Is this too much Air Bag Pressure?

[tomknotts]

Hey Everyone

I have a 2021 spyder RT s2s, i recently had front, rear elka shocks, and a Bajaron sway bar installed (made a world of difference Riding 2up as im 300#)

But the other day i noticed riding by myself that every time I ran over a bump in the road it felt like i was being hit with a 2x4. I was then showing someone my FOBO 2 app and noticed my airbag was at 140psi on the last reading i though this was stupid high and manually released some pressure down to 90PSI. this worked great felt like riding a cloud over bumps and handling was much better. After doing some research and seeing people ay max it out at 85 i figure i would let out the air till 20psi to make sure the compressor was working. kicked it into gear and it inflated to 95ish PSI.

My question is, is this too much pressure, does the same switch handle inflation/deflation of the bag, and is the max pressure of the bag 85 psi as it says in the book.



Any Help would be Great

 

[Joel The Biker]

Yup. Too high. My S2S airbag was overinflated also. Very hard ride. We used BUDS2 diagnostic and reset my rear suspension using blocks like the service manual shows. My S2S rides like a dream now! Take it to a dealer and have them do the procedure. You should also check to make sure the small link to the sensor is connected to the swingarm on the belt side. Mine was, but still rode hard. I am 300# also.

 

[tomknotts]

Yup. Too high. My S2S airbag was overinflated also. Very hard ride. We used BUDS2 diagnostic and reset my rear suspension using blocks like the service manual shows. My S2S rides like a dream now! Take it to a dealer and have them do the procedure. You should also check to make sure the small link to the sensor is connected to the swingarm on the belt side. Mine was, but still rode hard. I am 300# also.

I wonder if they did not reset the airbag properly after they installed the new shock. So they put in spacer blocks to set the pressure for diffrent hights to represent weight compression?

also do you happen to have a picture of the connection. it looks right but could be someyhing stupid like conmected wrong (one side and not the other)

 

[Flier Tuck]

On my S2S I put a flexible extension on the under seat valve. After the first couple of rides I checked the pressure and it was 25psi every time. I weigh 230lb and I am happy with the ride.
Alan.

 

[larryd]

If I remember correctly, the air bags have a MAX INFLATION label on them that says 100 lbs...larryd

 

[tomknotts]

So an update,

I called the dealership and asked if they had re calibrated. Was informed that the tech said it didnt list it as needing to be done but was concerned about the pressures. Got it booked in for them to give it a once over. Hopefully its a quick easy calibration.

Thanks for the help

 

[Joel The Biker]

Calibration takes about 5 min. Plug into buds2. Place small block of a determined height under rear frame. Deflate airbag. Reset low setting. Place larger block under frame. Reset high setting. Done. Mine is at 40 psi. I weigh 300#

 

[SpyderGoldwingOwner]

38lbs

 

[DanDanTMM]

I was then showing someone my FOBO 2 app and noticed my airbag was at 140psi on the last reading....

Did you buy the FOBO 2 Trike version and add another sensor to monitor the rear suspension pressure?

 

[tomknotts]

Did you buy the FOBO 2 Trike version and add another sensor to monitor the rear suspension pressure?

I bought 2 of the Fobo 2s as i wanted the 4th sensors. There is apperantly no differance between the regular fobo 2 and the trike version except the extra sensor. Setup for the air bag was a pain as it was close to onw of the wheel sensors and kept reading that so i had to move it to set it up but after that its been great.

 

[tomknotts]

Update:

Got the bike in today and they went throught it. According to the tech he found the sensor was loose and recalibrated it. i got on and took it for a ride aroubd the block and it was at 60ish psi. Road home (1.25 hrs) and it handled soo much better. when my wife got home from work i had the wife hop on with me and the bag inflated to about 140psi. Which doesnt seem right at all. The tech did mention he checked the secondary passenger airbag switch under the passenger seat and it appeared to be working correctly (i assumed it was for the heated seat).

So if tech did calubrate and the sensor and switches are good any thoughts? Gotta book another appointment but it might not be untill next season.

 

[Mikey]

I think next time you go, take your wife with you, or jump on the bike when the tech takes the bike out for a ride! There's a gremlin in the mix some where, that bag should never see 100lbs!

 

[tomknotts]

So we think we found the issue. The guy who installed the shock never set the sag. Had in his note is was factory preset and not adjusted. the current sag is about 4" on the rear shock with me on it. Does anyone know how much sag should be on a spyder rtl?

 

[DanDanTMM]

I just replaced the rear shock on my 2021 RTL with an Elka and I didn't adjust anything and have not noticed a problem but I have not tried to check rear bag pressure either. Help me understand what you mean by the word "sag".

 

[RayBJ]

https://racetech.com/articles/SuspensionAndSprings.htm
Simply put, it's the distance your shock compresses when you're sitting on the (tr/b)ike. You want to have room for the shock to compress on a bump but not too stiff making for harsh ride.

 

[Steve W.]

Does anyone know how much sag should be on a spyder rtl?

I have never seen anything specific to an RT, but I have heard some general numbers related to other bikes.

The article from RaceTech that RayBJ posted gives great information how to check it on a motorcycle. That method might be a bit awkward on an RT, but it's still accurate. Some numbers are given for the amount of recommended sag, but I feel they might need to be modified a bit.

In general, what I have followed in the past, is that the sag should be about 20-25% of the total travel avalable. If your suspension is physically capable of moving 4 inches, your sag should be about 0.75 to 1.0 inch. If your suspension can move 6 inches, your sag should be 1 to 1.5 inches.

Your suspension involves two springs. One is a metal coil, the other is an air bag. The coil is obviously not strong enough, so the air bag helps share the load. Since the pressure is adjustable, it is a great tool for maintaining the same HEIGHT, which maintains your available travel. When your wife gets on, pressure is added to the air bag to raise the bike back to the level for which it is set. Depending on the capability of the compressor, it just might go above any published recommendations.

You say that your gravitational attraction is a bit "enhanced". Even if your wife does not share similar attributes, there is still a considerable load imposed on the air bag. It might be worth checking with Elka, RaceTech or some other suspension company to see if there is a stronger coil spring available. Even with a stronger coil, you will still need the adjustabiltiy of the air bag for the variable loads, but the pressures required will be lower.

.