2012 spyder rt just died

[Turdie12]

Just got my Spyder 2012 used. First time rider, and absolutely love my bike. Took it out for a short ride today and it just died.. went about three miles from home, stopped at a stop sign and when I acceletated it puttered, didn't have any umph and died. Lights work, radio (iPod) works, has gas. The kill switch was dysfunctional when I got the bike. My husband just replaced the running lights on the fenders with led bulbs, and disconnected the analog gas and temp gauge so I could use the digital gauge on the dash. We saw a video on Youtube that says changing bulbs to led can kill a bike. So he went out and put the old ones back.. bike still won't start, not even a turn over or click. Nothing.
anyone else have this issue?
Thank you

[SteveLaoyster]

How old is the battery? I believe once the voltage gets so low the electronics won't let you do much of anything. Try jumping it. If that works then it's the battery.

[ottawa-rider]

Is it a manual (SM) or automatic (SE).

If SE, remember, if it died on the road, it's probably in gear, you must hold the brake while starting otherwise, it will no even crank.

Hope it is as simple as that, if not, then it's above my pay grade.

[SpyderAnn01]

Definitely check the battery and be sure the connections are tight.

[Turdie12]

Is it a manual (SM) or automatic (SE).

If SE, remember, if it died on the road, it's probably in gear, you must hold the brake while starting otherwise, it will no even crank.

Hope it is as simple as that, if not, then it's above my pay grade.

its an automatic.

[Turdie12]

How old is the battery? I believe once the voltage gets so low the electronics won't let you do much of anything. Try jumping it. If that works then it's the battery.


ok, we'll give that a try next. thank you

[Highwayman2013]

How was the kill switch repaired? Could be that.

[youngers]

quote ---> The kill switch was dysfunctional when I got the bike <-------- a big :yikes: from the get go ! did you happen to do a test ride before you bought the cycle ? let us know ( what is meant by kill switch was dysfunctional , if you can ) ... some of us , have reaper manual that might be able to help! ------- > try that brake peddle down and try to start 1st though ...

[DGoebel]

Turdie12, I hope you've already got this corrected, but, my '13 had a (very Rare) Kill switch failure as well. It turned out that if the mechanic put all of his weight onto that switch it could work, I ended up having the complete right hand throttle assembly / console replaced. Works flawlessly now.

[SteveLaoyster]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[Gordy]

i would check the battery cables for tight .there is also a battery ground under the seat to check plus main fuse and circuit breaker .battery ground under seat is hard to tighten because there is a nut under it thats hard to get at

[Turdie12]

How was the kill switch repaired? Could be that.

currently in the shop. Battery, charging, and kill switch all on the list of to do's for the mechanic.

[Turdie12]

Turdie12, I hope you've already got this corrected, but, my '13 had a (very Rare) Kill switch failure as well. It turned out that if the mechanic put all of his weight onto that switch it could work, I ended up having the complete right hand throttle assembly / console replaced. Works flawlessly now.

hmmmm good thing we got an extended warranty.. this could get ugly. Bike is currently in the shop and the switch is on the list of things to look at.

[prisondude]

hmmmm good thing we got an extended warranty.. this could get ugly. Bike is currently in the shop and the switch is on the list of things to look at.
Good luck on getting it fixed. I would suggest battery as I had a regular motorcycle that kept on dying and that fixed it. But the kill switch not working doesn't sound good either but good luck

[SteveLaoyster]

What was the prognosis and solution?

[ARtraveler]

It could be as simple as the battery. If that is the original battery on the 2012 its a bit past due for a change. :thumbup:

[Turdie12]

What was the prognosis and solution?

it seems the kill switch may be the issue. Couldn't find the correct part or part number, went rounds with BRP saying they needed part number to find if it was a part that was available??? REALLY?? Finally with the help of a salesman at a local dealer 75 miles away, part has been shipped to mechanic. Status as of now not really sure.
Im hoping this is not a pre-courser to the future of this bike.

[LeftCoast]

This is what scares the heck out of me with buying a used bike this expensive. I really hope this story has a happy ending.

[al0vely]

This is what scares the heck out of me with buying a used bike this expensive. I really hope this story has a happy ending.

What is scaring you?

All bikes / brands can have malfunctions - new or old.

[Little Blue]

:coffee:Hope this issue will be FIXED very Soon. :thumbup: Please Keep us Updated.

[DGoebel]

Turdie12, After they replaced mine, it's worked flawlessly since. My shop replaced the entire right side console versus just the switch, curious to find out if your shop did replace just the switch.

[jerpinoy]

I followed most post who made MODS on their spyders and most and always follows with heads aches. When mods are done,, usually not normal means not tested by BRP. A simple mod of lights will affect minimal amps but more and more mods will. Nanny can only tolerate some mods. This is the big reason WHY I don't do Mods especially electrical. I am a Marine electrician I know.

[SteveLaoyster]

I followed most post who made MODS on their spyders and most and always follows with heads aches. When mods are done,, usually not normal means not tested by BRP. A simple mod of lights will affect minimal amps but more and more mods will. Nanny can only tolerate some mods. This is the big reason WHY I don't do Mods especially electrical. I am a Marine electrician I know.:agree: that electrical mods must be done (or not at all) with the thought in mind that they may have to be removed in the future because of problems possibly caused by the mod.

I installed some nice loud dual horns that I like very much. But when I'm playing music off a flash drive on the USB and I beep the horn, the music gets interrupted. Still working on solving the issue.

[RinconRyder]

This is what scares the heck out of me with buying a used bike this expensive. I really hope this story has a happy ending.

Plenty of used bikes available with existing warranty. This should unscare you.

[LeftCoast]

Yeah definitely looking for that. Without getting into it I don’t come from a riding family so there is limited support for the purchase. If it ends up living in the shop and costing a lot of $$ from the get go it just will make things more complicated. Not complaining about the situation just want to maximize the opportunity for a positive outcome that hopefully the spouse will also want to partake in.

That being said I don’t want to hijack the thread. I’m pulling for a good resolution for the OP that will be covered by BRP.

[RinconRyder]

Yeah definitely looking for that. Without getting into it I don’t come from a riding family so there is limited support for the purchase. If it ends up living in the shop and costing a lot of $$ from the get go it just will make things more complicated. Not complaining about the situation just want to maximize the opportunity for a positive outcome that hopefully the spouse will also want to partake in.

That being said I don’t want to hijack the thread. I’m pulling for a good resolution for the OP that will be covered by BRP.

I would have the following advice for you having been in exactly your situation myself (buying a used and very expensive Spyder):

Before considering a purchase talk to other Spyder owners in your area and get feedback as to their satisfaction with the authorized dealers. They should be favorably referred and not too far away. Tour any prospective dealers, look at their shops, count the number of Spyders being serviced (as compared with other BRP products). Talk to the service manager and see if he/she seems to know the product. Typical questions being how much warranty and repair service do they do? What does their service staff look like (with regard to qualifications and experience)?

Buy a used Spyder having an existing, and transferable, warranty. It can be either the factory warranty or aftermarket (B.E.S.T. etc.). Ensure, before purchase, it can be transferred to you and ascertain the cost, if any. If it is not one of the better known warranties I would post the question on this forum and get opinions from others who may have experience with them.

Know that any late model Spyder is a very complicated vehicle which requires both knowledge and experience to work on and not all dealers will have that. Also, from many comments made on this forum, it is my perception that BRP is not satisfactory at providing either the tools or knowledge or commitment should you acquire a lemon on run into a rare problem. With many motorcycles there are usually a plethora of authorized and independent shops. This not the case with the Spyder. Know what you are getting into.

If you are a do it yourselfer also know that the Spyder can be a real PITA to work on compared to almost any other motorcycle and the Spyder dealer in your neighborhood may have labor rates that take your breath away. Consider this if you do not plan to work on the bike yourself. Owning a Spyder, financially, is not in the same class as owning any metric or Harley bike. Think of it as an exotic and ask yourself if you have the ability or desire to farm out any maintenance or repair work with labor rates to match. The number of owners carrying aftermarket warranties on their Spyders may help answer that question.

Given the number of buyers, new and used, who have posted issues with their Spyders on this forum over the past year I would tell you to anticipate a series of issues with any Spyder you buy. They range from "how to ride my Spyder" to "how come my Spyder twitches all over the road" to "my radio reception sucks" to endless questions regarding tire pressures and accessories. Also, strongly suggested is the use of the forum's sponsors to do any farkles associated with electrical or mechanical. Many problems seem to rise up after a new owner installs an accessory that is attached to any electrical circuit or sensor. And you can assure yourself that even your brand new Spyder will need at least a competent wheel alignment (because BRP can't seem to do it consistently or correctly).

Do not assume you can take your Spyder off road or on unimproved surfaces. The fabric drive belt seems to be a magnet for small rocks which can poke holes in the belt causing premature failure (and, like every other part, those belts are not cheap).

Trying to be realistic here and cover all the important bases and not necessarily to bash BRP (other than their customer service which gets virtually no good feedback). Don't be afraid to use this forum or the supporting vendors for information or troubleshooting. Lots of experience here.

[oldgoat]

If LeftCoast was hesitant before, he is probably disappearing over the horizon in a cloud of dust now.

[LeftCoast]

If LeftCoast was hesitant before, he is probably disappearing over the horizon in a cloud of dust now.

:roflblack: Not, yet! Everybody here has been great and all the comments and advice are a welcomed body of knowledge from a great group of folks. I may avoid a bike that has had kill switch problems however(!) and I'm still hoping for a positive outcome for the OP.

[LeftCoast]

I would have the following advice for you having been in exactly your situation myself (buying a used and very expensive Spyder):

Before considering a purchase talk to other Spyder owners in your area and get feedback as to their satisfaction with the authorized dealers. They should be favorably referred and not too far away. Tour any prospective dealers, look at their shops, count the number of Spyders being serviced (as compared with other BRP products). Talk to the service manager and see if he/she seems to know the product. Typical questions being how much warranty and repair service do they do? What does their service staff look like (with regard to qualifications and experience)?

Buy a used Spyder having an existing, and transferable, warranty. It can be either the factory warranty or aftermarket (B.E.S.T. etc.). Ensure, before purchase, it can be transferred to you and ascertain the cost, if any. If it is not one of the better known warranties I would post the question on this forum and get opinions from others who may have experience with them.

Know that any late model Spyder is a very complicated vehicle which requires both knowledge and experience to work on and not all dealers will have that. Also, from many comments made on this forum, it is my perception that BRP is not satisfactory at providing either the tools or knowledge or commitment should you acquire a lemon on run into a rare problem. With many motorcycles there are usually a plethora of authorized and independent shops. This not the case with the Spyder. Know what you are getting into.

If you are a do it yourselfer also know that the Spyder can be a real PITA to work on compared to almost any other motorcycle and the Spyder dealer in your neighborhood may have labor rates that take your breath away. Consider this if you do not plan to work on the bike yourself. Owning a Spyder, financially, is not in the same class as owning any metric or Harley bike. Think of it as an exotic and ask yourself if you have the ability or desire to farm out any maintenance or repair work with labor rates to match. The number of owners carrying aftermarket warranties on their Spyders may help answer that question.

Given the number of buyers, new and used, who have posted issues with their Spyders on this forum over the past year I would tell you to anticipate a series of issues with any Spyder you buy. They range from "how to ride my Spyder" to "how come my Spyder twitches all over the road" to "my radio reception sucks" to endless questions regarding tire pressures and accessories. Also, strongly suggested is the use of the forum's sponsors to do any farkles associated with electrical or mechanical. Many problems seem to rise up after a new owner installs an accessory that is attached to any electrical circuit or sensor. And you can assure yourself that even your brand new Spyder will need at least a competent wheel alignment (because BRP can't seem to do it consistently or correctly).

Do not assume you can take your Spyder off road or on unimproved surfaces. The fabric drive belt seems to be a magnet for small rocks which can poke holes in the belt causing premature failure (and, like every other part, those belts are not cheap).

Trying to be realistic here and cover all the important bases and not necessarily to bash BRP (other than their customer service which gets virtually no good feedback). Don't be afraid to use this forum or the supporting vendors for information or troubleshooting. Lots of experience here.

Great and welcomed post Rincon, thank you. I'll also get back to you on your PM asap.

[Madison Sully]

it seems the kill switch may be the issue. Couldn't find the correct part or part number, went rounds with BRP saying they needed part number to find if it was a part that was available??? REALLY?? Finally with the help of a salesman at a local dealer 75 miles away, part has been shipped to mechanic. Status as of now not really sure.
Im hoping this is not a pre-courser to the future of this bike.

Can't you just jump the kill switch (new guy here, please don't hurt me....)?

[pegasus1300]

try this # 710003921. This is the entire rt side switch as the kill button does not come by itself.

[pegasus1300]

Can't you just jump the kill switch (new guy here, please don't hurt me....)?

That would be the only way to repair a bad kill switch as the whole housing comes as on piece.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I installed some nice loud dual horns that I like very much. But when I'm playing music off a flash drive on the USB and I beep the horn, the music gets interrupted. Still working on solving the issue.
I'm going to say it's not the add-on horns. I've noticed the same sort of thing with my 2014 RTS. My horns are powered through a relay that is in parallel to the OEM horn circuit. If I remember correctly the audio system goes mute regardless of the audio source.

[SteveLaoyster]

I'm going to say it's not the add-on horns. I've noticed the same sort of thing with my 2014 RTS. My horns are powered through a relay that is in parallel to the OEM horn circuit. If I remember correctly the audio system goes mute regardless of the audio source.
I have mine wired up the same way.

Before I put ferrite beads on the horn wires, honking the horn did something to the USB-flash drive connection and the radio stopped reading the flash drive. I had to pull the flash drive off the USB and put it back on before I could play it again.

I'm still having issues and I'm going to put some small capacitors on the horns next to try to get rid of the electrical noise.

[SteveLaoyster]

I have mine wired up the same way.

Before I put ferrite beads on the horn wires, honking the horn did something to the USB-flash drive connection and the radio stopped reading the flash drive. I had to pull the flash drive off the USB and put it back on before I could play it again.

I'm still having issues and I'm going to put some small capacitors on the horns next to try to get rid of the electrical noise.But of course I got off the subject of the thread. I hope they get their ryde fixed before good weather hits. It sucks to not to be able to ride then.

[Turdie12]

This is what scares the heck out of me with buying a used bike this expensive. I really hope this story has a happy ending.

Purchasing a used expensive bike for a deal (like I did) or being able to purchase a $37,000 new Harley TriGlide (like I wish I could) does not guarantee any more reliability.
I did purchase an extended warranty for my RT when I got it. My suggestion when you buy ANYTHING would be to research where you can take the darn thing to be worked on... do your homework. The largest problem with BRP is that theres limited shops that are certified to work on them... and the other issue is actually getting parts. Turdie ended up in the shop for 5 weeks! Went in for an oil change, and safety inspection, also because it died.
The nightmare started from the motorcycle shop where it was purchased. The paper work for warranty wasn't sent in for two weeks. Then the mechanic we had it with had the wrong part number for the kill switch. Calling BRP in Canada turned out to be a waste of time. Then we had to call the nearest dealer 70 miles away and have them start a claim with BRP (standard procedure it seems when they don't supply a part for a bike anymore) then more waiting... then finally got the correct part number and had to wait another week for the part to ship from Las Vegas NV to Ca.
To add another day, the mechanic had to wait 48 hours for the insurance (warranty work) adjuster to come and "make sure" the kill switch was actually faulty and the neutral switch as well because the mechanic discovered it wasn't working as well... the adjuster refused to stay to see the the neutral not working as it took to much of his time! we can wait 48 hours but he couldn't give us 30 min!
When it was all said and done it was over $700 to get the damn thing out of the shop. Its good to be on the road again, but I won't be purchasing another BRP product. This ordeal and the fact finding after market parts and accessories has soured me. My next ride will definitely be an American made HD Trike.

So, after 124 miles and less then 24 hours out of the shop; the 5 week visit one, the POS was yet again towed. Back to the shop. this time its intermittent on shifting. N and R work fine, but wont shift from 1st up.
warranty work again and who knows how long it will take this time. Going to sell it and just ride two up on the Harley. Im over this ride!