Caution: Spyderpops onboard!

[daveinva]

Just installed my missing air dam and air management system tonight.

First off, when doing mods, is there anything more frustrating than discovering that ALL of your power tool batteries are dead? My Dremel, my power drill, my screwdriver, everything was drained. I ended up having jury-rig the e-scoop: the Dremel was taking forever to charge, so I had enough juice in my drill to just drill a row of holes around the rectangle I traced, then clipped out the plastic to make a hole for the scoop. Not at all elegant, but it did the trick.

Anyway, I only took the bike out for 30 minutes or so after dark tonight, and that wasn't a true test of the mod: it's *finally* cool around these parts, it was 70 degrees at 9 pm tonight. I *did* see the temp bars fluctuate between 4 and 5, which was progress (once I'm warmed up, my Spyder never goes under 5 bars), but subjectively, the real accomplishment was my right leg being as cool as can be.

Of course, I'm one of those forum weirdos who's complained about his LEFT leg being too hot, so tonight was interesting from that perspective: my right leg cold, my left leg hot... It was like I was riding a McDLT sandwich! (Sorry, dating myself with that joke...)

Bottom line: I think this was a good purchase, looking forward to riding a whole heckuva lot more. :2thumbs:

 

[Questions]

Spyderpops

I am waiting on my mods from Spderpops to fix the same problem. I was the one who ran the
post a couple of days ago about the heat frying my right leg. I will install the Spyderpops, change
the Y gaskets and I'll be "on the road again". :yes:

Jim

 

[daveinva]

I am waiting on my mods from Spderpops to fix the same problem. I was the one who ran the
post a couple of days ago about the heat frying my right leg. I will install the Spyderpops, change
the Y gaskets and I'll be "on the road again". :yes:

Jim

I'll probably wait on the Y gaskets until the spring-- I only have 2000 miles on the bike, I assume the stock ones are still fine, but I'll want to be sure of it by the time I get to next summer's heat (I plan on riding all winter long, weather permitting, so I'm not too worried about riding a hot bike when it's freezing outside :doorag.

 

[daveinva]

Oh, a few other comments about the Spyderpops install:

-- I'm sure it's MUCH easier/faster if you jack up the bike or ride it onto a ramp. It's totally unnecessary, but unscrewing that underpan where the E-Scoop is installed is awkward while laying on your back.

-- The air management system: the plastic is *really* hard to fold into the cone, I worried that I'd never get it to stick right. Don't worry about that, it sticks just fine once you have the tape going, and the rivets make sure it stays shut.

-- The instructions for the top piece of the missing air dam show it just sliding on into the gap by the radiator. On my bike, at least, the panel just forward of the radiator is extremely tight against the top of the radiator, which prevented me from sliding the foam into the gap-- I had to slide it in *above* the gap and bring it on down, kinda squeezing it in.

-- That 3M weatherstripping glue is pretty yucky stuff, real black tar variety... I got so much on my hands, I felt like I was an extra in "There Will Be Blood." :joke:

-- I also have the missing heat shield to install, but I'm still waiting to install my floorboards (dang highway pegs FINALLY shipped this weekend), so I'd like to get to that before I do that install.

-- I also have some heat reflective tape and weatherstripping coming my way, I'm going to try to do some stuff on the *left* side of the bike as well as the seat to tamp down the warmth there.

 

[Paula(Butch2025)]

It is weird that once my husband installed the SpyderPops fix the only heat I feel is on my "left" leg...but it's nothing compared to what the right side was before the install! --Paula

 

[fdunham1]

Completed all 3 air management mods

I have a 08 Spyder " Roadster " funny I don't see many descriptions using roadster. However I live in Las Vegas NV and did all three mods about 5 days ago. and the bike would run 5 to six bars and this was driving at night or just as the sun was cracking its head over the mountains. After the mods 4 to 5 bars and this was at various speeds. Note the temp at 5:30 am was 87' so the mods work. What gets me is that the design did not include this from the get go. Why are there so many mods to this motorcycle, in order to get normal use out of it. Or are we expected to bake your right foot or now left foot to have this toy. Has anyone used ( we have several gas vendors ) used the 100 octane fuel or one of the octane boosters in the tank. And what about engine ice or products like it. Love the spyder, also have 600 Honda RSR and it is a completely different type of bike but guess what no major mods to get the bike to a level that you now can enjoy it. Beginning to have second thoughts. I feel that not much was done in the design and testing of this product before it was released for sale.