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Question re: VSS action

RayBJ

Well-known member
From the Service Manual:
Screenshot 2021-01-30 145500.jpg

Anyone know what, specifically changes?
If I put a drybag across the pillion seat, will it affect VSS?
 
It is dependent on the weight of the bag, that will kick in the VSS. I do not know what weight that would be.

The purpose of the pillion switch is to let the VSS know there is a passenger on board so that the braking will kick in a bit differently in the case of a VSS incident.

Not sure what the threshold is to make the pillion seat warning active.

Someone here can give you the correct answer. :popcorn:
 
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From the Service Manual:
View attachment 187450

Anyone know what, specifically changes?
If I put a drybag across the pillion seat, will it affect VSS?

You may or may not trigger the sensor with the proposed bag. Depending on the weight of it. Somewhere I remember hearing that as little as 35 lbs. would do it. It would also depend on how it was positioned on the seat and how you secure it.

The sensor alters the parameters which trigger the VSS system. Parameters include lean angle, speed, wheel rotation discrepancies and centrifugal force. When you have a rider, you raise the center of gravity, reducing stability of the Spyder. The VSS attempts to compensate for this change in dynamics by reducing engine power and applying the brakes if necessary to maintain stability. It just intervenes sooner when the passenger sensor is activated.
 
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:gaah: !!!
If VSS = Nanny and Nanny = interfering with my progress thru corners then I think I should un-plug that switch!
 
:gaah: !!!
If VSS = Nanny and Nanny = interfering with my progress thru corners then I think I should un-plug that switch!
:lecturef_smilie:know there were reports of problems with doing that, finding unplugged after seat modifications & such. Just unplugging does not resolve. Maybe a jumper across some connections :dontknow what ones sorry.
 
Ray, most who've felt this 'small load' or 'passenger aboard' intervention might be an issue have had success by inserting a spacer or bump stop around/in the pressure switch, so that the switch remains active & its wiring/connection to the VSS/various computers exactly as intended, but the pressure switch just won't ever depress enough to trigger the 'passenger aboard' safe-guards. :thumbup:

It's not hard to do - fitting a piece of PVC pipe that's just large enough to fit snugly around the 'button' and tall enough to limit how far it can be pressed down by a load will do the trick; or installing a bump stop or three mounted under the seat & on the frame to support the seat at the 'no passenger' height &/or around the button to stop it ever being pressed down whenever a load is applied to that seat.... :rolleyes: No issues with Limp Mode kicking in cos the wiring isn't connected or the switch isn't working; and no changes to the solo riding parameters either! And to add the icing to the cake, the PVC Pipe method is easy enough to remove whenever you DO actually have a real pillion passenger aboard too - simply remove the short length of Pipe from around the switch & all the 'passenger aboard' safe-guards are back in action. ;)

That said, you really should be aware that the 'passenger aboard' changes to the VSS parameters don't JUST reduce power & encourage the Nanny to step in a little earlier; they also vary the way the brakes apply, esp in the front to rear braking effort ratio; and change the parameters for both EBD & ABS intervention to maximise your braking, and those changes to cater for even a relatively small weight sitting waaay back there on the pillion seat & cantilevered out over the rear wheel like it is CAN mean the difference between stopping in time to avoid a suddenly encountered 'road hazard' or smacking into the proverbial 'immovable object' while you're still travelling at enough speed to make that impact potentially critical! :lecturef_smilie:

Me, I left the Passenger Aboard switch completely alone, so it still does everything it was designed to do as & when that's warranted, but I got an ECU Upgrade that more than compensates for any degradation in performance with a pillion aboard! Best of both worlds... in fact, I reckon a proper ECU Upgrade done by someone who knows their business is even BETTER than 'the best of both worlds'! :ohyea:
 
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Thanks Peter! Excellent solution. Long trip coming up so working on space/load planning and can't afford a Nanny Maximus aboard!

Being new to 3 wheels but not to speed, it didn't take long for me to know the RT could do better than OEM. Baja, Q-5s, Pedal Cmdr, elkas, laser are done and helped a lot. Serious thoughts on PV3 next. I haven't reached the point where the bike is better than me. Nanny doesn't like drifting but at least the upgrades make the ride controllable!
 
if your bag has a heavy thick paper bottom, with the curved edges of seat, would be hard to believe that it could press in center and activate switch.
 
From my .PDF service manual: PRS / Pillion Rider Switch / Signals the VCM when the PRS is depressed. The VCM applies changes to the control parameters, mainly to reduce maximum lateral acceleration and yaw.

The PRS has three wires: A = +; B = signal; C = -. It appears the PRS incorporates resistors because the no-passenger B-C voltage range is 2.5 to 4.14 Vdc and the passenger-present B-C voltage range is 0.9 to 1.84 Vdc. This range enables a circuit self-check at Ignition-On time.
 
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