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One of the main differences between 2013 and other models

some of us actually buy bikes to ride.... at least 30,000 miles per year.... apples and oranges.....

some of the hardcore guys I sometimes try to keep up with would say that any squid could point a bike in a straight line and chew up miles on the highway. That your not really riding unless you've chewed it up on the track....apples and oranges....haha.. ;)
Riding is riding, and the key is just getting out there and enjoying it for what you want to get out of it.:doorag:
 
My 2013 RS-S still has the open slots on both the right and left side of the bike where you can see the exhaust pipe and heat does vent. I don't know much about the RT and ST comparied to earlier models so those could very well be different. I looked at my master cylinder today and there was no evidence of melting yet and it has been very very hot in Dallas lately. It was 106 yesterday and while I thought I was going to melt the bike ran good and showed 5 bars. While I did everything possible to avoid any major traffic where I would have to stop I was riding in shorts and t shirt with a full face helmet.

image.jpg image.jpg
 
some of the hardcore guys I sometimes try to keep up with would say that any squid could point a bike in a straight line and chew up miles on the highway. That your not really riding unless you've chewed it up on the track....apples and oranges....haha.. ;)
Riding is riding, and the key is just getting out there and enjoying it for what you want to get out of it.:doorag:
All I'm saying is, there is a big difference between riding around on the weekend and taking a 20,000 mile road trip... when you are going on an extended trip, there is a NEED for dependability in your bike... not saying we are hard core.. and there is nothing wrong with weekend trips, we enjoy those very much!....... just that we demand a bike that is road worthy for a long haul.......
 
Good gear saved my life.

As for how much you gear up, it's totally a personal preference and I highly doubt anyone is going to convince otherwise.
Personally, I wear a LOT more gear when I'm on 2 wheels. On the spyder in the summer I'm totally a shorts, T-shirt, and sneaker kinda rider. However, I only roll with a full face helmet on everything I ride. Anyone who has been down on a motorcycle knows what part of your head is most likely to make contact with the pavement.
I've been down on a motorcycle 2 times. Once was losing a rear tire in a turn and once was flat out getting into a turn way to hot. Both times I did a LONG slide, tore up some gear and the bikes and walked away with only minor injuries (mainly to my ego).
For some reason I doubt a mishap on the spyder would be any type of a slide. A mishap on the spyder would likely be more of a collision or impact. Something a jacket and long pants probably won't do much for.....JMHO!
Good gear saved my life. My helmet was ruined. My gloves were worn through. My leather jacket could not be unzipped, as the zipper had welded together. My boots were ground away, you could see my sox. My body: 2 fractured ribs, dislocated shoulder only. It took three months to heal--and I was going only 25 mph!

I "gear up" every time I ride. I hope you do too. But it is your choice. Just don't expect empathy if you do not gear up, and then you crash. Nobody can predict when some drunken a-hole violates right of way and you slam into him. Nobody can plan on NOT crashing. You can only prepare and attempt to prevent the worst outcomes.

No matter how you argue it, on a two wheeler, a trike, or a Spyder, a wreck is going to hurt you a lot more than it would if you were in a cage. I saw a kid once who had a fractured femur. He said "it wasn't my fault. The other guy violated my right of way." I asked the kid if the other guy was injured. The kid said, "No."

If you don't prepare, if you don't train, if you don't use protective equipment, then one day your youthful arrogance will cause you pain. When that happens, do not turn to me for empathy, or expect me to pay your medical bills--through insurance premiums or taxes.

in short, enjoy the sport of riding, but for the love of God, and your family, gear up, get professionally trained, and don't ever EVER have a drink (even one) within 12 hours before you ride--EVER.
 
All I'm saying is, there is a big difference between riding around on the weekend and taking a 20,000 mile road trip... when you are going on an extended trip, there is a NEED for dependability in your bike... not saying we are hard core.. and there is nothing wrong with weekend trips, we enjoy those very much!....... just that we demand a bike that is road worthy for a long haul.......

Very true! Breaking down is never fun and having to worry about reliability can ruin it too.
 
All I'm saying is, there is a big difference between riding around on the weekend and taking a 20,000 mile road trip... when you are going on an extended trip, there is a NEED for dependability in your bike... not saying we are hard core.. and there is nothing wrong with weekend trips, we enjoy those very much!....... just that we demand a bike that is road worthy for a long haul.......


Well said:bowdown:
 
So what is your answer to the problem? open to any ideas....but I do like the idea of silly pop!!!!! having some tonight!!!!

I blocked the air flow from coming out from under the seat. Now more comfortable to ride. It is still hot but no more than my 09 GS was. No more hot gas cap. More air moving past the master cylinder to keep it cool. It works.
 
Care to explain how and what you did?

Blocked the space above the center frame. That is where the glove box is on the RT.

IMG_00000093.jpg

Filled the space between the inner and outer tupperware. Both sides.

IMG_00000096.jpg

Now I have not heard any complaints about heat on a RS and no melted manifolds either. It may be built differently.
 
Good gear saved my life. My helmet was ruined. My gloves were worn through. My leather jacket could not be unzipped, as the zipper had welded together. My boots were ground away, you could see my sox. My body: 2 fractured ribs, dislocated shoulder only. It took three months to heal--and I was going only 25 mph!

I "gear up" every time I ride. I hope you do too. But it is your choice. Just don't expect empathy if you do not gear up, and then you crash. Nobody can predict when some drunken a-hole violates right of way and you slam into him. Nobody can plan on NOT crashing. You can only prepare and attempt to prevent the worst outcomes.

No matter how you argue it, on a two wheeler, a trike, or a Spyder, a wreck is going to hurt you a lot more than it would if you were in a cage. I saw a kid once who had a fractured femur. He said "it wasn't my fault. The other guy violated my right of way." I asked the kid if the other guy was injured. The kid said, "No."

If you don't prepare, if you don't train, if you don't use protective equipment, then one day your youthful arrogance will cause you pain. When that happens, do not turn to me for empathy, or expect me to pay your medical bills--through insurance premiums or taxes.

in short, enjoy the sport of riding, but for the love of God, and your family, gear up, get professionally trained, and don't ever EVER have a drink (even one) within 12 hours before you ride--EVER.
Case in point . . . I was on my7 way to a ryde about 60 miles from home, yesterday. I merged onto I-70 from Rt 340 in Maryland. As I was cruising down the right lane, a car slowly pulled up on my left, passing me, gradually. I glanced at it . . . and the driver was looking down, obviously texting. And, to my dismay, his car was driving right toward me. I started to the right, laying on my horn. My right front wheel was over the rumble strip before he stopped drifting into my lane and jerked back into his. You just never know when an idiot will do something idiotic . . . and that is what they do!
 
Gear Up!

Good gear saved my life. .......

If you don't prepare, if you don't train, if you don't use protective equipment, then one day your youthful arrogance will cause you pain. When that happens, do not turn to me for empathy, or expect me to pay your medical bills--through insurance premiums or taxes.

in short, enjoy the sport of riding, but for the love of God, and your family, gear up, get professionally trained, and don't ever EVER have a drink (even one) within 12 hours before you ride--EVER.

:agree: Mine too .... and I was hit head on (typical motorcycle cage incident where the young driver turned left in front of me). Because of my gear and the sturdy bike I was riding (a BMW K75 RT, custom built just for me), I walked away with only bruises and a VERY sore sciatic nerve where the jacket / pants zipper had been slammed into the nerve. Like you, my bike was a total loss. So, I am an ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) kind of gal ... even on the hottest days.

Did you know it has been proven that you actually stay COOLER on hot days WITH a jacket that without? The reason for this is that without the jacket your sweat evaporates too fast and can't cool you. With gear, the sweat is allowed to evaporate slowly and the body's natural air conditioner works better. On really hot days I have been known to soak my shirt with ice water and even wear a "cool collar" filled with ice if the ride is expected to be longer than about 30 minutes.

BTW ... good gear also saved spydercowboy (aka hogcowboy) when he slid off the road in rain and was flipped into a ditch.

Best Regards .... Ann
 
hot under the seat

I don't have a 2013 but a 2011 RT-s. In the very hot weather this summer it became uncomfortable with all the heat venting out from under the seat onto my upper legs. I too thought about some way to install vents behind my legs in the upper portion of the TW. This would allow the heat built up in that area to escape. The vents would need to be able to be closed when riding 2 up as that is where the passengers legs are and also during the colder months to give me the rider some additional warmth. I still think it is possible and will scrounge the junk yards for some dash board AC vents to see what might work and maybe look OK.
 
I know on my 2011, the storage compartment and the tupperware around it gets very hot. I have a mesh seat which does not get hot at all EVER so my legs are fine and i also always have either riding pants on or jeans at the very least.

i just went for a ride, 80 degrees, cloudy and after about 20 miles put my hand on the compartment....very hot. Nature of the beast I guess. :dontknow:
 
Glad I bought a new 2012 RS SM5. There just seems like a lot less that can go wrong. Enjoy the wind everyone!:doorag:
 
A week ago....

Case in point . . . I was on my7 way to a ryde about 60 miles from home, yesterday. I merged onto I-70 from Rt 340 in Maryland. As I was cruising down the right lane, a car slowly pulled up on my left, passing me, gradually. I glanced at it . . . and the driver was looking down, obviously texting. And, to my dismay, his car was driving right toward me. I started to the right, laying on my horn. My right front wheel was over the rumble strip before he stopped drifting into my lane and jerked back into his. You just never know when an idiot will do something idiotic . . . and that is what they do!
About a week ago I was ryding through the mountains near my house--Lake Gregory area in So Cal--I was driving about 5 mph above the speed limit. A soccer mom in a mini-van rushed up behind me, tailgating within 6", and started laying on her horn. It irritated me a lot. At the nearest wide place in the road I pulled over to let the idiot pass. About 6 miles further up the road, I saw the mini van was in a fender bender with a fire truck. She apparently took a corner too hot and veered into the oncoming lane. I stopped and gave my witness statement to the CHP officer who arrived. He arrested the woman for DUI. She had two children with her who, according to the officer, would probably end up in foster care.

Nobody can predict when you are going to encounter jerks like the one in the quoted post, or the one I encountered last week. All you can do is: gear up, get trained, don't drink, and don't get angry. Anger on the part of a motorcyclist is very dangerous.
 
There are about 3 different topics of conversation all going on at the same time in here!....haha.


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