Auto Leveling Suspension - is it manual? If storage, how much air?

[Bunson]

Hello everyone. My first post on this forum. I just picked up a 2018 RT Limited last Saturday. I'm coming off a 2016 level 3 Goldwing. I'm adapting to the Spyder quickly. As a quick side note I picked it up at a dealer outside of Rochester NY. I wasn't going to register it till I got back to PA, about a 4hr ride. Well I forgot to bring my PA tag with us so I rode home with no tag on the bike. Definitely the first time on the road for that long and never went over the speed limit.
So, according to everything I've read the Limited is supposed to have self leveling in the rear. Does that mean it's manual system? If it's a storage tank then how much air should be in there?

 

[Peter Aawen]

Welcome to the Forum & posting Bunson! Glad to have you aboard! :2thumbs:

This Auto Levelling Suspension thing - It's not manual, it's advertised as BRP's ACS (Automatic Controlled Suspension, or something like that! ) but it's actually just an air assisted ride height levelling system! There's no 'air shock' as such, nor is there any real 'air storage' - it's just an air bag that's inflated/deflated via a bleed valve with air supplied by a small compressor in response to a signal from a height sensor on the LH Swing Arm...

That said, altho it was about 2018 that they finally dropped the 'manual switch' on the dash so I don't know exactly what you have, there still might be a schraeder valve under the ryder or passenger's seat to allow you to top up the (tiny) air bag. But really, apart from keeping more than about 5psi in it at all times (to avoid damaging the empty air bag as the suspension articulates) and not inflating it unloaded to more than about 90ish psi (to avoid exploding it when the pressure increases massively & suddenly/rapidly whenever you hit a bump while ryding!) there's not a great deal of point in varying the air bag pressure much at all!! This is cos even if you do change the air pressure manually, the moment you start ryding again, the self-levelling system will adjust the air pressure to suit whatever pressure it's controller decides is appropriate to maintain the pre-set height parameters that are recorded in the computer.... :gaah:

And the ACS compressor won't work unless the engine is running, the trans is in gear, and the Park Brake is off - so you probably won't be easily able to see/hear if it really is operating either. . The first time most discover it's not working is either when they get a code &/or msg on the dash; or when the wheel arch/fender sits down & starts rubbing on top of the rear tire cos you've got a pillion passenger aboard and you realise that the OE shock/spring assy is such a limp excuse for one of them which isn't strong enough to support anything much besides the unladen bike without air bag assistance in maintaining the ryde height from the ACS! :gaah:

 

[JayBros]

Welcome! Read pg 48-49 of your operator's guide. If you didn't get one with the Spyder you can download at this link: https://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/public/tmp/618987EN1.pdf

 

[Bunson]

I have read that in the manual and that's what started the confusion. I thought bikes with self leveling did not have a Schrader valve. The RT Limited is supposed to have the self leveling. I'll have to my wife get on while listening for the pump.

 

[Peter Aawen]

I have read that in the manual and that's what started the confusion. I thought bikes with self leveling did not have a Schrader valve. The RT Limited is supposed to have the self leveling. I'll have to my wife get on while listening for the pump.

The earlier versions of the ACS self-levelling system all came with a schraeder valve under the seat and a switch on the dash that had 'Hard-Soft' on it too - but they still all worked the same way, pretty much ignored the switch, & you couldn't really adjust for hard/soft anyway....

At some stage, BRP took away the switch on the dash cos it was confusing at best & never really worked anyway! I believe that was removed sometime around 2018. But at least some of the 2018+ models still have the schraeder valve under the seat.... not that it makes too much difference in the long run, as mentioned earlier!

Because it's an RT Ltd, your Spyder WILL have the 'self levelling ACS' - but whether it's actually working or not is a more important question to answer?!?

 

[Mikey]

I have read that in the manual and that's what started the confusion. I thought bikes with self leveling did not have a Schrader valve. The RT Limited is supposed to have the self leveling. I'll have to my wife get on while listening for the pump.

Chances are you may not even hear the pump! You have to have the motor running and in gear!! You should feel the bike adjusting thou. If you are concerned that the system isn't working, trust me if it isn't you will know it, because it will ride like a dump truck unloaded!!

 

[Bunson]

Thanks guys

 

[stubronco]

This is confusing! I'm new to my 2014 Spyder RT-S SE6. While riding, after about 10 minutes the rocker switch says manual when trying to adjust but is feels like the ride is normal. Are there any tests i can I do to figure this out? Thanks, Stu

 

[Bunson]

I'm no expert at all so take what I say with a grain of salt. Part of the confusion is that not years of RT have the same system. Mine is a 2018 and it appears that 2018 was a year of change. Not all 2018's are identical. Mine has no switch on the dash but does have a Schrader valve under the seat.
The first thing to do would be to verify that you have no leaks. Measure the air in the evening and then check again in the morning. I did not have any leaks at all. What I noticed was there was only 35lbs and the chart in the owners manual for my weight is about 50lbs. I filled it up to 50 and then after a ride is was back down to 35. So I knew the bleed valve was working. Then I released all of the air. Got on the bike, started, foot on brake and in gear the pump kicked on. You should feel/see the rear raise up when the pump runs.
At this point I knew that all components were working. Took the bike to a dealer to have the system calibrated and now it's working fine.
Good luck

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

This is confusing! I'm new to my 2014 Spyder RT-S SE6. While riding, after about 10 minutes the rocker switch says manual when trying to adjust but is feels like the ride is normal. Are there any tests i can I do to figure this out? Thanks, Stu

Hi Stu. There's good info in this thread, and I apologize for repeating some of it. What you are seeing is usually the sign that the air compressor has failed. And yes, there is a time delay in the logic before you get that message. Essentially, the system is telling you that you are asking for a certain setting with the switch and it did not attain that setting. Thus, you have to add air manually. The ride might feel normal, but the rear suspension will be more prone to bottoming out on rough roads, especially with a passenger. This thread has a lot of info for you, but remember that the later model years don't have the rocker switch like you do.

There is a sensor down under the left rear side of the machine with an arm and a linkage connecting the sensor to the swing arm. You have to get down low and look up under the frame. You can check that is connected. It probably is, but sometimes it gets disconnected for maintenance and the tech will forget to reconnect it. The arm on the sensor should point to the rear and the linkage then comes straight down to attach to the swing arm. You can use a regular old tire pressure gauge, put it on the Schrader valve under the seat and see if you have any air pressure in the rear air suspension or see if it ever changes. They all have the valve. Also, after you come back from a ride, leave the engine running and leave it in gear, and just pull up in front of your garage door or a wall so that you can see the beam of the headlights. Then try to change the settings with the rocker switch. If the system is working properly, you'll see the beam of your headlights go up and down as the system adds or vents air pressure. You should also hear the air compressor run and feel the rear suspension go up and down.

Otherwise then, an air compressor replacement is required if you want to return the system to normal. There is an aftermarket compressor that some have used with good success and costs a lot less. But it is a DYI job. There's a good YouTube video on that, too. Forum or Google search will get you info on that. Or do a search for information on how folks have just converted the system to all manual. As long as there are no air leaks, you will seldom need to add air in order to keep it in the range that you want.