My very short experience on gravel-------
Hello:
I just bought a 2012 Viper Red Spyder RT-S SE5------Got it home on a trailer- got it off loaded and didn't have all my gear yet and bought a SpyderPops Missing Belt Guard but there was a problem with it so the dealer ordered it for me and sent it to me. So I get the fun of putting it on but will put it on when the temperatures warm up some so the adhesive piece can adhere well to the swing arm.
Anyways-I live on gravel too and took the brand new bike down the road to the corner and back----I heard the normal things like the air-shock system adjusting etc., but twice, twice - I heard what sounded like a tin-can crushing--seriously, sounded like someone squeezing a empty soda can.
I spoke to a technician where I bought my unit, and he too lives on a gravel road. He said what I had heard both times was a piece of gravel or rock in the belt, and the noise was the rock piece being crushed up.
He said larger rocks don't have issues so much with getting into the belt but smaller ones are light and can and do easily get picked up and thrown into that area. The county I live in in Eastern Kansas, definitely has smaller and lighter rocks.
I was surprised that just going down the road to the corner and back I picked up something two times. YES, I was going fairly quick which I shouldn't have done but was excited about getting my new ride home and off the trailer. From now on it will be SLOW on the gravel country roads.
So, YES SpyderPOPS Missing Belt-Guard is important and a must in my opinion if you live on a gravel road like I do. Like others have said as well, slow down on them until you can hit better roads!!!!!
I just hope I can install this thing okay myself. I know and hear it is really easy but have also been told the clearances are very tight and you should triple check things before you apply the adhesive to the swing arm. As long as it doesn't make noise you should be okay but as I was told do not worry if you are on a long ride and smell some plastic burning- it's just the belt burning on the rock guard and will stop once it gets settled in.
Hope that helps----Can't wait for all my missing things to arrive and a good warm day here in KS to take our new Spyder out for some exercise...right now it is in the barn on a tender!!!!
At least I feel I got a good deal and some mods added cheaply as they were added while the bike got put together. I guess patience is a virtue and I got to learn that----Lord willing there will be some good days to come even in December, January and February. Will see.
God Speed and Happy Holidays to everyone!
, live on a dirt road
ray: Try to stay off dirt roads but if ya gotta just go slow!!! The rock that gets ya could be the one you hit at 250 miles on your odometer or it could be at 25000++. Beats me how it can do it :dontknow:but it probably will get ya sooner or later. And I think it will do that with or with out the guard.:banghead:
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