@mniron this is not of importance you and wifes healing is what's of importance
Thanks, we are doing much better. We actually went out last night to a Brewery and I didn't look like a wife beater! She is healing well and I am not quite so sore.
Posts by mniron
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@mniron So sorry about you and your wife. Once things settle down and you guys heal up and feel better, I would still like the smaller set with the brackets that we talked about to install on the hood by the windshield.
I have not forgotten about your request, I will get your set ready soon! Thanks.
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They will. I just never really needed them. I may try the new style.I think that adding the new style bumpers would resolve some of the remaining movement in the fender and hood. I have never even been without the pads and there has to be some gaps if they were not there allowing for movement. When you add the new bumpers, I do not believe any adjustments would be needed for the hood buttons but you may need to adjust the rear latches. I don't drop my hood when closing as you do but I must say yours worked very well with the drop procedure. I did notice that the buttons not always latched with the drop closing so always check to make certain they are latched. @rabtech received the first install at Maggie Valley.
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Anyone concerned about this creating a weak point that will create a bigger problem due to vibration ?
It's not like a metal hood, any thoughts?I don't believe there is any problems with being a weak point. They are installed through the the plastic fender and the sub frame of the fender for strength. The hole that is cut is 3/4" and the button is 1 1/2". I have 4000 miles on my set with no issues. One key to the installation is that the buttons work with the fender bumpers and there really is no vibrations.
I have had mine off the fender and there was no marks in the paint under the button, again almost no movement.
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Pulling this thread back on topic ,,,, Who was selling these in the parking lot at Maggie Valley. Mine work pretty dang good.
If there is a still a question who it was, my name is Phil Ward, aka mniron. Anyone I talk to I introduced myself and gave them my avatar also. I stayed at the Comfort Inn the entire rally. Also registered for next year.
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Display MoreLooking at your SS damage and I am not a fan of the huge tubes for roofs of the SS but looks like it may have stopped the cable from hitting wife in face ????
And are you both using standard seat belts or other belt system??What are your thoughts about driving SS in rain and making it more safe to drive ??
I know going down to Maggie Valley we were doing 65 in heavy rain and no puddling and then all of sudden puddling and felt lifting and slowed to 55 mph and still
felt some out of control and slowed to 45 to 50 and felt more comfortable but on edge whole time wondering if this is still safe speed.
Surely not a good feeling not being able to see with windshield wet on both sides and had to rip my visor off and wipe interior side of windshield just to see some distance.This was one thing since I experienced it with SS that I told Polaris Reps they may need to address it with more SS's hitting the road and making a rear tire to at least
help with this problem..
I know I would change tires for traveling vs home driving if they were available.There is a lot of what-ifs, in this case a Twist top or a Bullet V-Back would have save some personal injury. We actually talk about the subject over morning coffee today. We have stock seat belts and we also discussed whether a four point harness would had been better or worse in this situation, at this time our feelings are mixed as Mavis felt maybe it would had held her more upright and then what? Her cracked rib is a result of being bounced around in the cockpit which was caused by a thermos bottle in the forward cup holder.
As for driving in the rain, light rain still would not bother me but I am sure Mavis will not ride with me even in light rain, I would definitely never ride in and heavy rains. The major problem even in light rain would be puddling which quickly could be disastrous. Best would be to avoid rain all together but not always avoidable.
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@mniron You can add crash and torture tested to your hood button set up now! So there's a bonus. Frankly, your commitment to making sure your product is durable and worth installing may be a tad extreme.
Agreed! It was a little extreme! I am not going to try to top it. Thanks
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Glad to hear you made it home.. Hope wife will mend and get back in SS ??? I know what that feels like after last year falling in S.D on BMW with wife.
Wish you both well and hope you can mend SS also without costing a fortune..
Get Well and glad you survived.I talk to Polaris staff after Diner @ Maggie about this with SS and the hydroplaning.
Ask about them looking into 2 narrow round tires for rear in place of 1 wide tire for doing long distance.
I know I would purchase such a tire rim for travel to avoid hydroplaning.Get well
Well, Mavis got back in the Slingshot and we rode it home from Tennessee, mostly back roads enjoying the ride and avoiding bad weather on the horizon. Thanks
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PART II
As I had mentioned I called Bill and he came by Reeds Towing to help me out. Once he got there I told him that my wife was in the ER and I needed to get her and get to a motel for the evening. He told me to get my stuff I needed and jump in his truck. As we left Reeds Towing he said he had a an apartment above his garage and he would take me there to see if it would work for us for the night. I initially felt a little weird about it but agreed to take a look, well it was right next door in a very nice neighborhood as we came to his place on the lake I was shocked that this gentleman made such an offer. I went in and agreed to stay in the apartment, moved our stuff in and we proceeded to the ER to get Mavis. Now, still feeling a little weird about the offer for our accommodations I needed to explain all this to my seemingly shocked scared for life wife. I can't explain the look I received from her as I assured her it would be fine. I just made sure I did not use the words "trust me" in that conversation or all would had been lost.
We stopped at Subway for some eats and then back to Bill's place and settled in while dealing with reports with the Tennessee Highlway Patrol and my insurance company. Got cleaned up and put our sore body's to bed being thankful that we weren't hurt any worse. Next morning a got Enterprise to bring a car over then took Bill out for breakfast and a great conversation where Mavis was warming up to him a little. In the meantime my insurance got ahold of me and gave me the go ahead to work on the Slingshot myself to see if it was roadworthy. So Monday afternoon I was back at Reeds Towing to take the front lowers off and look over the wheels, tires and such before giving it a test ride. All went well and the Slingshot seemed to ride fine. Next was to get the mud, grass, etc. cleaned from the undercarriage and inspection for damage. Just getting it cleaned up took 2-3 hours as my back was sore and stiff. The mud and grass was packed in the battery location all the way over the battery like when you hit a snowdrift that fills you engine compartment. With the Slingshot up on stands I was able do a thorough inspection of the frame, all the welds, suspension, rotate the wheels for straightness, and check tires for cuts or broken belts. Other than scrapes on the frame and some rash on the right wheel from the fence posts all looked fine for the unbelievable trip we indured. I say that the space frame of these Slingshots are well built to endure such an incident. By the way the fender buttons held in place also.
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After taking an unexpected exit from I-40 in Crossville, TN, we got home safely last night about 8pm. Last Sunday we left Maggie Valley with rain looming in our horizon. We ran into some rain in Knoxville with the worst to come as we headed to Nashville. We ended up being caught in a torrential downpour with no exit, slowed from the highway speeds as the downpour increased. I think we were traveling at about 50mph when the Slingshot lifted up on the water and squirreled around then settled back down as I kept reducing speed. All of a sudden the Slingshot lifted again, shifted to the right and we were on our way to our exit!! And it was not gentle, the ditch was cut deep into a "V", so it looked like we were heading down into a frontal impact! I was able to steer the Slingshot into an angle as we went into the the ditch allowing the front right wheel to absorb the initial impact, then the entire Slingshot bottomed out and shot up out of the "V". Next was the fence along the frontage road as the grass, weeds and small trees all landed in our laps. The fence was woven wire bottom with a lone barb wire on the top with steel fence posts. My wife Mavis ended up getting the worst of it as the barb wire rode up on the hood and fenders to the windshield, ripped off the Air Wing, continued towards her. The barbs hit her in the face, across her nose and below her right eye! Thank the Lord she was wearing clear safety glasses and a helmet which kept the barbs from taking her eye out. The wire continued to rip the seat beside her head, road up over the roll bars. The barb wire did not break as the woven wire became stretched and mangled bending over two steel post in the process. Finally we came to a stop on the frontage road in front of Reeds Towing. After getting my wits about myself and seeing my wife's bloodied face and assuring her we will be OK, I got out of the Slingshot as the rain continued to dump on us, surveying our situation. We were sitting in the middle of the frontage road and I could see an area where I could get off the road provided the Slingshot would start and move on its own. Jumped back in and it started, as it moved I could hear a lot of scraping, but I got off the road and in a safer spot. I got out the cockpit cover and installed it so we could ride out the rest of the storm. As I sat under cover in the pouring rain I began to see where we were on my iPhone and called Reeds Towing as we are now right in front of their locked gate. This is now about 1pm Sunday. I called Reeds and explained to them what had happened and they said they would send someone over. While we were waiting the rain started to subside so I crawled out to look over things when an older gentleman(Bill) stopped and asked if we needed help, I explained to him that Reeds where on their way so he handed me a card and told me to contact him if I needed anything. The guy from Reeds unlocked the gate, I drove the Slingshot in behind the fenced area and went to their office where he offered to take Mavis to the ER for some medical care, he left me there by myself as I started to unload the Slingshot of items to get to a place to stay for the night so I could sort things out. Well I decided to call "Bill" as he had offered to help and I was a little stressed from my situation and I thought he was sincere in his offer. I will have some more additions to this thread later, just wanted all to know we are home safe.
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I am sorry that I have been MIA. I am greatful for all of the interest of the hood buttons. I have not taken the time to read the posts and have been contacted by a number of you for these. I am a wholesale buyer and will be putting these kits together with a complete set of instructions with a plastic hole saw. I am confident that most of you can install these on your own. I took the opportunity to to display these at Maggie Valley as I know word would get around. I have over 3000 miles on mine and have not failed me once.
Now I asked you all to be patient as I get these kits together as I had the misfortune to hydro plane off the I-40 at Crossville, TN into one of their famous V-ditches, shot up and through a woven and barbed wire fence coming to a stop on the frontage road at 1 pm Sunday. I just got back on the road 100 miles ago and am taking a break as both myself and my wife are quite sore from the ordeal. Mavis ended up I the ER as the barbed wire cut her across the bridge of her nose and under her right eye and also suffered a cracked rib. I am suffering from a very sore back from the impact at the bottom of the ditch. I spent the last two days dealing with the Tennesee Highway Patrol, the insurance company, then getting the front lowers removed, cleaning the mud, grass, leaves, etc from the under body and wheels, getting the slingshot up on jacks and completing a thorough inspection. I am back on the road as I have mentioned and the slingshot is performing flawlessly. I will expand on our ordeal with some pictures after I make it home and have more in order.
Thank you all in advance for the well wishes. More Later
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