Anyone else have a rear shock blow out after only about 6000 miles?

[GMac]

I just got back from a ride to GA and back (from CT) and about halfway down, the shock went. When I got down there, I called the emergency number BRP gave me and all they did was give me the number for the closest dealer. I called them and they wouldn't be able to get the parts in time to get me fixed before I had to get back home, so I rode a total of about 1500 miles with no rear shock (it's about a 1000 mile trip each way and I'm estimating it blew out about halfway through the trip down). The dealer down in GA told me I'd cause no other problems riding it back without the shock. After getting back, there are about 8000 miles total on the bike, so I'm guessing it went at somewhere around the 6500 mile mark, but most definitely before the 7000 mile mark.

It's at the dealership right now being serviced, but they confirmed that the shock is indeed gone and has to be replaced along with another related piece he mentioned (I'm not a mechanic or even close to one - can barely even spell the word - so I don't remember what he called the other part).

He said he doesn't think BRP will give me any problems with covering it under warranty but I'm simply curious if this is a fairly common occurrence or truly an isolated incident.

On a positive note, even without the shock it actually rode fairly well. I'm not terribly fond of my spine acting as a shock absorber for my head, but it could have been MUCH worse - and the last 300 miles were ridden in pouring rain so overall I'm very pleased with the way the bike performed and handled.

[Magdave]

Mine has leaked from day 1 and it actually makes the ride stiffer when inflated. You were riding a soft tale Mine usually takes a week to leak down 40psi and strangely enough it seems to stop around there. I plan on getting it replaced the dealer knows about it.

[Bob Denman]

Did you just lose all damping ability, or idid it drop the bike down to the stops?

[GMac]

Did you just lose all damping ability, or idid it drop the bike down to the stops?

...and I'm not entirely certain I understand your question (please forgive my stupidity!).

I'll answer as best I can. It was as if there was NOTHING there but the spring (again, if the big thing that LOOKS like a spring isn't actually called a spring, my apologies).

After it happened, I pulled in to get some gas and a gentleman came over to talk to me about it (the Spyder, not the shock). I told him how much I liked it but wasn't happy at that particular moment. He was great and actually got on the ground underneath it and looked at it while having me push down on the back end. He said that it was definitely still attached at the ends but that the "rod" (again, no idea the proper terminology) that goes inside the shock was just moving around with nothing impeding it. It also made a relatively loud clanging sound that he said was that same rod bouncing around inside the shock.

I can also tell you that the slightest push on the back end would cause it to bounce up and down like a basketball.

So, I don't know if that answered your question or not but I'm afraid it's about the best I can do!

[ThreeWheels]

I went through about 4 of them in a short time.
BRP stood behind it all the way.
It seems the settings on the automatic ride compensator that controls the ride height using the air compressor wasn't set right and that allowed the shock to hit the top of the frame.
Or something like the above, but it was fixed with a firmware update and a new shock.
I've been good to go for the last 20,000 miles.

[Bob Denman]

G,
Your shock lost it's damping ability... (Better than, than losing everything! )
I recently had a chance to see one do that on a friend's RT.
He also rode his home without incident!

[JJW SpyderRider]

The shock was bad but the air bag its self was most likely still good.

The back end will bounce more than normal and many people don't even notice that the shock has failed.

To test: Press down on the rear end and it should go back up to the neutral position and stop. If the rear end goes up and down several times before returning to the neutral position the shock is bad.

[Magdave]

The shock was bad but the air bag its self was most likely still good.

The back end will bounce more than normal and many people don't even notice that the shock has failed.

To test: Press down on the rear end and it should go back up to the neutral position and stop. If the rear end goes up and down several times before returning to the neutral position the shock is bad.

OK I think I got it now the air bag did not "blow" the shock failed. Shocks do not "blow" so the title threw me. My airbag still leaks.....

[GMac]

OK I think I got it now the air bag did not "blow" the shock failed. Shocks do not "blow" so the title threw me. My airbag still leaks.....

The shock wasn't working - that I can say for certain. I also just got off the phone with the dealer again and the other piece I mentioned that had failed was the air bag. They are replacing both (notice I didn't say "blow out" this time - I CAN learn, regardless of what my wife sometimes thinks!).

[Magdave]

The shock wasn't working - that I can say for certain. I also just got off the phone with the dealer again and the other piece I mentioned that had failed was the air bag. They are replacing both (notice I didn't say "blow out" this time - I CAN learn, regardless of what my wife sometimes thinks!).

Wonder which one went first? Boing boing boing the fox says...oh that is another thread Musta been a bouncy ride home.

[Bob Denman]

The shock wasn't working - that I can say for certain. I also just got off the phone with the dealer again and the other piece I mentioned that had failed was the air bag. They are replacing both (notice I didn't say "blow out" this time - I CAN learn, regardless of what my wife sometimes thinks!).

Don't worry a bit about it; we've got it figured out...

[RBS66]

My air ride suspension had a leak when I first got the bike and ended up have the airbag replaced. It had a really small hole in the airbag

[flaggerphil]

"Anyone else have a rear shock blow out after only about 6000 miles?"

Not me.