Newbie question - what opens the front trunk? Cable or solenoid?

[Cirhere]

Hi I have a 2020 RTL
Does the front trunk open when you turn the key by a cable or by a electric solenoid or something

 

[Copperman]

By a cable.

 

[Peter Aawen]

If it's on a 2013 (& maybe 2014 too?) RT (& ST? :dontknow: ) with the combined 'Park Brake/Frunk Opener' Switch in the left-most hole of the switch panel below the handle bars , it'll work BOTH ways! If you're lucky enough to have a switch that still works, anyway!

The key pressed in and turned counter-clockwise will open the frunk via a cable to the latch; while the switch is meant to operate the solenoid opener, but those 'two part' switches were pretty 'problematic' and failures were quite common. The solenoid opener itself is generally fairly robust, but for some reason that side of the switch fails and while it keeps working for the Park Brake, it just won't trigger the frunk opener any more :sour: But if you want to try and find a switch that works, there are apparently some out there that will fit in the spare spaces & do the job OK.

And of course, if your Spyder isn't an RT (or ST?) of the right vintage, you won't have any switch for the frunk, so you'll have just the key operated cable opening method available to you! hyea:

 

[Snoking1127]

I installed secondary cables on both my seat and frunk for "just in case time!". I kind of like the idea for getting rid of the seat release. We do not use the helmet lock feature, the lock is a pain fueling up.

 

[LongIsland]

Welcome to Spyderlovers It opens by turning your key and engaging a cable. Page 39 of your operators manual has the instructions and an image on opening the frunk. Here are the written instructions:

Front Storage Compartment: Opening the Front Storage Compartment
1. Insert key in ignition switch.
2. Push and turn the key 1/4 turn counterclockwise to the front storage compartment position and
hold while lifting cover.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I installed secondary cables on both my seat and frunk for "just in case time!". I kind of like the idea for getting rid of the seat release. We do not use the helmet lock feature, the lock is a pain fueling up.

:agree: ..... shortly after I bought my 14 RT I designed separate manual cable pulls for both ...... IMHO the KEY should Only have one function .... to start and stop the engine ..... quite a few folks here have had the Key cable end piece come off, which means you can't open the Frunk .... when I was a Vendor I sold quite a few Cable release Kits to folks .... I also opened more than a few " locked frunks " for folks ..... pics and instructions are posted on this forum .... checked advanced search ....... Mike :thumbup:

 

[iridenow]

Hi I have a 2020 RTL
Does the front trunk open when you turn the key by a cable or by a electric solenoid or something

Hahah... That's not a newbie question. That's a technical question. A newbie question is, what does this button do? I've been riding my spyder for about 1.5 years now and still ask the simple, embarrassing "newbie" questions. This awesome group never steers away from answering my dumb questions. 1/2 the time, they have to decipher what I'm trying to do or where I'm going with the question before they answer. This site is full of rock stars...and then there are the schleps like me.

 

[JayBros]

Now, to be on the safe side just in case you accidentally lock your Spyder chipped key in one of your lockable storage bins, purchase an Ilco X270 key blank and have it cut to match your chipped key. Bevel the blank as you see in the picture and store it somewhere on your body or the Spyder so you can always get into locked compartments. Beveling the blank allows you to push it down into the ignition lock to open the frunk.