Stereo Sucks, lol

[bluestratos]

I bought my Can-Am RTS last Saterday and got my learners license today for a trike today (Washington State). Took it for an hour ride after work and I have to say the sterio is by far the worst I have ever heard, the sound is muddy and even choppy at times. I still have to try my MP3 but I doubt it will much better. What have others done to get past this.

Also, the bike is so loud with a stock muffler and it is very difficult to keep a straight line, particularily to day with a stiff cross wind.

I will keep practicing but I think I may have to sell it, guess I got too pampered on the Burgman 650.

Regards,

Randy

 

[Y Rider]

I have a 2011 RT Limited and although the stereo isn't the greatest I have ever heard is one of the better stock stereos I have heard on a motorcycle. You may want to go through the setup and make sure you don't have the highs rolled off.

As far as the stock muffler the RT is extremely quiet. Did you buy yours new? If not maybe the muffler was modified. I can hear my stereo through the speakers clearly while riding.

The 2011 RTS has a little better shock setup than the 2010 but even the 2011 shocks need to be set to position 4 or 5 for best results. I ended replacing mine with Elkas. Huge improvement. Check your tire pressure. The fronts need to be equal. Mine have 17lbs each. And most important... relax... keep a loose grip on the bars. If you're coming off of riding 2 wheel bikes you have to get your brain re-trained not to counter steer. Most people have stated it takes at least 200 miles before they start to feel comfortable. Just get out there and practice. Don't make any major decisions until you have put a few hundreds miles on it. I have been riding bikes for over 35 years and my Spyder is by far the best open air ride I have ever had. Good luck.

 

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: and :congrats: on your new purchase.

Please don't throw in the towel yet. There is a learning curve on :spyder2:. 250-500 miles for most--less if you have not been riding a two-wheeler.

Lots of threads about this--but the big secret is: do not try to over control :spyder2:. Use as little steering input as possible--do not hold the handlebars too tight. Someone said--pretend there is a bird between your hands and the bars.

Radio: I am not excited with mine either--when I get over 50 mph I can't hear the words to songs unless I have it cranked up pretty high--my old age hearing also does not help much either.

I am sure others will chime in with some suggestions also.

 

[zeebill]

The RT is under sprung, under shocked, and has a softer bar than it needs to handle at all. I am 250 and 6'2" and it dam near bottomed out on bumps when I first got it. I have a 2010 model by the way. I have over 20.000 miles on Spyders now and drove racecars for many years. It is not like a 2 wheeled motorcycle in anyway. With the aerodynamics of a barndoor and frontal area to match it is and will be sensative to crosswinds. I have ridden in Kansas with 38 MPH steady and gusts up to 52 MPH and the temperature was about 104 or so. The heavy gusts were a challenge for sure but it was sort of like tacking with a sailboat otherwise.

In working with racecars with a handling problem I usually threw a big change at them to see if I was going the right way to cure things. I unloaded the front shocks by jacking the front end up and sprayed some lube on the adjusting cams and cranked them all the way up. I put 20 in both fronts and 30 PSI in the rear. I set the rear shock up all the way and went for a ride. Much better and more controlable! I am down to 18 and 28 on the tire pressures now but the rest is just where I set it. Keep in mind now I am a big dude and weight will have a great effect on ride height and the way this thing will go around corners. This front suspension design was subcontracted I have learned when BuRP could not come up with one that worked. PS this one doesn't work well either so maybe they should have kept it in house? At 67 years old I am not going to tackle a self designed workable front end for this beast but if I did I would put heavier springs, better shocks, heavier roll bar, more camber into the front spindles, change the Castor angle so one has less Ackerman effect and steering effort, probably get rid of the DPS is you did that, and design an alignment process that used a ride height system to make it more realistic to ride conditions you actually see on the road.

Too old for that crap I drive it like it actually is set up and except it for what it is! Not what they say it is but then with all the advertising hype and claims who really expects that? Bill :yikes:

 

[GeoffCee]

I have a 2011 RT Limited and although the stereo isn't the greatest I have ever heard is one of the better stock stereos I have heard on a motorcycle.

I have never understood the sense in installing a pair of open speakers on a motorcycle or a trike. First off, using em, particularly in a residential area, is completely antisocial. Second, we enclose our ears inside a helmet so therefore to hear external speakers with sufficient volume means cranking up the amp. Lastly, with our ears inside a helmet the stereo reaching our ears has so little left/right separation as to be almost totally ineffective. So really, what is the point? :dontknow::hun:

The far better answer is a pair of high-quality miniature speakers fixed inside the helmet. Not ear buds as they cut off all external sound which is a bad thing when you are out driving on the road. Plenty of volume available and no matter how loud you like it you won't annoy anyone. Stereo effect as good as can be heard anywhere. Way to go, people. :thumbup:

 

[SpyderAnn01]

bluestratos you've been given some really great answers here and I hope they help you understand the Spyder and enjoy it better. Give it some time and I think you will fall in love with it like most of us here have already done.

 

[recordingguy]

I can't understand why they did not install a 12 sub woffer on the roadster. I miss the 105 db noise! I see no difference in sound quality on the RT than a Harley Altra. What do you need. If not enough buy the trailer and put your home stereo system in it. Have fun. I love my RTS. Definetly have to stay alert in cross winds. Sound is good. Low throaty kinda sound. Bob

 

[bullant12]

I bought my Can-Am RTS last Saterday and got my learners license today for a trike today (Washington State). Took it for an hour ride after work and I have to say the sterio is by far the worst I have ever heard, the sound is muddy and even choppy at times. I still have to try my MP3 but I doubt it will much better. What have others done to get past this.

Also, the bike is so loud with a stock muffler and it is very difficult to keep a straight line, particularily to day with a stiff cross wind.

I will keep practicing but I think I may have to sell it, guess I got too pampered on the Burgman 650.

Regards,

Randy

As others have said... the radio on a roadster in the loud highways is not the best sound... and with helmets even worse. Enjoy the radio while on breaks or on slow moving traffic. And even then with caution like GeoffCe said; running thru residential areas, schools, hospitals, etc you want to keep it down.:lecturef_smilie:

Now the muffler deal I can't understand... I have a stock muffler and I don't even feel that it is there!!:dontknow:

But don't give up on it! We all love are :spyder2:s and at first, you need to get used to it so it can get used to you!! Hope you enjoy it and :welcome:

 

[Bob Denman]

Hi Randy,
Y Rider mentioned checking how your stereo preferences are currently set up... Good idea! :thumbup: I had to play with mine until I found the sweet spot where the highs and lows came through...
Zeebill gave some very good advice on suspension settings for the front end also...
Take a little time making sure that your Spyder is set up correctly for you and I'd almost be willing to bet that you'd find a huge improvement in how it works for you.
(Although I'm also willing to admit that the stero is certainly not all that great!:gaah

 

[Desert Spyder]

I had one guy who I went on a ryde with, he's on a HD, that my stereo was better than the one in his car. That being said, it does sound great on the boulevard but once you get on the super slab the wind noise drowns it out unless the shield is up. What helmet you're wearing also has a big factor. Just yesterday I bought a HJC IS-MAX BT flip up after wearing an unbearable V-Can. The latter was extremely noisy and became very uncomfortable to wear over time. I think I had it for 2 years. Very poor customer service BTW. Flip ups have a tendency to be noisy in the first place. The HJC was very quiet, light and comfy. Not bad for a mid-priced helmet. And I heard the stereo quite well on the freeway at 75+ mph. I have made no adjustments to the stereo BTW. Which prompts a question: I was considering installing the rear speakers. How much, parts and labor, would this cost and is it that noticeable afterwards. Also, the control switch for the passenger. I heard somewhere that this was NOT for the stereo but for a passenger MP3 player. True?

 

[bluestratos]

Thanks all,

The bike is new, it had 150 demo miles on it (by the dearler owner who rode it on a trip). It has the stock muffler but it is way too loud. As I said, I rode a Burgman before and I intalled a cheap radio with cheap speakers and amp. I could ride at 80 on the freeway and clearly hear the music.
I have played with the treble and bass and fader but it is horrible if you ride above 25.

I asked the dealer to check if there is a quieter muffler out there but he came back with louder perfromance mufflers and said that is all that is offered.

I have the tires set at 17 on the front (evenly) and the rear set at 25. I put the shocks on Max in the front (I used a cheater bar and they moved to 5 with no difficulty) and the rear suspension is set to just above center on the bar graph but I tried max with no change.

I will check out another one at the dealer to see if this one is unique and I will give it more time to gather experience but I have do not want to take too much of hit if I decide to sell.

Any one trying changing speakers to see if the sound improves?

Regards,

Randy

 

[thehawk]

Not to be a smart aleck...

... but I bought my RT sans radio ... I still like my iPod. But when I was test driving the demo, I found the dealer had the automatic volume turned (AVC) off and while it sounded fair at low speeds it was terrible at highway speeds until I set it correctly.

My old Suzuki Cavalcade had the same thing and it took a little fiddling with to get a happy balance between neighbor cruising and freeway cruising.

 

[bluestratos]

My auto volumn is set to high, it does goe up and down. Does an I pod sound better? My last radio was not as good on FM as it was when I had the SD card or USB in.

One thing I can try is to put a 1/16" jack just before the speakers. If there are common grounds I could have the ground break when the plug is in. If there is no common ground I have a 4 contact relay that could be activated by the plug going in. I would need to see how the wiring is set up and if the radio can operate without speakers. I also would likely require to lower the output power to the helmut speakers.

Of course the radio can be switched to external speaker off but I would have to find where to pick up the stereo output is, problably something to do with the CB/Head Set harness. (I don't plan to buy the CB at this time).

Best regards,

Randy

 

[bullant12]

I had one guy who I went on a ryde with, he's on a HD, that my stereo was better than the one in his car. That being said, it does sound great on the boulevard but once you get on the super slab the wind noise drowns it out unless the shield is up. What helmet you're wearing also has a big factor. Just yesterday I bought a HJC IS-MAX BT flip up after wearing an unbearable V-Can. The latter was extremely noisy and became very uncomfortable to wear over time. I think I had it for 2 years. Very poor customer service BTW. Flip ups have a tendency to be noisy in the first place. The HJC was very quiet, light and comfy. Not bad for a mid-priced helmet. And I heard the stereo quite well on the freeway at 75+ mph. I have made no adjustments to the stereo BTW. Which prompts a question: I was considering installing the rear speakers. How much, parts and labor, would this cost and is it that noticeable afterwards. Also, the control switch for the passenger. I heard somewhere that this was NOT for the stereo but for a passenger MP3 player. True?

Thanks for you insights on the helmets. We are in the process of getting us some modular helmets for Interstate rYding. Heard a lot of good things on HJC helmets.

I installed the rear speakers myself. Bought them off from eBay at $150 with shipping. Installing them were not too hard... most of your removal will be on the back and "armrest" areas, but if you follow the instructions closely you will get it thru. I think the manual says 1.5 hours so that is what they RECOMMEND the dealer to charge you. But I had fun installing them myself.

As far as the controls, yes, the controls in the back only control changing the pre-sets on the radio and the tracks on a iPad. The volume controls the communication system if installed.

 

[Questions]

Give it time

I just recently bought a 2011 Spyder RTS and I find the radio far better then my 2004 goldwing. If you used an Ipod or Iphone the sound will be way much better, mine is, perhaps yours needs some setup. Yesterday I was on a ride and for the first time I came to a 30Mph cross wind gusting at 45Mph or so, it was a challenge to keep it in straight line so I slowed down which helped alot and I'm pretty sure it would have been the same on a 2 wheel. I only have about 600 Miles on my RTS and still learning everyday, although my first thoughts about the Spyder were not at a high level when I first tried it, today I wouldn't even think about going back to 2 wheels. Note that I went on a tryout 5 times before I got really aquinted with it and decided to buy. Now, I am just having a blast with my goldwing friends.

 

[tea6638]

:welcome: and enjoy your new :spyder2:
I found that adjusting the EQ will help. Too much Bass is not good, stock speakers can't handle full bass.

 

[NancysToy]

My auto volumn is set to high, it does goe up and down. Does an I pod sound better? My last radio was not as good on FM as it was when I had the SD card or USB in.

One thing I can try is to put a 1/16" jack just before the speakers. If there are common grounds I could have the ground break when the plug is in. If there is no common ground I have a 4 contact relay that could be activated by the plug going in. I would need to see how the wiring is set up and if the radio can operate without speakers. I also would likely require to lower the output power to the helmut speakers.

Of course the radio can be switched to external speaker off but I would have to find where to pick up the stereo output is, problably something to do with the CB/Head Set harness. (I don't plan to buy the CB at this time).

Best regards,

Randy

I used a Hi-Lo converter to tap into my speakers. I run it to my Starcom1 comm system, but you could probably route it to helmet speakers instead.

 

[sinkhole]

To my way of thinking, the only way to get decent sound quality in any open vehicle, is to wear a good fully enclosed helmet with high quality ear speakers. You only have to roll the windows down in you car to realize the difference wind noise can make.

 

[effgjamis]

I used a Hi-Lo converter to tap into my speakers. I run it to my Starcom1 comm system, but you could probably route it to helmet speakers instead.

Hey Scotty,,, how about a link to the HI-LO converter and instructions on how-to for the jack mount for the helmet speakers. Of course A volume control in-line or ?? to adjust for hearing comfort.

Thanks..

 

[NancysToy]

Hey Scotty,,, how about a link to the HI-LO converter and instructions on how-to for the jack mount for the helmet speakers. Of course A volume control in-line or ?? to adjust for hearing comfort.

Thanks..

I used a PAC SNI-35 converter. I bought mine at ABC Warehouse. There are several other brands. The converter has RCA outputs, so it needs an adapter cable to go to a stereo 3.5 mm jack or plug. I did not take how-to pictures, but I wired mine into the rear speaker wires. You could also use the front speaker wires, which may be more easily accessed. Once the converter is adjusted, you can use the Spyder volume control to adjust the volume to your needs at the moment.