1330 Performance Upgrades

[Poseidon]

So... where are all the performance upgrade threads? Who are the vendors that supply parts? Where are the dyno tuners and Rotex gurus that know where BRP hid the power? Where are the cams, high compression pistons, BBK's, turbo kits, supercharger kits, etc? You know, the stuff that makes fun bikes MORE fun!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

So... where are all the performance upgrade threads? Who are the vendors that supply parts? Where are the dyno tuners and Rotex gurus that know where BRP hid the power? Where are the cams, high compression pistons, BBK's, turbo kits, supercharger kits, etc? You know, the stuff that makes fun bikes MORE fun!

........ Google it ..... Mike

[Rob Rodriguez]

I don't think there is much in the way of "power" upgrades for the 1330. Only thing I have seen is exhaust and ECM flash.

[Poseidon]

........ Google it ..... Mike

Just find it odd that everyone that makes anything for the Spyder has threads on here about it except for the performance parts that every other forum always has.

[Peter Aawen]

Talk to Jase at ECU Xtreme (rotaxracing@gmail.com) if you want to unleash the performance BRP has hidden away on both the 1330 triples & the 998 V-twins! There's a whole lot more that can be safely tapped in there, & he's the man when it comes to accessing it!

[Chupaca]

To be honest, there's not that much out there. Most is custom and these machines require lots to keep running if you mess with them too much. Not a profitable venture. 10 years is not much in that world but if a generation crops up with interest it will become available. As Mike said, search the net.

[Poseidon]

Hard to believe that the same company has turbo charged UTV's pumping out 172 HP from a 1000cc STOCK motor, and no one, even the aftermarket, has found safe ways of bumping up the HP / torque of the 1330 Spyder motor yet?!?! Other than ECU tuning anyway.

[ARtraveler]

Good question. I am not including myself in the group that is looking for more at this time.

[blacklightning]

I want more!!!

[canamjhb]

The UTV industry, including Can Am, has always experienced high maintenance vehicles. Keeping them going requires a LOT of TLC and upkeep. Unlike vehicles designed for longevity and road reliability. Pushing it to the extremes is something regularly done on off road. No so for on road vehicles..... Driving a dragster down the freeway would be the same analogy.

[Poseidon]

Good question. I am not including myself in the group that is looking for more at this time.

Since this is my wife's bike, I'm not really looking right now either. She tends to only know two throttle positions... Closed and WFO! I don't need her being able to go any faster than she already can!

At the same time, it would definitely make it more fun for me to ride. She has been talking (off and on) about possibly looking at some other bikes. If she ever moves on to something else, I want to know what is available. It will help in my decision on if I keep it or sell it if that time ever comes.

Ive done searches both here and google. All I really see is cat delete pipes, slip on exhausts, PCV and ECU tunes. Saw an aero turbo kit for the 998 but that is about it. No one doing heads, valves, cams, pistons, turbo (other than the BRP prototype), etc.

[Poseidon]

The UTV industry, including Can Am, has always experienced high maintenance vehicles. Keeping them going requires a LOT of TLC and upkeep. Unlike vehicles designed for longevity and road reliability. Pushing it to the extremes is something regularly done on off road. No so for on road vehicles..... Driving a dragster down the freeway would be the same analogy.

Not a dragster. Something more along the lines of these cars.



or like BRP's turbo concept.

[Poseidon]

I'm no stranger to BRP builds or Off Road Vehicles. I built this one a few years back. It is an XMR 1000 with a 4" lift, 32" tires with 2.5" lugs. Had almost 19" of ground clearance at the lowest point. Lots of other mods to it as well. It was a beast!

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[canamjhb]

My mild Can Am Commander required servicing every 500 miles. NOT 5,000 but 500. Try selling that to customers driving on the highway. Just saying.....

[Poseidon]

My mild Can Am Commander required servicing every 500 miles. NOT 5,000 but 500. Try selling that to customers driving on the highway. Just saying.....

That was BECAUSE it was being used off road. It would have a longer service interval if its intended purpose was on road. How did your air filter on your Commander look after 500 miles of trail riding compared to the Spyder's air filter after 500 miles of highway riding?

[SpyderAnn01]

Poseidon, most Spyder owners are too old to want more power.

[Poseidon]

Trust me, This one was serviced more frequently than every 500 miles! More like after every weekend in the mud. If I was riding it around the house or in the snow, it was less frequent. On rides like the one pictured below, it was after every weekend trip.

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[canamjhb]

That was BECAUSE it was being used off road. It would have a longer service interval if its intended purpose was on road. How did your air filter on your Commander look after 500 miles of trail riding compared to the Spyder's air filter after 500 miles of highway riding?

You totally missed my point. The air filter was serviced after EVERY use as BRP recommended. But other expensive servicing was REQUIRED every 500 miles.

[Poseidon]

Poseidon, most Spyder owners are too old to want more power.

That is the number one reason why BRP or the aftermarket needs to step up and find ways (like giving the Spyder more power) to draw the younger crowd to it. It is a fun machine to ride. It would be more fun with more power and even better handling! Younger generations are not riding bikes (2 or 3 wheel) in the numbers that previous generations did at their age. If something doesn't change, there are going to be fewer and fewer riders buying fewer bikes. More models are going to be dropped from production, and more manufacturers are going to close their doors or move on to making different products to stay in business.

The first two companies I see to experience this will be Harley Davidson and the Spyder branch of BRP as they both tend to have the oldest population of customers compared to other manufacturers. I think Honda understands that this is happening. They brought out the new Gold Wing that is slimmer, lighter, with better performance and handling, and a lot more tech built in. They still are not going to draw many 20 year olds, but they are a lot more likely to draw in some customers in their 30's and 40's vs being the "old man bike" that they use to be. It is definitely a step in the right direction!

[Poseidon]

You totally missed my point. The air filter was serviced after EVERY use as BRP recommended. But other expensive servicing was REQUIRED every 500 miles.

I never followed the service recommendations because I was doing everything more frequently, but if I remember correctly, it was listed as every 25 hours of use regardless of miles. The service was only expensive if you had someone else do it. Like the steelership. I don't understand why anyone would pay $300 - $400 for an oil and filter change, greasing some zerks, pulling the cover off of the clutches to service them, and changing an air filter that takes all of 30 seconds to do. It takes longer to clean the machine than it does to service it.

[blacklightning]

Poseidon, most Spyder owners are too old to want more power.

I think that is the problem with them expanding their customer base. . There are a few older people who want more power (like me). And more power would attract a larger costumer base. . They had a 140 hp vtwin that Erik Buell used in his bike, bring it back in a modified RS platform and young people will come. Make a more powerful 1330, and they will stay.

[Rob Rodriguez]

I don't understand the de-tuned engines either. I'm sure both the 998 and the 1330 are capable of more power from the factory but BRP chooses not to use it. A person would think the 1330 would have much better performance than the 998 but in reality they are about the same although I think the 1330 has longer legs on the top end. Maybe BRP feels the design (drive train, electronics, etc) isn't capable of the increase in power?

All I know is I ride with my neighbor a lot who has a 1600 (6 cylinder) BMW sport touring bike. It has about 150hp and weighs about the same as the Spyder (within 60lbs). When we start running continuous speeds down the interstates of 90-105 the Spyder starts to struggle to keep up. I'm there with him but if he decided to go faster for a length of time (passing lots of cars, etc) I'd be playing catch up. So, I know most of you here are going to say...."you shouldn't be going that fast". That's not the point, we could argue that topic forever. The point is BMW's goal is to put a bike on the road that offers a certain level of performance to the rider and riders are expecting a certain level of performance when they buy that bike.

If you never drive above 75 then the 1600 BMW will meet your performance level but also another BMW of lower performance might be a better bike for you.
If you never drive above 100 then the 1600 BMW meets your performance level but also another BMW of lower performance might be a better bike for you.
If you never drive above 125 then the 1600 BMW meets your performance level better than the lower performance BMW bikes

BRP isn't meeting a performance level for a variety of rider types. They offer 2 bikes, the RT and F3. Yes the F3 comes in different configurations but that revolves around storage and comfort features not performance. Both bikes (the RT and the F3) offer the same 1330 and the same 6 speed tranny. The RT offers a different seating position than the F3. Both bikes have about the same performance (speed, power, handling). Sure you might be able to feel like you can ride an F3 faster than an RT or vice versa but bottom line is both bikes offer about the same level of performance.

This is where BRP misses the boat I think. Different riders want/require different performance levels to satisfy their riding style. BRP tries to offer a one size fits all package that just doesn't excite some riders. Until they offer different levels of performance they are not really going to increase their market share and the same type of riders will continue to own Spyder's which means the brand will continue to be "defined" a certain way.

What's also odd is....in the snowmobile, ATV and Sea-Doo biz BRP does offer different levels of performance and tries to appeal to many different types of riders. I just don't understand why that doesn't carry over into the Spyder line?

[Navydad]

Lack of power is not what is keeping younger folks away from HD's, Spyders, Wings, or any other large bikes. It is the price. My son is an avid motorcyclist and rides every chance he gets. He rides a Honda 1100 Shadow which is a great bike and he has been cross country twice on it. With a family, mortgage, car payments, etc. he just doesn't have $20,000 or more to plop down on a new bike. Anyway, back to the original idea of this post. When I ride my Spyder it is two up 95% of the time and fully loaded when on a trip. My solo rides and trips are done on two wheels. I would like the extra power that my Spyder may be capable of. One other thing I didn't see mentioned was the dreaded emissions rules that govern what can be on the highways. Since our Spyders are a road going vehicle they must be tuned to pass these regulations. Are the off highway vehicles tuned to meet these regs or are they allowed to "run free" so to speak.

[Poseidon]

Lack of power is not what is keeping younger folks away from HD's, Spyders, Wings, or any other large bikes. It is the price. My son is an avid motorcyclist and rides every chance he gets. He rides a Honda 1100 Shadow which is a great bike and he has been cross country twice on it. With a family, mortgage, car payments, etc. he just doesn't have $20,000 or more to plop down on a new bike. Anyway, back to the original idea of this post. When I ride my Spyder it is two up 95% of the time and fully loaded when on a trip. My solo rides and trips are done on two wheels. I would like the extra power that my Spyder may be capable of. One other thing I didn't see mentioned was the dreaded emissions rules that govern what can be on the highways. Since our Spyders are a road going vehicle they must be tuned to pass these regulations. Are the off highway vehicles tuned to meet these regs or are they allowed to "run free" so to speak.

Off road vehicles have restrictions for the manufacturer from the federal government. That is the reason why they run so lean and hot from the factory. Almost everyone adds some form of fuel adder or tuner to them after they buy them. Most will use a dobeck "blinks box" fuel programmer to richen the mix and cool down the normal operating temps some. Others will run PCIII or PCV. Some are flashing the ECU. There is no emissions testing after purchase in the US that I am aware of in any state, but I could be wrong.

[Poseidon]

I don't understand the de-tuned engines either. I'm sure both the 998 and the 1330 are capable of more power from the factory but BRP chooses not to use it. A person would think the 1330 would have much better performance than the 998 but in reality they are about the same although I think the 1330 has longer legs on the top end. Maybe BRP feels the design (drive train, electronics, etc) isn't capable of the increase in power?

All I know is I ride with my neighbor a lot who has a 1600 (6 cylinder) BMW sport touring bike. It has about 150hp and weighs about the same as the Spyder (within 60lbs). When we start running continuous speeds down the interstates of 90-105 the Spyder starts to struggle to keep up. I'm there with him but if he decided to go faster for a length of time (passing lots of cars, etc) I'd be playing catch up. So, I know most of you here are going to say...."you shouldn't be going that fast". That's not the point, we could argue that topic forever. The point is BMW's goal is to put a bike on the road that offers a certain level of performance to the rider and riders are expecting a certain level of performance when they buy that bike.

If you never drive above 75 then the 1600 BMW will meet your performance level but also another BMW of lower performance might be a better bike for you.
If you never drive above 100 then the 1600 BMW meets your performance level but also another BMW of lower performance might be a better bike for you.
If you never drive above 125 then the 1600 BMW meets your performance level better than the lower performance BMW bikes

BRP isn't meeting a performance level for a variety of rider types. They offer 2 bikes, the RT and F3. Yes the F3 comes in different configurations but that revolves around storage and comfort features not performance. Both bikes (the RT and the F3) offer the same 1330 and the same 6 speed tranny. The RT offers a different seating position than the F3. Both bikes have about the same performance (speed, power, handling). Sure you might be able to feel like you can ride an F3 faster than an RT or vice versa but bottom line is both bikes offer about the same level of performance.

This is where BRP misses the boat I think. Different riders want/require different performance levels to satisfy their riding style. BRP tries to offer a one size fits all package that just doesn't excite some riders. Until they offer different levels of performance they are not really going to increase their market share and the same type of riders will continue to own Spyder's which means the brand will continue to be "defined" a certain way.

What's also odd is....in the snowmobile, ATV and Sea-Doo biz BRP does offer different levels of performance and tries to appeal to many different types of riders. I just don't understand why that doesn't carry over into the Spyder line?

I completely agree. You hit the nail on the head in regard to the other BRP lines. It isn't just an age thing tho. Like you mentioned, some would appreciate the extra power for towing a trailer, others that put a lot of highway miles on would surely appreciate extra power in the top end for passing and getting past tractor trailers before they get blown off the road or ran over. In my mind, it is better to have too much HP / torque an not need it, than need it only to find you don't have it. Sometimes, having the power to get out of the way in a hurry is a safety feature like having good brembo brakes, ABS, stability control, etc. Anyone that feels they don't need more power doesn't have to twist the throttle as far, or they could offer different performance packages like you had suggested.

Even if younger generations couldn't afford it, they would wait until the used priced dropped enough that they could afford it, just like they do, he'll...we all probably did, with sports cars and muscle cars. Show me a 20 year old that wouldn't love to have a Hellcat, or a ZL1 Camero, a Z06 Corvette, or a Shelby or Rouch Mustang. They can't afford them, but you better believe they will be picking up used ones when they get into their price range. When they do finally get one they will tell everyone how they have wanted one for years and finally got it! That is what the motorcycle manufacturers are missing and don't seem to understand. You get customers based on the products you produce that everyone wants, even if they can't afford it. Instead of producing something that people think... I get one of those when I can't ride a 2 wheeler any more, or because my significant other thinks they are safer.

It needs to be something they want because cause they are a f_cking blast to ride. That would be the case with better performance and handling, even if it is only on one model.