Another Spyder *Fire*

[spyder3rdr]

I rode to work today , about 60 miles , one way ... I got home this evening about 7 and did a few things ... then decided to ryde to town to a friends house . I got on the saddle and noticed the smell of gas fumes ... started her up and backed up about 12 feet ... I looked down and my B*lls were on FIRE !!! I quickly shut it off and popped the seat up , flames were surrounding the fuel tank cap and under the plastics :gaah:, I ran inside and got my extinguisher and shot her full of powder !!! NO telling how long i'll be without my beloved Spyder ... :(

[Some Guy]

YIKES!!! :shocked:

I hope everything works out OK.

[BRPjunkie]

Great Balls of Fire, literally. This sounds a little different than the Spyder fires that started right after shut down. This one was at rest for some time and ignited on start up. Some combination of fuel leak and spark.

[Capt John]

Time to get off my butt and buy a fire extinguishers! Sorry to hear about your :spyder2: I hope you get it back soon.

[Big Arm]

Time to get off my butt and buy a fire extinguishers!

Sorry to hear about your fire, spyder3rdr

I picked up a couple a few weeks ago. Better safe than sorry.

[BRPjunkie]

Sorry to hear about your fire, spyder3rdr

I picked up a couple a few weeks ago. Better safe than sorry.


Who carries the XT exstinguishers?

[Big Arm]

Who carries the XT exstinguishers?

I purchased these the day atadude posted that they were on woot.com that day. As for a dealer, or store that carries these, I'm sorry that I can't help you.

[DannyS]

I bought them on Woot also. They are also listed on buy.com but the are out of stock. I am sure you can get them or an equivalent on line somewhere.:chat:

PS hope your Spyder gets well soon. You too.

[3wheeldemon]

The PWC type extingusher also fits very well in the Spyder trunk, is marine grade (outdoors resistant), B C type (electrical and gasoline) and cheap ~$15, my 2 cents:
Kidde PWC Fire Extinguisher



3WD

[wolfshead1]

This can not be good.Maybe owners should not extinguish fire too soon?

[gazey]

Thats a Bummer....That sounds a little to close for comfort. Hope you are OK. The Spyder can be fixed or replaced. Keep us informed with what you find :doorag:

[Trickie Dick]

How many is this now? :gaah:

[Firefly]

Had you recently filled up?
Was gas smell a normal thing you had before?
Any mods?


Please report this to BRP and the NHTSA.

Here is a direct link to where you start the process:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

[Some Guy]

I purchased these the day atadude posted that they were on woot.com that day. As for a dealer, or store that carries these, I'm sorry that I can't help you.

HA! Me too! I got 4 of them for my (3) vehicles. Call me superstitious, but it's like taking an umbrella with you...if you have one, it WON'T rain! :roflblack:

[BLACK WIDOW]

I rode to work today , about 60 miles , one way ... I got home this evening about 7 and did a few things ... then decided to ryde to town to a friends house . I got on the saddle and noticed the smell of gas fumes ... started her up and backed up about 12 feet ... I looked down and my B*lls were on FIRE !!! I quickly shut it off and popped the seat up , flames were surrounding the fuel tank cap and under the plastics :gaah:, I ran inside and got my extinguisher and shot her full of powder !!! NO telling how long i'll be without my beloved Spyder ... :(

:yikes:
This getting to be more than a coincidence. Very concerning! I will definately be shopping for a fire extinguisher.nojoke

Michael:doorag:

[NancysToy]

The PWC type extingusher also fits very well in the Spyder trunk, is marine grade (outdoors resistant), B C type (electrical and gasoline) and cheap ~$15, my 2 cents:
Kidde PWC Fire Extinguisher



3WD
A BC type extingisher is rated for electrical and flammable liquid fires, but not "normal" combustible materials. Trouble is when these other fires start, the plastic, upholstery, and other parts catch fire, too. I highly recommend an ABC type of extinguisher for general use.

[BumbleBee]

I hope you are okay. Sorry to hear about your spyder. Did someone tell me not to panic? These spyder fires are adding up fast, in such a short time. :dontknow: I am going shopping tomorrow, for several extinguishers myself.

[3wheeldemon]

A BC type extingisher is rated for electrical and flammable liquid fires, but not "normal" combustible materials. Trouble is when these other fires start, the plastic, upholstery, and other parts catch fire, too. I highly recommend an ABC type of extinguisher for general use.

Is a matter of opinion, but there is nothing more similar to a motorcycle than a personal watercraft, cables, wires, plastic and upholstery and they come equipped with a B C. The electrical fire is actually plastic burning so the C agent is good for that and non-conductive avoiding making things worse. Either one would work but with limited volume of agent is critical to be specific and to catch the fire at the beginning (electrical+gas). I hope we'll never find out!:dontknow:
3WD

[spyder08]

Put an extinguisher in my Spyder yesterday.

[bone crusher]

Is a matter of opinion, but there is nothing more similar to a motorcycle than a personal watercraft, cables, wires, plastic and upholstery and they come equipped with a B C. The electrical fire is actually plastic burning so the C agent is good for that and non-conductive avoiding making things worse. Either one would work but with limited volume of agent is critical to be specific and to catch the fire at the beginning (electrical+gas). I hope we'll never find out!:dontknow:
3WD

Here is a link for an inexpensive AB extinguisher...small extinguishers are very hard to find....esp. ABC rated....for general fires and those involving oil, gas, grease, etc..., this will work...plastic is made from petroleum products and 'B' covers this quite well. C for electrical is important but once things are burning, an AB should suffice (so they say)...

http://www.campingsurvival.com/fi2016ozfiex.html

[dave01]

Going in for the recall today and picking up a fire extinguisher while i am there. Only problem is if I mount it in the trunk, I need to reach over the bars to open it and get the thing out. Gotta find an alternative mounting area, something really accessable

[NancysToy]

Going in for the recall today and picking up a fire extinguisher while i am there. Only problem is if I mount it in the trunk, I need to reach over the bars to open it and get the thing out. Gotta find an alternative mounting area, something really accessable
If carrying an extinguisher gives you peace of mind, so be it. As we know, it is a requirement on boats and personal watercraft. Never a bad idea. That being said, the first thing to do in case of a vehicle or boat fire is to get away! These things go up in a heartbeat. If you can readily access a extinguisher on another vehicle or in a building, as has been done with some of these fires, do so. Do not stop to try to dig your extinguisher out of the trunk, though. These fires are very close to the gas tanks! Like I was taught from the very first time I used a boat...if a fire starts, jump overboard immediately!

[mc2276]

:cus:.. that sucks. Glad you are ok. Guess I need to look into a fire extinguisher myself.

[Lamonster]

I rode to work today , about 60 miles , one way ... I got home this evening about 7 and did a few things ... then decided to ryde to town to a friends house . I got on the saddle and noticed the smell of gas fumes ... started her up and backed up about 12 feet ... I looked down and my B*lls were on FIRE !!! I quickly shut it off and popped the seat up , flames were surrounding the fuel tank cap and under the plastics :gaah:, I ran inside and got my extinguisher and shot her full of powder !!! NO telling how long i'll be without my beloved Spyder ... :(


I'm really sorry to hear this Bro. I know this will be hard for you to be without your Spyder. :gaah:
Did you have the software upgrade before the fire?

[patches]

Vinnie, let me know if you need help hauling it off to the dealer. Mine is at Goldsboro right now for other un related items but have a truck and trailer if you need to take it down there. Glad you are OK.

[Mr Safety]

These fires are becoming more frequent. We need to start looking into the case of the fire instead of the treatment for them when they happen. Fire extinguishers are nice to have but BRP needs to figure out what is causing these fires and eliminate the hazard. I wouldn't feel safe taking the Spyder on a long trip knowing that something could cause it to go up in flames mid trip. So far, no one has been hurt. I hope that BRP doesn't wait until that happens before they put every effort into finding what the cause of these fires are from.

:chat:

[BumbleBee]

These fires are becoming more frequent. We need to start looking into the case of the fire instead of the treatment for them when they happen. Fire extinguishers are nice to have but BRP needs to figure out what is causing these fires and eliminate the hazard. I wouldn't feel safe taking the Spyder on a long trip knowing that something could cause it to go up in flames mid trip. So far, no one has been hurt. I hope that BRP doesn't wait until that happens before they put every effort into finding what the cause of these fires are from.

:chat:

:agree:with you...

[cwhcwh]

Man, Im sorry to hear about your spyder, glad you were not hurt. Surely the causes of these fires are being looked into.

[DynamoBT]

Nothing to add really. Just observing that this is very disconcerting. nojoke

[jimmykjimmy]

Time to get off my butt and buy a fire extinguishers! Sorry to hear about your :spyder2: I hope you get it back soon.


I already did, its in the trunk:sour:

[mxz600]

I for one am not going to carry a fire extinguisher in my Spyder. I do not have one for the car, truck, bike, sleds etc. If it goes up in flames so be it (run Forest run).:yikes: I would rather it be a total loss than have it saved and repaired. I don't need a bunch of new issues that could possibly crop up from it being repaired. Also all of the down time it would take to get it fixed.:gaah: For me I'll just take my insurance check, put some cash with it and go pick up a new one.

[Brevet05]

As disconcerting as this is becoming, the worst part is not knowing what's behind the fires. We're probably still at BRP's statistically insignificant level, and some of that is because we're not following through with reporting the fires to the NTHSA and/or BRP. We know of at least seven fires in the past couple of months, so there should be investigations. I hope it doesn't require serious injury or loss (house fire, perhaps) for someone to take this seriously.

I hope that those of you who have had a fire or have a friend with a fire will follow through with the reporting. We have enough smoke to believe that there's something wrong, let's do something about it.

Stepping off the soapbox...

[SpyderRyder810]

Spyder3rdr:

Though I'm sorry to read of another Spyder fire, I'm so glad you weren't hurt.

As FireFly wrote, please be sure to contact the NHTSA. IMHO there have been too many of these to be coincidence or rider error. For the protection of all, they need to be notified.

If you will, please let us know in a future post what NHTSA says about this.

Thanks and I hope you'll be riding with the Spyders soon,
Joan

[Lamonster]

I for one am not going to carry a fire extinguisher in my Spyder. I do not have one for the car, truck, bike, sleds etc. If it goes up in flames so be it (run Forest run).:yikes: I would rather it be a total loss than have it saved and repaired. I don't need a bunch of new issues that could possibly crop up from it being repaired. Also all of the down time it would take to get it fixed.:gaah: For me I'll just take my insurance check, put some cash with it and go pick up a new one.
:agree:

[Firefly]

I for one am not going to carry a fire extinguisher in my Spyder. I do not have one for the car, truck, bike, sleds etc. If it goes up in flames so be it (run Forest run).:yikes: I would rather it be a total loss than have it saved and repaired. I don't need a bunch of new issues that could possibly crop up from it being repaired. Also all of the down time it would take to get it fixed.:gaah: For me I'll just take my insurance check, put some cash with it and go pick up a new one.

:agree:

I'm not going to carry one either. We shouldn't have to - I've never heard of any bikers carrying them before !

This problem has to be twofold:

1. Gas fumes are floating about just waiting to be ignited.
2. Something is shorting or sparking igniting the gas fumes.


I would say at least 50% of us have smelled gas fumes from early in our Spyder ownership.


BRP where are you ?????????????

[smokster]

Sorry to hear about your fire, spyder3rdr

I picked up a couple a few weeks ago. Better safe than sorry.
Net Weight: 15.87 Oz.
11" Tall
8 1/2" Diameter
seems pretty big to me

[3wheeldemon]

I've never heard of any bikers carrying them before !



A new "mod" field to jump in!:roflblack::shemademe_smilie:

[Rando]

Lamonster, have you been in touch with your BRP contact person concerning these fires? Can you share anything with us?

[bone crusher]

Lamonster, have you been in touch with your BRP contact person concerning these fires? Can you share anything with us?

How about a spyderlovers petition that 'kindly' asks BRP to look into this...get everyone here to sign it electronically and bombard their customer service with it? They might have corrected the problem on the newer bikes and never addressed the fix with those with the earlier editions...like the covering of the different lines/hoses/wires...

[Lamonster]

Lamonster, have you been in touch with your BRP contact person concerning these fires? Can you share anything with us?

I've talked with several folks from BRP. Some seem to think it could be owner installed accessories that were not fused properly or had under size wire. I quickly pointed out that most of these Spyders have not be modified or have had very little modifications. These guys were not the ones I would say are in "in the loop" as far as the tech side of the Spyder.

There is no hard evidence of what is going on here. The fact that there is a fuel smell from the Spyder could mean a evap can is full of fuel or a fuel line issue. Even then there has to be a ignition source. Turning on or off the Spyder could have the effect of creating an arc if a power cable somewhere is loose or there is some sort of relay or contact open to gas fumes.:dontknow:

I have been forwarding these post to my contacts and I'm sure that the dealers have made BRP well aware of the problem. I'm also sure that BRP is much more concerned about this than most of us are. It's never good to have a fire start on any product. It is still a very small percentage of owners that have had this issue but that doesn't make it any less serious because of the small numbers. As soon as I know anything I'll let you guys know.

[FANG]

I for one am not going to carry a fire extinguisher in my Spyder. I do not have one for the car, truck, bike, sleds etc. If it goes up in flames so be it (run Forest run).:yikes: I would rather it be a total loss than have it saved and repaired. I don't need a bunch of new issues that could possibly crop up from it being repaired. Also all of the down time it would take to get it fixed.:gaah: For me I'll just take my insurance check, put some cash with it and go pick up a new one.


My sentiments exactly - don't want some half burnt spyder all or nothing for me.

sorry for your loss Spyder3rdr

[Roger]

Someone here posted recently with pictures how they noticed a fuel line rubbing on the motor i don't know if this started the fire but when i get my spyder i will be sure to do something about this just to prevent anything from happening also Lamonsters air box fix. Although oil has been dripping from bikes for years and the fix does not appear to bother the bike at all. i don't think either one will affect the warranty does anyone know for sure? :dontknow:

[Firefly]

You know --- Lamont made me think of something pertaining to the 'ignition source'. The ground connection under the seat. I know mine had come loose and the dealer thought that could have been causing my steering problems - they also tried to note that I had done mods and possibly caused this. I've never touched that connector - but it is in the general area where it could get some fumes.

Will check for tightness and maybe cover with silicone......

[watchman]

Felt I needed to say something here with the thread started about the fire starting around the gas cap area. Did not want to introduce myself like this but, I just purchased a new 09 spider and I have been watching the goings on, on this site. I must say the information is very informative and helpful. Thank you all!
Now, I have a storage building that I have kept all of my bikes in. It is sealed up tight and since I put the completely stock spyder in there just a few days ago, the air in the building now wreaks of gas fumes when I open the door. I don't know if this contributes to this fire problem but I thought all these new gas powered toys had sealed systems to control this. Any ideas or comments Welcomed.

[Lamonster]

Felt I needed to say something here with the thread started about the fire starting around the gas cap area. Did not want to introduce myself like this but, I just purchased a new 09 spider and I have been watching the goings on, on this site. I must say the information is very informative and helpful. Thank you all!
Now, I have a storage building that I have kept all of my bikes in. It is sealed up tight and since I put the completely stock spyder in there just a few days ago, the air in the building now wreaks of gas fumes when I open the door. I don't know if this contributes to this fire problem but I thought all these new gas powered toys had sealed systems to control this. Any ideas or comments Welcomed.
welcome
I would bring it back to your dealer and have them take a look at it. It's bad enough if your Spyder catches fire but all your other bike with it would be a real bummer. :yikes:

[BumbleBee]

Felt I needed to say something here with the thread started about the fire starting around the gas cap area. Did not want to introduce myself like this but, I just purchased a new 09 spider and I have been watching the goings on, on this site. I must say the information is very informative and helpful. Thank you all!
Now, I have a storage building that I have kept all of my bikes in. It is sealed up tight and since I put the completely stock spyder in there just a few days ago, the air in the building now wreaks of gas fumes when I open the door. I don't know if this contributes to this fire problem but I thought all these new gas powered toys had sealed systems to control this. Any ideas or comments Welcomed.

:agree:Bring it back to your dealer. :congrats:welcome Enjoy and ryde safe...

[3wheeldemon]

welcome
You will find, like me that the fun of the Spyder compensates for the headaches of owning new technology. Is normal to be more compelled to report the negative that the positive, after all you expect that your new toy will work well. This forum is full of people that enjoy their rides and look forward to your participation.

I am sure in few minutes you will get some good tips on your fumes issue from the veterans of the forum. Enjoy your new ride!
3WD

[kman]

I have been reading these posts lately on the fires and am very concerned so perhaps my mind or ears were playing tricks on me last evening.It was very hot and humid yesterday on my ride home from work and when i shut my engine off in the driveway I swear i heard a "whoosh" sound like you here when you turn off a propane grill.it sounded like it came from the exhaust pipe.Is it possible that unburned fuel in the exhaust and worn out gasket at the y connection might be possible cause?:dontknow:

[bone crusher]

I advise everyone to stop looking for a cause and get BRP and the National Highway Safety Admin. on this...we will not have the resources to do the testing that they can do and right now everyone is just speculating...

How many ideas have been thrown around? Dozens...

Let's bond together here, get a petition or something of the sort, and get the proper authorities and BRP to address this issue...we have power in numbers...far more than one person at a time...

We're gonna keep guessing (likely incorrectly) and waste time...what can we collectively do to expedite this process? Ideas...everyone??

[Firefly]

I advise everyone to stop looking for a cause and get BRP and the National Highway Safety Admin. on this...we will not have the resources to do the testing that they can do and right now everyone is just speculating...

How many ideas have been thrown around? Dozens...

Let's bond together here, get a petition or something of the sort, and get the proper authorities and BRP to address this issue...we have power in numbers...far more than one person at a time...

We're gonna keep guessing (likely incorrectly) and waste time...what can we collectively do to expedite this process? Ideas...everyone??

We need to get those directly affected to FILE THE REPORTS with the NHTSA - which I have posted links to over and over. Really frustrating that only one Spyder owner has taken 20 minutes of his time to do this.

The most recent link I posted takes you directly to the start of the process:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm)


How about we track down the owners out here and give them a big NUDGE to file a report. As of Friday there were no new filings. I check it about once a week since the fires to see if anyone is reporting these.

[emac1]

These fires are becoming more frequent. We need to start looking into the case of the fire instead of the treatment for them when they happen. Fire extinguishers are nice to have but BRP needs to figure out what is causing these fires and eliminate the hazard. I wouldn't feel safe taking the Spyder on a long trip knowing that something could cause it to go up in flames mid trip. So far, no one has been hurt. I hope that BRP doesn't wait until that happens before they put every effort into finding what the cause of these fires are from.

:chat:

I agree with Mr. Safety as well. Instead of BRP identifying the cause of the fires, we should all just buy fire extinguishers?? That is like having an elephant on your foot so you take pain pills instead of figuring out how to get the elephant off your foot~! :lecturef_smilie:Good to take precautions but IMHO there seems to be ALOT of problems with the Spyder. I have had steering, shifting, brakes (still no fix for that) and surging issues with my 09 SE5 and have all the updates done as well as nuts and bolts falling out in the first 500 miles. On a 400 mile ride this past weekend I smelled gas at several stops. I thought it was coming from the truck ahead of me as we followed the guy through several small towns, but I could still smell it at times even after the guy turned off. Might have been my Spyder. :gaah:I'm leaving this Fri. for the Black Hills, so might be a good idea to get a fire extinguisher. Although to tell you the truth...if it started on fire I think I'd just let it burn. What is the point in putting out the fire early if they aren't going to be able to fix it? Would you ride it after it had been in a fire? :chill:And is BRP replacing the ones that have already burned? I bet the owners won't get a replacement free and clear, they will have to pay the difference between what their "used" Spyder is worth and the cost of a new one plus wait months and months for all the red tape to be sorted out. :cus: Sure is fun to ride when it all goes well, but not sure it is worth all of the headache and worry. My husband never has to worry when he takes his Harley out on the road.

[burg650]

This is the first toy I have owned (and let me tell you I have had many) that I do not feel safe riding and now wonder if I should look into to see if there is such a insurance policy that will pay full replacement and not book value. I am sure I am not the only one who has thousand $$$$ invested other than just the cost of the machine and we all know how the book value works with insurance companies pay outs you get shafted and not much. Anyone knows of such a company that has such a policy.

Every time I get ready to ride my Spyder I spend so much time making sure there is no smell of any kind no leaks anywhere and each time I stop and park I wait around to make sure there is no surprises before I walk always.

[BLACK WIDOW]

We need to get those directly affected to FILE THE REPORTS with the NHTSA - which I have posted links to over and over. Really frustrating that only one Spyder owner has taken 20 minutes of his time to do this.

The most recent link I posted takes you directly to the start of the process:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm)


How about we track down the owners out here and give them a big NUDGE to file a report. As of Friday there were no new filings. I check it about once a week since the fires to see if anyone is reporting these.

:agree:Firefly--You are 100% correct; If there fires occurred and go unreported to the Government and BRP it's the same as if they didn't happen. A very serious condition will remain.nojoke

Michael:doorag:

[FANG]

watchman - welcome have your ryde checked out as soon as possible and then enjoy this awesome piece of technology

[vt228]

[quote=spyder3rdr;130353]I rode to work today , about 60 miles , one way ... I got home this evening about 7 and did a few things ... then decided to ryde to town to a friends house . I got on the saddle and noticed the smell of gas fumes ... started her up and backed up about 12 feet ... I looked down and my B*lls were on FIRE !!! I quickly shut it off and popped the seat up , flames were surrounding the fuel tank cap and under the plastics :gaah:, I ran inside and got my extinguisher and shot her full of powder !!! NO telling how long i'll be without my beloved Spyder ... :([/quote

let us no how it started and where so we all can do fixs on ower spyders please send photos so we can see where it was on fire.where it started what started from .:pray::pray:

[Firefly]

I agree with Mr. Safety as well. Instead of BRP identifying the cause of the fires, we should all just buy fire extinguishers?? That is like having an elephant on your foot so you take pain pills instead of figuring out how to get the elephant off your foot~! :lecturef_smilie:Good to take precautions but IMHO there seems to be ALOT of problems with the Spyder. I have had steering, shifting, brakes (still no fix for that) and surging issues with my 09 SE5 and have all the updates done as well as nuts and bolts falling out in the first 500 miles. On a 400 mile ride this past weekend I smelled gas at several stops. I thought it was coming from the truck ahead of me as we followed the guy through several small towns, but I could still smell it at times even after the guy turned off. Might have been my Spyder. :gaah:I'm leaving this Fri. for the Black Hills, so might be a good idea to get a fire extinguisher. Although to tell you the truth...if it started on fire I think I'd just let it burn. What is the point in putting out the fire early if they aren't going to be able to fix it? Would you ride it after it had been in a fire? :chill:And is BRP replacing the ones that have already burned? I bet the owners won't get a replacement free and clear, they will have to pay the difference between what their "used" Spyder is worth and the cost of a new one plus wait months and months for all the red tape to be sorted out. :cus: Sure is fun to ride when it all goes well, but not sure it is worth all of the headache and worry. My husband never has to worry when he takes his Harley out on the road.

This wouldn't be an issue for BRP to foot the bill for a replacement---- it is for your insurance company to deal with. If you have your bike properly insured - you should get a brand new one (heck - they are far cheaper today than when I bought mine!). Good time for everyone to check their policies and make sure your accessories are covered.

I would NOT ride mine after it had a fire - even a small one - unless BRP found out WHY and fixed it.

[WaltH]

This is number seven. My fire occurred on May 4th and I think the second fire (Texas) occurred on July 4th. If this is correct, we have had 5 fires since July 4th. Why the sudden surge in fires? Why didn't we have fires last summer? How many fires were there that we don't know about? Our group is small compared to the total number of Spyders sold.

This fire seems a little different. It appears to have started at the gas cap (vents to the canister) on the left side. Most of the others started on the right side where the fuel filter and canister are located. All of the fires appear to involve gasoline. It's the ignition source we don't know about.

The interesting question for this fire would be - "was the gas tank filled before it was parked". All gasoline expands after it leaves the underground tank.

I am sure BRP is working on this like crazy. I wish they would be a little more forthcoming about it. Sometimes you just have to tell the lawyers to "take a hike".

[bone crusher]

We need to get those directly affected to FILE THE REPORTS with the NHTSA - which I have posted links to over and over. Really frustrating that only one Spyder owner has taken 20 minutes of his time to do this.

The most recent link I posted takes you directly to the start of the process:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm)


How about we track down the owners out here and give them a big NUDGE to file a report. As of Friday there were no new filings. I check it about once a week since the fires to see if anyone is reporting these.

Fire,

I totally agree with you...these people have to report...why wouldn't they?

[Firefly]

As far as our numbers being low - think of it this way---

There are around 14,000 Spyders in the world.

3,000 members on this site. Not sure how many on this site actually own Spyders - but I would guess 2,000.

So we now have 6 member Spyders out of around 2,000 that have had fires. Changes the numbers drastically!

From that, one could calculate that there may be 42 fires out of the total 14,000.

[ElkSpyder]

The number of reported fires (on SpyderLovers.com) seems to be growing. Until the number of fires report to the government grows I don't think a cause and solution is going to be found. I've ridden over 18,000 miles, have not had any gas smells. And only had my exhaust gasket replacement one time. I'm not going to buy a fire extinguisher, if my :spyder: starts to burn, I'll wait for a replacement from my insurance company. And BRP will be introduced to my attorney. To anyone who has had this terrible thing happen to your :spyder:, my condolence.

[Tripod]

The Spyder fires haven't taken on the magnitude on the Pinto fires of the 1970's. However, one is too many. Go to autosafety.org/ford-pinto-fuel-fed-fires, read the article and follow the timeline from the initial petition to the NHTSA until Ford recalled the vehicles in question. One of the main reasons, albeit slow, for action to be taken was a revealing article in Mother Jones magazine. All of the recent Spyder incidents must be reported to the NHTSA and BRP. As a consumer group that is at risk, our concerns have to be heard, either from us or through the media. IMHO, thinking that these fires are a coincidence is wishful thinking. :chat:

Tripod

[painterman]

I am an 09 Phantom owner as of this summer and I also will not be buying an extinquisher, let it burn.... That being said I have 1200 miles on mine and never have had any kind of gas smell, hope BRP figures this out cause I am now a little worried about taking this thing for a long ride and I didn't buy the Spyder just to cruise around the block.

[VossHog]

You're not the only one. I have to air out my garage after parking my Spyder due to the gas fumes.

Haven't had time to take my "smoking Spyder" to the dealer yet but will let y'all know when I do.



Felt I needed to say something here with the thread started about the fire starting around the gas cap area. Did not want to introduce myself like this but, I just purchased a new 09 spider and I have been watching the goings on, on this site. I must say the information is very informative and helpful. Thank you all!
Now, I have a storage building that I have kept all of my bikes in. It is sealed up tight and since I put the completely stock spyder in there just a few days ago, the air in the building now wreaks of gas fumes when I open the door. I don't know if this contributes to this fire problem but I thought all these new gas powered toys had sealed systems to control this. Any ideas or comments Welcomed.

[bone crusher]

I think those with newer bikes are better off as it appears as if there is a lot more tubing covering wires and the like....hmmmm....

[spyder3rdr]

Thank you all for your concerns ... I posted this information for ALL Spyder owners to benefit from ... it was a small FIRE and i quickly contained it ... no cosmetic damage at all !!! I emailed BRP lastnight and called my dealer today to make them aware of the incident . I will post the information with the NHTSA as well ... (Lamonster , no i havn't had the update done yet) it will be done while they are figuring out what to do with my Spyder :shocked:

I've had a great experience being a SpyderLover and will continue to be once i'm rolling again ... sure I've had to replace Relays and Lightbulbs a few times but havn't had any major issues at all ... I'm sure BRP is already studying this issue and will resolve it quickly ... I will take her to the dealership ASAP and will keep you guys informed

[Motza]

How about a spyderlovers petition that 'kindly' asks BRP to look into this...get everyone here to sign it electronically and bombard their customer service with it? They might have corrected the problem on the newer bikes and never addressed the fix with those with the earlier editions...like the covering of the different lines/hoses/wires...
:clap::clap::clap::2thumbs::agree:

[bone crusher]

Thank you all for your concerns ... I posted this information for ALL Spyder owners to benefit from ... it was a small FIRE and i quickly contained it ... no cosmetic damage at all !!! I emailed BRP lastnight and called my dealer today to make them aware of the incident . I will post the information with the NHTSA as well ... (Lamonster , no i havn't had the update done yet) it will be done while they are figuring out what to do with my Spyder :shocked:

I've had a great experience being a SpyderLover and will continue to be once i'm rolling again ... sure I've had to replace Relays and Lightbulbs a few times but havn't had any major issues at all ... I'm sure BRP is already studying this issue and will resolve it quickly ... I will take her to the dealership ASAP and will keep you guys informed

Good luck and we look forward to working with you and others to get this issue resolved ASAP...

[BRPjunkie]

I am a long term BRP product owner and have been through first model year issues with them before. Poor component design and minor recall fixes are to be expected. We should be and have been discussing those types of issues on this forum. The fact that we are talking about whether or not we need to carry a fire extinguisher is just plain ridiculous. BRP has built Rotax powered products for years and knows how to run fuel lines and electrical components and how to design and build them for rough conditions. Snowmobiles get pounded, PWCs are thrashed, ATVs are beaten and yet they are not burning up. This machine was 10 years in the making and there is no reason we should be talking about fire extinguishers. They need to fix it soon or they will face an uphill battle in selling this thing at any price. Forget about the real statistics, if the buzz about a product is bad, especially when fire is involved, all other attributes are out the window. I have never owned any bike that I felt I had to park in the driveway after a ride just in case in bursts into flames. I don't care about the Spyder, but I won't risk my house. I have not had any issues with my Spyder and have thoroughly enjoyed the first year and first 6,000 miles, but this rash of fires is more than simply an annoyance. I was reponsible for risk management for a Fortune 500 company, and this would be a full crisis team response issue for us. We would be preparing for the first personal injury claim. I can only assume that BRP is all over this and simply doesn't have the answer yet. When they do, we may not like the result. Major recall efforts that require redesigned parts, tech training, dealer bulletins and roll out will be lengthy and troublesome for owners and dealers. I certainly hope that is not our fate, but one or two fires is one thing, the current rash is no longer statistically irrelevant. Am I still riding, yes. Am I still enjoying the rides, yes. Am I taking precautions after rides yes. Will I carry a fire extinguisher, no. So far owners have been lucky pushing burning Spyders out and using small extinguishers and avoiding personal injury or property damage. The fact is, you should not risk serious burns or even death getting too close to any fire where gasoline is involved.

[Trickie Dick]

I am a long term BRP product owner and have been through first model year issues with them before. Poor component design and minor recall fixes are to be expected. We should be and have been discussing those types of issues on this forum. The fact that we are talking about whether or not we need to carry a fire extinguisher is just plain ridiculous. BRP has built Rotax powered products for years and knows how to run fuel lines and electrical components and how to design and build them for rough conditions. Snowmobiles get pounded, PWCs are thrashed, ATVs are beaten and yet they are not burning up. This machine was 10 years in the making and there is no reason we should be talking about fire extinguishers. They need to fix it soon or they will face an uphill battle in selling this thing at any price. Forget about the real statistics, if the buzz about a product is bad, especially when fire is involved, all other attributes are out the window. I have never owned any bike that I felt I had to park in the driveway after a ride just in case in bursts into flames. I don't care about the Spyder, but I won't risk my house. I have not had any issues with my Spyder and have thoroughly enjoyed the first year and first 6,000 miles, but this rash of fires is more than simply an annoyance. I was reponsible for risk management for a Fortune 500 company, and this would be a full crisis team response issue for us. We would be preparing for the first personal injury claim. I can only assume that BRP is all over this and simply doesn't have the answer yet. When they do, we may not like the result. Major recall efforts that require redesigned parts, tech training, dealer bulletins and roll out will be lengthy and troublesome for owners and dealers. I certainly hope that is not our fate, but one or two fires is one thing, the current rash is no longer statistically irrelevant. Am I still riding, yes. Am I still enjoying the rides, yes. Am I taking precautions after rides yes. Will I carry a fire extinguisher, no. So far owners have been lucky pushing burning Spyders out and using small extinguishers and avoiding personal injury or property damage. The fact is, you should not risk serious burns or even death getting too close to any fire where gasoline is involved.

Amen:lecturef_smilie:

[3wheeldemon]

BRPjunkie: Yours is one of the better postings I ever read. I agree 100% that the issue is to prevent the fires not how to extinguish them. My only comment to this and some other previous posts is that there is no need to “flame” (pun intended :roflblack: ) those who recommended fire extinguishers. As you said, it is not only the Spyder you may be protecting, is the people and property around you. I am obviously contaminated by my background; I was a volunteer firefighter in oil refineries for twenty years, acting on six real fires. I also had the scary experience of putting off a boat fire in a friend’s boat. It only took me a leveled head and a 5 pound BC extinguisher to put down an eight foot gasoline flame. My friend and other buddy had already jumped into the water, 30 miles offshore Galveston. I did not do it out of courage but out of fear of the alternative. The potential tragedy just became a one thousand dollar repair bill and a near miss. Hollywood has us misinformed about vehicle explosions, it just take little preparedness to de-escalate a major event to a minor repair by attacking a fire right at the beginning. I rather deal with a repair shop for a while than with insurance companies (which will treat you a lot better if you show that you tried to minimize property damage) and lawyers. However, please do not let this comment detract for the very valid point of those who encouraged the reporting of these incidents to NHTSA and BRP and to concentrating on going after the root problem.

3WD

[Firefly]

I always have one nearby in my shop - so if something (even the Spyder) goes up - I can put it out - but I'm not gonna carry one onboard. If it happens alongside the road---- burn baby burn.

Checked that ground wire under the seat---- isn't near the canister at all--- so it ain't that coming loose and sparking.

[BRPjunkie]

I am not anti-fire extinguisher; I have them in my garage, in my shed and in the kitchen. If a fire starts and I catch it early enough, that's what a handy fire extinguisher is for. In reading about the Spyder fires, they seem to erupt into a ball of flames rather quickly and I do not see myself reaching for the key to unlatch the trunk, going around in front to grab a fire extinguisher and trying to get it out. I always keep the Spyder in neutral when in the garage and probably before I reached for the fire extinguisher on the wall, it would get pushed out and down the driveway. By law, I have a fire extinguisher on my Sea Doo, but if I see smoke coming from the engine compartment, I'm not wasting time looking in the storage bin for the extingusher. I'm off the thing and trying to turtle it into the water. Most people are not trained in how to use an extingusher and have never discharged one and the burn unit at the hospital is where they will tell you that.

[Badasz]

[quote=spyder3rdr;130353]I rode to work today , about 60 miles , one way ... I got home this evening about 7 and did a few things ... then decided to ryde to town to a friends house . I got on the saddle and noticed the smell of gas fumes ... started her up and backed up about 12 feet ... I looked down and my B*lls were on FIRE !!! I quickly shut it off and popped the seat up , flames were surrounding the fuel tank cap and under the plastics :gaah:, I ran inside and got my extinguisher and shot her full of powder !!! NO telling how long i'll be without my beloved Spyder ... :([/quote

let us no how it started and where so we all can do fixs on ower spyders please send photos so we can see where it was on fire.where it started what started from .:pray::pray:
WOW :yikes: ill have to keep a lookout for that gas smell but just as a precaution I think ill remove the panels in that area and look for chafes of wiring and fuel lines

[Pazuzu]

Hi everybody , yesterday one of the BRP customer service guys call me to ask me all these questions about how much I like my experience with the Spyder rating the questions from 1 to 10 . etc . I'm sure you all had to do this before , I just got my Spyder six months ago . Anyway when he asked if I will recommend the Spyder to some of my friends , family etc, I said that I wouldn't until they fix all the problems with all the Spyder catching on fire . ( I think I said twice during the whole questionnaire ) . He took note of my complains and ask me if I would mind having somebody from BRP calling me and talk to me about this issue , so I agree . This type of phone conversation are always recorded for quality purposes , so even better .

My point is that everybody that got a Spyder recently , like i did , and haven't go trough this type of phone call , please let then know how concern you are and that you won't recommend any BRP product to anybody until they take care of this situation .

[SpyderRyder810]

Hi everybody , yesterday one of the BRP customer service guys call me to ask me all these questions about how much I like my experience with the Spyder rating the questions from 1 to 10 . etc . I'm sure you all had to do this before , I just got my Spyder six months ago . Anyway when he asked if I will recommend the Spyder to some of my friends , family etc, I said that I wouldn't until they fix all the problems with all the Spyder catching on fire . ( I think I said twice during the whole questionnaire ) . He took note of my complains and ask me if I would mind having somebody from BRP calling me and talk to me about this issue , so I agree . This type of phone conversation are always recorded for quality purposes , so even better .

My point is that everybody that got a Spyder recently , like i did , and haven't go trough this type of phone call , please let then know how concern you are and that you won't recommend any BRP product to anybody until they take care of this situation .


Thank you...this certainly is one way to let BRP know we're all concerned.

[trikester]

I've had my Spyder for 16 months but only have 1800 miles on it. I have been reading about gas smells for quite some time on this forum but never experienced it myself, until now.

A couple of days ago, as I pulled up in front of my house, I caught a whiff of gas for the first time from my Spyder. Just to play it safe I parked it outside for awhile before putting it in the garage. What a scary thing to have to do!:yikes:

[DynamoBT]

I wrote a letter through the "Contact Us" link on the BRP website.

I simply said, concern was building among owners with the news of the 7 Spyder fires on the forum. I hoped they would be addressing this issue soon.

Nothing to lose. Maybe if they hear concern from enough of us via various contact points something will happen. I was hoping for acknowledgment of the fires as a first step.

[M2Wild]

This is number seven. My fire occurred on May 4th and I think the second fire (Texas) occurred on July 4th. If this is correct, we have had 5 fires since July 4th. Why the sudden surge in fires? Why didn't we have fires last summer? How many fires were there that we don't know about? Our group is small compared to the total number of Spyders sold.

This fire seems a little different. It appears to have started at the gas cap (vents to the canister) on the left side. Most of the others started on the right side where the fuel filter and canister are located. All of the fires appear to involve gasoline. It's the ignition source we don't know about.

The interesting question for this fire would be - "was the gas tank filled before it was parked". All gasoline expands after it leaves the underground tank.

I am sure BRP is working on this like crazy. I wish they would be a little more forthcoming about it. Sometimes you just have to tell the lawyers to "take a hike".

The trend appears that fire and gas fumes goes hand in hand. As the number and length of ownership increases, the chance that you over fill the gas tank causing the vent canister to overflow increase as well. Coupled with arrival of summer and hot engine parts, you get these fires. Fumes gets disappated quickly while riding so I for one wouldn't worry about my Spyder catching fire while in motion.

[WaltH]

The trend appears that fire and gas fumes goes hand in hand. As the number and length of ownership increases, the chance that you over fill the gas tank causing the vent canister to overflow increase as well. Coupled with arrival of summer and hot engine parts, you get these fires. Fumes gets disappated quickly while riding so I for one wouldn't worry about my Spyder catching fire while in motion.

I agree with you except that I never had any gas smell and my fire did start while I was in motion - as I was pulling into my garage. Raw gas should not be able to get into the carbon canister, but if it does, the risk is huge. I have no idea if the carbon canister played any role in my fire, but just to make sure I have always been very careful about overfilling the gas tank. Since the fire, I have been super-super careful. Every time there is another fire, I push the gas nozzle a little further into the tank at the next fill-up. This makes it almost impossible to measure MPG, but this is a price I will pay. The effective size of my gas tank is progressively shrinking.

[trikester]

Ouch! :(

[DannyS]

Yes I carry a fire extinguisher in my Spyder I also carry one in my car. There is one in my kitchen and on the patio near the BBQ. Also on the wall of my Garage. And yes I have been to many fire schools and used extinguishers, mechanical foam and halon. No I am not going to get myself into a bad position fighting a fire. If I can't get it out quick I am leaving fast and let the insurance company do its thing. Along with the professional fire fighters. I also carry first aid kits. To my thinking this has to do with being prepared (like carrying a roll of duck tape and some wire electrical and bailing) I don't carry the extinguisher because I think my Spyder will catch on fire.I carry it because any vehicle might catch on fire if not mine then someone else's.:f_spider:

[spyder3rdr]

I got the call yesterday from the dealer saying my Spyder was ready to go :ohyea: I went this afternoon and picked her up ... she was freshly washed and waxed ... I talked with the owner/service man and tech/mech about what was replaced / repaired . They had a list of parts that they found damage on and when they contacted BRP to order the parts , BRP asked about a few other items and they were added to the list ... slip joints (exhaust gaskets)Wiring Harness , cable for the seat latch , inner protective foam insulation , Vapor Canister , Fuel Line , Fuel filter , Purge Valve , center Y shaped panel and right side upper panel and numerous clamps ... I also had new brake pads installed ... I rode her about 50 miles after a got her home :yes::yes::yes:

I was off her for 30 days and I was about at my limit ... Spyder withdrawls are brutal , but i made it ... looking forward to my regular dose of vemon :2thumbs:

[truck 85]

glad to here you are back on the road :clap::2thumbs:

[bone crusher]

I got the call yesterday from the dealer saying my Spyder was ready to go :ohyea: I went this afternoon and picked her up ... she was freshly washed and waxed ... I talked with the owner/service man and tech/mech about what was replaced / repaired . They had a list of parts that they found damage on and when they contacted BRP to order the parts , BRP asked about a few other items and they were added to the list ... slip joints (exhaust gaskets)Wiring Harness , cable for the seat latch , inner protective foam insulation , Vapor Canister , Fuel Line , Fuel filter , Purge Valve , center Y shaped panel and right side upper panel and numerous clamps ... I also had new brake pads installed ... I rode her about 50 miles after a got her home :yes::yes::yes:

I was off her for 30 days and I was about at my limit ... Spyder withdrawls are brutal , but i made it ... looking forward to my regular dose of vemon :2thumbs:

Congrats....glad to hear you were taken care of and all is good! Gotta ride a lot to make up for the lost time!

[wildbill6565]

Glad to hear you're back on the road!! Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brevet05]

Excellent! Great to hear that BRP/your dealer made good on their responsibility to get you back on the road and happy:2thumbs:

[Tom in NM]

Get out there and feed that Spyder some bugs!

( I don't think I could take 30 days off my Spyder, you are a lot stronger than I am. )

Tom

[3wheeldemon]

Great news!!!!:clap:

[phantom13lady]

Glad to hear you're back in the saddle!

Ryde on! :2thumbs:

[Neez]

I recall from my boating days being warned that gasoline vapours are heaver than air and tend to settle in the bilges, the bottom of the hull. We were instructed to run the ventilator fans at the fuel dock until fueling was complete and the engines started. Now, I notice that unlike any motorcycle I have owned, the Spyder is boxed in at the bottom with plastic panels. I wonder if removing these panels might lessen the fume buildup and the fire hazard. BTW, I do not view this or any other precaution as an alternative to getting BRP and the authorities involved. That simply HAS to happen.

[gazey]

I was off her for 30 days and I was about at my limit ... Spyder withdrawls are brutal , but i made it ... looking forward to my regular dose of vemon :2thumbs:

I would hate to be without my ride for a week let alone a month. Good to hear you are up and running :thumbup:
Did they ever find a reason for the fire :dontknow:

[patches]

did you get new front tires in the process..lol. Ready for a ride this weekend??

[Recluze]

Very interesting thread and I am glad that things worked out as well as they did.
After hearing about the first few fires I went out and bought a good fire extinguisher. Something all of us need to have around any way.

If my scooter catches on fire I will push it out into the street and then consider my options. Losing the bike would be hard. Losing the house where it sleeps would be harder.

I 'overfill' my tank on every occasion. In California we have these goofy vapor recovery systems on pumps. If I did not top it off I would only have enough gas in it to make it to the next gas station. So I defeat the vapor recovery system and fill it pretty darn close to the top.

I have never smelled gas, have had the software upgrade, have not defeated the purge valve and pretty much don't worry about it. It makes me think that there are some uniquely defective Spyders out there and I don't have one. I hope that BRP finds what is wrong with those that are defective. BTW I had the defective steering and they eventually and thankfully fixed that. While this was not as dramatic as a fire, I was at the point where I was going to park it rather than kill myself with it.

Soooo... there are some variances between machines. That is not completely unexpected with any vehicle. Knowing that will not make you feel any better as your chestnuts are roasting on an open fire though.

Good luck.

[tajohn]

I agree, take it back to your dealer we all benefit from the feedback.I experienced the same thing. But THANKS to this site so far my problem is solved. When I fill up and the pump kicks off, do not put any more in, plus when you replace the fuel cap, tighten it until you hear or feel 2 clicks. I dont know the mechanics of it but it works for me. No more fumes when riding or in the garage.