SteveMac Mods

[SteveMac]

I plan on doing many more mods and will be posting them here as time allows!

My first mod was a pretty basic item. Moving the iPod plug from the
RRunk and up onto the front console where it makes much more sense for me. I also installed a 12V power outlet. I wanted to be able to use my iPhone4 (which I use for both music and GPS), so this mod also included an installation of a TECHMOUNT GPS mount and a modified Otterbox Defender belt clip to securely hold the iPhone in place.

Now for long trips, we wear our full face Oneal Tirades which are bluetooth ready. I connect my iPhone only to the 12V outlet and get my GPS going. Then I select my playlist for the tunes. Finally, I just use a 3.5mm splitter on the phone with two bluetooth dongle transmitters to push the tunes and GPS to each helmet. Works great!

For short trips when I am only wearing the half helmet, I just plug the iPhone into the iPod connector and play my music through the Spyder speakers.

Best of both worlds for me! I hope you like it. I have posted some pics and a YouTube video.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r7rfQwCoC8[/ame]

 

[SteveMac]

Corbin Seat Install RT

My second mod was to install a Corbin seat package. I saw several of these first hand at Spyderfest (The one that really caught my eye was on a BEAUTIFUL white limited RT) and I loved the look and feel, but most of all I loved the gas tank door.

I didn't get the Lamonster cut. I wish I would have, my understanding is that it is a bit deeper cut for the rider posterior? I could have easily stolen some room from my wife's seating area. I wish I had done this, but it is great nonetheless. I did give Corbin my dimensions, so the Lamonster cut might not have made any difference at all, and the seat is much more comfortable than the stocker and I got two thumbs up from my wife, so that is a win!

I went with the seat, back rest 02-T, the passenger back, and the passenger arm rests. Installed myself. Here are my tips for the DIYer.

1. The seat has two adjusting points, one is on the two bolts that hold the seat to the Spyder. You have approximately 3/4" of adjustment here. The second place is the bracket that attaches to the seat itself. There are three bolts and if you loosen them, you will have an additional 1/4" adjustment front to back.
2. The adjustment is critical for two reasons, first, my seat was so close to my glovebox lid, that I couldn't open it until I squeezed that additional 1/4" adjustment noted above. Now all is good and my glove box door opens fine. Second, is the correct positioning of the seat locking pin. Be Very Careful Here.
3. The seat locking pin can be adjusted with the lock nut provided, and you must take extreme care to get it level and lined up with the locking mechanism on the Spyder. DONT RUSH this step. I did and bent my pin badly. I got lucky and was able to bend it back into place, but learn from my mistake and position that pin carefully.
4. You also remove the gas charged shock that held up the stock seat. The Corbin comes with a fold down lifter for when you need access to areas under the seat.
5. Finally, install some flat washers on the arm rest bolts. The heads are small and when you tighten them sufficiently, they seem to embed too deeply into the plastic for my liking.

The seat install is really straight forward if you take your time. Most of us are doing these installs for the first and only time perhaps, so don't feel like you need to get it done as quickly as a certified installer. Enjoy the mod-time!! I would estimate that my install took an hour and a half. An additional 30 minutes spent fixing the bent pin and finding that extra 1/4" adjusment that was so crucial!

Anyway, it is a simple install and if you have any wrenching skills at all, you can also DIY! hyea:

My newly installed Corbin below and a new arrival...Elka Shocks. Next!

 

[SteveMac]

Elka Shocks Install

I purchased the Elka front shocks for my 2010 RT (Thanks Len in Cowtown and John from Elka) and I installed them yesterday. The install is very easy if you have some patience with the two top mount bolts. Having the right tools makes all the difference. Here is my rundown on the install.

1. Spoke with John at Elka. Gave him my weight and my wife since I rYde two-up at least half the time. He recommend the 325# spring setup (yes, I am a big boy...)
2. The shocks arrived packaged very well. The instructions leave a bit to be desired, there wasn't Spyder specific instructions, but there really isn't much you can mess up (unless you install upside down!)
3. I also had the shock guards to install, so I had to remove the pre-load adjuster to do so. Simply loosen the set screw on the adjuster with the allen wrench supplied with your shocks, Then use the adjustment tool (also supplied) to back off the nut. Be sure you measure your spring compression before removing the nut, so you can set your pre-load the same upon re-install. I inserted a large phillips screwdriver into the mounting hole to keep the shock from spinning while I removed and reinstalled the pre-load adjuster.
4. I installed the new pre-load adjuster cap with the three bolt holes (used to affix the shock guard) and re-tightened the adjuster ring. My shocks were set to a compression of 9". I kept that setting.
5. When re-installing the pre-load, I made sure my Elkas mounting holes top and bottom were facing the same direction, I also made sure the valve for the gas charge pointed up, and that my shock guards were installed so that when I bolted the shocks on, the guard came up through the A-Frame, protecting the shock shaft from rocks and debris. Do a trial fit and you will see how they need to be installed, or see pics below.
6. After installing the shock guard and re-tensioning the pre-load, you are ready to begin installation.
7. You will need a 3/8" ratchet (longer for leverage if you have it) with a 15mm shallow well socket and a 15mm combination wrench. These tools and a floor jack is really all you need.
8. Jack up the Spyder to relieve some tension. Remove the 15mm retaining bolts from top and bottom. You may find that you need to raise/lower the Spyder to find the point at which the bolts can be removed by hand. Don't try to beat them out with a hammer! Just find the sweet spot by raising or lowering your jack and the bolts will slip out by hand easily. If you have to tap them, be sure to finger tighten the nut onto the bolt and tap with a dead blow hammer if you have one. The old shocks will slip out through the A-Frame after the bolts have been removed.
9. Install the Elkas making sure the damping knob is on the bottom. You should be able to see in the pics below how they should mount.
10. Tighten all bolts to specified torque (I used mechanics feel) since I didn't have a torque wrench and then lower Jack. You will notice right away that your Spyder sits a bit higher (depending upon your preload)
11. Adjust the damping knobs on the bottom to the same setting on each shock, reading your manual for clockwise counter-clockwise settings. There is no magic setting, just set to your preference as long as both are the same. I tried the extremes of most-least rebound (you have approximately 50 clicks of adjustment to play with) I finally settled on the highest rebound setting backed off 20 clicks. Again nothing magic, just ended up being the setting that felt the best to me. I took rough, curvy roads and stopped frequently to adjust the knobs. Very easy.

I hope these steps help you install your Elkas. I test rode mine several miles yesterday and a much longer two-up rYde today. The change in rYde was SIGNIFICANT. And significant in a very good way. I highly recommend the shocks, especially if you have a 2010 RT like mine.


Enjoy the rYde!

Next on my list: LEDs BrightSides, and HMT Brake Light and the ISCI hand brake.

EDIT: DocDoru and Len from CowTown both chastized me for my rock guard positioning (LOL :roflblack so I have added a recent pic to show them that I can learn...!

 

[jedd]

excellent mods, 3 hour install time for Iphone,,,how long did it take to make the awesome how-to video.

Great stuff thanks for sharing

Jim:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[SteveMac]

LOL. Too darn long. Pics will suffice from here on out.
I can learn from the error of my exuberance...:roflblack:

excellent mods, 3 hour install time for Iphone,,,how long did it take to make the awesome how-to video.

Great stuff thanks for sharing

Jim:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[SteveMac]

LEDs Fog Lights and Hand Brakes, OH MY!

Again, saw these items on a few Spyders at Spyderfest.

The LEDs caught my eyes so much, that I felt they had to make the RT more visible to cagers, so PURELY with saftey in mind.... I ordered the lights and went to work. And I mean WORK because I not only got the LEDs, I also ordered the BRP fog lights and also some parts from ISCI. including Fan Can and Hand Brake.

Lots of work to do....................................................:yikes:

Here is where I started. OMG :shemademe_smilie: :spyder: :shocked:

 

[SteveMac]

Bright Sides LEDs, Saddle Bag LEDs and also the HMT Brake Light

I installed all of the following LEDs,

1. Fender Tips kit for running/signal on front fenders
2. Replaced factory front fender bulbs with LEDs
3. Bright Sides LEDs
4. Mud Flap LEDs
5. Saddle Bag LEDs with dual converter for running/signal
6. HMT Brake Light with dual converter for running/signal

and the install is very easy to do. Instructions were clear and all the necessary parts were included. As with any project, just some patience and not rushing anything is key. The only thing that I did that was not included in the instructions was to put some black silicone on the holes that I had to drill in the fenders and saddle bags. Probably not necessary, but it sealed off any moisture from getting into the two sided tape area and also fastened the wiring down nice and snug. Just a little extra goes a long way sometimes.

Anyway, not much to show for the install, if you have basic wrenching skills, then this is an easy install and really makes your Spyder stand out at night. I have been told by a MoGang member (Jeff and Brenda) that I was following the other night that I looked like a UFO landing. Good! Cagers will hopefully see me too! :clap::clap:

 

[SteveMac]

Resolving Heat on Right Foot

I liked the idea of Harvey's (SpyderPops) LaBlock which was inspired by our own LaMonster. Harvey also has catalytic converter heat shields and a very simple but potentially money saving belt guard to prevent rocks from getting between your belt and rear sprocket. So I picked up all of these items from Harvey and the installs could be done by ANYONE and I mean anyone. So easy and effective. The products just work.

I also combined the LaBlock with the ISCI Fan Can. This may be overkill, but that is the way I roll! hyea:

I wanted NO heat issues on my crippled up right foot when I was cruising.
The Fan Can install was just a BIT more involved than the LaBlock. :yikes: I fought tooth and nail trying to work that Fan Can into the shroud area. It just would NOT fit. I loosened every bolt, and also loosened the plastic frame that the tupperware hangs on. But the can was just not fitting through the shroud so I could slip the slotted tabs onto the two radiator fan mounting bolts. I knew if I could just get the darn thing into that opening that the install would be SO easy. I pondered taking even more parts off, then I had an idea. I bent, "dog eared" would be more accurate the upper corner of the Fan Can so it would slip in through the shroud opening. I mean within five minutes I had it in and bolted on. That was after fighting for well over an hour, dripping with sweat and frustration. I have a pic below of the tab that I bent (see red triangle for area I bent). Basically about 1.5" on the upper corner of the exit tab on the Fan Can. That was all it took. You could easily slip on leather gloves and bend it back if you want. I left mine bent, since the only effect would be to deflect air down anyway.

Let me tell you, I rode in 102 degree heat today and I have no heat issues. I don't have heat coming up around the seat as some have had. Perhaps because I removed both lower splash pans. I removed the right side as Harvey recommends, but I also removed the one below the oil filter and drain plug.

Folks, these items WILL help alleviate any heat issues you have on your right foot. Highly recommended.

 

[SteveMac]

Needed Extra Room For Luggage. Didn't want a trailer.

We go to Cuba the first weekend of every month to rYde with our friends in MoGang! We have plenty of room for our luggage, but on one of our trips, we forgot to take our duffles out of the Frunk, and Len took us to the LeatherMan shop in Lake of The Ozarks, where we bought too many items.... Let's just say we didn't know how we were going to get them home. Len kindly popped his Frunk and stuffed our goodies in there. That was all well and good, but we were still going to have issues on our three hour rYde home with all of our stuff! :gaah:

So I considered getting a trailer but OMG :yikes: the price!

Plus, we didn't really need that much room, so I got on Ebay and found a neat little cargo carrier that fits onto our BRP hitch. The item only weighs about 10-12 pounds, and we pack a couple of overnight bags and away we go! The cost was only around 60-70 bucks and was EASY to install.

However, after getting the carrier, I thought to myself....I bet my golf bag would strap on there as well. Yes it did. Not ideal, but for a short trip to the course, it worked fine. So the little gerble wheel in my head began to spin and I thought that a nice combination piece would fit the bill. By combination piece, I mean something that would carry luggage, but keep it DRY if we run into bad weather again. But also something that could carry my golf clubs securely. I like the idea of having items that serve more than one purpose.:lecturef_smilie:

So, I have posted a few pics of the genesis of this idea. The final golf bag / luggage carrier is yet to be completed. I have just had higher priorities. But when done, it will keep my golf equipment and/or luggage DRY and secure. It will also have LEDs running/signal/brake and a pigtail that I can hook into my Spyder plug. Until then, my little cargo carrier is working just fine, but this is a Ford Pinto compared to the Cadillac carrier that I have in mind....:yes::yes:

 

[SteveMac]

OK. Now for the BEST BEST BEST Mod That I Have Done.

ISCI Hand Brake. Nuff Said...almost. nojoke

My right leg is partially paralyzed from a two wheeler accident 30 years ago. I have a lot of nerve damage and muscle loss. When operating the foot brake, I had to pick up my whole leg to push on the brake, and with my plans to put on highway boards,,, well, I just felt it was unsafe. If we were cruising, even at a safe distance, behind a car and they locked up their brakes to avoid a dog or some other obstacle, then I was afraid my reaction time to the brake with my bad leg would put us in danger.

ISCI offers a discount if you have a disability and I took advantage of it.

Now this install is not for the casual wrencher. It isn't too difficult, but you have to have some knowledge of how to bleed a hydraulic system and getting the adjustment right on the slave cylinder is crucial, so you don't have issues with it pushing your foot brake lever down without you knowing it. Since your safety depends upon this item working, if you don't have the skills, then please have your dealer do it.

With that said, this is without doubt the absolute BEST thing I have ever done to my RT. I would never again be without it. I have had it on for a couple of weeks now, and I rarely use the foot brake any more. I do every now and then, just to keep in the habit, but my lame paw just sits serenely upon my highway boards now most of the time. When I hit a stop light, I pull my good Left leg down off the boards only because I have a SM5, so I need to shift. But the ISCI hand brake is a real lifesaver for me. Both figuratively and literally.

The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. The workmanship is incredible. I just can't say enough good things about it.

If I had to pick a couple of things to gripe about, it would be the reach, and the fact that it isn't adjustable. I don't have huge hands, and while I have no trouble working it, I would like for the lever to be adjustable. Other than that one small item, this thing is Da Shizzle!!! :2thumbs::2thumbs:

I went ahead and picked up the Ram Mount from ISCI also to have a water bottle handy. Not a huge deal, so I won't post much about it, but it is very handy. Especially in the 100 degree humid heat of Missouri.

In summary, if you do only one mod (and yes it is expensive, but worth it) I highly highly recommend the ISCI hand brake. I never leave home without it. hyea:hyea:hyea:hyea:

 

[SteveMac]

Like LaMont, I also reworked my higway boards...

I installed the ISCI highway brackets and their risers, but as with most ISCI products, while they are extremely well designed, they are PRICEY.

As mentioned earlier, I had a bad crash on a two wheeler back in 1979, so I have some pretty severe issues with my right leg. Foot doesn't work well, it cramps easily, so long trips with the factory pegs were painful and potentially dangerous. I needed to extend my legs, but I needed something SECURE for my foot to rest on. I have a lot of nerve damage and sometimes I can't tell if it is resting securely or not, so highway "pegs" were out of the question. I needed more landing surface. I looked at the ISCI boards, but just couldn't bring myself to purchase due to cost.

So, I began looking on Ebay. I found a set of boards that I thought I could modify. You can see these in the first two pics below. They went on easily and looked pretty good, but they were parallel with the body of the Spyder, and if you are like me, your feet want to "toe out" along the tupperware lines rather than be "toe forward" when you spread out on highway boards. Also, the boards mounted just slightly below the top of the risers, so when my foot was in a comfortable position, I always felt insecure, like it would slip off.

After rYding with these for a week or two, I went back onto Ebay, now armed with more of an idea what I needed. I figured I could sell the boards that I recently purchased and buy some longer boards that I could really make fit my needs.

Now, this mod requires the use of a mig welder, but I am very happy with the outcome. I will probably post this in several posts, because there are quite a few pics. But I am extremely happy with my results and since I did the work myself, I saved a bundle.

By the way, the first (shorter) set of boards will be for sale if anyone wants them for a bike application. They have the clamps to mount them on the frame. New condition, and they have not been altered from factory.

Anyway, I digress. Below are the pics of my first rendition of highway boards. A good first attempt, but definitely NOT keepers on a Spyder.

Notice how my foot wants to sit naturally "toe-out, heel-in") and the awkward position on the boards...:shocked:

 

[SteveMac]

Higway Boards Continued

Yes, I am posting late tonight. I am into this now, and want to finish. I am kind of OCD that way, so shoot me. :roflblack:

Anyway, below are pics of the new boards I purchased. They were longer (12" compared to the 7") boards before.

However, as you can see, the mount was going to put them in a parallel line with the frame of the Spyder also. Yes, I could have rotated the ISCI risers, but not enough and that would put the boards a few inches away from the tupperware and in a more uncomfortable position.

What I needed was for the boards to run at an angle along the lines of the tupperware, but only a 1/2" or so away. That meant they needed to be mounted on top of the risers and the mounting brackets would have to be customized.

To begin, I removed the rubber pads from the new boards. Glue was abundant, so I folded a paper towel, laid it across the boards and gave a good soaking with paint thinner. Let it soak for a few minutes while I had a beverage, and the old glue just wiped off.

So, I got my trusty dremel out for some delicate cutting wheel magic and cut the mounting brackets off the new boards. I bent the mounting brackets around the ISCI risers to provide some more stability, and then positioned the bare board back on the brackets and tack welded them. A quick test-fit while sitting on the RT showed that I had the pitch and angle that I wanted, so I pulled em off, finished welding the brackets in the new locations and applied some new automotive adhesive to re-glue the pads back on.

After mounting everything back on, I have a customized board setup that fits ME perfectly. Maybe not for everyone else, but this really will help me out tremendously on longer trips.

All in all, I am pretty proud of how they turned out. Hope you like em too! :thumbup:

The first few pics are of the stock boards, then I'll have to carry forward with a new post for the final results.

 

[SteveMac]

Highway Boards Continued

Some minor cutting and welding to get them just right...

After I cutoff the brackets, one of the pics below shows how I bent the bracket around the riser. By doing this, the board, when mounted will sit on top of the riser, and the curve of the bracket around the riser provides a bit more stability. I then positioned the boards as I wanted them and tacked them in place with the MIG.

 

[SteveMac]

Highway Boards DONE!!

After tack welding the boards in place and ensuring a good fit for me, I removed the bolts and finished welding the re-located brackets onto the board. I then applied some clear GOOP automotive adhesive to the boards and re-glued the rubber pads down.

Applied a little black satin rust-o-leum to the underside to prevent rusting, then bolted it all back together and you can see in the pics below that when my foot is in a naturally comfortable position for me, that my foot fully rests on the board. The board supports my foot from heel to toe, and I have a very secure feeling. I no longer feel that my foot is going to slip off when running 70 mph down the interstate.

I hope you like what you see, but if not, no big deal! :roflblack: I LOVE them and doing the work myself was pretty cool too. :yes::yes:

 

[SteveMac]

My final mod for a while....BRP Fog Lights

Been doing a lot of ryding at night lately and I don't see that well, so more light is a welcome thing. I finally broke down and ordered the BRP fog lights after considering some alternative LED possibilites.

I really wanted to keep a factory look, and since I saved so much buying the base RT and adding items myself, the BRP lights seemed to be the best choice. The pics a few posts above show the RT torn down to the frame. I was working on many mods, and removal of the FRUNK is necessary to install the BRP lights.

Here are my results!

I am done modding for a while now. Kinda ready to just RYDE for a while!!!! hyea:hyea::spyder: hyea:hyea:

 

[cougar]

SteveMac,

Thought about modifying a pair of stirrups from a gynocologist for highway footrests?? :shemademe_smilie:

 

[SteveMac]

SteveMac,

Thought about modifying a pair of stirrups from a gynocologist for highway footrests?? :shemademe_smilie:

Not funny.. Cougar!
LOL!!

They may look odd, but ooh yeah are they comfy!

 

[SteveMac]

Well Len from Cowtown somehow convinced me of this...

I REALLY like the new exhaust. Pulled off the stock, HUGE muffler off the RT and replaced with the Two Brothers setup. The sound is really good on the low end with a nice deep rumble. At higher RPM, it levels out nicely. Yes louder than the stocker, and I know some don't like it, but I still hear the radio just fine even at 65-75 mph. What more could I want? Well looks for one thing. The Two Brothers looks like the exhaust that should have been on the RT in my opinion. The stocker is just too big and bulky and would have looked much better if BRP had went wide rather than tall with it. Again my opinion of how I want my RT to look. The Two Brothers tucks up nicely under the saddle bag and I couldn't be happier with it.

I really and truly only stopped at Cowtown for an oil change on my way home from Milwaukee...
(just in case my wife Connie reads this) :roflblack:

This was the first Mod that I haven't done myself, but Cowtown did a wonderful job. Gotta love those guys. Thanks to Dan and the gang in the shop!

Video:

 

[SteveMac]

Golf Bag Carrier (beta version)

Yes, beta version. It is a beta version because the steel bracket I made out of steel pushed my total loaded weight to 48 pounds, exceeding the hitch rating of 40 pounds. So I am going to make an identical bracket out of aluminum, but all else will remain the same.

Functionally, this carrier is exactly what I wanted. This is a dual purpose carrier. Obviously it carries the golf bag, but I can also carry a couple of duffles for trips that my wife and I take.

I didn't want to invest in a trailer and I didn't need that much room anyway, so I came up with this project. I added the LEDs so that the cagers couldn't miss me at night.

The first thing I used was the dual receiver that I puchased at this link: click here
As you can see, the dual receiver allows the carrier to mount securely and the twin mount prevents twisting and instability. You can see this initial piece of the puzzle in an earlier post of mine above. I kept the slip in carrier in the above post, but used it as a pattern for my bracket that I would mount the case to.


The two bars that slide in are 1.25 inch OD and are 14" long.
I then mounted a 3.5" x 3/16" x 7.5" (the black piece you see above with stove bolts and grind marks)
Immediately thereafter, a 3.5" x 3/16" x 36" long cross piece (partially shown above unpainted) attached to the two slide in square tubes. Once I was sure all was perfectly straight and that the device slid in and out easily, I then welded the cross braces to the square tubing.

Next, I prepared the "bumper" for lack of a better term and welded it to the twin square tubes. I needed this "bumper" to mount the LED lights on and also to provide some stability. I also attached two outside braces (the short perforated pieces you see below) on the outer perimeter and welded them in place. I used a 1" hole saw to allow me to mount the LEDs and run the wires through. The holes needed to be large enough for the lights that I purchased which had a protruding plastic section where the wires came of of the LED. After assembly, what this creates is a nice rectangular base to bolt the carrier to. You might notice the rounded ends of the "bumper". I simply used a 4" round lid and marked the rounded edge with a sharpie. I used a 6" grinder to take off the bulk of the material, being more careful as I approached the curved line. When I had it roughed in, I used my dremmel with a polishing wheel to finish up and smooth the edges. I then prepped and painted.


After mounting the LED lights with super strong 3M double side mounting tape and wiring to the BRP trailer harness that I purchased, (part number 710002029 which can be found on this site (click here)). I used the wiring diagram found here on this site and incorporated two LEDs for each side. Running lights work on all four, inner two are wired to the brakes, and outer two are connected to the left and right signals utilizing a 5 wire flat connector. Simply cut the trailer end off the harness 710002029 above (be sure not to cut off the wrong end!!) If anyone wants a wiring diagram, I plan on preparing one and posting later.

Below you see the completed bracket, fully wired and attached to the Spyder. I zip tied the wires to the bracket so everything would stay tucked up nice and tight. At this point I do a final check for fit and finish. Making sure it slides easily in and out of the receiver.


Next, I took the SKS golf bag that I purchased used off of Ebay to save money. It is the single bag model 2SKB-4812WS and is made of ABS plastic. (click here) These bags are made for durability so they will handle highway travel. I set the SKS carrier onto the rectangular bracket that I built and marked a series of places to drill holes through the base of the SKS carrier and then through the metal bracket that I built. I used stainless bolts, washers, and nylon lock nuts. Bolts are 5/16 x 18 thread. And I made sure to use large fender washers inside the SKS carrier to prevent the bolt heads from pulling through. My bolts go through the 36" long x 3.5" wide base and also through the two smaller perforated braces on the perimeter. This prevents any "rocking" of the carrier. When all was bolted in place the carrier was secure and ready to go.

Final width is 48" wide which puts it well within the front wheel footprints.
Mounting the carrier low and horizontally seemed to provide more stability than a vertical mount.

The final product is shown below.


More pics in the next post.

 

[SteveMac]

More pics of the Golf Bag / Duffle Carrier