MeanSling Sport Top first ride

    Quote from wjfyfe

    Patrick, how about a little advice on the care and cleaning of the Sport Top?


    Bill

    Bill, the top fabric is the Haartz Sunbrella material used for automotive soft tops. There are a number of products you can find at any auto parts store that are designed to clean this fabric. I'm not going to call out any one product just make sure it's a quality brand. I would also recommend maybe 1 time a year pulling the top of fully and clean out the Velcro. Other than that it's designed for the weather, UV rays and the outside environment.

    Proud supporter of S.O.G.

    (Slingshot Owners Group)

    :thumbsup:

    Owner/operator: MeanSling LLC :thumbsup:

    OK, now for the totally unexpected and this one is for Patrick. The Grasshopper brought me to work this morning, just as it has on occasion for the past 3 1/2 years. It has always attracted attention but less recently since it has become a common sight to most, where I was not expecting at all what happened this morning. First a coworker asked if I had bought a new motorcycle where I said no, that is the same one. Then she commented then that the new top gave it a completely new look and shortly afterwards I looked out to find that almost the whole building was out ooooing and aaaawing commenting on how much better the Grasshopper looked "dressed." Well, that was the farthest thing from my mind for putting the top on, but it looks like we may have to endure a whole new batch of admirers!


    Bill

    Quote from wjfyfe

    OK, now for the totally unexpected and this one is for Patrick. The Grasshopper brought me to work this morning, just as it has on occasion for the past 3 1/2 years. It has always attracted attention but less recently since it has become a common sight to most, where I was not expecting at all what happened this morning. First a coworker asked if I had bought a new motorcycle where I said no, that is the same one. Then she commented then that the new top gave it a completely new look and shortly afterwards I looked out to find that almost the whole building was out ooooing and aaaawing commenting on how much better the Grasshopper looked "dressed." Well, that was the farthest thing from my mind for putting the top on, but it looks like we may have to endure a whole new batch of admirers!


    Bill

    @wjfyfe thank you...... The balancing act of form over function had to be tipped a bit. Yes there are a lot of things that could have been done differently but in the end the way it looked overpowered a number of them. I'm glad you are enjoying it. These types of comments truly make it worth it.

    Proud supporter of S.O.G.

    (Slingshot Owners Group)

    :thumbsup:

    Owner/operator: MeanSling LLC :thumbsup:

    Went for a ride this morning when pulling off of the highway 30 some miles down the road it dawns on me that I am still listening to the radio loud and clear, where normally the station would have faded ten or so miles back. Now, the only thing that has changed on the Grasshopper is adding the top................................................... ?(


    Bill

    Yesterday we took the Grasshopper on it's first longer ride with the Sport top, about 90 miles to the coast at 55-60 MPH on twisty roads, where it didn't start out all that great. We actually pulled into a rest area after about 60 miles to see if we could find any ear plugs lying around from when riding with the original Polaris windshield, the wind noise was getting to much for us to bear. Well, we couldn't find any ear plugs, but just for experimentation I took the front of the top from it's highest setting, down to it's lowest setting, essentially lowering the front of the top to narrow the gap with the top of the wind shield, and we continued towards the coast. Within the first couple of miles Justina and I were looking at each other in total amazement where just by that few inches we went from barely hearing each other even with the head sets, to a very comfortable ride, turning down our headsets at least half way or better. Out on the coast road we were able to crank it up to around 80 MPH and the ride remained just as comfortable.


    We still think we'll remove the top to do most of our sightseeing, but for those longer rides, and the still yet tried longer rides in the rain, going from point A to point B in an expeditious manner, it appears that the top will make the ride a whole lot quieter and thus less fatiguing.


    Bill

    Quote from wjfyfe

    Yesterday we took the Grasshopper on it's first longer ride with the Sport top, about 90 miles to the coast at 55-60 MPH on twisty roads, where it didn't start out all that great. We actually pulled into a rest area after about 60 miles to see if we could find any ear plugs lying around from when riding with the original Polaris windshield, the wind noise was getting to much for us to bear. Well, we couldn't find any ear plugs, but just for experimentation I took the front of the top from it's highest setting, down to it's lowest setting, essentially lowering the front of the top to narrow the gap with the top of the wind shield, and we continued towards the coast. Within the first couple of miles Justina and I were looking at each other in total amazement where just by that few inches we went from barely hearing each other even with the head sets, to a very comfortable ride, turning down our headsets at least half way or better. Out on the coast road we were able to crank it up to around 80 MPH and the ride remained just as comfortable.


    We still think we'll remove the top to do most of our sightseeing, but for those longer rides, and the still yet tried longer rides in the rain, going from point A to point B in an expeditious manner, it appears that the top will make the ride a whole lot quieter and thus less fatiguing.


    Bill

    I am glad you are getting comfortable with the top. After you have been riding with it for a while, take it off. You will be amazed how much turbulance there is, and how quickly you will put it back on.

    Quote from Slingrazor

    I am glad you are getting comfortable with the top. After you have been riding with it for a while, take it off. You will be amazed how much turbulence there is, and how quickly you will put it back on.

    Possibly, but the main purpose of our purchasing the SlingShot is for it's alternative motorcycle experience, the feeling of of exhilarating freedom that comes with the openness and unobstructed visibility in which the SlingShot in itself provides, thus the reason we resisted putting a top on until now, and only for specific purposes. The question will be in the future of how often will we be willing to sacrifice this objective over creature comforts?
    Bill

    Quote from Slingrazor

    I am glad you are getting comfortable with the top. After you have been riding with it for a while, take it off. You will be amazed how much turbulance there is, and how quickly you will put it back on.

    Not necessarily, sir. I put mine on in the summer to save me from the heat and the direct sun, but I tend to ride without it the other three seasons. To me, the turbulence is part of the vision of the ride. (To a degree, or course.) I have taken the windshield off of every motorcycle I have ever owned.

    Quote from wjfyfe

    Possibly, but the main purpose of our purchasing the SlingShot is for it's alternative motorcycle experience, the feeling of of exhilarating freedom that comes with the openness and unobstructed visibility in which the SlingShot in itself provides, thus the reason we resisted putting a top on until now, and only for specific purposes. The question will be in the future of how often will we be willing to sacrifice this objective over creature comforts?

    What he said.


    I do love that top, for specific objectives. It's just not a year-round thing for me.

    I wished I would have bought the top before I left home. I think I probably could have went by and pick it up in person. I think we only live 30 minutes apart. I left northeast ga and drove to Florida around 8 hours. Now I look like a red raccoon red face with white where sunglasses covered.

    I just returned from a lil round robin with the OAT at around 38 degrees. I wore my heavier motorcycle jacket with jeans and street shoes, and almost regretted wearing the heavier jacket. I had it unzipped about half-way for most of the ride. I can foresee Justina not needing here heated jacket as long as the top is installed.................................



    Bill

    Riding today with the temps reaching up into the 70's, (Oh, did that feel nice!), with the top on we were compelled to raise the Madstad windshield to allow ventilation into the passenger compartment due to it becoming too warm. To backtrack a wee bit however, having the top made it much more comfortable when riding when the temps were dipping down into the 20's. :thumbsup:


    Bill

    I just wanna add another kudo for the Sport Top. Even with full faced/modular helmets on we still noticed that wind and turbulence noise was greatly reduced with the Sport Top installed, so we went on a quest to try using just half helmets with no intercom. First we went to our newly established Cycle Gear store and tried fitting helmets and ultimately ordered a pair of Bell Pit Boss helmets. After their arrival I excitedly donned mine and went for a ride and return extremely disappointed when subjected to high tire noise, something we didn't realize with the full helmets. :(


    Today we found SUCCESS! :thumbsup:


    a few days ago after my first solo ride with the Sport Top and using the Bell half-helmet, I posted how dismayed I was in realizing how much noise that the tires were making, especially on the Interstate. Well, today Justina and I did our first ride together where we both wore simple foam earplugs, which effectively deadened the road noise where we found our selves easily conversing with each other without the aid of an intercom! :)


    Bill