reliability.jpg At the other end of the spectrum, three-wheeled bikes had significantly greater risk of repairs, especially those with two front and one rear wheel. Can-Am, which makes only trikes, was almost twice as likely to experience a problem as most other types of motorcycles.
From Auto Blog
The major outlier is the Can-Am Spyder which comes in dead last in the dependability survey.
Last edited by Jeriatric; 05-16-2017 at 09:57 AM.
Identify what you have control over and find peace with what you don't.
JC,
That may be but far fewer Hondas breakdown than spyders. I have owned many Hondas over the years and I've never had any warranty issues with any of them
Check the Gold Wing forums. I had one. Had it triked. They are known for transmission failures. Guess what. First question. Is it triked? Sorry, no warranty! Bring your wing in to a Honda dealer that doesn't sell them. Sorry, go somewhere else. We don't sell or service them. Bring a trike to a Honda dealer that doesn't sell trikes. Sorry, go somewhere else. And as far as the tranny failures. Bring it to a Honda dealer that actually has a wing tech. Not all do. Sorry, I don't want to tie up my lift for 2-3 months waiting to get everything to fix it and put it back together. There is a private tech in Florida that does nothing but tranny rebuilds. Dealers ship the tranny's to him to rebuild. He has developed a fix that Honda refuses to accept. They can't admit to the failures. I had a great Honda dealer. Their wing tech has been there for 30 years now. Their answer to my questions about break downs. Get it back to us. We will take care of you. They also sell Can Am. So, now I'm riding a Spyder. Tom
Baloo is my name. Spyders are my game. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, I mean a doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee-dee-doo. And, well, now. Ha ha! What have we here?
Check the Gold Wing forums. I had one. Had it triked. They are known for transmission failures. Guess what. First question. Is it triked? Sorry, no warranty! Bring your wing in to a Honda dealer that doesn't sell them. Sorry, go somewhere else. We don't sell or service them. Bring a trike to a Honda dealer that doesn't sell trikes. Sorry, go somewhere else. And as far as the tranny failures. Bring it to a Honda dealer that actually has a wing tech. Not all do. Sorry, I don't want to tie up my lift for 2-3 months waiting to get everything to fix it and put it back together. There is a private tech in Florida that does nothing but tranny rebuilds. Dealers ship the tranny's to him to rebuild. He has developed a fix that Honda refuses to accept. They can't admit to the failures. I had a great Honda dealer. Their wing tech has been there for 30 years now. Their answer to my questions about break downs. Get it back to us. We will take care of you. They also sell Can Am. So, now I'm riding a Spyder. Tom
My intention on bringing up Honda was that I hope they're watching... as in... I hope they come out with a FACTORY reverse trike. If they release a Goldwing/F6 bagger type of reverse trike with the reliability they have shown in the past, you'll see many Spyder owners jump ship. It would have to be just the right setup for me to change brands.
Heck.. with Yamaha being the best rated right now maybe they should come out with one.
Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
Until the safety protocols (nanny) are equal on the other brands, Can Am will still be ahead. It might be a bit on the sketchy side to have a ryder used to a Spyder switch to another byke without the nanny.
Until the safety protocols (nanny) are equal on the other brands, Can Am will still be ahead. It might be a bit on the sketchy side to have a ryder used to a Spyder switch to another byke without the nanny.
But Can-Am didn't invent the 'nanny'. They've been using Bosch systems that were previously used in the auto industry.
Other MC manufacturers have nanny type systems now as well.. some even have 'lean' nannies that will keep you from tipping too far.
Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
...... some even have 'lean' nannies that will keep you from tipping too far.
You mean, like the one that the Can-Am Spyders already have?!? That's what the Yaw & Roll sensor is there for, so you can't lean (or tip) your Spyder too far!!
The innovation Can-Am made with & in our Spyders was in adapting an already tried, tested, and proven Bosch system so completely to the fairly unique needs of their reverse trike design & making it all work so bloody well across their whole range of models! And as the ryders who are prepared to put in the effort have discovered, there aren't too many other vehicles out there that can maintain control & corner at speed anywhere near as well as our Spyders can, IF you have the skills & ability to use your body weight & keep the various (multitude of) control inputs just under the 'failsafe' limits that the Nanny imposes!! And if you don't want to do that/make that much effort/ryde that hard, any Spyder can still be a fantastic 'less spirited' ryde made pretty damn safe from rider 'errors of judgement or control inputs' by the oversight the Nanny provides!
As for their reliability, they've come a helluva long way in a relatively short space of time!! Not much more than 5 years ago, they featured as the LEAST reliable on the List of Least relible bikes, now they make it onto the MOST reliable list, albeit still on the least reliable end - but just a few years back no-one dared even mention them in the same sentence as the phrase 'most reliable' & now they are in the Top Ten!! Sure, there's still room for a lot of improvement & as a company they don't seem to have cottonned on to the fact that even the most upset & disappointed customers can be great ambassadors for the brand IF you look after them & address their problems/concerns properly... but they are getting better & their product reliability is improving across the board!
Miles of Smiles for everyone/anyone!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 05-16-2017 at 11:59 PM.
You mean, like the one that the Can-Am Spyders already have?!? That's what the Yaw & Roll sensor is there for, so you can't lean (or tip) your Spyder too far!!
The innovation Can-Am made with & in our Spyders was in adapting an already tried, tested, and proven Bosch system so completely to the fairly unique needs of their reverse trike design & making it all work so bloody well across their whole range of models! And as the ryders who are prepared to put in the effort have discovered, there aren't too many other vehicles out there that can maintain control & corner at speed anywhere near as well as our Spyders can, IF you have the skills & ability to use your body weight & keep the various (multitude of) control inputs just under the 'failsafe' limits that the Nanny imposes!! And if you don't want to do that/make that much effort/ryde that hard, any Spyder can still be a fantastic 'less spirited' ryde made pretty damn safe from rider 'errors of judgement or control inputs' by the oversight the Nanny provides!
As for their reliability, they've come a helluva long way in a relatively short space of time!! Not much more than 5 years ago, they featured as the LEAST reliable on the List of Least relible bikes, now they make it onto the MOST reliable list, albeit still on the least reliable end - but just a few years back no-one dared even mention them in the same sentence as the phrase 'most reliable' & now they are in the Top Ten!! Sure, there's still room for a lot of improvement & as a company they don't seem to have cottonned on to the fact that even the most upset & disappointed customers can be great ambassadors for the brand IF you look after them & address their problems/concerns properly... but they are getting better & their product reliability is improving across the board!
Miles of Smiles for everyone/anyone!
I've ridden with and without the nanny.. and certainly wouldn't want to ride without it, but a system that can keep a 2-wheeler from tipping over is far more advanced than what the Spyder has. The Spyder 'nanny' system is really quite simple. Someone like Honda would easily be able to incorporate the same (or better) technology.
Can-Am was the WORST (position 10) on the list of the 10 largest brands out there. All the other big brands beat them out. So who did we beat??? Ural?
This is hardly something to brag about. BRP might be 'new' to the MC world, but they've been making Snowmobiles, ATV's, etc. for decades and should have better quality control.
Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
My intention on bringing up Honda was that I hope they're watching... as in... I hope they come out with a FACTORY reverse trike. If they release a Goldwing/F6 bagger type of reverse trike with the reliability they have shown in the past, you'll see many Spyder owners jump ship. It would have to be just the right setup for me to change brands.
Heck.. with Yamaha being the best rated right now maybe they should come out with one.
good place to start: Sturgis R18. Tilting motorworks, endeavor
Last edited by rudym; 05-17-2017 at 09:46 AM.
Reason: clarity
Although I really enjoy my F3S, also wanted to explore if we could build a tilting version.
IMG_2613[1].jpg
So we used a Harley Sportster and started building. The whole front train has been build from handmade parts, no welding to the original frame, wheels from a Ducati 748.
In total we added almost 70kg so next version (if at all) should be from lighter material.
Key to this thing is the suspension. Since we found the right suspension we are getting close.
Driving is fun but again different from the Spyder but also from a regular bike.
Anyway it is just a project on the side so we take our time and are having fun in building and testing it
I have a 2015 F3 and I have put just over 4,000 miles on it. I did the first oil change myself. These "break down stories" have me concerned. If I ever develop a problem like this on mine, I swear I will get rid of it and never look back at Can Am. I hope Can Am is not a modern day Edsel.
John F.
Tallahassee, FL
2015 Spyder F3 SE6, black
BRP Driver/passenger Footboards
BRP Adjustable Passenger Backrest
Blue Ridge Windshield
MRA X-Creen Tour, clear, clamp-on
H4 LED Headlights
F3 LED Fog Light Kit, LED Amber Halo Ring Kit, LED Tail Lights, F3 Rear run/brake/turn LEDs
Easy Brackets
Leatherworks, Inc. 120 Special Slight Angle Saddlebags
Custom Dynamics Front Mud Flap LED lights, Street Magic Front Fender Tips, Double Feature Lens
2-up rear shock
Idler pulley kit
I've ridden with and without the nanny.. and certainly wouldn't want to ride without it, but a system that can keep a 2-wheeler from tipping over is far more advanced than what the Spyder has. The Spyder 'nanny' system is really quite simple. Someone like Honda would easily be able to incorporate the same (or better) technology.
Can-Am was the WORST (position 10) on the list of the 10 largest brands out there. All the other big brands beat them out. So who did we beat??? Ural?
This is hardly something to brag about. BRP might be 'new' to the MC world, but they've been making Snowmobiles, ATV's, etc. for decades and should have better quality control.
deer30084, just remember that there's over 100,000 (& that number is increasing... fairly rapidly!) of these things out there now, with a fair portion of the total & all of the newly sold units running the 1330 motor, and yet you actually see/hear of only 'a few' (relatively) of these significant breakdown issues happening... It's just that, as with everything else, those people who have something bad happen tell everyone they possibly can!! Repeatedly & often!! And sometimes loudly & stridently too!!
In this age of the internet, instead of the old adage of 'when something good happens, people tell one or two others, but when something bad happens, they will tell 10-15 people' applying, the most basic of internet skills means they can get on the internet & hit a few Forums like this & tell thousands with a few keystrokes, ie EVERYBODY who ever reads the Forums!! And if they are a bit more skilled, maybe they can hit youtube as well & then possibly even get a few million views!! So you really hafta be very judicious in how you interpret the 'incidence of failure' stories you see & check around to see how often that last one you read has been told & repeated & harped on & bleated about by the same person or persons! Sure, in an ideal world they'd never happen, & it's certainly not something to be taken lightly, especially for or by the people it's happened to & hopefully also by the manufacturer, but the reality of this is that these types of failures are generally occurring somewhat LESS these days to modern vehicles than they did to vehicles even as little as ten years ago!! And that applies to our Spyders too! Just a few years ago they were on the bottom of a reliability list of over 250 products, now they are up to TENTH from the TOP!!
They are significantly more reliable & less likely to have significant failures now than they were when they first hit the streets ten years ago! Sure, the 1330's have some 'teething issues', just like every new model or engine to ever hit the market (which is why some of us never buy the first generation of a new product!) but the 'significant failure rate' is somewhat lower for them now than it was for the first Spyders & for pretty much any similar motorised vehicle made & sold even just ten years ago! Admittedly, any failure is a failure that wouldn't happen in 'an ideal world', & it's certainly devestating for those it happens to, but the reality is that the chances or likelihood of this happening to any one specific buyer is far lower today than it was ten years ago & on a 'whole of production output' scale, really fairly tiny!!
And if you feel the odds of YOU being singled out for special attention in this are any higher than for anyone else, then maybe you should buy a Lottery ticket instead of a Spyder?!? I know which I reckon is more likely to bring 'Miles of Smiles'!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 05-20-2017 at 12:27 PM.
deer30084, just remember that there's over 100,000 (& that number is increasing... fairly rapidly!) of these things out there now, with a fair portion of the total & all of the newly sold units running the 1330 motor, and yet you actually see/hear of only 'a few' (relatively) of these significant breakdown issues happening... It's just that, as with everything else, those people who have something bad happen tell everyone they possibly can!! Repeatedly & often!! And sometimes loudly & stridently too!!
In this age of the internet, instead of the old adage of 'when something good happens, people tell one or two others, but when something bad happens, they will tell 10-15 people' applying, the most basic of internet skills means they can get on the internet & hit a few Forums like this & tell thousands with a few keystrokes, ie EVERYBODY who ever reads the Forums!! And if they are a bit more skilled, maybe they can hit youtube as well & then possibly even get a few million views!! So you really hafta be very judicious in how you interpret the 'incidence of failure' stories you see & check around to see how often that last one you read has been told & repeated & harped on & bleated about by the same person or persons! Sure, in an ideal world they'd never happen, & it's certainly not something to be taken lightly, especially for or by the people it's happened to & hopefully also by the manufacturer, but the reality of this is that these types of failures are generally occurring somewhat LESS these days to modern vehicles than they did to vehicles even as little as ten years ago!! And that applies to our Spyders too! Just a few years ago they were on the bottom of a reliability list of over 250 products, now they are up to TENTH from the TOP!!
They are significantly more reliable & less likely to have significant failures now than they were when they first hit the streets ten years ago! Sure, the 1330's have some 'teething issues', just like every new model or engine to ever hit the market (which is why some of us never buy the first generation of a new product!) but the 'significant failure rate' is somewhat lower for them now than it was for the first Spyders & for pretty much any similar motorised vehicle made & sold even just ten years ago! Admittedly, any failure is a failure that wouldn't happen in 'an ideal world', & it's certainly devestating for those it happens to, but the reality is that the chances or likelihood of this happening to any one specific buyer is far lower today than it was ten years ago & on a 'whole of production output' scale, really fairly tiny!!
And if you feel the odds of YOU being singled out for special attention in this are any higher than for anyone else, then maybe you should buy a Lottery ticket instead of a Spyder?!? I know which I reckon is more likely to bring 'Miles of Smiles'!
Well said, and I agree. The squeaky wheel squeaks the loudest. These forums should be taken with a grain of salt. I find them a wonderful resource for referencing information, but just because something happens to someone else there is no guarantee it will happen to you. The real value is the "heads up" we all give each other of things to look and listen for so that it doesn't become a serious problem. That is invaluable.
Referring to Peter's post #32, yes, Bosch supplies all of the computer gizmos, etc., and they are known for top notch electronics. My question is, why so many DESS failures if Bosch is so great? Doesn't affect me, but it sure has affected lots of other folks. It would be interesting if Bosch would chime in on this.
"A Wise Man Once Said, I Should Ask My Wife."
2017 Champagne Metallic RT-S SE-6 Rivco Dual Flag Holders; Slingmods Highway Pegs; (Hate Them) Airhawk Seat Cushion; Show Chrome Black Touring Rack w/ Risers & Touring Windshield; RAM X Mount For TXTAG; TackForm Phone Mount; Lidlox; Magic Mirror Mounts; Guardian Bells; WOLO "Bad Boy" Air Horn; Dual USB Power Outlet With Voltmeter; 12V outlet for misc. stuff; Spyderpops Full View Mirror Turn Signals; Large Brake Pedal; Kott Grilles; Large Mud Flap; BajaRon 3 Piece Sway Bar, Last But Not Least, Kuhmo Rear Rire, Vedrestien Fronts.
2017 RT-S , Brake pedal extender is twice the size of the stock pedal. Champagne Metallic
Curious as to how these reliability polls are calculated. It's seems if there was accuracy in the numbers, all the reports would be the same. As we all learned from the election, polls can be influenced in any direction poll taker sees fit. Just my opinion.
Traded 2013 rt s se5 for pearl white 2015 RTS se6 .
Gloryder hubs
622 trailer
bumpskid
Wife and I have been a couple since 1980
32 years of wedded bliss
Wow... that totally sucks and is BS that BRP thinks you should wait 3 or more months for a new engine.
I'd turn the heat onto HI right away. Why can't they have the tech steal an engine from a floor model and then let that Spyder wait 3 months for the new engine?
They should get a new engine in yours ASAP and just send the broken one to Wisconsin for further evaluation. Doesn't really matter much to you what they find.. you just want a new engine and to get back on the road!
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to buy floor model as new that had been apart for an engine removal then put back together 3 months later would you knowingly buy that bike at full price
Anything mechanical can and will break. Expecting something to work perfectly every time you get on it is foolish. I'm on the far side of sixty and I can remember always carrying a toolkit with me in case of "minor" mechanical car problems. Ride to enjoy, if you break down, deal with it as part of the adventure. I see a lot of people here with tens of thousands of miles on their bikes without any major problems and a couple with problems right out the door. Cars can be the same way, I've had cars with bad reputations that were stone reliable, and Hondas that were hanger queens.
JC,
That may be but far fewer Hondas breakdown than spyders. I have owned many Hondas over the years and I've never had any warranty issues with any of them
Are you comparing apples to apples, or apples to oranges??? Not exactly fair to compare a 2-wheeler to a trike. Having had 2-GL1800 based trikes(a 2006 Champion SA & a 2009 Hannigan), I can tell you that trike kits are not the same quality as the GL1800 that they are mated to. Like the Spyder, who puts them together is VERY important to the riding experience.
From what I've seen in various publications, the Honda reverse trike will be a Sport model; not a Touring model. That is if it really comes to market.
Mike
If it were not for Spyderlovers I would not even know there were issues. Second Spyder & no issues other than the darn Buck I hit with the STL & it still ran good after the deer hit. Now 13000 mile on my F3 Limited and all is good.
You read about one issue on here and in a week some individuals make you think every machine Can Am sells is faulty.
Forget about it and ride on!
2016 Spyder F3 Limited Steel Black Metallic
Lamonster approved LED Headlights
Lamonsters LED Fog lights
BRP Driver & Passenger backrest
BRP Trailer Hitch
Shamrock Black & Polished
Signature light
Elka front shock's
Rolo Laser Alignment
Dual Power outlets
Garmin 590 GPS
Somewhat accurate about the toolkit but in the old days, besides a spare qt of oil, all you needed for the H-D was one tool... a BAW (big ass wrench) which was alternately named a BAH (big ass hammer)
I didn't ride bikes back then, but I owned a Ford and carrying a can of WD40 was a necessity it wet weather since Ford couldn't seem to design a waterproof distributor cover, VW Beetles were the same way. The distributor would get wet from puddles and you'd have to pull the cap and spray and spray the inside of the cap and the points with the WD40 to clear the moisture so the engine would fire.
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Originally Posted by bscrive
Tom 
Baloo is my name. Spyders are my game. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, I mean a doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee-dee-doo. And, well, now. Ha ha! What have we here?
My own reverse trike
A BMW owner with dyslexia? 
I don't trust them, and I don't participate in them... 
