoke's question.

I have indeed noticed marked improvements in the front end (the Spyder's front end, not mine) after each mod for alignment, stabiliser bar and now the heavy duty Wilbers. I've got a bit of work to do on the rear to reduce bum discomfort over our incredibly smooth roads, but that is underway.

Pete

 

[Peter Aawen]

You're excused Pete! :thumbup:

And please excuse me for this, I'm not having a dig at you or anyone about it, rather commenting on the practices here because you mentioned it, effectively throwing it open as a point for discussion - inadvertently likely, but it is sorta interesting & yeah, maybe I'm taking the thread off topic a tad, but still... :shemademe_smilie:

Think on this for a second or two.... If you were having a beer down the pub & shooting the breeze with your mates when someone started repeating everything you had just finished saying before making their response, how long d'ya reckon they'd get away with doing that before someone would poke them in the snoz?? :dontknow:

We generally consider repeating everything someone says before replying as the height of childish rudeness if we do it face to face, but strangely many seem to expect it in a Forum thread... which is, after all, just a printed/displayed conversation made readable/followable by stringing the individual posts together in their posted order in a thread so it's easier to follow... :gaah:

Wouldn't it be 'more polite' just to acknowledge the previous poster by name/username (as you've done in your post above) or at least limit your 'quote' to just the bit necessary for your reply to be clear (especially if it's an epic like mine often are) instead of quoting the whole lot?? :dontknow:

Just a thought & (I think) a point of interest Hijack over.