Initial Maintenance and Work

[Rednaxs60]

Today was not a riding day, could have been, but damp, a bit of drizzle - good working weather/day.

Took the front off. Anyone owning one of these 2014 to 2019 RT LE should do this at least once. Made the coolant flush easier. Coolant flush done. Had the engine running to operating temp twice, will check coolant level in the morning.

The service manuals do not mention everything regarding the removal of the front trunk. Had to disconnect the air intake.

Put the Spyder on the Big Blue (BB) Lift, blocked the bike front/back - side to side. Installed Speedbleeders, have used before and these are the cat's pajamas. Had to lower the BB to get at the brake pedal for the manual flush/bleed. The Speedbleeder for the VCM needs to be tight, took a bit of wrenching to get it to stop leaking past. Took a picture of the old brake fluid - it was time to change.

Tomorrow will hook up the B.U.D.S. for the first time, and do the brakes according to B.U.D.S.. Don't quite understand the procedure for the VCM module, but will be looking online for some guidance.

Intend to take off the front drive belt pulley - clean, lubricate, put back together. Have a new bolt if needed. Have front Centramatic balancers coming, as are M2 shocks - front/rear. Have been thinking about what electronics and accessory outlets I want to install and where these should go.

I've attached a picture of my Spyder with the front removed, and the old brake fluid - supposed to be clear.

 

[Mikey]

They sure look sad all striped down like that!!

 

[Rednaxs60]

Almost looks like something out of Star Wars, or a Johnny 5 from Short Circuit the movie.

Have mentioned before that a low mileage, older Spyder, motorcycle or whatever needs to be gone over just as if it has been used a lot. A higher mileage one may sometimes be the better bet because the servicing has been done more regularly. Having an engine with 4-5 year old oil is never good and the picture of the brake fluid I posted should never happen - won't discuss my cars. Coolant is another issue, the additives that are put in the coolant to protect your engine do diminish over time. At least every five years, sooner if you ride a lot.

Next brake bleed in two years.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Finished up the work/maintenance for now. Bled the VCM manually. Connected the computer and used B.U.D.S. to finish the break bleed, worked well. Centramatic wheel balancers came in today, installed, will road test tomorrow. Putting the panels and front back on had two bolts left over. I'm certain I'll eventually find where these are from.

Running maintenance commentary. The M2 shocks should be here in a couple of weeks. Will be contacting N-Line trailers for status on trailer hitch. Going to order the LidLox helmet locks for the Spyder. Thinking I'm just about maxed out for work/maintenance - another 3K Kms and into an oil change. Now for the electrical/electronics side of the house.

Think I'll ride for a bit.

 

[Little Blue]

Initial Maintenance

Just wanted to say, 'a great write up'.

Any tips for removing the Frunk?
I have been thinking about removing my Spyder Frunk.

I have been reading your posts and you have great
DIY skills and experience.

As others have said, 'Take care and enjoy some ryde time'.

To the better day's ahead. ......:thumbup:

 

[Rednaxs60]

Just wanted to say, 'a great write up'.

Any tips for removing the Frunk?
I have been thinking about removing my Spyder Frunk.

I have been reading your posts and you have great
DIY skills and experience.

As others have said, 'Take care and enjoy some ryde time'.

To the better day's ahead. ......:thumbup:

Thanks. A dealer shop may be faster at doing the work and emptying my pocket book so I choose to do it myself.

Removing the "frunk" wasn't as bad as I thought, and it is quite light for such a large item. Upper side panels, headlight plastic and the requisite plastic, mirrors and such. I installed the Magic Mirror magnet system, good value and investment. Two bolts underneath and 4 up top. Four connectors and the BUDS connection. Hook release catch cable and "frunk" lid switch. The one item I did not see mentioned was to disconnect the air intake - back upper left side of the "frunk". This air intake is not difficult to disconnect, but takes a bit of fiddling to connect back up. Difficult to remove any panels that make up the "frunk" until it is off.

Support the front of the "frunk", block it. Once you have the bolts out, you have to lift the "frunk" off the chassis. There are two metal hinges so to speak.

Here's a couple of videos to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw5atKHlmp4 One from down under, slightly different but good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl6QAFUJl34 Good detail on the underside bolts. Did not have to touch the headlight adjusting cable.

Take your time and all will be well - we are higher on the food chain, resistance is futile. Going to view the first video again to see if I can identify where the two left over bolts go.

Not a lot to it. Will probably be removing it to install a new accessory fuse block. Have settled on the Fuzeblock.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rednaxs60]

As I was putting the "frunk" and the underside panel I took off to drain the coolant back on, noticed the sway bar was loose. Do not believe the sway bar should be loose. Will be doing some research into this and if necessary, "frunk" comes off once more. May find where the two errant bolts go. Would be good to do at the same time as new shock install.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Quick update. Sway bar mystery challenge accepted and rectified. Had sway bar issues in my head, need new nylon bushings, not the Bajaron sway bar, links need to be replaced. Went to Sonya's brother's place and checked the sway bar attachment on his 2018 F3 Limited. His was very secure. Brought my Spyder home, up on the Big Blue lift, and crawled under to inspect. The links were very secure, but the nylon sway bar bushings were loose. These bushings need to be tightened such that the lower part you can see gets a slight bulge in the nylon. Once this is done, the sway bar cannot be moved by hand. Made sure the sway bar was centred, and did a road test. Significant difference on corners, cloverleaf on ramp(s) and twisties. Expect the new shocks will enhance the ride that much more. Would still get a new set of shocks because the rear shock does not feel up to the task. Hear the ACS air compressor start/stop more than I would expect.

Did some web research to get an understanding of what the difference between an upright shock and moving the mounted angle. The following is from The Toolbox web site - How to Install and Adjust Coilovers:

"a spring rated at 200lbs will offer 200lbs per inch if it is mounted completely vertically. Which means the effective spring rate will decrease as the mounted angle increases. To compensate for the loss, use the chart below and take the mounted angle divided by the correction factor.

Type: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Mounted Angle in Degrees: 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Correction Factor: .96 .93 .88 .82 .75 .65 .59 .50

Example:

If the desired spring rate is 300lbs per inch
Take the mounted angle, in this case 20 degrees, and divide it by the correction factor of .88
300 ÷ .88 = 340.9
The desired rate becomes 340.9lbs. For this example, moving to a 350 rate spring would be preferable"

The new front shocks will have a 250 lb spring, the rear will be a 550 lb spring. Will be asking the company for more information on the spring specs. The front shock angle looks to me to be about 30 degrees or so off the vertical (will check), so a 250 lb spring at the 30 degree angle would be approximately a 190 lb spring (rounded up).

These calculations are approximate, but do provide a glimpse into what shock companies are up against as are us the end user. Will be looking for more information on the OEM installed shock springs.

Have come to an understanding about the ACS system. Similar to my ex-1500 Goldwing. Standard shock to set ride height - preload adjustment needed and ride quality, air bladder (Spyder) - air shock 1500. The air bladder/shock is to compensate for additional loading - return the ride height back to the primary riding profile ride height. Have yet to understand the ACS remote setting switch, but will do more reading/looking into this.

Wilber shocks has designed a two shock system that emulates what is on the Spyder and 1500 Goldwing. It has a standard shock to adjust the ride height and bike sag, and a non-air shock that maintains the primary riding profile ride height/sag. This is Wilber web site regarding this system. It is the Wilbers LDC Nivomat Shocks system: https://wilbersusa.com/wilbers-ldc-self-leveling-motorcycle-suspension/ Not inexpensive, but definitely a good alternative if the company can provide this system for your ride. This is avideo of the system in action on an HD. This video shows how the shock automatically pumps itself back up to adjust for the weight of the passenger. The captions are in German, but you can clearly see how it works: https://youtu.be/leetsmF46wA

Lots of options out there depending on the application

 

[Rednaxs60]

Been riding for a few days with the sway bar secured properly and the Centramatic wheel balancers on the front. Having the sway bar secured well has made a significant difference.

The Centramatic wheel balancers, jury is still deliberating. Have 4 lead wheel weights on the left front wheel, and 6 on the right wheel. Been looking into these on the other Spyder forum, and one person mentioned that the Centramatic wheel balancers should be used in conjunction with a good static wheel balance mainly because limited size of the Centramatic ring.

I have used the CounterAct beads since 2015 in all my Goldwing tires, and the rear car tire that I had installed on my ex-1800 and ex-1500. These work very well. Tried the Ride-On tire sealant and balancing liquid too, worked a treat. May look into having the front tires get a new balance, or remove the lead weights and use CounterAct beads.

Read some posts about tire cupping. Motorcycles get this a lot for a variety of reasons. Air pressure, suspension, and tire quality are generally the top three reasons for this. Regarding tire quality and cost of the tire, I have found that a $200.00 motorcycle tire will cup the same as a $100.00 tire. Air pressure, I think the motorcycling world is pretty anal about this and shouldn't be an issue.

The main issue is suspension. You take your car to a tire shop and there is bound to be posters on the wall(s) explaining the different tire wear profiles and why each has happened. Tire shops will also mention that if you don't correct the root issue for the tire wear pattern, you'll be back.

On to motorcycles, this information may be available, but not very forthcoming. IMHO tire wear and longevity is primarily the result of a good solid suspension. Tire quality does play into longevity, a $100.00 tire can be rated for 80K Kms, a more pricy tire can be rated at 120K Kms. To make sure you get these numbers, suspension must be solid and alignment spot on.

A good alignment that is a result of a tight suspension is great. Lets not forget the importance of the shock in this equation. The shock angle from the vertical is quite significant on the Can-Am rides. The spring size in lbs is very important. All things being equal, it is this shock that keeps the wheel firmly planted on the road, specifically the shock spring. Once you have the correct shock spring size installed, then the rebound/compression aspect of the shock comes into play.

I replaced the shocks on my 2011 KIA Soul at approximately 120K Kms. I was informed that this is about the life expectancy of these shocks regardless of how the shock looks. The ride after the new shocks were put on was significantly different, much better.

Researching tire recommendations for my Spyder. Lots of recommendations and options. Being in Canada, the choice is more limited , but there are options.

Coming up to 5K Kms since buying the Spyder. Almost time for an oil/filter change.

I have been told that I tend to over-maintain my vehicles, but I'm very seldom let down.

Enough of my rambling. Cheers

 

[pidjones]

From what I've read about how bad Kendas are to be out-of-balance, beads might not be enough. (I used Dynas on 1800 with great satisfaction.)

 

[Rednaxs60]

Read a lot of horror stories and not very good reviews on the Kenda tires. Tell us how you really feel. Perspective is everything.

Don't need tires at this point, but may before next years cross Canada tour. The original tires are still on the Spyder, no sidewall cracking or such. Will use these for this riding season, then determine what to do next. A fellow on the canamspydersforum has installed a set of Kumho Solus KH 16 175/55 R 15 for the front and Kumho ECSTA AST 225/50 R 15 rear. The main consideration on what tires I will use is availability. Options north of the border are more limited. Have found a company, blackcircles.ca, out of Montreal, that have the front tires - $92.00 CDN, but not the rear.

Interested in the tire pressure(s). Car tires generally operate at higher pressures than the Spyder tires, in the 30 to 40 psi range. Underinflated tires tend to not do well over time, underinflation is a key factor in car tire failure. Will be browsing the forum(s) for info on tire pressures used in alternate car tires.

 

[Rednaxs60]

More thoughts on personalizing the Spyder. Have to provide the Mrs with a heated gear connection for the cooler weather.

Have used flush mount SAE connectors. I will use the one for the pillion rider for the battery tender as well. Nice neat install. Have to run wires up to the battery area. Can get 4 of these from Amazon for $29.00 CDN. Here's an Amazon page: https://www.amazon.ca/Connector-Ele...erproof+sae+connectors&qid=1623594207&sr=8-26

I have used expandable braided sleeving for wire runs instead of wrapping with tape on my '85 GW. Here's an Amazom web page for the sleeving: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B075VR7ZQS...69q&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_1_img&th=1

When I use tape, I like to use a cloth tape such as TESA tape: https://www.amazon.ca/Tesa-Adhesive...=automotive+cloth+tape&qid=1623594896&sr=8-15

Thinking about what to do in the front for electronics and my heated gear.

 

[pidjones]

Tire pressure is also dependent on wheel load. I expect the wheel loads to be much lower on a Spyder than on a car. And on the SUVs that have been so prone to destroy tires even more load than a car. Being able to monitor tire temperatures as well as pressures would help. I observed the rear (CT) on my 1800 running 20 F higher than the front on long, straight roads. On mountain twisties they were within 5 F. The rear carrying more load, but the front seeing more work when turning. Neither exceeded 120 F when crossing the long desert areas of New Mexico on US70 with 90 F daytime temperatures. I ran 39 psi front and 28 psi rear (cold) - the rear a bit lower than car pressures. Two up ~400 lbs total plus gear, luggage, a Uni-go over-packed (NEXT time I have her pack the night before, then take out 50% and leave it in the garage). Tire wear for the 4300 miles was normal.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Spyder is getting a rest from maintenance - main ride for the next couple of weeks. The 1200 is being sidelined mainly because of space as I have some work to do on the V-Strom to get it ready for market - another story for another beer.

Ordered and received a full cover for the Spyder from Gears Canada, trial fit and all is good.

Had two valet keys cut for the Spyder. $8.40 CDN taxes in each - now for the hiding spot.

Alignment is off a bit. Have noticed this from the beginning, My right elbow is more forward than the left. The dealer on the island does not have a laser alignment, so I called the mainland. Talked to the only Spyder dealer (I think) over there. It's a 2 1/2 hour procedure and they want to charge shop rates that are north of $150.00 CDN for a laser alignment, not to mention the ferry ride there and back. Would be a day affair. I don't think so for that cost. Plan B will have to do and that is my reading, prepping and doing.

More research done on understanding the Spyder suspension setup. Lots of good info on the web, but have to sift through quite a bit to put together an understanding. Ride quality and performance, two key issues to concern myself about.

Ride quality is all about shocks, and how these isolate me from road irregularities, and provide that plush, soft ride experience I want. Tires play an important role in this as well. Watched a video about shocks/springs versus coilovers. The fellow discussed a scenario where a fellow came into the shop and wanted an inexpensive set of whichever and wanted a nice road experience. His take was that an inexpensive set of shocks would be great for a track day where ride quality is not paramount, and you just want to have fun. On the flip side, an inexpensive shock may or may not give you the ride you want on the street. His recommendation was to get a more premium shock for street use, better ride quality. Sort of makes sense, but budget and availability always come into play.

Performance is another story. Shocks play a part in this in that the shocks maintain the ride height throughout the riding experience. Shocks help to minimize roll - cross winds on the straights and sweeping corners/curves when there isn't a lot of vehicle movement. We seldom complain about the performance when going in a straight line unless there isn't enough power available to us. Where we do comment is in the corners, twisties and cloverleafs, and such.

Enter the excessive roll - cross winds and such, and twisting of the vehicle. The size of the shock and spring to effectively counteract the roll and twist effect would be substantial. The impact on the ride quality would not go unnoticed, and would be severely impacted. Enter the sway bar. The sway bar is a torsion bar installed in such a way that it counteracts the roll and twisting - torsion of the vehicle. Cars/trucks have a much better selection of sway bars to choose from, but the market is much larger as well. Most of the information regarding sway bars is based on the automotive industry.

The shock plays a secondary roll in minimizing roll and vehicle twisting, a backseat to the sway bar so to speak. When the vehicle rolls or corners, one shock is in extension - probably unloaded, the other in compression. The energy in the shock spring compressed should be wanting to return the shock spring to its unloaded state, assisting the sway bar in maintaining a neutral, flat and level ride.

Tires affect the performance and ride quality. The more tread and sidewall plies, the firmer the tire and the firmer the ride. The fewer the tread and sidewall plies the softer the tire, the more plush and soft the ride. For performance, a tire with fewer tread and sidewall plies would give good performance on the straight and sweeping type curves, but not in a roll and vehicle twisting scenario.

The issue of what tires to use on the Spyder is ongoing, but one issue to consider and I am doing so is how many sidewall plies there are in a tire. The more sidewall plies should result in a tire that will roll less as the vehicle enters corners, encounters cross winds and such. May not be able to do anything about this when buying tires, but it is something to consider for the tire replacement on my Spyder when the time comes.

Where am I going with my understanding of the Spyder suspension setup? Read a lot of threads and posts on what suspension upgrade to do. If you are satisfied with the ride quality, and you have a performance issue in the corners, twisties and such, install a beefier sway bar. If you are satisfied with the performance, and the ride quality is less than stellar, shocks are the order of the day. If both aspects are not acceptable, pick the issue that is most important to you and make the change. You can do the other at a later date.

There is not a tire available to us that can make up for a less than adequate suspension setup. Tires should be number three on a list of needed upgrades.

The above information is my understanding and opinion based on what I know, have known and have researched. Like to keep my thoughts in order and this is a good place to do such. Time for me to get on with some work in the garage.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Short update on the Spyder maintenance front. Shocks have been shipped and should be here Thursday/Friday. Looking forward to the install.

Have been contemplating the alignment issue. It's not so much alignment as it is the handlebar position being off. Not a lot of adjustment on the front end. Should be able to move the handlebars similar to a snowmobile, using the tie rod bars. The only other option is an expensive trip to a lower mainland shop at shop rates, not going to happen.

Waiting on the trailer hitch, have to install trailer wiring, and look into the additional electrics/electronics needs.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Shocks have not arrived on this side of the border, expect the M2 shocks to be here Tuesday/Wednesday - holiday in the US. Out for a ride with Sonya this afternoon, good ride but looking forward to riding with the new shocks. Have been compiling a binder regarding Spyder suspension, lots of good threads on this forum to read. The Spyder needs an alignment as well.

Looked at the tires. The tires are the original factory install from 2014. Still have good tread, no sidewall cracking and will be good for this riding season. Intend to have new tires on for next year's touring season - planning a trip to Newfoundland and back next summer - Spyder is going to get a good workout. Looked at some Canadian distributors.

Tire.ca has Federal 595 EVO 165/55 R15 for $158.00 CDN each.

Blackcircles.ca has Continental Procontact 155/60 R15 at $105.00 CDN each, and Kumho Solus KH16 at $85.00 CDN each. There is the Continental Wintercontact TS800 for $109.00 CDN

Going to compare these tire costs to the OEM tires from the dealer. Looking at all options. Will use CounterAct beads for balancing.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Have been looking at the front suspension of my Spyder. There is no preload adjustment so not a lot of information available to digest. These shocks would fall into the category of replace and not worry about front end height. Will be looking for a hard point that I can use to setup the front suspension with the new M2 shocks.

I noticed when I was inspecting the front shocks and the ride height that there is not a lot of travel available, approximately 1 1/2 inch to 2 inches with no one on the Spyder. Hopefully the new M2 shocks give have a longer travel.

The rear shock is different in that you have to take into account the air controlled suspension (ACS) components. The new shock will have a 500 lb/in spring so will be doing a sag adjustment. Hopefully the sag will be able to be in the 25% range. From other threads on this forum, a stiffer spring to accommodate myself may be required, say an 800 lb/in spring, but this is for consideration down the road. Setting the rear sag will impact on the front sag measurement so it will be a back and forth issue.

Looked into the fuel octane requirement for specific cylinder pressures and compression ratios. My '85 Honda Goldwing GL1200 Limited Edition fuel injected model, has a cylinder pressure of 165 PSI on all four cylinders. Honda specifies a cylinder pressure of up to 180 PSI. This is approximately a 12:1 cylinder compression ratio similar to the 1330 engine. Honda specifies 89 octane fuel for the 1200 engines, and includes the 1500 and 1800 engines as well. A higher octane number is required to prevent pre-ignition of the fuel in the engine cylinders. If the engine is a low compression engine say between 8:1 and 10:1 compression ratio, using a fuel with a higher octane rating is not advantageous because complete fuel combustion may not occur, unburnt fuel is probably being exhausted, and fuel economy can be less. I have used premium fuel in my 1200, but this was during a hot spell, riding two up, and in the mountains - could hear the engine ping from pre-ignition. Having mentioned the above, going to start weaning the Spyder off its rich diet of premium fuel. It's not a lot of money per tank full, but it is the principle of the issue.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

More research into the alignment procedure for my Spyder. Have read the procedure in the OEM service manual. There are some procedural issues/items I would not be doing, but the majority of the alignment procedure can be done in the garage.

First would be to buy a small magnetic laser level for the brake rotor. Found an inexpensive one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Johnson-Level...s=magnetic+laser+level&qid=1625593374&sr=8-10 Should do the trick. A 1" to 1 1/2" angle aluminum bar for the straight edge needed at the centre of the frame. Need to determine a rear distance point that is equivalent to the straight edge extension out the front. The manual shows the front shocks installed so that is not an issue. Securing the handle bars should not be an issue.

Front trunk has to come off, may find where the two bolts that I have left over from the first time I removed the front trunk.

This is timely in that I expect the new shocks this week.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Had a good day with the Spyder. Sonya and I went for a 400 Km round trip ride up island to a place called Goats on the Roof. A bit of a tourist trap, but it is widely known at home and abroad: https://oldcountrymarket.com/ Good marketing strategy.

Good weather, clear skies, warm - but not too overbearing. Spyder operated well.

Tried some 87 octane for the trip. Never noticed a difference in engine performance. Now to caveat the experience. Not going to get into a yea/nay contest regarding this issue because it is how I understand the issue. Have been involved with different fuels over the years, as Engineer of HMCS IROQUOIS had to deal with JP-4 for the helicopters, NATO F-76 - commonly called NAVAL Distillate, diesel/gas for small boats - everything is small comparatively, and the likes. Spent 9 months in the Adriatic Sea back in '93/'94 during the break up of the former Yugoslavia. Had fuel issues so requested a fuel test kit from Halifax. Had an engineer who never went to sea inform me that all I had to do was request the fuel to the required spec, and the fuel suppliers where I was would give me what I asked for. Good answer, but the suppliers could have been giving me furnace oil for all I knew.

Back to the Spyder. Very aware of the recommendation to use a 91 or better octane rated fuel. The amount of energy in a gallon of 87 octane fuel is the same as a gallon of 91 octane fuel - won't quibble over a few points here and there. The difference is how the fuel burns in the engine cylinder. A low octane fuel should fully combust in a low compression engine, say 10:1 (approximately 145 PSI) compression. A higher octane fuel say 91, requires a higher compression, say 12:1 (approximately 174 PSI) compression or greater to fully combust. A 91 octane fuel requires the additional heat from the higher cylinder compression to fully combust. If you go to a 94 octane fuel, you require additional cylinder compression as well to fully combust the fuel.

Aside from a manufacturer's recommendation to use a specific octane rated fuel, there is the operation of the engine to consider. In periods of extreme heat and stress on your engine you may encounter pre-ignition of a low octane fuel. This is called detonation knock/pre-ignition (could be called other names but this one will suffice). When this happened in older engines, the cure is to use a higher octane fuel that would not ignite as quickly and use this fuel until you were back into normal riding/driving conditions - then switch back to the recommended fuel. Had this happen with my '85 Honda Goldwing GL1200 riding through the northern California mountains in the summer, extremely hot and riding two-up. Heard the engine start to "ping", switched to 91 octane fuel, and carried on. Pre-ignition of fuel is not an engine's friend.

There have been comments about using a higher octane rated fuel in an engine that is rated for a lower fuel rating. The issue here is that to fully combust a higher octane fuel requires a higher compression so that the appropriate amount of heat is in the engine cylinder to fully combust the fuel. Not having this may result in the fuel not burning fully, you will be putting unburnt gases out the exhaust - bad person, and fuel economy can suffer. Moral of this paragraph is that using a fuel with a lower octane rating won't be an issue, depends on your personal view, fuel should fully combust, but going up in fuel rating the fuel may not fully combust.

Modern fuel injected engines have knock sensors that are calibrated to accept engine noises within a certain range, but if the engine sounds are out side this range, a couple of things could happen. The Spyder has a knock sensor. The engine management system can adjust the engine timing to compensate, or go to a "limp" home mode so that you are not totally stranded. If the engine management system goes into the "limp" home mode, should take your vehicle in for dealer servicing. Since this post is about motorcycles, my '85 Honda Goldwing GL1200 does not have a knock sensor, so the safeguard that new motorcycle engines have is not available to me.

Did some additional research regarding the compression ratios of my Goldwing(s). For the GL1200, the OEM service manual mentions that a compression test should result in compression pressure of 155 to 215 PSI for an engine rated at 9:1 compression ratio. Honda recommends 87 octane fuel for this engine. Honda has continued this recommendation to this day in most of its vehicles regardless of compression ratio.

BRP uses this engine in a variety of vehicles. Some of these other vehicles have higher horsepower and it can be expected to use a higher octane fuel. BRP may also be doing the "cut and paste", one size fits all. Better to protect the corporate butt, then to use the same engine with a different fuel specification. All too easy to make a mistake and recommend a lesser fuel octane rating for a higher power version of the same engine. To err on the side of caution and recommend the same fuel for the engine regardless of the application is good policy.

For the next while will be using 87 octane fuel and monitor the engine performance during this process.

 

[rjinaz86323]

I just finished a 3600 miles trip with some days pushing 100 degrees. I used 87 octane and could not tell any difference. Spyder ran fine and got 34.4 mpg on the trip.