Trading RT's

[BHawksworth]

I'm trading both my RT's that I bought in April today. One for a Yamaha FJR1300A for me, and a Spyder RS for my dad. My RT has spent most of the last 3 months in the shop, and my dad's is now having the same trouble with module communications. Third time mine has been in the shop with the same issue with module communications. I just can't deal with the unreliability any more. I've had problem bikes before - but when my dad's started having the same problem that was too much. I couldn't persuade myself any more that it was just me getting a lemon.

Anyway, I hope that other RT owners are more fortunate than me. If they had been more reliable they would be truly great bikes. I'm taking a loss on the trade, when I suppose I could have waited and used the lemon law, but I want to ride now. Best of luck to all!

P.S., Carlo was very helpful throughout, but of course, he can't fix the product. Hope we all remember that when we're frustrated and tempted to lash out. I wouldn't want his job.

[fastfraser]

Man that bites the big one. Hope you have better luck with the RS.

[bodymanpainter]

I'm trading both my RT's that I bought in April today. One for a Yamaha FJR1300A for me, and a Spyder RS for my dad. My RT has spent most of the last 3 months in the shop, and my dad's is now having the same trouble with module communications. Third time mine has been in the shop with the same issue with module communications. I just can't deal with the unreliability any more. I've had problem bikes before - but when my dad's started having the same problem that was too much. I couldn't persuade myself any more that it was just me getting a lemon.

Anyway, I hope that other RT owners are more fortunate than me. If they had been more reliable they would be truly great bikes. I'm taking a loss on the trade, when I suppose I could have waited and used the lemon law, but I want to ride now. Best of luck to all!

P.S., Carlo was very helpful throughout, but of course, he can't fix the product. Hope we all remember that when we're frustrated and tempted to lash out. I wouldn't want his job.

My wife and I both traded our Spyders in for two cruisers because of the issues we were having and all the down time. Still love the RTS but they have to be more reliable like a Honda or any of the Japanese bikes. Maybe sometime in the future we will return to the RTS when BRP can prove themselves in the market of reliability.

[namknight]

Ok! Once again reading these posts make me ask myself if I have made a big mistake! Even though my RT so far has been a joy.
Going on a 500 mile rally in 2 weeks, will be in the middle of nowhere most of the time.
Have I purchased another Harley? Been there done that.

[fastfraser]

Growing pains ! Just like when the :spyder2: first came on the scene. Stay the course.:thumbup:

[SilverSurfer]

Whenever I see one of these threads, I can't help but chime in. Please Read the posts from the majority of owners who have had no problems at all. There are a few who have problems ... AND I SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM!! I know how emotionally stessful it is to make a big investment and have problems. However, there is no such thing as a bullet proof cruiser, trike or scooter either. Some have problems. Some Toyotas and Hondas ... the two best-built cars in the world have problems as well. Some of the pre-prod Spyders definitely had issues. A percentage of pretty much anything is imperfect; however, the statistics still show in favor of the Spyder RT as a reliable machine. It is only through loyalty and reasoned reporting on owner experiences that we will enjoy a continuing and improving experience with our Spyders. 2610 miles and still spinning silk!

Paul

:2thumbs:

[MouthPiece]

I too am sorry that you have had this experience. I do wish you the best in your new endeavor. I hope you get many miles of great ryding.

On the other side of the coin (knock on wood) I just had my 6,000 mile service. This not only includes the normal oil change, but also a fairly thorough run through on how my RTS is doing. The diagnostics were all nominal and everything appears to be in tip top shape.

I had no fault codes, and everything down the maintenance schedule was listed as good. About the only thing that they did besides changing the oil was replacing two spark plugs and topping off the brake fluid. Oh, they did adjust the drive belt and torqued the rear wheel nut.

I'm not writing this post to in any way challenge or question the difficulties that you have had. I do recall though back last November and December reading all the posts about steering issues and other issues with their spyders. I couldn't help but get a questionable feeling of whether I had done the right thing or not. Instead, I am writing this post and mentioning my experience so that others out there in cyber land can see that there are good experiences that are occurring with the RTS. I am one of them.

Again, I hope that the direction you take finds you nothing but happiness and pleasure in your riding experience. I guess that's what it is about.

Thanks for letting me add my thoughts.

CHRIS PE # 0004
Very Happy RTS owner

[IWN2RYD]

Good positive posts all!:ohyea::ohyea:nojoke

Even in our situation, we have no intention of not being Spyder owners. This packaging of ideas that BRP put together fits to much of our needs to give up on it.

Frankly no product is void from failures... Well, accept us humans :roflblack::roflblack::roflblack: Just a few of us got a bit more "Challenges" than than others...:doorag::2thumbs:

Regardless of how we get there... We know in our hearts that we will finally get to the point of turn the key and go anywhere, whenever we want ryding... Here's to that future, regardless of the make or model :cheers:

[BHawksworth]

To those who have had no problems with their Spyder RT's - I think that's great, and I hope and trust they will remain trouble-free. I agree that all new models have some issue or other, but when you're the one that does (especially two machines!) it tends to color the experience and the viewpoint. But of course, the fact that I had problems does not mean that everyone will. Hope to see you all on the road!

Ben

[Recon]

Everything in life is a hit or miss gamble...that's why the insurance industry is so large as a profit machine.
I also had 2 problem bykes, first RT-S I bought blew trans 1 mile from dealer because it had been used as a demo, 2nd was a loaner, brand new, while they got me a new RT-S and it had the stall at the stoplight recall problem.
BUT...when my new one arrived it had no big problems and now has over 2000 happy miles
We love it and if we can someday get along with our local dealer, all will be joyful again in Spyderland !!
We have owned several 1st production cars as well and most have had problems for a few years before they got ironed out.

So dont give up, they will get it right and you'll have the enjoyable time you thought you would get when you first bought your Spyder:chill:

[Rockytime]

I too am sorry that you have had this experience. I do wish you the best in your new endeavor. I hope you get many miles of great ryding.

On the other side of the coin (knock on wood) I just had my 6,000 mile service. This not only includes the normal oil change, but also a fairly thorough run through on how my RTS is doing. The diagnostics were all nominal and everything appears to be in tip top shape.

I had no fault codes, and everything down the maintenance schedule was listed as good. About the only thing that they did besides changing the oil was replacing two spark plugs and topping off the brake fluid. Oh, they did adjust the drive belt and torqued the rear wheel nut.

I'm not writing this post to in any way challenge or question the difficulties that you have had. I do recall though back last November and December reading all the posts about steering issues and other issues with their spyders. I couldn't help but get a questionable feeling of whether I had done the right thing or not. Instead, I am writing this post and mentioning my experience so that others out there in cyber land can see that there are good experiences that are occurring with the RTS. I am one of them.

Again, I hope that the direction you take finds you nothing but happiness and pleasure in your riding experience. I guess that's what it is about.

Thanks for letting me add my thoughts.

CHRIS PE # 0004
Very Happy RTS owner

This is the kind of post I like to read. Gives me some confidence. I am a new owner of an RT-S having had it for only two weeks. Been riding two wheels but health reasons keep me off two wheels. The Spyder appears to be a great substitute.

[Wheeler~]

I too am sorry that you have had this experience. I do wish you the best in your new endeavor. I hope you get many miles of great ryding.

On the other side of the coin (knock on wood) I just had my 6,000 mile service. This not only includes the normal oil change, but also a fairly thorough run through on how my RTS is doing. The diagnostics were all nominal and everything appears to be in tip top shape.

I had no fault codes, and everything down the maintenance schedule was listed as good. About the only thing that they did besides changing the oil was replacing two spark plugs and topping off the brake fluid. Oh, they did adjust the drive belt and torqued the rear wheel nut.

I'm not writing this post to in any way challenge or question the difficulties that you have had. I do recall though back last November and December reading all the posts about steering issues and other issues with their spyders. I couldn't help but get a questionable feeling of whether I had done the right thing or not. Instead, I am writing this post and mentioning my experience so that others out there in cyber land can see that there are good experiences that are occurring with the RTS. I am one of them.

Again, I hope that the direction you take finds you nothing but happiness and pleasure in your riding experience. I guess that's what it is about.

Thanks for letting me add my thoughts.

CHRIS PE # 0004
Very Happy RTS owner

:agree:

[ARtraveler]

:agree:with mouthpiece

[Lamonster]

Sounds like your dealer needed to take a look at this.
http://www.spyderlovers.com/spyderbulletins/rbs2010-009%20en.pdf

[BHawksworth]

Not sure... Those don't seem like the issues I was having. My bike locked up the left wheel momentarily on a curve, then flashed DPS, VSS, engine light, and went into limp mode. That was once. The other times it simply flashed the lights and went into limp mode. Same with my Dad's bike. Doesn't sound like what's listed here.

The dealer was in touch with BRP, who recommended resetting various modules in different ways. Made no difference. I can put up with design issues that happen on a first year model, or minor things that don't work (gas gauge, etc) but reliability is non-negotiable. I have to be able to rely on the bike to get me places and get me back - especially a touring machine. I gave it a couple of months, but that's as far as I go.

I would probably feel differently if I had the sense that either the dealer or BRP knew what the issue was and could replace a part here, a part there. But my feeling was and is that for some of the stuff happening with the Spyders, they don't know. The Spyder RT's are a great idea, but I think at this point the electronics are just one step too complex. I really hope they figure it out though - would be fantastic machines if they were reliable.



Sounds like your dealer needed to take a look at this.
http://www.spyderlovers.com/spyderbulletins/rbs2010-009%20en.pdf

[effgjamis]

Well ... I cannot speak of the RT, but I have a RS and have traveled almost 30,000 miles to date and it has served me well and never left me on the side of the road, at least not yet.
If you find the right dealer I am sure your issues would be resolved.
I travel about 90 miles one way to have my RS serviced, only because I have a great deal of faith in the technician who services my RS.
I will add, that I have had issues, DPS replacement, 1st update engine ran like crap, 2nd update resolved that issue. I think the tire wear could be alot better, ( rear replaced 3 times ), front once. No I don't do burn outs, well maybe just a little by accident or in a hurry.

[BHawksworth]

I do think the RT and RS are different in terms of the issues they experience - after all, I traded one of the RT's for an RS. The RS has had issues, but they seem mostly to be ironed out at this point. Like I said - BRP was advising the dealer on my RT's and could not fix the problems - so I don't think it is a dealer issue, or not a dealer issue alone.

Go to any motorcycle forum and even long-established motorcycles have issues. The difference is that the cause of the issues is generally known.

There are obviously many RT's out there that are not having problems, or not significant problems - so hopefully BRP will figure out what is causing these issues in the minority and address them.


Well ... I cannot speak of the RT, but I have a RS and have traveled almost 30,000 miles to date and it has served me well and never left me on the side of the road, at least not yet.
If you find the right dealer I am sure your issues would be resolved.
I travel about 90 miles one way to have my RS serviced, only because I have a great deal of faith in the technician who services my RS.
I will add, that I have had issues, DPS replacement, 1st update engine ran like crap, 2nd update resolved that issue. I think the tire wear could be alot better, ( rear replaced 3 times ), front once. No I don't do burn outs, well maybe just a little by accident or in a hurry.

[BHawksworth]

So, to continue this story... My new RS has a bit more than 100 miles on the ODO, and it threw a VSS fault yesterday and went into limp mode on the highway.

That means three out of four Spyders I've owned have had electronics problems within the first few hundred miles. I find it hard to believe I am just unlucky; I think it is more likely that these vehicles have significant electronic issues.

There are obviously lots of people ready to stand by these vehicles and defend them despite the sheer number of problems with them, but I refuse to work with a vehicle that is not ready for prime time, so I'm going to sell the RS back to the dealer and wash my hands of the Spyder for good. I hate to think what kind of money I'd be putting out when the warranty on these things gives out.




I do think the RT and RS are different in terms of the issues they experience - after all, I traded one of the RT's for an RS. The RS has had issues, but they seem mostly to be ironed out at this point. Like I said - BRP was advising the dealer on my RT's and could not fix the problems - so I don't think it is a dealer issue, or not a dealer issue alone.

Go to any motorcycle forum and even long-established motorcycles have issues. The difference is that the cause of the issues is generally known.

There are obviously many RT's out there that are not having problems, or not significant problems - so hopefully BRP will figure out what is causing these issues in the minority and address them.

[Littlebadwolf]

I've got around 2500 miles on my rs...sm5 and have had zero problems other than not having enough time to ride it more. Had to add my commet as a very happy owner.

[canam9]

I'm trading both my RT's that I bought in April today. One for a Yamaha FJR1300A for me, and a Spyder RS for my dad. My RT has spent most of the last 3 months in the shop, and my dad's is now having the same trouble with module communications. Third time mine has been in the shop with the same issue with module communications. I just can't deal with the unreliability any more. I've had problem bikes before - but when my dad's started having the same problem that was too much. I couldn't persuade myself any more that it was just me getting a lemon.

Anyway, I hope that other RT owners are more fortunate than me. If they had been more reliable they would be truly great bikes. I'm taking a loss on the trade, when I suppose I could have waited and used the lemon law, but I want to ride now. Best of luck to all!

P.S., Carlo was very helpful throughout, but of course, he can't fix the product. Hope we all remember that when we're frustrated and tempted to lash out. I wouldn't want his job.

Sorry Bro, that eats s#I(. Best of luck to you and yours.:ani29:

[NancysToy]

So, to continue this story... My new RS has a bit more than 100 miles on the ODO, and it threw a VSS fault yesterday and went into limp mode on the highway.

That means three out of four Spyders I've owned have had electronics problems within the first few hundred miles. I find it hard to believe I am just unlucky; I think it is more likely that these vehicles have significant electronic issues.

There are obviously lots of people ready to stand by these vehicles and defend them despite the sheer number of problems with them, but I refuse to work with a vehicle that is not ready for prime time, so I'm going to sell the RS back to the dealer and wash my hands of the Spyder for good. I hate to think what kind of money I'd be putting out when the warranty on these things gives out.
Sorry you have to suffer through another failure. A VSS fault can be caused by something as simple as an out of adjustment wheel sensor, or even debris or water blocking the sensor. It seems extreme to wash your hands and walk away for something that may have a simple solution. Then again, I rode Brit bikes for years, so I have a high tolerance level. Others feel differently. Nothing built by man is trouble free, however...especially electronics. Some fail...fact of life. That's what warranties are for. It is frustrating to us, and it is sometimes difficult to wait for parts and repairs, but to me at least, this marvelous toy is worth some pain and suffering.

[BHawksworth]

I agree it could have a minor cause, but that's part of my problem with the Spyder. They have a level of sensitivity to minor issues that I've never seen before. It would be one thing if a minor issue was a minor inconvenience - such as the malfunctioning gas gauge or gasoline odor. I can live with that kind of thing. The problem is that these minor issues often make the bike non-functional by putting it into limp mode and necessitating a trip to the dealer, where it may sit for weeks - and an answer may be found, or may not be. Every trip becomes a 'will it happen this time'? I ride bikes to relieve stress, not to acquire it. I mean, when you buy a Brit bike, you know what you've got on your hands. When you're buying an expensive modern bike, that shouldn't be the case. It's really just too bad, the idea is great, but not the execution.


Sorry you have to suffer through another failure. A VSS fault can be caused by something as simple as an out of adjustment wheel sensor, or even debris or water blocking the sensor. It seems extreme to wash your hands and walk away for something that may have a simple solution. Then again, I rode Brit bikes for years, so I have a high tolerance level. Others feel differently. Nothing built by man is trouble free, however...especially electronics. Some fail...fact of life. That's what warranties are for. It is frustrating to us, and it is sometimes difficult to wait for parts and repairs, but to me at least, this marvelous toy is worth some pain and suffering.

[bikeguy]

Sorry that you're having so many problems. I have 4900 miles on my RT and have had absolutely no problems. Originally I was disappointed that I had to wait so long to get it but now I think it may have been a blessing in disguise. It's a later production unit and I think they may have fixed a few problems that existed on the earlier units. That and maybe the guys that put mine together were just having a good day. Anyway, I feel fortunate that mine has performed flawlessly.

Cotton

[MouthPiece]

I hate to think what kind of money I'd be putting out when the warranty on these things gives out.

No issues with my PE # 0004 RT-S (which would suggest that it was built early in the game). As far as "putting out" when the warranty gives out, I won't know for another 4 1/2 years.

Chris PE# 0004

[Dwight]

BHawksworth
You have my sympathies, I know what you've gone thru. Our's has been back 6 times for warranty work. When I had my conversation with Kurt and Carlo at the owners meeting in Chicago I told them I could overlook everything that had gone wrong (and been fixed) with my RT-S except the no-start issue. We ride a lot (11K so far) and there aren't many Spyder dealers around. A no-start in far west KS means a tow to Denver or Wichita. Ours will either be traded in for a new model, not sure if it will be a 11 or 12, or sold. Either way it will be gone before the factory warranty runs out. There isn't any way I could afford to fix this thing on my own dime. We thought the RT-S would be a great upgrade from out HD trike, turns out it isn't. I understand those who haven't had many problems may not feel this way. We like this bike, it's too bad, as someone else said, "it's not ready for prime time".

Dwight

[zeebill]

So, to continue this story... My new RS has a bit more than 100 miles on the ODO, and it threw a VSS fault yesterday and went into limp mode on the highway.

That means three out of four Spyders I've owned have had electronics problems within the first few hundred miles. I find it hard to believe I am just unlucky; I think it is more likely that these vehicles have significant electronic issues.

There are obviously lots of people ready to stand by these vehicles and defend them despite the sheer number of problems with them, but I refuse to work with a vehicle that is not ready for prime time, so I'm going to sell the RS back to the dealer and wash my hands of the Spyder for good. I hate to think what kind of money I'd be putting out when the warranty on these things gives out.



My 2008 RS ate three oil pressure sending units in the two years I owned it and went into limp more times than I can remember. Each time I managed to get it out and it went back to the dealer and another oil pressure sending unit went into it from the what the computer told the technician. It dropped me off in Oregon with a limp mode and code I had never seen and lots of smoke and noise and heat. I figured the engine was a goner. I threw it in the back of a U-Haul and came home that way as the nearest dealer in the Quote Vast Network had two weeks experience and was 125 miles the wrong way.

When push came to shove we ended up putting the 3rd oil pressure sending unit in the trike and it was traded in on a 2010 RT this year. I had about 11,000 miles on it and things never ran real smooth with the old trike. I thought great now I can enjoy a trouble free debugged RT and see how the ride should have been. Little over 2,000 miles on this new trike and I only have a clutch issue, bad gas guage, an antenna that won't stay tight even with locktite, and it has only popped into limp mode 3 times. That seems to be BuRP's idea on reliable transport as they put bandaids on things that should have been fixed in the prototyple and test units, if they had any, and keep popping out new models with new problems.

Yet we the owners and riders should be positive? How far do you want to carry this ridicuous thought? Maybe till someone we know gets killed on one of these teething problems? They never should reach the buyer level if they were doing their jobs right in the first place!

I love riding my second Spyder but I have a constant nagging thought of what is going to pop up next and how will I be affected by it. BHawksworth I wish you luck in whatever you move to next and frankly I think you are doing the right thing moving away from the Spyders. I am now commtted to the tune of about $30 grand or so and I am really having thoughts about my sanity in making this move? Bill :gaah:

[Wheeler~]

Originally Posted by BHawksworth
......BuRP's......

__________________________________________________

:2thumbs: Now that's funny!

[zeebill]

Originally Posted by BHawksworth
......BuRP's......

__________________________________________________

:2thumbs: Now that's funny!



I figure BuRP's very appropriate name for a company that makes products that fairly eat gas and explains things wrong with hot air and so much gas! ;) Bill

[CaptRalph]

I want to put in my two cents worth. I agree that the Spyder is not ready for prime time. Following is a letter I sent to Carlo yesterday. I sent the original on Tuesday. After weeks at the dealer and haaving strabded me 3 times, I too am ready to bail out of this vehicle that can be so much fun to ride, when its running ok. I've yet to receive any kind of confirmation from Carlo. I spoke to somebody at BRP and they want me to take the Spyder to a dealer to have their techs talk to the dealer. I have reservations for Gatlinburg next month, the way this is going I don't think it will happen. Right now I don't trust this lemon to take me more than a few miles. I wish Florida honored the lemon law on motorcycles. I could give you several more pages on all the problems I've had over the past 24 months... Oh I need to change my signature to "NOT A HAPPY OWNER ANYMORE!!!

Carlo:
This is an update to the letter I sent you yesterday 8-9-10. I have explained many more problems I’ve had with these dealers to show you that I can’t thrust any of these mechanics because of my bad experiences.
Hi! My name is Ralph Piñeiro. I’ve had so many problems with my 2008 Spyder that I hope you can help me. The VIN number is 2BXJACA 148V001607. I left you a message a week and a half ago but you never called me back. I need you to take this seriously as I would like to resolve this problem in an amicable way. My phone number is 305-322-xxxx, please call me.
My bike has been running rough for quite some time and no one can fix it. If the state of Florida would cover motorcycles under the lemon law mine would certainly qualify. I purchased a new vehicle so I wouldn’t have to deal with any of these problems, yet this Spyder has turned out into a nightmare. This lemon is totally unreliable, has left me stranded 3 times, and I just don’t thrust it anymore. It used to be fun to ride. Now I feel like I’m taking a gamble every time I get up on it. I need your help: I would like BRP to return my purchase price, some $20,200, or replace this lemon with a new one. After all the times they have tried, fixing it does not appear to be a choice anymore. I believe it’s not repairable, given all I’ve gone through. I’ll try to recap what has been going on just in the past couple of months alone.
I normally take my bike for service it to Barney’s in Brandon (Tampa) where I bought it, but it’s a very long drive over there. The trip to Tampa is usually about 2-1/2 hours (one way) but sometimes it takes as long as 4-1/2 hrs because of traffic. It makes for a very long day.
There is a dealer closer to me, Ridenow of Ocala (about 1 hour away). They do not have a good mechanic. Once after performing maintenance on my Spyder, I got home with no working headlights. They were working fine before the bike went to their dealership. I had to go back to the dealer. They found the large fuse under the seat blown. Of course there were no parts available, so I was told I needed to wait a week or two for fuses to come from Canada. I had to leave the bike at their shop. I went to my local auto parts store during the week and found the fuses in stock. I brought the fuse to them so they could replace it. I picked up the bike and again the fuse blew a few miles from the shop. A week of troubleshooting, and they wanted to charge me for their time and kept blaming the HID lights that Barney’s had installed upon me taking delivery of the unit.
To make a long story short, I had the bike towed to Barney’s who found the problem pretty fast: the mechanic at Ridenow had knocked a wire loose and it was laying on the exhaust causing a short. The so-called mechanic at Ridenow should have easily found it given the fact that he had been working on that area and had been the one that had knocked the wire loose. And they wanted to charge me for their time on top of that. Time without a bike at least two weeks…
In May, I took my Spyder to Deland Motorsports, after Barney’s told me that it would charge me 3-1/2 hours labor to replace my rear tire, plus another 2 hrs to replace the rear bearings. This after charging me almost $500 just to check the valves for the 12,000 mile service (we did everything else at home). The drive to Deland is about 2-1/4 hours, but it’s always a 2-1/4 hr drive. Also the people over there are very nice and always receive you with a warm smile, and are very eager to help. The problem is that it is a tiny dealership. There is hardly any room to turn your car around in the parking lot. And there is only one mechanic, a jack-of-all-trades which is always so busy working on motorcycles, ATV’s, boats, jet skies, etc. that I don’t feel can do a good job due to the huge workload that he has, since he is always scrambling to jump from one vehicle to the next.
I complained about rough driving at a steady speed and the Deland mechanic found corroded wires and burned out connectors on the starter and negative battery terminal. So far so good, right? Not quite, read on.
Deland also replaced my rear tire but could not replace the rear bearings because they were missing a tool. They didn’t have the bearings either; I had gotten those by mail from another dealer. Next weekend I had to go back to have them replaced. When I picked up the bike, the rear wheel sounded like a concrete mixer! Don’t you teach your dealers to have pride in their work? The service manager took my bike out back and told me he’d deliver it to me the next day, which they did. They supposedly re-torqued it the bearings and rode it a few miles to make the noise go away. It bothers me that all the metal to metal noise it was making was fixed by driving it around. It really bothers me since now I have no idea of the condition of that rear wheel. After that the bike appeared to be running ok, for about 3 weeks.
On June 12th we trailered the Spyder to Hickory, NC for our motorcycle club’s International convention. After checking in the hotel we decided to go for a short ride up and down the street. After 6 or 7 minutes I did not think we were going to make it back to the hotel on that bike. It was overheating, running very rough, the idle jumping from about 1,100 to 1,800 RPM’s. Back firing and shaking tremendously. It actually quit at 3 red lights before we barely made it back to the hotel.
We lost Sunday and Monday off our vacation. On Monday morning we trailered the bike to Schronce Motorsports. They were very gracious and immediately started working on it to try to salvage the rest of our vacation. They ended up replacing the thermostat, and, downloading the software “fix to the fix” from last year when you downloaded the software that started all the problems. The mechanic at Schronce told me that the software had never been downloaded, although the service manager at Barney’s had told me last year that this had been done. He downloaded the software and the bike ran Ok the rest of the week and the next two weeks.
On July the 3rd my wife and I went on a ride to Cedar Key, about 45 miles one way from home. I even stopped and took a picture of my odometer after it hit 15,000 miles. On the way back, I stopped on US 19 for a moment and when I started the bike again, it was running on 1 cylinder, very rough, and the “check engine” message kept flashing across the screen. The engine temperature was only 4 bars, but even so I decided to let it cool down before trying to start it. I tried restarting several times without the problem going away. I even tried resetting the computer by removing the large fuses under the seat with no success. Eventually I had to have the lemon towed back home, then on Monday July the 5th I had it towed to Champions Motorsports in Eustis (Leesburg) (about 80 miles one way). I did not want to take it to Barney’s because if they had lied to me about downloading the software upgrade I did not want to do business with them anymore.
Champions found that the ECM was bad and had to order a replacement. This made sense since I couldn’t even reset the computer and it’s hard for me to believe that Barney’s had not downloaded the software upgrade. A bad computer could have dumped the program. You guys did not have this part in Georgia so I had to wait two weeks for the part to arrive from Canada. I rode the bike home on July 17th and I didn’t think I was going to make it all the way. It was missing, sputtering and back firing so bad.
I had it towed back to Champions on July 19th, and they went back to work on it. After two more weeks they told me it was fixed again after clearing some computer error codes. I asked if they had driven it to verify that it was indeed working. “Oh yes, we rode it 20 miles!” So here we go again back to Leesburg to go pick it up on 7/31. I rode the Spyder 7 miles from the shop before it started missing so bad I had to turn around. It quit twice at the red lights. When the service manager rode it from the front of the dealership to the back where the service dept is, it dropped to one cylinder.
They checked it then, and discovered that it was not charging. I must point out right here that there is a direct relationship between my bike’s temperature to how it runs. At three bars the bike runs awesome. At a high four bars or low 5 bars, it misses pretty bad running at a steady throttle (this might be while some people call surging, not sure). If it gets to the high end of 5 bars due to traffic or red lights then it appears to stop charging and the computer runs awful, due to low voltages I suppose. This in turn causes it to get worse and worse. By the way, many people that drive or ride in front of me tell me that my headlights dim, and sometimes one or the other even turn off when I’m riding. I have complained about this to all the dealers I’ve taken my bike to.
I was told by the Champions’ service manager on Tuesday, August 3rd that he had obtained the Ok from BRP and had ordered the stator which they had in Georgia so it was possible that I could get my bike back by the weekend. On Saturday he told me it was fixed and running “like a dream”. When I got there he told me that they HAD NOT replaced the stator, that they had found a bad (leaky spark plug wire) and cleaned the connector between the stator and the voltage regulator, and it appeared to be charging ok. I reminded him how the bike charged fine when it was cool and that the problem would certainly come back when the bike was under load (riding around, not in the shop’s controlled environment).
Why would they get the stator from you under warranty and then turn around and not replace it? Beats me, check the charges that they submit to you, I don’t trust this dealer anymore. Obviously their mechanic doesn’t know what he is doing. I’m sure they can change oil and replace tires and simple tasks like that, but as far as “troubleshooting” and fixing stuff, they are clueless unless the computer spits out some codes to tell them what to do next. I say this because the service manager kept referring to computer errors or the lack thereof… I told him not rely so much on the computer and do some real troubleshooting. Again I believe they are incapable of doing this.
I don’t know where I go from here. I rode the bike home on Saturday and it’s still sputtering and missing at a steady throttle. It hasn’t gotten really hot yet because Saturday was a cloudy rainy day. This bike is not fixed and obviously can’t be fixed. I want my money back or a new bike. I won’t even mention the lack of use from all the problems. Motorcycle rental rates run around $100 a day, so there alone you owe me about $10,000, since I estimate my bike has been at the shop around 100 days with problems plus my expenses going back and forth to these dealers all of which are very far from my house, plus my time, and all the aggravation. If I was to add it all up, you’d owe me several Spyders… This bike is unreliable and can’t be trusted. IT WILL leave me stranded again in the near future, at the most inconvenient time. I expect your call ASAP.

[MouthPiece]

With all due respect, Capt., you might try using a larger font. Some of us "ole geeeeeezers" aren't able to read your post EVEN with glasses and a magnifying glass.

Respectfully,

Chris PE# 0004

[ataDude]

With all due respect, Capt., you might try using a larger font. Some of us "ole geeeeeezers" aren't able to read your post EVEN with glasses and a magnifying glass.

Respectfully,

Chris PE# 0004

I agree but... you can use control/+ to enlarge or control/- to reduce.

.

[manoman14]

I agree but... you can use control/+ to enlarge or control/- to reduce.

.

Hey, thanks for that tip! Learned something new again.:thumbup:

[zeebill]

It read just fine to me with my 66 year old eyes and no glasses on. It is the same old thing a man taken advantage of by a company that doesn't give a hoot for a customer and is letting an untrained technician try and fix something that is too dang complicated. They are too dang busy introducing new models to try and debug the ones they started with. It takes more time for the technician to contact and get an answer out of BuRP than the dealership can afford to pay for to start with and from what some dealers have told me that is just a start because BuRP seems to never be sure where the problem is coming from to begin with. One dealer out west told me to even get through to them he has to arrive at work in the dark of night local because of their limited hours up there and those not corolating with the west half of the countries working hours.

Gee another happy customer wants to move on and has no input or solutions from BuRP that satisfies any normal logic. Why does that sound familiar? Can Am introduced a new side by side 4 wheeler I wonder if they will try and make this trike into side by side using the parts from that too? Bill :gaah:

[Bersquack]

I too am about to drop the ball on mine. The thing is I like the spyder very much and would also hate to lose that money.

Say it is fixed next week, what then? I will never have the confidence to go on long rides again.

i know how you feel and I wish BRP would be more forthcoming with compensation of some sort for individuals that have been unlucky with severe down time.

Oh well, live and learn I guess.

[JohnE]

I have been considering trading my 2009 SE-5 and 2010 RT-S due to the fact the dealers in this area appear to lack the knowledge to make the required repairs. I really love both my spyders and really want to keep them but have to stay on my dealer to get anything fixed. My Rt-S battery went dead 2 days after it was delivered in Feb. They finnally replaced it a few weeks ago with the comment that my recently added GPS was probably the problem due to the extra draw on the battery. They took my console apart to check a problem with my display assy and reinstalled it with a large gap at the bottom of the assy. When I called they said dont worry water will not hurt anything if water leaks from the gap to the wires in the console. They called this week and said that my display assy was in and they would replace ity this Saturday. I called yesterday to make sure I was not making a 55 mile trip for nothing and was told they didn't have time to do it, I could leave it for 2 weeks as they will be observing the Labor Day holiday next Satuday. I told them that I was getting a Brake Failure indication and the answer was the same. They did the cluch recall and now I have what appears to be a clutch vibration and does not shift very well a different speeds or gears. Mechanic said he noticed some shifting differences but said he thought it was normal. there is a lot more that I could go on and on. They overfilled the 2009 SE-5 oil leaked on my garage floor due to the excess oil. Would not do the update after the steering recall update so it bucks, backfires and in general runs like crap. My wife was going to sell her Harley but instead traded it in on another Harley because the 2009 SE-5 has the problems I just stated. I think these are great bikes and all the problems could be fixed if there were better dealers in this area. I have been to all three and they are all not good. Sales staff is great, the problem is after the sale. I purchased the 2009 SE-5 from one dealer and the parts and maintenance department was rude and very unhelpful. I purchased the RT-S from another dealer who stated his dealership was great with service after the sale and you can see so far they are just as bad or worse. I feel that the bikes will not kill the sale of Spyders but the bad dealers will. I do not want to trade or sell my Spyders I just would like to get them fixed without being jerked around