Is a 2015 ST-S a good choice?

[Barender]

I have a 19RT with the 3 cylinder motor but am looking at a 2015 ST with the 998 motor for a vacation home location. The question is whether I will be disappointed with this model and what issues to expect.
Thanks,
Barender

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have a 19RT with the 3 cylinder motor but am looking at a 2015 ST with the 998 motor for a vacation home location. The question is whether I will be disappointed with this model and what issues to expect.
Thanks,
Barender

Well BRP changed to the 1330 three cylinder engine for many good reasons. ... it's more of a cruiser / ie GoldWing type engine. ... the old V-Twin ( 998 ) likes much higher revs to perform the way the triple does .... so it's noisier and has a much different sound. ... some folks really like that, and you may also .... PS BRP hasn't used that engine in a Spyder since 2016 ( ? ), so it's five years out of manufacture now. ... parts are going to be a problem in a few years and finding anyone who can work on it also ..... good luck ... Mike

[ARtraveler]

Think "cruiser" vs. "comfort couch."

For a "second" bike at a vacation home...should not be a problem. By now, you have heard all the arguments for and against I am sure.

We started on GS/RS...the unadorned ST-S versions. Graduated to various iterations of the RT...both 998 and 1330. Then...have now graduated to F3L's. Guess what? I like all versions we have had. Currently...the F3L is our favorite.

The 998 is now a discontinued engine...but the unit is a good one. Many have reported well over 100,000 miles. It may be old, and discontinued, but if kept serviced, should provide you with many miles more of service.

[Barender]

I was just concerned about people saying they run warm and oil usage mainly. The 5 speed vs. 6 speed doesn’t bother me, just reliability and maintenance are the biggest concerns. Thanks to all of your inputs since I never owned a 998 model, just the present RT with the 3 cylinder motor.

[ARtraveler]

I was just concerned about people saying they run warm and oil usage mainly. The 5 speed vs. 6 speed doesn’t bother me, just reliability and maintenance are the biggest concerns. Thanks to all of your inputs since I never owned a 998 model, just the present RT with the 3 cylinder motor.

I have had a total of four 998's. No overheating issues or mechanical nightmares. They did use a little oil. That would be my ONLY complaint.

RE: 5 speed vs. 6 speed. Higher RPM range on the 998's. They like 5500 rpms vs. 3500 on the 1330's. A bit more noisy. Less mpg low 30's vs 40. More oil changes required...but don't do recommended valve checks. That will be $1000 spent for (in most cases) nothing.

[Barender]

That’s good information to know. The one I am looking at only has 3,500 miles and was just serviced by a BRP dealer.

[ARtraveler]

That’s good information to know. The one I am looking at only has 3,500 miles and was just serviced by a BRP dealer.

I think worth considering in your case. At 3500 miles, not even broke in. You may need new tires. After 5 years, they can be "iffy."

[widowmaker2011]

Just my 2 cents- You can see by my signature I've had my share of Spyders. With regards to the 998 , it is actually the second motor used in the Spyder , first being the 990. The 2008-2009 spyder shared its powertrain with the Aprilia RSV motorcycle and the motor was first introduced in 1997, yes 1997. It has a long , race proven pedigree. . The original spyder made 106 horsepower and 77 pound-feet of torque and the horsepower was well into the upper bands of the rpm range. . The V-twin did lose one of the Aprilia’s six forward gear ratios to enable reverse. So when the RT was introduced in 2010, BRP tasked Rotax with reinventing the 990 and it was rebranded as the 998 , while sharing 70% of the same components with the 990, was far smother and had slightly less horsepower (100 hp vs 106) but 77 ft pounds of torque that came in at a much lower RPM vs the 990 . The current 1330 triple was purpose designed based on a variant of the triple rotax used in the entry level seadoo and is 115 hp and 96 ft pounds of torque but weighs considerably more than the 998.
Currently in our stable is a 2013 ST LIMITED , a 2103 RT LIMITED and a 2008 GS. We sold our 2020 RT Limited (my second 1330 engine based RT) early 2021 . As odd as I may be , I prefer the V-twin. I would put the 13 RT limited up against my 2020 for smoothness and quietness ( and drag race, it would be very very close) anyday. Yes I got 38 mpg with my 20 and only getting 34-35 with my 13 but other than that I can't find a fault. The 2020 RT was my wifes and she rode her 13 ST Limited almost 3 times as much , she prefers a little more open air ride. As for parts and worries of parts issues etc, that 998 motor is beyond bulletproof , its proven itself over and over and is literally Goldwing reliable. Parts will be around a very long time. Not sure if you are looking at it from a power/performance issue , but the ST will clean the RT's clock in straight line acceleration, only 9 hp less and very much lighter. (970 pounds versus 760)
Buy the ST , enjoy the heck out of it and go ryde some more!