Posts by ITZQUIK

So our SL (~16K miles) also makes the same "screeching" noise when under load (acceleration). Totally quiet during coasting or on the downhill slopes. So I gave the drive-belt an extreme cleaning (using a good de-greasing detergent soap and a wire brush, thoroughly scrubbing each of the "Teeth and Valleys" on the belt, as well as the belt's side-walls.

First drive after cleaning: No more screeching! Yea, Success!

HOWEVER ... within ~5 miles of driving (normal street driving, not on a dirty or dusty road) the screeching noise started coming back. low volume at first, but over time gradually increasing until it was the same as before the cleaning.

So I am convinced the belt cleanliness is a contributing factor in the screeching noise, but it is not the only reason for the noise. If cleanliness was the only reason, who has time to thoroughly clean the belt before each drive in hopes the noise wont come back again while riding?

Note: for reference, because I'm a big guy, I had my belt tension adjusted by my dealer to a little looser than factory spec (~3/4" to 1" deflection at 10 lbs). And the belt alignment (while stopped) looks like it should be: to the left, I.E. nearer to the wheel side of the sprocket, but not actually touching the sprocket side wall.

Anecdotally: it seems the screeching is more noticeable when there are two riders in the SS (more weight = more belt tension?). Also, I have not seen any correlation between noise level and the ambient temperature. During a recent 500 mile day trip that covered from ~45 degrees to 95 degrees I did not hear any significant variation in noise volume dependent on the temperature.

My belt never made this noise when the SS was newer, and before the swing-arm replacement was done (at around 9K miles). I'm stymied as to what to do at this point, short of paying the dealer (again) to check/change the belt alignment. Even if its initially "fixed" by a re-alignment, I'm not convinced it wont come back again. I wish one of us with this issue, working with their Polaris service department could identify a conclusive fix for this screeching noise.

For now, I'm just cranking up the radio volume so I don't have to hear it so much, but it sure is annoying to have to put up with this screeching noise (and a little embarrassing when folks hear it when I'm pulling away from them)

My last two-wheel ride was a sweet 2000 Honda Valkyrie. Lots of fun attaching dam near everything chrome that was out there (think that was the beginning of my "Mods" disease). Of course I was already predisposed to stick with Red & Black when I bought my SL

Yes! (my wife thinks I'm the only crazy person that likes to honk the horn in a tunnel )

Perhaps a Fan of the original Star Trek TV series? particularly the episode:
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
star trek Loki.jpg

This works for me

Here is another solution if you are looking for yellow/amber lighting mounted down low on the SS. (I have lot of lighting going on in the front (and rear) to make sure the SS is highly visible).

A pair of these Kawell 18W Amber LED light bars may not provide a lot of help with driving in actual Foggy Road conditions, but they do make me more noticeable, so I run them full time (using the SS fog light harness wiring)

Thanks to everyone for their inputs and suggestions. Using Bose Cube speakers are not typically the first idea that comes to mind when adding speakers to the SS, but I'm trying to think outside the box (or inside the hump so to speak )

What got me thinking of this as a potential SS option is I have them on hand, and last year I've installed a pair in my golf cart, working as "front" speakers. Surprisingly they sound pretty good running off a cheap $99 4-channel car stereo (the rear speakers are some cheap waterproof patio speakers I found on Amazon, which provide more of the Bass). I know the rules; pics or it didn't happen. See my "Woody" Golf Cart keeping my SS company, and where I have the Bose Cubes mounted under the roof next to the stereo.

Since the Bose are relatively near the passengers heads in the Golf Cart, this got me thinking of how near my head is to the rear humps in the SS, and maybe they could work inside the humps also. I've found some 4" speaker grills I can put over the hole I would cut on the front of the humps when I mount the cubes inside. I know these wont provide any Bass to speak of, and I'm not looking for premium sound quality when blasting tunes at the car-show parking lot. My real goal is just more volume (without distortion) to help overcome some of the wind noise when driving around.

Guess my real question is still: what AMP might do the job, and can I combine a pair of 8 ohm Bose Cube speakers with the SS's 4 Ohm (?) front speaker pods?

Thanks Again!

Thanks Again !

I’m looking to upgrade the stock stereo system in my 2016 SL, and I could use a suggestion for an appropriate AMP.

My plan is to mount a pair of Bose Double Cube Speakers inside the black humps under the roll bars & behind the seat headrests.

I know it’s an unconventional speaker choice, but I have 5 speaker cubes on hand from my old Bose home theater system, and the size of these speakers would fit nicely in the humps.(I’ve already installed a pair in my golf cart and they work great as the front speakers on a four-channel car stereo).I’m not concerned about great Bass sound output, I just want an overall better music volume (without distortion) when driving at speed.

My thought is to wire the stock stereo unit to input to the AMP, with 2 front outputs to the stock foot-well speaker units, and 2 rear outputs to the pair of Bose speaker cubes.

Couple of considerations/questions:

• I would like the AMP to be “outdoor capable” (damp environment, a Marine amp?) and a size that will fit under the driver’s seat
• AMP would definitely need to be adjustable for front/rear volume balance control
• Not sure what the impedance is on the SL stock speaker units, are they 4 ohm or 8 Ohm?
• I realize the stock speakers are not the best; my “phase two” plan would be to upgrade the front speakers later with something better that will still fit in the stock enclosures.
• The Bose speaker cubes measure at 8 Ohms; will this be an issue if the stock front speaker units are 4 Ohms? (Can the amp run front and rear speaker sets with different impedance levels?)
• As far as wiring and connectors, I have no problem grabbing the soldering iron and attaching the appropriate connectors, etc

Thanks in advance, I would appreciate benefiting from someone that has done something similar in their SS with good results.

what I point to when people ask "does it go fast?"

Thanks wjfyfe for the detailed suggestions, I've added these ideas to my trip planning

Thanks SlingLow for the helmet tip for Washington

Next stop before my trip: the tire shop for my new Nitto 555 on the back end! (time to retire the Kenda, after I get a few more donuts out of it)

Thanks All, great suggestions. I definitely plan one taking different route up & back to maximize the scenery. Like the idea of 101 on the way home so the ocean is on the right

I’m looking for some ideas: I’m planning a SS road trip in mid-to-late June to visit my Daughter and her Fiance in Whistler, BC Canada.I thought my trip might benefit from the collective wisdom of my fellow Slingshot-ers!

The most direct distance is a bit over 1,000 miles (each way) so I’m planning on two full driving days to get there, stay ~ 4 days & return. I’ve driven to Whistler before going the fastest route: Interstate 5 all the way to the Canadian border. While some of the scenery on the way is nice, all freeway driving can be a bit monotonous.
I’m leaving from central California (south of Sacramento) and figure to stop overnight somewhere in northern Oregon or southern Washington (an approximate half way point). Motels TBD, hopefully something SS friendly where I can keep an eye on the SS from my room.

I’m looking for suggestions on points of interest, or more scenic routes to take. Routes don’t have to be the same going as coming back.I know this will add miles & time to the trip, but what the heck, isn’t an entertaining drive the point of taking a road trip in the SS to begin with?

Option A: I’ve considered following Hwy 101 up the coast of CA, OR and WA. Looks like at some point in WA I’ll need to head towards Seattle to join Hwy 5 then cross over to Canada. (Suspect the coastal route may be cooler/windier than the inland route).

Option B: Go through Reno Nevada, then Hwy 395 north to 139/39 to Klamath Falls WA, Hwy 97 to 82 to 90 towards Seattle, then Hwy 5 to Canada

Option C: ???

Also: State Helmet Laws. I would like to take my helmet off from time to time when driving at lower speeds, but also want to avoid a ticket. Can anyone advise on the MC helmet laws in Oregon, Washington, and BC Canada? (I thought I saw a forum post showing Helmet laws by state, but I could not locate it).

Thanks all, this Forum is great !

I usually initiate a wave and get a response back most of the time. Seems more often I get the wave back when I'm wearing my helmet (vs a hat). Also seems the MC passenger is waving back more enthusiastically (I assume because they wish they were in a SS vs on the back of a two-wheeler )

Hi Bugeater,

Thanks for the msg, I'd love to be going, but right now odds are 50/50. I'll know better as the date draws near

Found On Amazon about 1.5 years ago, for about $30.
Dewhel Universal Electronic 2" Water temp Temperature Gauge Volt 52MM Digital Blue LED ANALOG INDICATOR Smoked 12V Car Meter Combo W/Sensor

Here is our current switch set up:

- All the added switches run to the under-hood auxiliary fuse box (from Slingmods).

- Top 3 switches (including re-positioned Hazard Light switch) are all wired/fused directly to +12V so they can power up accessories even without the ignition Key on (Helpful at night to turn on: Interior LED's, Flux Capacitor, etc before getting in).

- Large Red LED below Hazard Switch Flashes brightly when alarm is on. (Note: there is room for two small switches or push-buttons that could be added left and right of this LED if needed)

- Lower switches (Below radio level) all require Key-on in ignition to activate accessories.

- Small red LED's tied-in above two lowest added switches, so it is more obvious the switches are on when driving (so I don't forget and get a ticket while driving around with active forward facing Knight Rider, red, or blue LED's)

- I have not thought of a way to label all the switches that looks good, so for now I just remember what controls what. For my passengers, I have laminated a small reference diagram and keep it in the glove box. (Note: several switch positions are still unassigned and available for future accessories)

- Round Gauge on lower left is dual purpose: First thirty seconds it displays the Battery Voltage, then it automatically changes to show water temp. (Note: If looking close, you can see the tiny momentary-off push button to the left of the Alarm LED. Pushing this interrupts power to the gauge which "resets" the gauge so I can check voltage at any time)

201

From last Christmas: look closely above the roll bars and you can see a "Major Award" (right above the Red Rider BB Gun on the back)

Thanks everyone for the feedback & recommendations. I did get a V/M from Mike at FixMyToys, I'll be reaching out to him to discuss the discounted Polaris Extended Warranty for my SS

Great group here on the Forum, Thanks Again All!

I’m not a fan of extended service contracts, as I like to do most maintenance and repairs myself. However, as I was at my Polaris dealership this weekend getting some warranty work completed, we were talking warranties in general (mine expires at the end of this month) so I listened to their sales pitch: They offered the two choices, and they leaned heavily toward recommending the second choice:

• Extended Protection Plan (warranty) through Polaris, (at the same prices on the generic mailer I received from Polaris). No Price discounting available, Requires $50 deductible per service visit, and service must be done by authorized Polaris dealer. Prices: $700 for one additional year, or $1000 for two additional years, or $1300 for three additional years.
• Extended Warranty plan through RPM ONE (Interstate National Dealer Services, Inc.). They recommended this choice because: Lower Cost, NO deductible cost per visit, and the service can done at more locations (does not have to be a Polaris dealer). My Polaris Dealer said they only sell the RPM ONE “Platinum Plan” (highest level), and could offer a 10% discount on the standard costs. They offered these two choices: $1,035 for two additional years ($1,150 – 10%), or $1,170 for three additional years ($1,300-10%) A one year plan Not offered from RPM ONE. (I suppose I could try negotiating a larger discount, but I wanted to do some homework on RPM ONE first, to see if this was even worth the effort)

I see in past forum messages FixMyToys has offered discounted warranties to Forum members (Polaris warranty? 25% discount?) and I’ve sent an e-mail requesting a quote, but haven’t heard back yet.

My Polaris dealer did comment that regardless of which warranty provider chosen, a lot rides on how well the servicing dealer will represent you when submitting claims to the extended warranty provider. When I expressed concerns about any “mods” being called into question and possibly invalidating warranties, they stated the warranty provider will only know what the servicing dealer (they) tell them, and they will “fight hard” on my behalf to justify any warranty claims that need to be made.

So I’m curious and my question is: Has anyone experience/feedback on RPM ONE and extended warranties? Especially related to the Slingshot (Or even other vehicles? I did some google-searching and found many poor comments regarding RPM ONE and non-slingshot vehicles, so that’s not encouraging …)

Thanks!

(Apologize in advance if this has been covered already, my search did not pull up any relevant RPM ONE information)