Electronic air

[Bluehole]

Can any 2017 F3 Limited owner hear or feel their electronically controlled air system working? I have had mine for 2000 miles now and have yet to hear a peep out of it. No sounds or different feeling with a passenger. Just wondering how a person is to tell if it is working?
Thanks,

 

[Easy Rider]

In a low light situation, like inside a garage, note where the lights hit the wall.
With it in gear (and foot on brake of course) run the control from soft to hard.....and watch the light on the wall go up and down.

I've never heard or felt mine working either but the dealer demonstrated that it IS.

 

[Bluehole]

In a low light situation, like inside a garage, note where the lights hit the wall.
With it in gear (and foot on brake of course) run the control from soft to hard.....and watch the light on the wall go up and down.

I've never heard or felt mine working either but the dealer demonstrated that it IS.

That is a slick way of knowing for an RT owner. Unfortunately mine is the 2017 F3 Limited and there is nothing manual that
I can switch on or off and check the headlights. As I said, I have had mine for 2000 miles now and have yet to hear a peep
out of it. No sounds or different feeling with a passenger. Just wondering how a person is to tell if it is working?
Thanks,

 

[AY4B]

Im not sure what to listen for in what situation. I have felt something kick in on a few aggressive curves. I was thinking it was either the nanny or that compressor.

 

[Bluehole]

Im not sure what to listen for in what situation. I have felt something kick in on a few aggressive curves. I was thinking it was either the nanny or that compressor.

Most likely was the nanny since you say "on a few aggressive curves." Guess no one knows what it takes to really know if our units are working properly or what it would feel like if they were not working properly.
Thanks,

 

[Peteoz]

That is a slick way of knowing for an RT owner. Unfortunately mine is the 2017 F3 Limited and there is nothing manual that
I can switch on or off and check the headlights. As I said, I have had mine for 2000 miles now and have yet to hear a peep
out of it. No sounds or different feeling with a passenger. Just wondering how a person is to tell if it is working?
Thanks,

Hi Bob, do you not have the ability on your 2017 F3 to choose whether your airbag is running at 10psi or 70psi? .......and then the compressor maintains it at that PSI?

Pete

 

[AY4B]

Hi Bob, do you not have the ability on your 2017 F3 to choose whether your airbag is running at 10psi or 70psi? .......and then the compressor maintains it at that PSI?

Pete

On the 2017 F3 limited its air shock system is electronically controlled. I would assume if it was not operating properly, there would be an error code.

 

[bushrat]

I have wondered too ...

Can any 2017 F3 Limited owner hear or feel their electronically controlled air system working? I have had mine for 2000 miles now and have yet to hear a peep out of it. No sounds or different feeling with a passenger. Just wondering how a person is to tell if it is working?
Thanks,

We have a 2017 F3L with electronically/automatically adjusted rear suspension. During most of 7000 miles/11,000 km, I have often wondered whether it was working. No switch to adjust; no sound of any consequence; no gauge to check. BUT, once or twice when mounting, or when I was already on and had been ryding briefly before the missus came out to join me, I have felt a subtle adjustment, a raising or lowering as it were, when she climbed aboard. Thus, I'm led to believe there actually is a system there, and that it's functioning. It is pretty difficult to tell, though, other than to say our Spyder performs well in different load-bearing situations over very different terrain, with reasonable comfort, suggesting to me that some form of operable automatic suspension compensation must be there and working. Faith in the byke!!

 

[Easy Rider]

mine is the 2017 F3 Limited and there is nothing manual that I can switch on or off

Hi Bob, do you not have the ability on your 2017 F3 to choose whether your airbag is running at 10psi or 70psi? .......and then the compressor maintains it at that PSI?

Pete

I think he already answered that.

Is it safe to assume that you also don't have a tire valve under the seat where you can check the actual pressure in the bag ??

 

[Highwayman2013]

How about a ruler? Air pressure gauge? You mean if you have it in gear and running in a darkened garage and your wife gets on (add weight) the headlights won't move up and then down as it levels out?

 

[AY4B]

I think it goes active once you are in gear and running. Reason being, in the service manual It gives instructions on how to deflate the air spring for service. This requires starting the Spyder, putting it in gear with the brakes on(foot pedal) and then while your foot remains on the brake, getting off the Spyder, waiting 30 seconds to deflate and turning the ignition off. It also has instuctions on resetting it with the BUDS. I am not sure if after you deflate it, that you then need BUDS to reset it or it just reinflates after you start it back up so I would not try it until you know for sure BUDS is not required.

 

[Highwayman2013]

I think it goes active once you are in gear and running. Reason being, in the service manual It gives instructions on how to deflate the air spring for service. This requires starting the Spyder, putting it in gear with the brakes on(foot pedal) and then while your foot remains on the brake, getting off the Spyder, waiting 30 seconds to deflate and turning the ignition off. It also has instuctions on resetting it with the BUDS. I am not sure if after you deflate it, that you then need BUDS to reset it or it just reinflates after you start it back up so I would not try it until you know for sure BUDS is not required.

Deflating from the valve under the seat won't work? Which would be another way to test it. Deflate the air bag using the valve under the seat. Button everything up, turn off the lights in the garage, get on and start the bike, put it in gear and see what happens. You could even check the pressure in the bag after this to see how much it went up from zero. Please say this isn't too hard.

 

[Bluehole]

Hi Bob, do you not have the ability on your 2017 F3 to choose whether your airbag is running at 10psi or 70psi? .......and then the compressor maintains it at that PSI?

Pete

Pete, I have no way of setting the pressure on my system that I know about. From what I have read it is a closed system with not adjustment. I am trying to learn more.
Thanks,

 

[Bluehole]

I think he already answered that.

Is it safe to assume that you also don't have a tire valve under the seat where you can check the actual pressure in the bag ??

Easy Rider, that would be correct. As far as I can tell this is a closed system. I am starting to think the only way to change any thing related to the pressure of the system is with the BUDS software and that is a maybe.
Thanks,

 

[Bluehole]

Deflating from the valve under the seat won't work? Which would be another way to test it. Deflate the air bag using the valve under the seat. Button everything up, turn off the lights in the garage, get on and start the bike, put it in gear and see what happens. You could even check the pressure in the bag after this to see how much it went up from zero. Please say this isn't too hard.

Guys, there is no valve under the seat! That is part of my point. There is no way for the owner to deflate or inflate this system.
Thanks,

 

[AY4B]

On my previous post I gave instruction on Deflation. The purpose of that air spring is not to replace the shock, It is to keep the Spyder level. I downloaded the service manual this morning to look it up. I was planning on doing it anyway but this question prompted me to go ahead and do it.

 

[Bluehole]

On my previous post I gave instruction on Deflation. The purpose of that air spring is not to replace the shock, It is to keep the Spyder level. I downloaded the service manual this morning to look it up. I was planning on doing it anyway but this question prompted me to go ahead and do it.

"I am not sure if after you deflate it, that you then need BUDS to reset it or it just reinflates after you start it back up so I would not try it until you know for sure BUDS is not required."

So why would I want to go to all that trouble just to try and verify that the system is or is not working? I am looking for a simply way to visually see if the system is
functioning as it should. If not then I could proceed with some trouble shooting steps.

BTW what manual are you using??
Thanks,

 

[Bob Denman]

The adjustable air system on the rear shock sets ride height only... anything else that it does, is completely dependent on that one consideration.
On the 2018 RT Limited models: there is no operator adjustment available at all. It all happens automatically.
When I'm moving my bike around at low speed: I can hear the compressor running to add air, and I can also hear the system bleeding air off. :thumbup:

 

[Bluehole]

The adjustable air system on the rear shock sets ride height only... anything else that it does, is completely dependent on that one consideration.
On the 2018 RT Limited models: there is no operator adjustment available at all. It all happens automatically.
When I'm moving my bike around at low speed: I can hear the compressor running to add air, and I can also hear the system bleeding air off. :thumbup:

Thanks Bob,

Any idea how a 2017 F3 owner would tell if his system is working properly? Haven't heard a peep out of the compressor since I got it some 2000 miles ago. Neither
have I been able to detect any movement when the CO comes aboard--engine running. As you can tell, I seem to have stumped a few people on this one.

Thanks again,

 

[Bluehole]

Gentlemen and ladies,

I am going to put this one to bed. From everything you folks are telling me--there doesn't seem to be a simple way of checking to see if the 2017 F3 Limited is indeed operating the way it should be. Yes I could perhaps drain the air bladder but certainly not without knowing if BUDS would be needed in order to refill/reset the system. Bob said he heard the compressor running at low speed on his 2018 RT and also heard it releasing air. I have not heard/felt anything from my electronic system either alone or 2 up---but I might not be able to hear at that frequency. I would like to thank all of you for your participation in this discussion. I am going to assume that there is no simple way to check this.
Key word--simple.

Thank you all.