was thinking yesterday

[cuznjohn]

when i was out yesterday i had a few times that the brake lights stayed on and i couldn't get my cruise control to work. than i thought it would be a good idea to change the return spring to a heavier spring or to run a red led to the dash and tie it into the rear break lights so if they stick i can see the red led and lift up the break pedal . so what do you think

 

[ARtraveler]

I like the idea of a warning light to indicate brake light on. The condition if it persists, will lead to a limp mode.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

sounds like a good idea :thumbup:

Cruzr joe

 

[Spyder_Cowgirl]

Sticking Brake Lights

when i was out yesterday i had a few times that the brake lights stayed on and i couldn't get my cruise control to work. than i thought it would be a good idea to change the return spring to a heavier spring or to run a red led to the dash and tie it into the rear break lights so if they stick i can see the red led and lift up the break pedal . so what do you think

John ... you have a hand brake on your Spyder, don't you? If so, it could just be that the mechanism is, like mine, hanging up on the brake sensor switch housing. ISCI recommended gently prying the forks apart, so they are not so close together. Rather than do this, I opted to use a little silicon spray on a q-tip and "paint" the plastic switch housing with it. Seems to have worked, though I still have a habit of checking the pedal whenever I use the hand brake .... just in case it sticks and I don't know it.

Best Regards .... Ann

 

[Chupaca]

Good idea..!!

Great ideas but adjusting the switches will fix it. If recurring the warning light would be good... :thumbup:

 

[Oldmanzues]

I think I could live with a warning light. Years ago ( I know I am old), some upscale cars had fiber optic "cables" to show if the turn/stop lights were working.
Oldmanzues

 

[ARtraveler]

John ... you have a hand brake on your Spyder, don't you? If so, it could just be that the mechanism is, like mine, hanging up on the brake sensor switch housing. ISCI recommended gently prying the forks apart, so they are not so close together. Rather than do this, I opted to use a little silicon spray on a q-tip and "paint" the plastic switch housing with it. Seems to have worked, though I still have a habit of checking the pedal whenever I use the hand brake .... just in case it sticks and I don't know it.

Best Regards .... Ann

A very good point. My friend BMW came to visit AK in the summer of 2010. He had the ISCI brake on his :spyder2:. The Spyder was going into limp mode a lot. Turned out, the brake was not releasing fully, and was making the :ani29: go into limp mode. The glacial till mud on the Alcan Hwy. got stuck in the mechanism and was not letting it release properly. Also happened to a second group two years later.

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Now we have to worry about Glaciers also??? :gaah:

 

[ARtraveler]

:shocked: Now we have to worry about Glaciers also??? :gaah:

The glacial till dust/sand is all over the place. On a windy spring/summer day it makes a haze in most valleys (looking like the famous LA smog).

I try to avoid dirt roads just for the above reason. The Alcan unfortunaltly, and some places in AK will have dirt road due to construction phases. I have now learned to give the machine a good wash or check over after encountering such roads.

 

[Bob Denman]

Question: Is the Alcan fully-paved now?
Back when I had my GoldWing; I always wanted to ride it up the Alcan Highway to Alaska... :shocked:
My folks drove a Conversion Van up through it about 25 year's ago... they built a rather substantial guard for the front end of the Van. It looked like they stepped off the lot, during filming of a "Road Warrior" movie!

 

[ARtraveler]

Question: Is the Alcan fully-paved now?
Back when I had my GoldWing; I always wanted to ride it up the Alcan Highway to Alaska... :shocked:
My folks drove a Conversion Van up through it about 25 year's ago... they built a rather substantial guard for the front end of the Van. It looked like they stepped off the lot, during filming of a "Road Warrior" movie!

The Alcan is fully paved--BUT--there are always going to be places where they are working on the roads. You can end up with 10 to 20 miles of gravel on occasion. God help you if it has been raining. Bikes don't like driving through slushy soup. Same thing for AK roads. Our trip to Whitehorse/Skagway in 2010 entailed about 10 miles of dirt road near Tok, AK and large whooptee doos and potholes between Tok and Destruction Bay Yukon. That section was scheduled for updates and I know our friends that came by in 2012 encountered that on their trip.

Travelers are advised to get the latest edition of Milepost. This gives good information about current road plans and numbers to call about road conditions.

 

[Bob Denman]

Thanks! :thumbup:
No wonder you guys do so much flying; to get around up there!