ricford
New member
I recently visited Pittbull Powersports in Springfield, MO to have some mods to the bike made that somehow, the BRP folks should have done at the factory. The stock shocks were replaced with Elka 1+ and a laser steering alignment done. Both of these things really helped the handling of my '14 RT. I don't have to stop, get off the bike to push it around curves any more. OKOKOK You will not think of it as an expense but sort of like a visit to the doctor to get well. It made my bike well. I also had the cat bypass pipe installed. Sounds good and weighs less but that aside, (I think Paul Harvey would have said, "this is a strange...") an absolutely, totally, unexpected benefit of that was that the drive belt instantly stopped vibrating. Even under a load, as in going up a steep incline. I was at first afraid to be happy so as to not offend the vibration gods but.... I had the Smooth Spyder Belt Tensioner previously installed and the belt was still vibrating, albeit less. When I drove away from the shop for the 400 mile ride home, I instantly noted the lack of belt vibration. I was totally surprised at this result. It may have possibly been something else but this one change seemed to be THE one that made the difference. All mods made, I have a new bike more or less. I had the day before the trip from Calhoun, LA to Springfield, MO, replaced the front tires with Continental ContiPros. 175/55R15. I can pass a credit card between the classic fender and the tire and that's it. They are snug snug snug. If I had tried the 175/65R15 Michelin Sport A/S I wanted, I don't think they would have fit without touching. Since the fender is static, it's not an issue. (Thanks to a fellow forum member for help with the tires.) With those things done, about $1600 or so I'd report that it was performance money well spent. Thanks to Whit and his super efficient team at Pittbull Powersports for the work. They have a web site. Very highly recommended if you're in the neighborhood. Or want to make a road trip as did I. HWY 65 between Harrison and Conway Arkansas is a challenge worth taking briskly. It is not the Tail of the Dragon, but a fun steering challenge at highway speeds. An aside, the Serenity Farms bread shop on Hwy 65 in Leslie makes most excellent breads. Worth a stop. Now I feel ready for the 'real' Tail of the Dragon run.
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