Steering on Spyder RTL freezing unexpectedly - anyone know why? Fixes?

[motrikerider]

Sometimes my steering freezes in a turn making me go wider than I want. Scary. It lasts until I straighten the wheel. Does not happen all the time. Never know when to expect it. Anyone know what would cause this? Thanks ahead of time.

[bcer960]

It sounds like the nanny (computer) is kicking in, meaning that you are pushing the speeds and corning (centrifical force) past what the bike thinks is safe. The problem is that the nanny makes it more unsafe by not letting you turn the corner.

2 things stopped this for me,
1) the bajaron sway bar and
2) the spring stiffeners from Doc Humphrey. Unfortunatley the spring stiffners are no longer availlable, but I believe there are others that do the same thing. Maybe someone else can chim in on that.

Ray

[KX5062]

Possibly as bad sensor giving a false reading the "nanny". It's possible that it could be mechanical, but the mechanics of the steering are very simple and basic, so while possible, less likely than a faulty sensor (of which there are more than a few).

Now having said that, it always pays to start with the simple and move onto the more complex.

[wyliec]

You bring back past memories of what happened with the 2008 spyders and the DPS. I am by no means saying that is what your problem is. I just had memories of Lamonster's video and the recall for the 2008's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfW9ANO5XNA

[BajaRon]

You bring back past memories of what happened with the 2008 spyders and the DPS. I am by no means saying that is what your problem is. I just had memories of Lamonster's video and the recall for the 2008's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfW9ANO5XNA

I agree. At least to the point that if the problem is your DPS, it can be a very dangerous situation. If the DPS (Dynamic Power Steering) is the cause, it could get much worse in a hurry. Worst case scenerio, steer you into oncoming traffic or a guardrail, etc. I highly recommend trailering it to a dealer, or someone with the BUDS system, to diagnose. Hopefully, it's something else. But if not, taking this preauction is prudent.

As always, it would be very helpful to know what year model you have.

[ThreeWheels]

It sounds like the nanny (computer) is kicking in, meaning that you are pushing the speeds and corning (centrifical force) past what the bike thinks is safe. The problem is that the nanny makes it more unsafe by not letting you turn the corner.

2 things stopped this for me,
1) the bajaron sway bar and
2) the spring stiffeners from Doc Humphrey. Unfortunatley the spring stiffners are no longer availlable, but I believe there are others that do the same thing. Maybe someone else can chim in on that.

Ray

With all due respect, I believe the nanny will cut back the speed by adjusting the engine, but I don't think the nanny adjusts the power steering. At least that has been my experience whenever I've challenged the nanny.

I suggest checking the battery terminals to see if they are tight. A loose battery terminal will cause the DPS to fail. Also, the forces during a turn might cause the intermittent disconnection. If it is a loose terminal, it should be pretty easy to tighten. Also, the problem would begin getting worse with time. This also happened to me.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong. If I am, I'm certain someone on this board will surely let me know.

[bcer960]

With all due respect, I believe the nanny will cut back the speed by adjusting the engine, but I don't think the nanny adjusts the power steering. At least that has been my experience whenever I've challenged the nanny.

Unfortunatley, I have had the nanny apply the brakes to one of the front tires in a turn to counter the g forces, thus straightening the curve (and putting me in the oncoming traffic's lane) Luckily, no one was there. I also know other people who have had the same experience.

[Snowbelt Spyder]

Sometimes my steering freezes in a turn making me go wider than I want. Scary. It lasts until I straighten the wheel. Does not happen all the time. Never know when to expect it. Anyone know what would cause this? Thanks ahead of time.

Yes, It would be nice to know what year this machine is.

There’s a full explanation of VSS system ops in your operator’s guide, and even more detail in a shop manual. There is NO interface between the VSS system and the DPS. However, as many have experienced, the system will apply the brakes on the outside wheel in a turn, in order to prevent lifting the inside wheel. ( No point in applying brakes to the inside wheel if it’s not on the ground ). So yes, it drags you towards the outside in order to try to straighten the turn. It makes it hard to steer, hard to hold or increase your turn, and slews you in a direction you may not want to go. On the plus side, it keeps you from flipping over.

Thus, “the nanny” doesn’t adjust steering directly, but it sure feels like it.

The Yaw Sensor measures your rate of direction change and roll. What you can do is make sure that your front tires are properly inflated. Maybe even a couple pounds higher. The sway bar also helps reduce the roll rate, as does leaning your body inside the turn. Exaggerate it. If this only happens to you when turning in one direction, but never the other, the Yaw Sensor can be reset with BUDS if needed.

The DPS module DOES reduce steering assist if electrical power drops or if circuit board temperature gets too hot. So, you can clean your battery connections and replace your battery if needed. Otherwise, what you can do is inspect your steering for any mechanical issues. The DPS recall from back in the day took those older units out of service. That old problem should not be a thing for you.

So, there are some things you can check on. If you look into it further and suspect your DPS is truly freezing up on you, then have it checked immediately. Or, you may have simply experienced a normal VSS intervention, and this was caused by that differential braking.