The Story Behind TRICSHIFT

TRICSHIFT was designed and developed by fellow Spyder enthusiast Jason Russell, a machine automation engineer with a lifelong passion for modifying his rides and creating unique vehicles. With an extensive background in electronics, programming, and controls, Jason wanted to bring some of his professional experience in machine automation into his passion for motorcycle riding. The idea of a fully automatic-shifting Spyder began when his wife, Wanda, decided it was time to have a ride of her own so she could join their kids, friends, and other riding groups. At the time, Jason owned a Honda Gold Wing DCT and really enjoyed the smooth, relaxing experience of its automatic-shifting transmission. Jason and Wanda wanted something similar for her, but at the time, the Ryker was the logical reverse-trike option that didn’t require her to manually shift. As a newer rider, Wanda also appreciated the confidence of three wheels when dealing with gravel, road hazards, and other challenging road conditions.

Although Wanda initially enjoyed the Ryker, its rougher ride eventually became too much for her lower back, so they decided to move her up to a Spyder RT Limited. She immediately loved the comfort, stability, and luxury of the Spyder, but there was one thing she missed about the Ryker—not having to think about shifting. She adapted to the Spyder’s SE6 semi-automatic transmission but never really grew to enjoy having to shift it. During this time, Jason also found himself riding the Spyder more often and enjoying its stability and comfort so much that they eventually purchased a second used Spyder so they could each have one and ride together. The two often talked about how nice it would be if their Spyders could shift automatically like their Gold Wing DCT. Eventually, Wanda told Jason that if he thought he could make her Spyder fully automatic, she would support his efforts to make it happen.

That conversation led to a pretty ambitious first project. Jason decided to build a 2024 Spyder RT Limited powered by a Honda Gold Wing DCT drivetrain. He used their Gold Wing DCT and one of their two used 2024 RT Limiteds to make their idea a reality. After more than 13 months of fabrication, cutting, welding, electronics work, and extensive specialized programming, the project was completed. They appropriately named the bike “Frankie,” short for Frankenstein—a combination of the Gold Wing DCT and Spyder RT Limited. Wanda loved the DCT-powered Spyder, but riding Frankie created an unexpected problem. They still shared their other 2024 RT Limited with the factory SE6 transmission, and switching back and forth between the fully automatic Frankie and the semi-automatic Spyder made them appreciate the automatic experience even more.

Rather than build another highly modified DCT-powered Spyder, Jason began thinking about whether the knowledge he gained while programming Frankie could be applied to a factory SE6 Spyder. His goal was to create a system that could automatically control the shifting of the existing SE6 drivetrain without replacing the engine or transmission or requiring a major modification to the motorcycle. Months of development, programming, testing, and refinement followed. Jason developed a specialized controller and algorithms designed to determine the appropriate shift points across varying speeds, RPM ranges, loads, and riding conditions. The result was successful: the factory SE6 Spyder could now shift automatically. What started as a personal project for Jason and Wanda had developed into something that could potentially benefit many other Spyder riders. That technology ultimately became TRICSHIFT.

Toward the end of Jason’s Frankie build, I came across some of his YouTube videos and noticed some familiar-looking Spyder donor parts he had listed on eBay after completing the project. That’s how we first discovered Jason and learned about his Gold Wing DCT conversion. We stayed in touch, shared some common stories about our GoldWing's, and I continued following his work. After Jason successfully developed his first prototype of the automatic-shifting system for the factory SE6 Spyder, he reached out to see if we would be interested in testing his latest creation. Within a week, we had the prototype installed on our latest Spyder S2S. I was blown away—and the rest, as they say, is history.

The more we learned about TRICSHIFT and the amount of engineering, programming, testing, and passion that went into its development, the more excited we became about its potential. Our longtime friends at SlingMods also saw the opportunity in what Jason had created. Today, Jason and Russell Automation, together with TricLED and SlingMods, are working to bring TRICSHIFT to market and make this technology available to Spyder riders.

What makes the story behind TRICSHIFT special is how naturally it came together. It wasn’t originally created simply as another product to sell. It started with two riders looking for a way to make their own riding experience better. Wanda wanted the comfort and luxury of her Spyder with the convenience of automatic shifting, and Jason had the engineering experience and determination to find a way to make it happen. One project led to another, and what began as a personal challenge eventually developed into a technology that could change the riding experience for other Spyder owners as well.

We’re proud that TricLED, along with our friends at SlingMods, has the opportunity to help Jason and Russell Automation bring TRICSHIFT to the Spyder community. Jason and Wanda’s story, the development of Frankie, and the years of knowledge and experience that went into TRICSHIFT are what make this much more than just another aftermarket product.

TRICSHIFT was created from a passion for riding, engineering, and finding a better way—and we’re excited to finally bring that experience to other Spyder riders.