Had all I can stand can't stand no more; Popeye.

[Kennard]

I won't bore you with all the problems I've had with my 2011 R/TS but you read the forum, we've experienced most of them. Between two clusters I now have close to 10,000 miles. I have a question that might clearup my DPS warnings as of late. The bike has been in the shop three times for DPS, drag it home warning the last two months. We would like to travel on it but have no confidence in the what ever it is. Yesterday the Mrs. and I went down to Sarasota, twenty miles, visted my Brother and turned for home. I keep hearing a clunking sound when the attitude of the machine changed but told myself I'd check it back at the house. In a straight line drive @ 45mph the DPS light came on and again get it to the house mode. Twenty miles later we limped into the house where I took pictures of the cluster and shut the machine down (found no codes). Pulled the key waited reinserted the key and fired up. No indication of a problem. Shut back down. Had the Mrs. stand on the pegs and rock the bike, again you could hear a clunking sound coming from the front end. I put my head in the left front wheeel well and had Mrs. rock the boat. The clunking was coming from a loose dog bone where the sway bar bolts to the A frame. I tightened it up and rode the bike twenty miles with no problem. My question is DPS always electricial in nature or could the loose sway bar end cause the DPS warning? I'd like to stay away from the dealer if I could as they have turned into the Dentist I hate to visit. He's a nice guy but is over his head relating to Spyders. I traded a Road King for this pleasure and bought the 622 matching trailer; what was I thinking. I've checked all things electrical that I've seen on this forum and found everything OK. The last time, last week, it was in the shop Jr. Spyder tech said my battery conection was rusty and the service manager said he was going to have to charge me the next time I come in. I reminded him in my best behavior it was still under warranty, fix it.

[Arr MiHardies]

I think that loose connection could definitely be the cause and causing the sensors some grief.

[napper39]

alwas rember to check fusess and relays they vibrate loose just like what you found ,i check mine every 500 miles and the battery cables vibrate loose too.these things get loose all kinds of bad things happen,and its a good idea to keep a battery tender on all times your not riding.:chat::2thumbs:

[NancysToy]

Most likely cause of DPS warnings with no active fault code...loose battery connections, dirty/corroded battery connections, bad battery. If your dealer did not find any past codes in BUDS, this is even more likely. It is possible that the steering sensors need calibration, but that seldom occurs suddenly. Second most likely is having your foot riding/touching the brake pedal without actually applying the brake, but the dealer should have seen past codes that indicate this.

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: It sure does stink when you something that you buy for fun turns out to be anything but! :gaah:No active error codes IS a mystery; but that funky swaybar connection sure couldn't have been helping the situation at all... :shocked:
We seem to hear a lot about the battery being the source of a lot of the fun with these machines; it's never a bad idea to take a good look at them for potential trouble spots.
Anyway; I'm sorry to hear that you've been in it this deep; here's to hoping that you can find an easy and painless way out! :cheers: Good Luck! :thumbup: Please let us know what you find...

[pellcitypete]

I know your grief had lots of problems with my r/t the dog bone lose could be the trouble. my r/t the censers on front end were not calibrated one saying up other saying down. hope you good luck with yours I finaly got mine fixed an now love it. Pete

[GeoffCee]

When you take into account all the electronics built into the Spyder it seems remarkable to me that a relatively simple thing like a battery connection going flaky can completely screw up an otherwise very enjoyable machine.

What is it about the design of the battery connection on the Spyder that makes it prone to giving such crappy, unreliable service? Has anyone found where the connection weaknesses lie and fixed it?

In a long life of bike and car ownership the Spyder is unique in my experience in having a battery which I must worry about and endlessly check, not because I've experienced a battery problem myself, so far I've been spared that, but because of the many instances of battery-related issues suffered by folks on these pages.

It's an indiscriminate problem and I'm past the age of thinking it can't happen to me, if it's bad and causing other folks a heap of trouble, my turn is just round the corner. Can somebody tell me why I'm laughing? :roflblack:

[frank3]

I experienced the DPS fault problem for over a year. Like yours, the code would come and go. Never seemed to have the problem when I was at the dealership. Each time I took it to the dealer, they'd hook it up to BUDS and see an old existing code. Would clear the code and find no problem. During the year, they had checked all the connections, checked the battery connection and recalibrated the steering sensors several times. This all occured SEVERAL times and the problem always returned. FINALLY, during one of my normal 3,000 mile service appointments, I rode it to the dealer and low and behold the fault code was on the screen and the DPS wasn't working. The tech called BRP and after several calls and suggestions from them, BRP finally told dealer to replace the DPS unit. This fixed the problem and it's now been over a year with no return of the problem. BTW, I'd had the orginal DPS unit replaced during the recall during the first year I had the RT. I'd ask your dealer to contact BRP to assist them with solving the problem. I had gotten used to ridding the Rt without power steering so it never intrupted a trip. Now have over 30,000 miles on the RT and am HAPPY.:yes:

[SPYD3R]

i have had ZERO problems with my 2009 RS SE5... other than uneven front tire wear, which i hope has been rectified, i've riden 23,000+ miles with a smile on my face... YES, i have read all the HORROR STORIES, and for no other reason, i have decided to keep the one i have verse up-grading to a newer SPYD3R.... i guess i'll just wear this one out.... wish you the best my friend... we all deserve a care-free ride...

[NancysToy]

What is it about the design of the battery connection on the Spyder that makes it prone to giving such crappy, unreliable service? Has anyone found where the connection weaknesses lie and fixed it?
It is not a design issue. Loose battery connections have been plaguing motorcyclists forever. Vibration is the primary culprit. Combine that with a small bolted connection and clamping to a soft lead terminal, and the connections inevitably loosen over time. Some dealers fail to tighten them adequately, compounding the problem. There is also the problem of oxidation and corrosion. A layered connection, open to a humid environment, is an invitation to corrosion and weathering. A loose connection speeds up the process. Add in a situation with different metal types in contact with each other, with an electrical charge, and you also have an invitation for electrolytic damage or corrosion. Any extra wires added to the connection compound the problems. Keeping the battery terminals tight and clean is a standard part of good vehicle maintenance...it does not apply just to the Spyder. The Spyder is only more susceptible to problems from bad connections...more so than a vehicle without the all the electronics and the heavy electrical load from the DPS.

[widowmaker2011]

Scotty makes excellent points on the electrical issue, especially given the fact that the dealer must install/connect the battery when assembling your Spyder. The dealer correctly tightening the screws and adding some anticorrosive spray upon assembly would probably eliminate most of the battery issues in the first year, an owner who rechecks this and cleans and lubes the terminals regularly after that should keep it that way. My battery comes out of my ride(s) each winter for storage and maintenance trickle charging, so thats an automatic for me. For those who can ryde their Spyder year round , doing it when changing the oil would be a good suggestion.

As for not being able to take it anymore , I crossed that bridge a couple times with our previous 4 Spyders actually pounding out my last year without owning a Spyder and putting some big miles on my Goldwing. That being said I just traded the wing for a new RT Limited. Quirks, shortfalls aside, the allure of this ryde is like no other and I take delivery late today or tomorrow and will head on a 1300 mile ryde Friday am . I can tell you after riding for 30 years and piling 100,00 plus miles a few times , the excitment of getting a new Spyder far outweighs any bike purchase I've ever had.

[BajaRon]

Sorry to hear about your issues. It could be any number of things so far listed. But the bad sway bar link connection isn't going to be the source.

I am surprised that the connection was loose though as it uses a Nylock Nut which should never be able to back off or get loose. I would check it again a few times and if it is getting loose, replace the nut.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSM3WeK3Jwo5vwRkb_n5Yy7s-X-Og75SbrrZG9r-SzMicowO7avw

[GeoffCee]

Loose battery connections have been plaguing motorcyclists forever. Vibration is the primary culprit. Combine that with a small bolted connection and clamping to a soft lead terminal, and the connections inevitably loosen over time.

Maybe I've been lucky, even damned lucky, but I don't recognise my decades of bike and car ownership as being "plagued" with battery connection problems. Sure, I've kept my batteries free of those white filaments of electrolic growth by applying liberal coatings of heavy grease on occasion and I will admit to tweaking the tightness of the cable connecting screws once in blue moon. Other than sensible stuff like that I've had really good battery service. :ani29:

[spyder web hgw]

Took mine to dealer for battery problems, spyder went into limp mode and died on side of the road and would not re-start. It all started when the parking brake stopped working and got a code for it. The cable came off the front drum and I fixed it by putting it back on the drum. The code did not clear then started getting all kinds of codes. He said the problem was low votage, and that it burned up part of the charging system. He also said I should replace the battery every year. I guess that's cheaper than having all this work being done on it now. At $95 an hour there's no telling what this is going to cost. Looks like I'll be checking to make sure the battery has a full charge and the terminals are tight and clean before heading out. We have taken some long trips without any problems until now. Kinda concerned about taking any more long trips.

2010 Spyder RTS
spyder web

[ThreeWheels]

Took mine to dealer for battery problems, spyder went into limp mode and died on side of the road and would not re-start. It all started when the parking brake stopped working and got a code for it. The cable came off the front drum and I fixed it by putting it back on the drum. The code did not clear then started getting all kinds of codes. He said the problem was low votage, and that it burned up part of the charging system. He also said I should replace the battery every year. I guess that's cheaper than having all this work being done on it now. At $95 an hour there's no telling what this is going to cost. Looks like I'll be checking to make sure the battery has a full charge and the terminals are tight and clean before heading out. We have taken some long trips without any problems until now. Kinda concerned about taking any more long trips.

2010 Spyder RTS
spyder web

Replace the battery every year ??
Ridiculous.
Sounds like another clueless tech making the situation worse and more costly.

[MouthPiece]

Took mine to dealer for battery problems, spyder went into limp mode and died on side of the road and would not re-start. It all started when the parking brake stopped working and got a code for it. The cable came off the front drum and I fixed it by putting it back on the drum. The code did not clear then started getting all kinds of codes. He said the problem was low votage, and that it burned up part of the charging system. He also said I should replace he battery every year. I guess that's cheaper than having all this work being done on it now. At $95 an hour there's no telling what this is going to cost. Looks like I'll be checking to make sure the battery has a full charge and the terminals are tight and clean before heading out. We have taken some long trips without any problems until now. Kinda concerned about taking any more long trips.

2010 Spyder RTS
spyder web

He said whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?????

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Replace the battery every year ??
Ridiculous.
Sounds like another clueless tech making the situation worse and more costly.

And guess WHO would be oh! so HAPPY to sell Him a new Battery Duh !!!!!.....I have put slightly longer bolts on my Battery and added star washers and the connections NEVER loosen........Mike

[Bob Denman]

:agree: :gaah: Over two years on my original battery... :thumbup:
I'll probably change it out in the Spring; just as a precautionary measure.

[Kennard]

:agree: :gaah: Over two years on my original battery... :thumbup:
I'll probably change it out in the Spring; just as a precautionary measure. New Battery and threw six codes. Back to the selling dealer with I phone pictures of codes and a poor attitude. Told the owner in a knd way what I thought of their bike and in fact found a used ultra on the bike shop floor, the only problem was it was purple and black, just couldn't do it. The service manager said they would get to the bottom of it so I left it there. That was on a wednesday, I was leaving for NC on Wednesday so I went by the shop unannounced on Monday. I was told my bike was ready as they had a call with BRP who suggested the dealer replace the control module on the left side of the bars and the connectors on the VCM. I've put 240 miles without a code as of today. Drove two up around lake rabun yesterday, great ride my only thought now was the big issue Florida's heat and since we're in the 60's here is the spell from DPS codes only a reprieve time will tell. Thank's to all the many suggestions and support. will let you all know as time goes on.

[cougar]

I change my battery with every oil change. :joke::joke:

[MouthPiece]

Thanks for putting a smile on my face.

Chris

[spyder web hgw]

Just got off the phone with dealer now he is saying that charging system is toast and front pulley for parking brake is broke. I'm starting to feel like it's time, no it is time to starting looking for something a little less technical !! The cost of repairs $2000.00 over a loose connection on the battery. Think I'll go back to a Goldwing.

Spyder web