Getting New SLR Tuesday

    Quote from Doc&Ruby

    Have to disagree with my pal SoCal on the mirrors - my 2019 has convex mirrors standard for both passenger & driver's side. 😉 But if yours does not, upgrade immediately. Mine have the 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear' etched on em.


    Also took US 49 and US 40 from Fayetteville to Little Rock area & back today. Interstate & nearby surface streets were fine - no standing water at all. Not that there aren't problem areas, but major routes seem to be fine.

    Thanks, you may have just saved me some $$$.

    When the going gets tough.... Downshift.

    Quote from billythekidd

    Thanks, you may have just saved me some $$$.

    Congrats on the deal of the year and welcome to the mad house, everyone has pretty much covered all your bases but I would like to once again reiterate that if the roads are wet, it doesn't have to be deep water for the sling to get out from under you, even a simple wet road with no standing water can get you in trouble.

    When I originally bought my first slingshot I just thought everyone was just crying wolf and believed myself to be superman and didn't think much of riding in the rain....... big mistake , there is no worse feeling than spinning around out of no where and seeing headlights aimed at you and nothing you can do but pray that they stop in time.

    Good luck with the trip.

    Is not that I am mean, I just don't sugarcoat what I say.

    Quote from Neosolidus

    Congrats on the deal of the year and welcome to the mad house, everyone has pretty much covered all your bases but I would like to once again reiterate that if the roads are wet, it doesn't have to be deep water for the sling to get out from under you, even a simple wet road with no standing water can get you in trouble.

    When I originally bought my first slingshot I just thought everyone was just crying wolf and believed myself to be superman and didn't think much of riding in the rain....... big mistake , there is no worse feeling than spinning around out of no where and seeing headlights aimed at you and nothing you can do but pray that they stop in time.

    Good luck with the trip.

    Thanks again... I was also thinking at first that it may be a bit overblown... but I get it now...

    When the going gets tough.... Downshift.

    A couple of more questions from the rookie.... I only have my Spyder experience to go on but when the "Nanny" kicks in there is braking and power reduction regardless of what I am doing. On the SS when the ECS kicks in does it not do the same thing? I get the wide tires and hydroplaning, (the Spyder front is a 165 and the back is a 225) and it only weighs 1200lbs... so I will definitely heed the advice here but I am just curious why is is so ... slick. Lastly, for the spinouts and such, was the ECS off and what tires were used? I know the Kenda's are crap (Spyder stock is Kenda as well) but again from my 8 years experience on Spyders when I have switched to non OEM tires (which I did with every bike) I always noticed more hydroplaning. Thanks again for indulging me with goofy rookie questions.

    When the going gets tough.... Downshift.

    Quote from billythekidd

    A couple of more questions from the rookie.... I only have my Spyder experience to go on but when the "Nanny" kicks in there is braking and power reduction regardless of what I am doing. On the SS when the ECS kicks in does it not do the same thing? I get the wide tires and hydroplaning, (the Spyder front is a 165 and the back is a 225) and it only weighs 1200lbs... so I will definitely heed the advice here but I am just curious why is is so ... slick. Lastly, for the spinouts and such, was the ECS off and what tires were used? I know the Kenda's are crap (Spyder stock is Kenda as well) but again from my 8 years experience on Spyders when I have switched to non OEM tires (which I did with every bike) I always noticed more hydroplaning. Thanks again for indulging me with goofy rookie questions.

    The Kenda tires are actually pretty good and have wider tread contact with the pavement than most of the other tires of the same size. Standing water is the biggest problem on the Hi-Way. Some of us ride in the rain and when we do we turn both the Nannies off by holding the button/switch in for 3 or 4 seconds. You will see both orange lights come on. 83,000 miles and counting

    Quote from billythekidd

    A couple of more questions from the rookie.... I only have my Spyder experience to go on but when the "Nanny" kicks in there is braking and power reduction regardless of what I am doing. On the SS when the ECS kicks in does it not do the same thing? I get the wide tires and hydroplaning, (the Spyder front is a 165 and the back is a 225) and it only weighs 1200lbs... so I will definitely heed the advice here but I am just curious why is is so ... slick. Lastly, for the spinouts and such, was the ECS off and what tires were used? I know the Kenda's are crap (Spyder stock is Kenda as well) but again from my 8 years experience on Spyders when I have switched to non OEM tires (which I did with every bike) I always noticed more hydroplaning. Thanks again for indulging me with goofy rookie questions.

    I had an 08 Spyder one of the first ones in Jersey.....And when the traction control [aka nanny] kicked on it would just about shut the engine off....Im assuming BRP Improved upon it over the years...The few times i had the Slingshot start to spinout on me the Traction control kicked on so fast i didn't even have time to look down at the dash to see if the light went on and off.....Once the slings rear started going to the right, And the front started to point left, The right front brake immediately went on, and in an instance everything was pointed in the right direction.. I ride in the rain and in light snow. Without any problems....I ride for the road condition and if you do you won't have any problems as long as you DON'T turn of the traction control. , My cowboy riding days ended years ago....

    Some times a Cigar is just a Cigar.......

    Quote from BKL

    Hydroplaning - I had experienced several minor incidents where I felt the rear shift slightly, but several months ago I was on an Interstate coming back home from a ride and had already stopped at least once waiting for the rain to lessen. After finally getting back on the Interstate, I encountered more heavy rain, slowing my speed down to 40 mph and moved over one lane to the left of the right lane, hoping if something did happen, I'd have a little more recovery space. Shortly after doing so, with a car approaching a little ways behind me in the right lane I had just vacated, I suddenly felt my rear-end slide to the left placing me sideways across the 2 middle lanes. Fortunately, I managed to recover control w/o incident other than almost changing my pants' color and probably scaring the crap of the guy coming up on me in the right lane. I got off the Interstate and finished the trip home using the service road at an even slower speed until the rain lightened enough to get back on the Interstate. Two things I like about Texas highways are the use of turn-around lanes at intersections and the use of service roads in more heavily populated areas.

    I loved riding Missouri/Arkansas 125 the 100+ miles from the AR side of the river/lake, but the two times I did it, I was on two wheels and didn't need to worry about getting on the ferry across the river/lake. 125 pretty much follows the ridge-lines and valley bottoms, so there is probably some chance of encountering some high water. If it's been raining or there is a strong threat of heavy rains, I'd definitely check with the Arkansas and Missouri State Police before leaving the relative safety of the Interstates. Boring though they may be, the Interstates are generally safer than secondary/tertiary roads during potential flood weather.

    Wow, so let me get this straight, you got in that scary situation at no more that 40mph?? Crap that's good info to know. I know the sling is 1700 pounds but I was expecting a safe speed of at least 50mph before hyrdoplaning becomes a factor. Those wide tires combined with the light weight are more dangerous than I thought.

    Quote from billythekidd

    Thanks, you may have just saved me some $$$.

    Must be a cali reg thing because I have a 2019 SL without convex. I have no probs with mine.


    **CORRECTION** I do have the same mirrors with standard disclaimer. My brain must have tuned out the disclaimer. Now I see it.

    Yeah, it doesn't take much to get this thing to hydroplane. The one time I was in a bad rain storm, I didn't get over about 40 until the rain had let up enough to drain off of the roads.


    I have wider tires than normal though, running 315's all the way around it.


    BTW, that's about as wide as you can go on the front, and I even rub a small bit on my sway bar if I cut it all the way to one side. I'm using a 48mm offset wheel, stock wheel offset on the front is 42mm (rear is 45mm)

    Quote from FunCycle

    The Kenda tires are actually pretty good and have wider tread contact with the pavement than most of the other tires of the same size. Standing water is the biggest problem on the Hi-Way. Some of us ride in the rain and when we do we turn both the Nannies off by holding the button/switch in for 3 or 4 seconds. You will see both orange lights come on. 83,000 miles and counting

    83k? nice! Out of curiosity how much time of driving did it take?

    Quote from FunCycle

    Picked up the Sling on Feb.12, 2015

    Some questions for you....

    What kind of issues have you had with the engine?

    What has been your oil change schedule. Did you change the first oil exactly at 500 miles if not then when?

    What gas level have you been going with mid-grade or high?

    Quote from neostar

    Some questions for you....

    What kind of issues have you had with the engine?

    What has been your oil change schedule. Did you change the first oil exactly at 500 miles if not then when?

    What gas level have you been going with mid-grade or high?

    No problems with the engine and I do turn the crap out of it. I change oil every 5,000 miles with Mobile 1. As to changing the oil at exactly 500 miles in my opinion. Just be sure to get it changed some time before 1,000 miles but always tell Polaris it was changed at 500. As to gas I never buy ethenol gas if I have a choice. I run 93 octane non ethnoel around home even in my lawn mower. Your Government is feeding you a line of "SHIT" about the ethenol in your gas.

    neostar manual says 91 or higher in your Sling, so no midgrade (unless yours is 91), around where I live, its 89 for mid and 93 for high.


    I've had no engine problems that were not induced by other factors, they seem to be really solid. Since it's not a new engine, but one that GM has been using for 13 or so years, it has a good track record.