BRP got it made

[Doug]

Being reading how existing and new spyder riders are upgrading or bypassing from the 2013s to the 2014s to resolve or steer clear of the flaws and problems of the 2013s with this in mind why would BRP CARE if they ever fix up the 2013s.

[cuznjohn]

i would think they might try to fix the problems but it's not a priority to them. if enough complain it could hurt their reputation in future sales. they might have plenty of 13's out there that are on sale right now, but as far as i can see what they have been doing with the heat recall, they are only putting a band-aid on a very bad cut.

[Bob Ledford]

The problem not correcting previous model defects is the bad press they wind up getting generated by disgruntled customer base. I have found that corporate images are very fragile when it comes to problems.

[Doug]

i would think they might try to fix the problems but it's not a priority to them. if enough complain it could hurt their reputation in future sales. they might have plenty of 13's out there that are on sale right now, but as far as i can see what they have been doing with the heat recall, they are only putting a band-aid on a very bad cut.

I agree what about forming a committe and meeting with BRP ALONG WITH A PETITION OF UNHAPPY 2013 SPYDER OWNERS.

[Doug]

The problem not correcting previous model defects is the bad press they wind up getting generated by disgruntled customer base. I have found that corporate images are very fragile when it comes to problems.

That seems to not bother BRP

[cuznjohn]

I agree what about forming a committe and meeting with BRP ALONG WITH A PETITION OF UNHAPPY 2013 SPYDER OWNERS.

i would think the best bet right now is to open a case with them, like i did, and every time you contact them about the heat issue use the case number, the more cases reported the better for us. what i don't really understand is why some people have the problem and some don't. i can understand bad shocks and some with bad ball joints, because by the time they got complaints they fixed the issue. but not the heat problems, it's the same motor and cooling system so why do i have heat and not others.

[PW2013STL]

Heat issues? There are no heat issues! Just ask most dealers.
I went to three different dealers in my area and got the same answer " we have not heard of anyone with heat issues"
Must of surprised them to get the recall

[cuznjohn]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
I have watched BRP since the only product they made was a little yellow snowmobile.

They make mistakes because they innovate.

I can't think of a single instance that they did not work to correct the mistake.

I suppose if I had 2013 sitting my garage I might not be so philosophical about it but they know they have problem and there will be a solution if their past actions can be used to predict their future actions.

roger you seem to be pretty smart when it comes to a lot of things, so why do you think that some people have heat issues and some don't. unless they change body parts to redirect the air flow away from the Tupperware and the right foot, i really don't see a fix in the future. what is the difference between your bike and mine as far as design goes

[Doug]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
I have watched BRP since the only product they made was a little yellow snowmobile.

They make mistakes because they innovate.

I can't think of a single instance that they did not work to correct the mistake.

I suppose if I had 2013 sitting my garage I might not be so philosophical about it but they know they have problem and there will be a solution if their past actions can be used to predict their future actions.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my spyder, but would enjoy it even more if the heat problem was taken care of and fixed by BRP and I hope your right.

[Bob Denman]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.
I have watched BRP since the only product they made was a little yellow snowmobile.

They make mistakes because they innovate.

I can't think of a single instance that they did not work to correct the mistake.

I suppose if I had 2013 sitting my garage I might not be so philosophical about it but they know they have problem and there will be a solution if their past actions can be used to predict their future actions.

Thank you for saying it so well!

[NancysToy]

roger you seem to be pretty smart when it comes to a lot of things, so why do you think that some people have heat issues and some don't. unless they change body parts to redirect the air flow away from the Tupperware and the right foot, i really don't see a fix in the future. what is the difference between your bike and mine as far as design goes

I am not Roger (and he is thankful for that) but I can address your question as far as heat on the right foot is concerned. Heat on the right foot has been discussed ever since the first GS hit the road. The radiator air flow exhausts on the right side, ahead of the rider, and travels back to reach the occupants under certain conditions. All motorcycles put out heat, and all water cooled motorcycle have radiators that put out heat. Most are located ahead of the rider and affect the rider in some way. It bothers some people and not others.

There are a lot of reasons for this, and I probably won't touch on them all, but here are a few. First may be what you wear to ride. A person in flip-flops is going to feel more heat that a person wearing heavy knee socks and insulated 10" riding boots. If a person holds his/her feet against the bodywork that person will feel more heat than a person that splays his/her feet outward. If you hold the ball of your foot on the footpeg you will feel less heat than the persond that hooks his heel on the peg so his foot is farther forward. If you have footboards or higway pegs your feet or legs may be in the direct path of the radiator exhaust, so it will certainly be hotter than what is felt on the footpegs. If you ride in a very hot climate or in stop-and-go traffic your cooling fan will run and blow hot air out, making it hotter than riding at a brisk pace to move the air through the radiator with the fan off. Havng the sun beat down on the right foot will make it hot, too...this is an open vehicle. Some people are also just more sensitive to the heat than others. As you can see, there are numerous variables.

Finally, I think riders new to motorcycles have a harder time adjusting to the inevitable heat a motorcycle produces. We seem to hear from them, or from riders that haven't ridden in years, than we do the veteran riders. I cannot fully explain why there is so much variation in the heat felt on the 2013's in other places, although some of these factors are present there also. I cannot explain why some 2013 engines are running hotter than others, or why some have heat damaged master cylinders or evap canisters while others are intact. I cannot explain why the 2013 RT's and ST's alone show these symptoms. Those are separate problems with separate solutions. The right side heat is universal, however, and it's variation does seem to lie in riding habits and conditions.

[bobnaquin]

i would think the best bet right now is to open a case with them, like i did, and every time you contact them about the heat issue use the case number, the more cases reported the better for us. what i don't really understand is why some people have the problem and some don't. i can understand bad shocks and some with bad ball joints, because by the time they got complaints they fixed the issue. but not the heat problems, it's the same motor and cooling system so why do i have heat and not others.

I believe that some people have heat problems and some don't because of the definition of the problem. I harken back to the RS/GS where any number of people had heat issues with these. And then you find out that they are riding in Florida wearing shorts. Or the bike indicates 6 bars on the temp gauge and that is a heat issue. Well yeah it is. It is not a problem until the bike goes into limp mode though. I have had mine register 7 bars and run fine. I was not fine. It was 107, in stop and go traffic will ATGATT.

So depending on what you wear, what speed you drive, what ambient temp you ride in and even perhaps that there is a defect in your bike, you may or may not have heat problem. When something melts, like a brake reservoir, your leg burns bad enough to go to the hospital, or your bike goes into limp mode, or your bike catches on fire, then you have a heat problem.

[spydercatjohn]

Being reading how existing and new spyder riders are upgrading or bypassing from the 2013s to the 2014s to resolve or steer clear of the flaws and problems of the 2013s with this in mind why would BRP CARE if they ever fix up the 2013s.

When riders start complaining about defects on their new 2014 RT Spyders the 2013s with their few know defects and fixes will look better. Already one of the pcv valves on the news press demo 2014 Spyder was installed backwards causing it to stall.

[cuznjohn]

but not many of the people i ride with like it because i am always holding up the rear right now, yea with the 13 rt/s i might of started off with the wrong year for the spyder but it does have a few issues. i have been riding 2 wheels for many years and have had some with really bad heat and others not. i never wear shorts or flip flops and i know how to dress for riding. so far i changed the front shocks because of nose dive, only to find out that BRP had some bad shocks and would replace them. than i found out i had bad ball joints and they were replaced. now the issue with the heat problem on my right foot that it makes it feel like it is on fire. and to top it off today i found a leaking elka shock that i have to remove when i get in touch with them and get a replacement. i also cooked a cell phone in the center glove box never realizing it got that hot in there.

all that being said i now have a bad taste for my bike, so today after being stuck in some traffic and moving my foot all over the place, to try to keep it cool and the fan going on more than i have ever heard it come on, i have decided that i will start taking all the extras i had installed and replace them with the originals i have, and as soon as the latest band aid is put on for the heat fix i will start to look around for other dealers that might give me a decent trade in on a 14 rt and take the loss and try the new bike.

[chuck gross]

Not a bad idea Roger since they are offering extended warranty incentives

[stewartj239]

If you do some research, you'll find that many of the heat issues that plague the 2013 are the same complaints of prior year RT owners. These issues are not new with the '13 and I am not sure why people talk like they are. From the homework I've done, it seems the problem arises from the fact that the engine is wrapped by the bodywork with poor ventilation. With that said, the 2014 is designed the same way, so personally, I wouldn't be shelling out cash for a new bike that may very well have the same issues. There are some good threads on this forum that discuss very real solutions to the heat problem which include removing the cat (which generates a huge amount of heat in the tupperware) and opening up the bodywork for better ventilation. It will cost money, but the issues are within our own control to fix. Don't wait for BRP to do it because they won't

[Bob Denman]

When riders start complaining about defects on their new 2014 RT Spyders the 2013s with their few know defects and fixes will look better. Already one of the pcv valves on the news press demo 2014 Spyder was installed backwards causing it to stall.

Thanks for pointing that out. I'll keep it in mind!

[Sny]

The thing about the 2013's is they have the same engine, same exhaust, same cat, same plugs, same headers, same intake and same cooling system as a 2012.

Yet the 2013's put out a lot more heat.

It's not just damaging parts because of their location (and the locations did change for some things). It's because the engine itself is producing more heat.

Does it run hotter? No, the cooling system is keeping it at the designated operating temp. But that doesn't mean more heat isn't being created.

Here's an example:

Take a 2012 RT and a 2013 RT who live next door to each other.

Go for a 300 mile ride together on the Interstate at interstate speeds. Doesn't matter the temp outside.

Put into your respective, identical, garages when you get home. Measure the temp inside when you pull in and 1 hour later.

The garage with the 2012 might go up 3 or 4 degrees while the garage with the 2013 goes up 30-40 degrees. No joke. Pull in at 70F and 1 hour later it's 110F in there. On a cool day!

I'll spare you the math that determines how much stored energy is being released by a 2013 vs a 2012 but the BTU's generated by the 2013 are 10 times what comes off the 2012.

Oh it's not the perfect scientific experiment, but what the heck did they do to these to make them so darn hot? It's the same engine, same exhaust, same cat, same plugs, same headers, same intake and same cooling.

Not that this comes to a surprise, but these things run really lean which will increase EGT's dramatically. I'm guessing in their quest for higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions they increased the EGT's with a leaner mix at higher rpms (6000+, the kind you get at constant, prolonged Interstate speeds) which is the root of the problem.

Melting parts are a symptom. Hot gas cap, sizzling fuel, hot crotch, hot left side panel... all just symptoms of the problem. BRP will bandage the ones that are safety hazards quickly, but the rest are just "the way it is". It's pretty unlikely that they'll be fixing the root of the problem with an existing model.

Like the hot foot problems of the past, it'll be up to us to figure out how to live with our 2013's.

[Chupaca]

I do, BRP will come through and like all the other recalls and bulletins it will become a thing of the past. They by no means will do nothing or forget about it as many of you think. They stand to lose too much. They will also never satisfy everyone as I'm sure some would not accept anything and just want out with benefits. I for one will always work with them to help find the solution if I bought it it's cause I like it and want it to work for me. If it were as easy as we think, just ask and they will fix it, it would be done. We are not in the business and don't know what all that has to be done to comply with rules regulations, insurance, liability etc. etc. I know they had problems in US to go forward with the heat issue with the master cylinder. They did get the fix in Canada straight away but here there was a long delay not on BRP's side...just hate to see this turn into a lynch mob....!! jmo

[Bob Denman]

[QUOTE=Sny;693576]The thing about the 2013's is they have the same engine, same exhaust, same cat, same plugs, same headers, same intake and same cooling system as a 2012.

Yet the 2013's put out a lot more heat.

It's not just damaging parts because of their location (and the locations did change for some things). It's because the engine itself is producing more heat.

Does it run hotter? No, the cooling system is keeping it at the designated operating temp. But that doesn't mean more heat isn't being created.
Here's an example:
Take a 2012 RT and a 2013 RT who live next door to each other.
Go for a 300 mile ride together on the Interstate at interstate speeds. Doesn't matter the temp outside.
Put into your respective, identical, garages when you get home. Measure the temp inside when you pull in and 1 hour later.
The garage with the 2012 might go up 3 or 4 degrees while the garage with the 2013 goes up 30-40 degrees. No joke. Pull in at 70F and 1 hour later it's 110F in there. On a cool day!
I'll spare you the math that determines how much stored energy is being released by a 2013 vs a 2012 but the BTU's generated by the 2013 are 10 times what comes off the 2012.
[QUOTE]
We need a little bit of information here...
Is this actual results, or are you just pulling numbers out of the air??

[wftb]

from what i have read , the 2013 RT models got a new frame and modified suspension compared to the older models .i think why the heat issues are so much worse is BRP designed the new frame so it would work with the 2014 3 cylinder motor .unfortunately that meant that a lot of things got rerouted to fit the existing motor to fit the new frame .so the 2013 are hotter running than previous years .most reviews praised the improved handling of the 2013 .but they never rode it long enough to get the extreme heat issues to rear their ugly head .my spyder is a 2009 GS and it puts out a lot of heat compared to my honda 750 aero (the rad fan has never even turned on yet).i prefer not to ride the spyder on a hot day .i could not cope with the hotter temps most southern riders get all the time .a hot day around here is 80 degrees F .

[spyder3]

Scotty,

How would you explain the meltdown internally on some of these bikes, but not all. This would have nothing to do with the rider.

Ann is a veteran rider...Fire FB is a veteran rider.... Hot ride

[boborgera]

Scotty,

How would you explain the meltdown internally on some of these bikes, but not all. This would have nothing to do with the rider.

It's called an intangible.???? Sometimes you get the Bear, And sometimes the Bear gets you.
I had a Pinto [73] and it never went up in flames, But from what i understood some did...

[flamingobabe]

well...I went on a ride yesterday behind Mark on the Valk and enjoyed it.....I told myself I was going to not post any more about the 2013's heat issues...it is driving me to a place I have never been and it's not pretty...but that is my issue....but.....this is my second Spyder total 65k always wear boots and jeans,,,,,1st Spyder never much heat...fixed all the little problems and loved the 09 RS.....but if you have never owned a 2013 with the heat issues you don't really understand...I have stopped, put my helmet on handlebar area...1 hour later picked up helmet...dropped it cause it was too hot to touch....cruise control on...rest hand on handlebar...not on 2013...it will burn your hand.....the panels at top that read Can-am extremely hot for 2+ hours...it shudders and shakes at take-off and reverse...it is not the clutch it is in the engine....gas cap so hot you can't hardly touch...gas boiling...have to wait and let gas cool before gas will go in tank...smell of gas for 1 to 2 hours after shut down....leave bike out near road until cooled...don't want to burn down garage......white spark plugs...running lean....my husband can fix anything.....but we will not fix a defected machine that cost $25,000 and less than 6months old, experiencing all these problems...what is this extreme heat doing to the engine? rubber parts, plastic parts....I try really hard to work with BRP and dealer working on Spyder....I'm exhausted...this is not directed to anyone person...so please do not take my comments personally...just a frustrated 2013 ST owner

[hotglue]

I told her to leave the key in it when it is parked out by the road..... problem solved!!! ..... but I don't know that someone could figure out how to start the Spyder LOL