Hot weather & 2013 RTS

[BoilerAnimal]

Rode our 2013 RTS SE5 for about 145 miles today and when I got home the time and temperature at the two local banks said 98° at one and 101° at the other. The humidity is just below the point where gills are required for breathing. The only time that I felt uncomfortable was at stop lights in Peoria. I must say BRP did a pretty good job with the modifications they made to alleviate the heat problems people were experiencing.

I wouldn't recommend riding in shorts, tank tops and flip-flops. After all, we are riding on hot pavement so something less than air conditioned bliss should be expected. But, dressed for safety, I was very pleasantly surprised.

I love this Spyder more and more with every passing mile!

[Pirate looks at --]

Great to hear. I have to say that he heat fix did everything and more than I thought it would.

[revks777]

I just got home from a 4300 mile 11 state trip with my siblings.
Lower parts of my body will take a few days to recover.
Definitely need to add scoops to my limited before next trip.

[Bob Denman]

Are you saying that, "The fix is in"...


...And it's working???

Glad to hear that you're diggin' the ride!

[BoilerAnimal]

I would have to say that it's cooler than most big bikes I've been on, especially at stop lights. Just don't put your foot in front of the radiator vent and don't wear sneakers!

[Pirate looks at --]

I would have to say that it's cooler than most big bikes I've been on, especially at stop lights. Just don't put your foot in front of the radiator vent and don't wear sneakers!

......... Or flip flops!

[Bob Denman]

Do you have highway pegs on your bike?
It would seem to me, that it would take extraordinary care in their placement; to prevent you from stuffing your right foot into the "Dragon's Mouth"...

[Chupaca]

BRP was on the case, just not fast enough for many. Good to hear that their modifications have worked well. Many, now that the heat issues is fixed, don't come back to mention it but that's okay cause they are out ryding and we know it worked.... thanks....

[BoilerAnimal]

Do you have highway pegs on your bike?
It would seem to me, that it would take extraordinary care in their placement; to prevent you from stuffing your right foot into the "Dragon's Mouth"...

No pegs and I don't think I would even consider them for just that reason. The RTS has floorboards that allow varied placement of your feet and so far I've been content with that.

[Bob Denman]

Thanks!

[USAFE7RET]

While I never experienced the heating issue a lot of folks did with their 2013 RT LTD, I really enjoyed the factory fix and the new panels. Here in Illinois, (southern, south of springfield) when it gets hot, it's like standing in front of a furnace with the door open, so not really comfortable riding. However, I have found that by slowing down to normal posted speed limits, the heat is not as blazing as it is when you go 70+. Not sure why that is, but if it works, then hey, I'm all for it.

The upgrade/fix recall added a nice throaty note to the exhaust and made cruising in the parking lot really easy. No more herky-jerky with the throttle.

[south GA Farm Boy]

My dealer just returned my 2013 RT limited back to me this week after doing the factory recall on the heat problem. It has been raining in South Georgia, so I haven't got to ride it a lot, but I think it has helped a lot! My panels do not feel as hot, and you can notice more heat going out the side bottom vents where it is suppose to go! It may not be a total fix, but I recommend it to everyone that has not had it completed on their spyder yet! I am new to Can Am Spyder riding, leaving about 5 Harleys in the past! No problems with my Harleys, but I am concerned about the reliability of the spyder! Too much electronics too tear up! Someone please re-assure me that I can ride this thing away from my house without the fear of it breaking down! Thanks

[BoilerAnimal]

We've ridden ours over 3000 miles without a problem so far.

[jcthorne]

Rode our 2013 RTS SE5 for about 145 miles today and when I got home the time and temperature at the two local banks said 98° at one and 101° at the other. The humidity is just below the point where gills are required for breathing. The only time that I felt uncomfortable was at stop lights in Peoria. I must say BRP did a pretty good job with the modifications they made to alleviate the heat problems people were experiencing.

I wouldn't recommend riding in shorts, tank tops and flip-flops. After all, we are riding on hot pavement so something less than air conditioned bliss should be expected. But, dressed for safety, I was very pleasantly surprised.

I love this Spyder more and more with every passing mile!

So nice to hear at least one 2013Rt made it through the recall without being butchered and destroyed in the process. Louise's RT spent MONTHS in the shop afterward and left her stranded 3 times with very large towing bills. All because of the recall moved a wiring harness which then rubbed and shorted. While BRP did help a bit with getting her into a 2015, it still cost us better than 10k for this 2013 engineering SNAFU.

Every 2013 RT is now a heavily modified bike. As such I strongly recommend folks to avoid them at any cost. There is a reason they sell for so little. Stay away. If you are unfortunate enough to be stuck with one as we were, you have my sincere condolences. BRP should have been forced to allow the owners to sell them back. The owners should not have been stuck with the financial loss that BRP caused.

[Peter Aawen]

Funnily enough, most 2013 RT riders (like me) that I've seen & spoken to over here had a good 'heat recall' experience & now wouldn't even dream of selling, nor dream of downgrading to anything else, not even a newer RT!! (Altho some have been tempted by the F3's, but there's no F3-T Turbo with the Sport mode available here yet, so..... )

In fact, there's almost a 100% hit rate amongst 2013 RT owners on agreeing that after the heat recall, the 2013's are arguably the pick of the Spyder bunch!! Sure, they aren't the most economical, but they do have the upgraded chassis & running gear, & they do have the more exciting, responsive, & fun to run/ride motor that doesn't sound or behave like a lazy, run-away sewing machine!! And they don't have any heat issues left either!!

So the prices for 2013 RT's here are pretty good, IF you could find one to buy - but no-one's selling!! Heck, a fairly high mileage no docs, no warranty, not registered, some (minor) damage, just 1 key & really ugly yellow coloured base model RT just went for $22k at a failed dealer's clearance auction - and the buyer got a really good buy, significantly less than they woulda hadta pay 'retail', if they coulda found one selling!!

[jcthorne]

you cant give them away for 12k here.

[Exditchdigger]

I have a 2013 spyder rtl that has the recall done and i would not trade it for any thing older.
It is one of the coolest running machines I've ever had, and this summer has been extremely
hot this summer in Alabama. To blame the bike for poor workmanship by an incompetent dealer
is ludicrous and yes I had to go to the net to spell that word.
If any one has a 2013 white rt limited they want to sell for $12000.00 I would be interested
for my wife

[MouthPiece]

My dealer just returned my 2013 RT limited back to me this week after doing the factory recall on the heat problem. It has been raining in South Georgia, so I haven't got to ride it a lot, but I think it has helped a lot! My panels do not feel as hot, and you can notice more heat going out the side bottom vents where it is suppose to go! It may not be a total fix, but I recommend it to everyone that has not had it completed on their spyder yet! I am new to Can Am Spyder riding, leaving about 5 Harleys in the past! No problems with my Harleys, but I am concerned about the reliability of the spyder! Too much electronics too tear up! Someone please re-assure me that I can ride this thing away from my house without the fear of it breaking down! Thanks

My wife, Cindy, and I rode from Central Flarda, to Springfield Mizzou and back for Spyderfest in 2013. We then rode from Central Flarda, to Maggie Valley for the owner's event in North Carolina. We made it up into Va. on that trip. We rode to Key West a subsequent year and back. I put 24,000 trouble free miles on my spyder. Although I don't have my spyder now (for reasons other than the bike), I swear by it. It is fun fun fun and you CAN rely on it.

Chris

[jcthorne]

I have a 2013 spyder rtl that has the recall done and i would not trade it for any thing older.
It is one of the coolest running machines I've ever had, and this summer has been extremely
hot this summer in Alabama. To blame the bike for poor workmanship by an incompetent dealer
is ludicrous and yes I had to go to the net to spell that word.
If any one has a 2013 white rt limited they want to sell for $12000.00 I would be interested
for my wife

In my case it was not poor workmanship by the dealer. It was a wiring harness that was not installed AT THE FACTORY where it was supposed to be. Then when moved according to the recall instructions, it chaffed, and shorted the throttle input circuit. It took months to find as it could not be seen until BRP finally authorized a full engine/chassis harness replacement. During the remove and install the problem was found.

This was a BRP mess up and it cost us over $10k. After the bike was finally repaired we tried for months to sell it for $12k. No one wanted it. Even with the BRP extended warranty. Dealer would only give 8k AS A TRADE IN. Finally got 10k for it as a trade in on a new SUV for my wife and the Ford dealer wholesaled it for the same.

Yes I am bitter with how the whole 2013 RT debacle played out. I still have spyders and we LOVE to ride.

[robmorg]

Funnily enough, most 2013 RT riders (like me) that I've seen & spoken to over here had a good 'heat recall' experience & now wouldn't even dream of selling, nor dream of downgrading to anything else, not even a newer RT!! (Altho some have been tempted by the F3's, but there's no F3-T Turbo with the Sport mode available here yet, so..... )

In fact, there's almost a 100% hit rate amongst 2013 RT owners on agreeing that after the heat recall, the 2013's are arguably the pick of the Spyder bunch!! Sure, they aren't the most economical, but they do have the upgraded chassis & running gear, & they do have the more exciting, responsive, & fun to run/ride motor that doesn't sound or behave like a lazy, run-away sewing machine!! And they don't have any heat issues left either!!

So the prices for 2013 RT's here are pretty good, IF you could find one to buy - but no-one's selling!! Heck, a fairly high mileage no docs, no warranty, not registered, some (minor) damage, just 1 key & really ugly yellow coloured base model RT just went for $22k at a failed dealer's clearance auction - and the buyer got a really good buy, significantly less than they woulda hadta pay 'retail', if they coulda found one selling!!

100% with everything you said above, Peter.

I am now VERY happy that I purchased the 2013 RTL, as the 2013 is clearly now the best of the 998's. I can say that without reservation - especially now that I have resolved all heat issues including the right foot. I would not trade mine for even money for any other RT - not even a 1300 model, because then I'd have to spend the money to buy and/or re-install all my farkles and upgrades.

From my personal experience, the advise I would give any potential Spyder RT buyer, without hesitation, is this... If you are buying one for the first time - get one with a 1330 engine, if you can afford it. But if money is an issue, or you just don't want to spend that much, then shop for a 2013 RT.

[Uruzgan]

Good news. Since the vents clearly work so well, why didn't brp continue building them on the newer models? Instead, they decided to add a wind deflector (at least on my 2015 ltd) in front of the same vent they put scoops over on the 2013 model. I understand it's a different motor, cooling issues, etc., but to me and several other forum posters, it still runs unbearably hot. I took the deflectors off and it helps, but a ride after a hour or so gets unpleasant to me... I'm thinking about buying the scoops, but with the cooler weather coming, may put it off until next year.

Ill get off my soapbox now, and end my venting...

PS: love my Spyder, and would buy it again despite my issue, just wish brp would step up and make the ride more pleasant. Although I might appreciate it when the cooler weather comes...

[robmorg]

Good news. Since the vents clearly work so well, why didn't brp continue building them on the newer models? Instead, they decided to add a wind deflector (at least on my 2015 ltd) in front of the same vent they put scoops over on the 2013 model. I understand it's a different motor, cooling issues, etc., but to me and several other forum posters, it still runs unbearably hot....

It's not just the vents that "cured" the 2013 RT, but to answer your question, there are two reasons...

First, they didn't know that the 2013 vents would work so well until late in 2015 and by that time the 2016 models were already under production.

Secondly, in light of the first point, if they started putting those vents on the RT's now, many would see it as an admission that even the 1330,s have heat problems similar to the 2013 RT's - and that is an impression that BRP would want to avoid at ALL costs. They will sell you the intake vents for any RT, however, at a fairly reasonable cost.

[jnt]

the heat is not as blazing as it is when you go 70+. Not sure why that is,

It's called Wind Heat Factor (=the faster the air moves over you, the faster your temperature rises). High humidity seems to accentuate . . .

[Peter Aawen]

Good news. Since the vents clearly work so well, why didn't brp continue building them on the newer models? Instead, they decided to add a wind deflector (at least on my 2015 ltd) in front of the same vent they put scoops over on the 2013 model......

I don't think that BRP added those deflectors after the 2013 heat issues Uruzgan?!? Surely they were there on the RT's pretty much from the word go (2010?) & BRP even offered adjustable deflectors so purchasers could choose where the air flow they diverted got directed?!! So pretty much every RT has (or had) those deflectors from their first release!

Then again, having a fixed deflector like that fitted in front of a flush panel 'vent' often gets added to otherwise apparently streamlined vehicles at the air flow testing stage of vehicle design (or computer simulation) - it's one way the designer has of manipulating the air flowing over the vehicle into creating an air pocket that will allow some air to get into the vent rather than having the air under the panel to be sucked out in significant quantities, because un-impeded high velocity air passing straight over the top of flush mount panel vents can create a venturi effect that sucks air out rather than allowing it to flow in! (Of concern on RT's, especially considering the large low air pressure pocket already behind that big windscreen & in front of the rider!) I suspect that those fitting the adjustable deflectors instead of the fixed deflectors on RT's may well have been adding to their heat issues under the tupperware by allowing high velocity air to flow over those flush mounted vents which stopped potentially cooling air to get in to the top of the motor!? (But I haven't done any testing on that last bit, it's just a suspicion still... )


And robmorg makes a few very good points about those scoops too!

[south GA Farm Boy]

Guys, I just got my 2013 spyder RTL back from the dealer, and the new vents look good and do a good job! Most of you talking about the hot temperatures in your state needs to come to South Georgia and ride with me! You live in a cool state, believe me! My wife and I rode about 150 miles on ours today. On the road with no red lights, I would say my temp. gauge was showing about 10-15 % cooler. The panels were cool, the top glove box which is normally very hot, is very cool now! In city driving, the temp. gauge went back to it's normal position. We got on I-75 interstate, and drove it for about 30 miles at speed up to 80 MPH. Stopped and got gas, no fumes, and the gas tank seem very cool!!! I do think the air going out the right side vents by my right foot has increased and seems to have hotter air on my boot! My spyder is a totally different bike with the new air vents installed, and I recommend them highly! Now if I can solve the hot air on my right foot, I will be a happy camper! Still don't think the reliability is as good as other bikes! Never had any problems with my honda's, yamaha's, or my 5 harley's!!