I've put 6,000 miles on her, but still have questions

[kitkat61]

Bought a 2015 RT-S in late September and LOVE it.
I've read all the Do's & Don't for newbies (awesome info, thanks to all who contributed!! :bowdown, have poured over so many threads with suggestions - and bookmarked quite a few for later review - but I'd like to post questions I can't find an answer to:
1) Is is normal for the rear tire to run a good 10-15 degrees hotter than the front? I've got LaMonster's FOBO's and while the pressure has not gotten excessive (yet), the difference in temp is there whether I'm riding in 20 degree weather or 90 degrees. And I'm worried about it getting too hot when the temp gets over 100 here.

2) When I slow down - and NOT depressing the brake - there's a squeaking noise. Sounds kind of like a squeaky brake, but it can happen if I just coast down to nothing and never step on the pedal. Loud enough to be heard in traffic, but just, so not as loud as a metal on metal thing. Does the belt squeak? If so, is that bad?

3) How can I get the radio station to play in the external speakers, but NOT the CB? I ride in the Tour De Cure as motorcycle support and because the bikes aren't very loud they ask we use the speakers so we don't startle the bikers. But having a CB on external speakers in that instance is a no-no ... you don't want a group of bikers to hear about an accident or b*tching from someone else on the channel. :lecturef_smilie:

4) I'm a bit short, 5'5" and the perfect place for me to sit with my legs extended has my toes on the splash guards. Probably not the best idea to put any weight on them so I'm considering pegs, but are any of them adjustable? Or have any other short folks found some that sit farther back? Most I've seen are above the splash guards, and if I put my foot on as intended, it's just a bit too far. I know if my legs are straight out, my knees will hyper-extend which is bad. (I bought my Spyder as I already have two bad knees - not looking to make them worse).

5) I enjoy riding, but don't really like to ride hard into corners, so what would be a recommended setting for the suspension for a smoother ride on straight-aways?? I'm spoiled from being a co-rider on hubby's GoldWing and his ride is really smooth.

Thanks in advance for all the helpful suggestions I know I'm about to get!
Itsy Bitsy

 

[Bytemi]

2) When I slow down - and NOT depressing the brake - there's a squeaking noise. Sounds kind of like a squeaky brake, but it can happen if I just coast down to nothing and never step on the pedal. Loud enough to be heard in traffic, but just, so not as loud as a metal on metal thing. Does the belt squeak? If so, is that bad?

I can answer what this one. I found the squeaking noise that sounds like a squeaky brakes, went away when I sent to a higher octane gas. The first thing we tried was, we went to an EMPTY parking lot, we went from 0 to 60 as quickly as possible and slammed on the bakes. The squeaking stopped for a month but then came back. Once I moved to the higher octane, it went away and didn't come back.

 

[kitkat61]

Didn't think it was the Octane

I've used nothing but Premium (93) since the beginning as I've read on this forum what can happen when you don't. Misfires, engines codes, etc. I listened again as I left work (easy to hear when it echos in a parking garage). Does not seem to be wheel related, as the squeaks did not coincide with the wheel rotation. Belt is all I can think of, but is that bad? It just started doing it the past couple weeks. Since it got really warm. Don't know if that is a coincidence or related.

 

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

Could the squeaky noise be the front tires whining? I also have a 2015 RT-S and I find that the tires have a bit of a whine while riding. I notice it more when going a little slower than about 60. Above that the wind noise covers it up. I also noticed it more since the weather has warmed up.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

As to the speakers go to the preferences menu, scroll down to audio, then external speakers, then select ON. The radio will play through the speakers but the CB will not. The CB and intercom never play through the external speakers. If you have a GPS the GPS instructions will come through the external speakers.

There's also an option for headset to turn it off, on, or mix. Without going out and looking at my Spyder I can't tell you more specifically.

If you haven't done so, go to the preferences screen and explore it. You'll need to know what all is available there some day anyway! :clap:

 

[Buckeye Bleau]

Bought a 2015 RT-S in late September and LOVE it.
I've read all the Do's & Don't for newbies (awesome info, thanks to all who contributed!! :bowdown, have poured over so many threads with suggestions - and bookmarked quite a few for later review - but I'd like to post questions I can't find an answer to:
1) Is is normal for the rear tire to run a good 10-15 degrees hotter than the front? I've got LaMonster's FOBO's and while the pressure has not gotten excessive (yet), the difference in temp is there whether I'm riding in 20 degree weather or 90 degrees. And I'm worried about it getting too hot when the temp gets over 100 here. The rear tire has much more road surface contact, therefore higher friction, which in turn is going to increase the temperature over the smaller front tires, this should not be a concern. :lecturef_smilie:


4) I'm a bit short, 5'5" and the perfect place for me to sit with my legs extended has my toes on the splash guards. Probably not the best idea to put any weight on them so I'm considering pegs, but are any of them adjustable? Or have any other short folks found some that sit farther back? Most I've seen are above the splash guards, and if I put my foot on as intended, it's just a bit too far. I know if my legs are straight out, my knees will hyper-extend which is bad. (I bought my Spyder as I already have two bad knees - not looking to make them worse). If you visit Lamonster Garage, there are two different versions of foot peg mounting brackets, both can be quite adjustable. I like these because they are made specifically for these bykes. I got the floor board versions and I would guess that there are many inches of adjustability in them. As far as installation, watch the video, it took me longer to round up the few tools needed than it took to install. :clap:

5) I enjoy riding, but don't really like to ride hard into corners, so what would be a recommended setting for the suspension for a smoother ride on straight-aways?? I'm spoiled from being a co-rider on hubby's GoldWing and his ride is really smooth. This is strictly trial and error, you will know when you hit the sweet spot.:yes:

Thanks in advance for all the helpful suggestions I know I'm about to get!
Itsy Bitsy

Joe

 

[kitkat61]

Maybe they wired the CB wrong?

As to the speakers go to the preferences menu, scroll down to audio, then external speakers, then select ON. The radio will play through the speakers but the CB will not. The CB and intercom never play through the external speakers. If you have a GPS the GPS instructions will come through the external speakers.

There's also an option for headset to turn it off, on, or mix. Without going out and looking at my Spyder I can't tell you more specifically.

If you haven't done so, go to the preferences screen and explore it. You'll need to know what all is available there some day anyway! :clap:

My CB definitely comes out of the speakers, AND the headset at the same time. My temporary solution is to turn off the speakers so the bicycle riders can't hear the CB, and downshift just before passing which causes the engine to rev a bit and get louder. Not a perfect solution, but certainly cheaper than taking her back to the shop for the wiring to be checked out. The dealer that did the initial CB & GPS install screwed things up and I had to take to another dealer to fix (cables hooked up wrong, ran through wrong areas, etc.). If the CB should not be coming through the speakers when the headset is on, then maybe when it goes in for the 10,000 mile service I'll ask them to check.

What is the difference between "ON" and "MIX"? I am very familiar with the options, but the manual is not clear as to what they all do. And when by yourself in a garage, hard to tell the difference it's made.:sour:

 

[kitkat61]

Don't *think* it's the tires

Could the squeaky noise be the front tires whining? I also have a 2015 RT-S and I find that the tires have a bit of a whine while riding. I notice it more when going a little slower than about 60. Above that the wind noise covers it up. I also noticed it more since the weather has warmed up.

When I mean low speed, I mean 5-10mph. Like a slow start from a stop-sign, backing out of a parking space, doing the creep-beep in heavy traffic, etc. Once I go over 10mph, either it goes away, or I can't hear it.
I'm not going to rule out tires, but the 'squeaks' don't seem to in sync with tire rotation, so I'm hoping others might have come across this.

 

[kitkat61]

Happy to hear this

1) The rear tire has much more road surface contact, therefore higher friction, which in turn is going to increase the temperature over the smaller front tires, this should not be a concern. :lecturef_smilie:

Whew, that's good to know. I was worried that even though I couldn't see signs of wear, the tire was rubbing, belt was bad, etc.

4) If you visit Lamonster Garage, there are two different versions of foot peg mounting brackets, both can be quite adjustable. I like these because they are made specifically for these bykes. I got the floor board versions and I would guess that there are many inches of adjustability in them. As far as installation, watch the video, it took me longer to round up the few tools needed than it took to install. :clap:

I love his stuff! Have already placed a couple orders, looks like I need to place another.

5) This is strictly trial and error, you will know when you hit the sweet spot.

Bummer, I haven't been able to find the "sweet spot" on my own, sometimes it seems to stiff, and other times too 'bouncy'. Guess I'll go for the middle and leave it there.

Thanks Joe!!

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

My CB definitely comes out of the speakers, AND the headset at the same time. My temporary solution is to turn off the speakers so the bicycle riders can't hear the CB, and downshift just before passing which causes the engine to rev a bit and get louder. Not a perfect solution, but certainly cheaper than taking her back to the shop for the wiring to be checked out. The dealer that did the initial CB & GPS install screwed things up and I had to take to another dealer to fix (cables hooked up wrong, ran through wrong areas, etc.). If the CB should not be coming through the speakers when the headset is on, then maybe when it goes in for the 10,000 mile service I'll ask them to check.

What is the difference between "ON" and "MIX"? I am very familiar with the options, but the manual is not clear as to what they all do. And when by yourself in a garage, hard to tell the difference it's made.:sour:

I sure don't understand how the CB comes out of the speakers, unless they changed something from 2014 to 2015. I just went out and did some checking. On receive, audio to the headset is muted while the CB is receiving, except for GPS commands. GPS is highest priority. Audio to the speakers does not mute nor does the CB audio come over the speakers. On transmit audio to both the headset and speakers is muted but the CB audio is only heard in the headset.

I goofed on the headset mode. They are off, mute, and mix. Off turns of the headset, I think maybe for everything. I don't know what the difference is between mute and mix. I haven't played around with it enough to figure it out, but mix give audio in both headset and speakers.

 

[Bam Bam and Pebbles]

When I mean low speed, I mean 5-10mph. Like a slow start from a stop-sign, backing out of a parking space, doing the creep-beep in heavy traffic, etc. Once I go over 10mph, either it goes away, or I can't hear it.
I'm not going to rule out tires, but the 'squeaks' don't seem to in sync with tire rotation, so I'm hoping others might have come across this.

Sorry bout that. We have a different definition of low speed. What you consider low speed, I consider stopped. :joke:

 

[kitkat61]

Gonna have dealer check it out

I sure don't understand how the CB comes out of the speakers, unless they changed something from 2014 to 2015. I just went out and did some checking. On receive, audio to the headset is muted while the CB is receiving, except for GPS commands. GPS is highest priority. Audio to the speakers does not mute nor does the CB audio come over the speakers. On transmit audio to both the headset and speakers is muted but the CB audio is only heard in the headset.

I goofed on the headset mode. They are off, mute, and mix. Off turns of the headset, I think maybe for everything. I don't know what the difference is between mute and mix. I haven't played around with it enough to figure it out, but mix give audio in both headset and speakers.

When I got the bike [from a dealer in NC who I will not name] they installed the Tri-Axis, CB, GPS and Cell interface, but did not run the wires correctly. The new dealership [the only one I use now] straightened everything out, but I would not be surprised if they missed something that has the CB coming through the speakers.

OR, is it possible that this issue is caused by my J&M Headset adapter? I still ride on the back of hubby's GoldWing [on the increasingly rare occasion] so left my original headset in the helmet and just got the adapter for the Spyder. Maybe that's the problem? Anyone else have that setup?

 

[kitkat61]

That's why it's called Stop-n-Go traffic!

Sorry bout that. We have a different definition of low speed. What you consider low speed, I consider stopped. :joke:

:roflblack:

Yeah, my commute is a whopping 10 miles but takes 25-30 minutes if I don't leave before 7am.

 

[rtga]

sqeeky noise

I had the same issue at 6K miles with the noise - after much searching, it was isolated at the belt pulley. the tension was a little off and the belt was not quite centered. that was adjusted and the pulley got a dab of grease. problem seems to be solved.

 

[Indiana Ken]

Un-named NC Dealer

Name him - a good dealer wants to know when and if they mess up. No one should hold it against a dealer if they mess up, but they should fix their mistake.

 

[kitkat61]

Nope.

Name him - a good dealer wants to know when and if they mess up. No one should hold it against a dealer if they mess up, but they should fix their mistake.

Oh they absolutely know they messed up, and if any of them read the boards, they know exactly who I am. They knew they made mistakes (like the locking nuts not in place on the Tri Axis so they MOVED UP AND DOWN WHILE RIDING!) and when I realized the audio on the GPS and Cell phone interface were messed up, they wanted me to ride 3 hours, leave the bike, drive 3 hours back home, and come back a week or two later (again 3 hours each way) once they hopefully fixed it. They even knew there were problems from their assembly of the bike - the truck/seat lock was backwards and hard to turn the key, the glovebox wouldn't lock at all, etc., but they wanted me to do all the driving and pay for all the gas. Even the Tri-Axis was fixed by me after I took a video of what it was doing and sent it to them.
I bought it there as they had exactly what I wanted - a 2015 White RT-S SE6. Only dealer who did within 500 miles.
I also really think I was the first bike to ever have the Tri-Axis bars installed at their shop. When I went to pick it up they had not checked to see if the turn signals worked [they didn't] and I had a choice of waiting 4 hours while they took it all apart to fix, or spend 6 hours on the road.
I know that anyone - even the best of them - can have a bad day/lazy employee/new employee etc. So I won't bad mouth them, but I will never send anyone there. But I do take it as a cautionary tale that before I have someone do a mod - even if it's a factory one like the Tri-Axis, ask if they have done it before!!:banghead:

 

[kitkat61]

Now that I can check!

I had the same issue at 6K miles with the noise - after much searching, it was isolated at the belt pulley. the tension was a little off and the belt was not quite centered. that was adjusted and the pulley got a dab of grease. problem seems to be solved.

Will normal car grease will work [the kind I can borrow out of hubby's tool chest]? Or do I need to find a special Spyder grease? :f_spider:

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Will normal car grease will work [the kind I can borrow out of hubby's tool chest]?

NO! Your hubby's grease is probably petroleum based. Petroleum and belts don't mix well.

Just have the dealer do it. The service bulletin calls for XPS synthetic grease (P/N 293 550 010). I don't know what the composition is.

See this thread: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?47037-squeal-noise&p=550358&viewfull=1#post550358 There is some discussion in that thread about possible alternatives to the BRP grease.

You only use a dab about the size of a pea, and then only seldom, so if you were to buy even the smallest tube it would outlast you, your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren, and still have most of it left over! :thumbup: But that probably would be less costly than having the dealer do it. You should be able to just buy a tube from the dealer. That's probably the best all around alternative.

 

[kitkat61]

Was hoping to avoid dealer but ...

NO! Your hubby's grease is probably petroleum based. Petroleum and belts don't mix well.

Just have the dealer do it. The service bulletin calls for XPS synthetic grease (P/N 293 550 010). I don't know what the composition is.

See this thread: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?47037-squeal-noise&p=550358&viewfull=1#post550358 There is some discussion in that thread about possible alternatives to the BRP grease.

You only use a dab about the size of a pea, and then only seldom, so if you were to buy even the smallest tube it would outlast you, your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren, and still have most of it left over! :thumbup: But that probably would be less costly than having the dealer do it. You should be able to just buy a tube from the dealer. That's probably the best all around alternative.

After reading the thread and the service bulletin, it looks like this is something I'd rather have them do. That was a long list of things to check for and I don't even know what some of the things listed were. I'm proud of what I've accomplished on my own, but I also know when to draw the line and pay to get it done right.

 

[GeorgeL]

GeorgeL

When I mean low speed, I mean 5-10mph. Like a slow start from a stop-sign, backing out of a parking space, doing the ceep-beep in heavy traffic, etc. Once I go over 10mph, either it goes away, or I can't hear it.
I'm not going to rule out tires, but the 'squeaks' don't seem to in sync with tire rotation, so I'm hoping others might have come across this.

I also hear the squeak that sounds like the breaks. I taped the break and the noise went away for several weeks came back and with no action on my part went away. There is no indication of any break problem.

Good luck