Finally Found a 2016 Spyder RT-S SM6

[Peter Aawen]

Another one of the accessories that the RT came with was the rear cargo rack.

View attachment 192397

With all of the existing storage on the RT, we decided that we did not need the rear rack and didn't particularly care for the look of it, especially since it would be serving no purpose for us. .....

Just be aware that even (especially??) when in their closed/short position, those adjustable/extenddable horizontal 'whale tail' racks from Rivco like the one in your pic can significantly reduce the turbulence in the airflow that's created behind the RT's - turbulence that often sees people complaining of a strong exhaust fume smell while ryding (especially for the pillion passenger); and they can also significantly reduce if not eliminate all the rain, slush, &/or light road debris that can get picked up in that turbulence, swirled around behind the trunk & panniers, only to ultimately end up being dumped down the neck & back of the ryder &/or pillion. :shocked:

So it might have been doing more for you/your pillion than just providing extra storage space. . Just Sayin'....

 

[stewartj239]

Just be aware that even (especially??) when in their closed/short position, those adjustable/extenddable horizontal 'whale tail' racks from Rivco like the one in your pic can significantly reduce the turbulence in the airflow that's created behind the RT's - turbulence that often sees people complaining of a strong exhaust fume smell while ryding (especially for the pillion passenger); and they can also significantly reduce if not eliminate all the rain, slush, &/or light road debris that can get picked up in that turbulence, swirled around behind the trunk & panniers, only to ultimately end up being dumped down the neck & back of the ryder &/or pillion. :shocked:

So it might have been doing more for you/your pillion than just providing extra storage space. . Just Sayin'....

Well, I guess I just got a lesson on the physics of having it on there
You mention the exhaust smell. My wife did notice it on the 2013, but she hasn't said anything yet about it on the 2016, so I will have to ask her. The main difference between the two years is that I did remove the cat on the 2013 to reduce the heat which was almost a must for that model year.

 

[stewartj239]

OK. One more upgrade that we made was installing the Magic Mirrors. These things are awesome. I do all of the Spyder maintenance on my own and every time you change the oil, you have to remove the mirrors. The OEM clips are very thin and very fragile. For our 2013, I always had a bag of extra clips because every now and then, I would accidentally break them taking the mirrors off.

So here are the OEM bolts where they mount on the Spyder:



This photo shows those OEM mounting bolts removed and the Magic Mirrors screws, magnets and washers installed:



Here the OEM clips have been removed and replaced with the Magic Mirrors steel plates that the magnets will stick to:



Here you can see how the mirror will go on to the mounting point. The heads of the screws will go into the holes on the mirror brackets:



Once installed, you can easily confirm that things are mounted and hooked up properly.



We have put 500+ miles on it so far and have had highway speeds at 80 MPH with no wiggling or wobbling at all. This is an A+ product!!

 

[stewartj239]

After purchasing the RT-S last summer, we were only able to put about 900 miles on it before winter. I just finished the winter updates that we wanted to make to the Spyder so that we can get an early start on the riding season up here in the Northeast.

I have rolled 3 updates in to these two photos. The first thing we wanted to do was get the Elka front suspension rebuilt. Considering the low miles and like new condition the RT-S was in when we bought it, I was very surprised to see that one of the front Elka shocks was leaking. I contacted Lamonster Garage and they put me in touch with a shop that could rebuild them.

The Spyderpops Bump Skid was next. We had one on our 2013 RT-S and just felt that we needed it for the 2016 as well.

The last update in these photos are the Kott Grilles. I absolutely love the write up on these as once installed, it will solve the garbage collection problem. After every ride, I was pulling trash and critters (mainly grasshoppers) out of the OEM screens. I hope the Kott Grilles work better at keeping the stuff out.

 

[stewartj239]

Knowing how much money and updates that the previous owner had put in to this Spyder and knowing that they put the Elka shocks on the front of it, I was shocked that find out that he didn't put one on the rear. Bummer. So that went on the winter list of updates.

Here are a couple of photos and you can clearly see the comparison differences between the Elka and OEM rear shock. We had Elka suspension on the front and rear of our 2013 RT-S, so we knew we needed to complete it on the 2016.

 

[stewartj239]

This is the best picture I have for the next update, but it is the OEM vented windscreen. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but if you look at the initial pictures that I posted when we bought this last summer, you will notice that it had an aftermarket vented windscreen that was tinted. Sounds great, right? Well up where I am at in central NY and with much of our riding in the Adirondack region, it was nothing short of dangerous - especially in the late summer and fall with the sun being lower in the sky. The problem was that when riding in direct sun, then coming in to the shaded parts of the road because of the densely populated forests and trees, I could NOT see the road going from full sun, to full shade. The windshield was a very dark tint and the transitions were unbearable. I guess if I lived in FL, which is where this Spyder came from, and it was nothing but flat land all round, then it would be OK, but I still don't think you could ride it at night, as I couldn't do that either

 

[stewartj239]

OK. Here is my last update from the winter and it is my favorite. I have always hated the black rims that come on the RT-S. My favorite rims were the ones that came on the 2015 Special Series RT. I hunted for a used set, but no luck and even tried to price them new, but could not acquire a part number for them.

So instead, I borrowed an idea from someone on the forum and converted them myself. Considering I am not the best with a dremel, they came out great. On the left is the before and after. Definitely a big difference as far as aesthetics go. They look even better once installed IMO.