Spyder changes coming!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I haven't searched to see how much of this info may have already been posted but thought I'd post it anyway.

I had a couple of interesting conversations this past week, one with a Can Am rep and the other with a Boise dealer sales mgr. I ran into the East Idaho, Wyoming, Montana parts and accessories factory rep in Idaho Falls last Tuesday at breakfast at the hotel I was staying at. We talked about several things including Can Am marketing department. He said they sometimes don't have a clue about market realities. The flop of an unveiling at Sturgis showed that.

I asked about product development cycles, i.e., how long, 5 years? If they really push hard they have shrunk that to 3 years. He said there are some really exciting new products coming out in a few years. I speculate he was talking about 2018 MY. Of course he would not share details.

We have somewhat beat around the bush about this aspect, but he made a flat out statement, "The Can Am Spyder is the most technologically advanced motorcycle on the market." All those computers put the Spyder a cut above every other mass produced bike out there.

I mentioned the issue that has been discussed here a few times about nomenclature and product quality. He said a big part of the problem at BRP is language. Some development and documentation is originally in French, and some in English. They have a real problem with language reconciliation and translation, especially when you add in all the languages they deal with around the world. BRP has given a single manager the responsibility for resolving language issues and the nomenclature and technical writing problems it generates.

He said BRP is actively working to bring more dealers on board. A challenge is to keep the marketing folks from forcing dealers to buy and stock more machines than they can reasonably sell. BRP is well aware of customer service issues, but since most dealers are multi-line, multi-brand, sellers Spyder sales and service on its own often doesn't have the clout to force improvements. To us Spyders are all important. To some dealers, like in East Idaho, Spyders are secondary to snowmobiles and/or water craft.

There was a recent discussion complaining about the wait before starting. Apparently that is gone in the 2016 line up. All Spyders will have the turn key, push mode, hit start, like the F3 has now. I don't remember if it's coming in the 2016s or 17s but the traditional key is going away to be replaced by an electronic fob like many cars use now. Walk up to the bike with the fob in your pocket and hit the start button. Can Am already has that on snowmobiles. Walk away from a running machine and it shuts down. Move away rapidly like in a crash and it shuts down immediately.

Sales are on the upswing as evidenced by the shrinking inventory of 2015s around the country. The local sales mgr said they sold more Spyders this year than ever and their inventory is pretty much dried up. He also commented the RSS is a 'has been' as far as sales go. They have one orange one that well may end up going to auction. No one seems to want it, even at $14,399. The 2015 RTS Special Edition at the other local dealer I was hoping to make a deal on was sold this past week!

The Boise dealership was sold a few months back to Dennis Dillon Powersports. They are also Polaris and Arctic Cat dealers as DD had those prior to buying MotoTech. Joe emphatically said they will not be selling the Slingshot. The other Boise dealer has sold 2 out of 6. He said several states are still balking at licensing the SS as a motorcycle because of side by side seating, and won't license them as cars because they lack automobile safety features. His clear implication is the SS, in its present configuration, is a market dud. It was intended to compete with the F3 and falls short in that respect. His words, give them the credence you think they deserve.

Just thought I'd share these comments for whatever they're worth! :)

[Saluda]

Thanks.

[PaladinLV]

the traditional key is going away to be replaced by an electronic fob like many cars use now. Walk up to the bike with the fob in your pocket and hit the start button.

I always say why reinvent the wheel.

HD has been using this technology for close to a decade and with their backup (manual code input), no one is ever left stranded.
Good move for BRP.

AJ

[ARtraveler]

Very interesting points. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[jcspyder]

Thank you very much for the insight. Hopefully Spyder sales and support will increase in the coming years. More interest may equal more sales which will increase dealerships and hopefully service quality.

[Bob Denman]

Thanks! We appreciate the surveillance... :thumbup:
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=117022&stc=1

[MouthPiece]

Hybrid.

Chris

[PMK]

Cool insight. Reality is the market constantly changes. Regardless of the oem, a surprise new release from another oem can change it all.

BRP has the ability to resolve all the concerns with dealers, trained techs, and the issues we see posted here every now and then.

How bad do they want it correct is the real question.

Yes language barrier is a concern. I have dealt with it working on not only Bombardier aircraft but also French Dassaults. Honestly, many times it is not the language, but more the attitude. The french are sometimes very tough to work with.

All the new technology stuff, if they are smart, BRP would offer as pay for it retrofit mechanical upgrades or in the case of the slow boot computer, if possible, do a free software upgrade.

The machine is technically advanced, but I would speculate the other oems have equally advanced offerings. The new R1 is very evolved also.

We still love ours and enjoy it a lot. The shortcoming are few and we just deal with it.

PK

[trikermutha]

Hope the hackers stay away from the spyder..:pray:

[PrairieSpyder]

Thanks for sharing that, Mac! :thumbup: I hadn't heard that the '15s were selling so well, or about the Slingshot acceptance rates.

As to the SS, I think it may depend on the State. The dealer in Farmington, Mo, where they had Spyder-Palooza, said they were selling them about as fast as they received them. It's not my cup of tea, but I guess some folks want them. They're also modifying stuff for the new model year to make them more acceptable - like a trailer hitch.

[Pennyrick]

Thanks for the post. Jogged my memory back a few years.

The problem with getting the meaning of something from one language to another is a critical one and is particularly evident in Canada where there are two official languages.

Back in the mid sixties I was the advertising manager for a Canadian company in the tire and auto supply business that had stores throughout Ontario and Quebec. We were headquartered in London, Ontario where English prevailed but we had many stores where French was the dominant language.

As we grew and became more sophisticated in our advertising presentation we began to use radio and television with some regularity. I arranged to film and record commercials at the local TV station in English, and then added a French voice over using the on-air staff in French markets. We had five auto centers in the Montreal, Quebec area and placed a heavy ad schedule on the French language stations there.

Thinking I was very clever I hired a local French teacher to translate our commercials.

At the time, small battery operated transistor radios were a big deal and we offered them for just a dollar with every gas fill up at our auto centers. My French teacher had studied Parisian French and wasn’t aware that the language was a bit different with French-Canadians.

For example, in Quebec the bastardized term for gasoline was ‘La Gaz”. In our commercials however it was “L’essence”, a term no one used.

Similarly, “la radio” was called “La poste de TSF” in our commercials which literally meant “the mail of the air waves”, an antiquated term that also was never used.

When the commercials aired we received great response not so much because of our offer but because folks thought our message was humorous and high camp. We became the laughing stock of the local media, but we sure got noticed.

I learned a lesson that there is a huge difference between translating something versus interpreting it.

[latony007]

Interesting info. I agree Canadians have a language problem. i see it in my job as well. The thing that cracks me up the most is 99.9 percent of the people in Quebec who speak French also speak English but refuse to do it. I dont know why they are so hung up on it when the other 7/10 of the country if not more speaks English.

Im not sure about the RSS being dead comment. I think the fact the one he has is orange is probably killing the sale lol. If you eliminate the RSS that would make the entry model what? an ST at 20k? The price is what is keeping these from becoming more popular in my opinion. I had to weight till a used one came into range or i would have bought one a while ago and would love to get a new one but can't afford it. I have a Sonata limited that has remote start, heated front AND rear seats, air conditioned drivers seat, 7" screen with back up cam and GPS etc. etc. and it cost me less than an RT limited. Thats not right IMO.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I forgot to mention that according to the rep BRP is standardizing on English for all development & engineering and everything will be translated from that. No more part English part French and then reconciling differences.

[PrairieSpyder]

I forgot to mention that according to the rep BRP is standardizing on English for all development & engineering and everything will be translated from that. No more part English part French and then reconciling differences.

I like that idea!

[Spyderjuice]

I wish the power steering could be made effort-less under 3-5 MPH. When you are in a parking lot and need to turn the wheels and can't move, turning the wheels is a big job. I know I'm a wimp, and old to boot.
Stan

[Bob Denman]

I forgot to mention that according to the rep BRP is standardizing on English for all development & engineering and everything will be translated from that. No more part English part French and then reconciling differences.


I like that idea!

:agree: Très bien! :clap::dontknow:

[ChicoFowler]

All good stuff. I especially like the FOB thing, where you carry it and get on your bike, just push a button and off you go.
Wonder if there will be a 'retro-fit' for older bikes?

[robmorg]

First of all, Thank you Mac for sharing that very insightful post. It says a lot - and almost all of it is good news. I also think that standardizing on English is a good idea, and a step in the right direction for BRP. I know that decision must be difficult for them, and will cause some ire among their ranks.

As for "customer service" being a problem due to multi-branded dealers, I can understand that. But I think that it is also still a huge problem within BRP itself. Just look at the many posts here over the years describing problems owners have had when dealing with BRP customer service. And I have witnessed it first hand as well. That said, I do believe that BRP is aware of the internal problem with customer service and is working on that as well. Service reps working in the dealer service area tend to be more conciliatory than those working directly with the consumer for some reason. I have had some good experiences recently with customer service when going though my dealer.

Although working with consumer customer service continues to be a problem, I have seen signs that BRP is trying to change that, as well. I recently had a problem with "BRP Cares" and was treated very poorly over an incident when talking with them on the phone. I wrote a letter to BRP Customer Relations US headquarters in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, who passed it on up the line to Valcourt, Quebec. About five weeks later I got a telephone call from a very nice lady there who spoke perfect English (with a French accent) telling me that my case had been reviewed and decided entirely in my favor.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

All good stuff. I especially like the FOB thing, where you carry it and get on your bike, just push a button and off you go.
Wonder if there will be a 'retro-fit' for older bikes?
The one on their snowmobiles is a two piece unit. One part snaps onto a knob on the sled and can be connected to the rider's arm with a lanyard. There is also a second unit you can keep in your pocket so you don't have to connect the lanyard. If the unit on the sled senses the pocket unit moving away quickly, or moves away several yards, it will kill the engine. If I understood the sales mgr correctly the Spyder fob won't attach to the bike but just stay in your pocket. If the bike senses a rapid separation, or a distance separation, it'll kill the engine. The rapid aspect is so if you crash and are thrown from the machine it'll kill immediately. Otherwise you can walk around the machine for some distance without it shutting down. Sounds like a good way to do things, I think.

Don't take anything specific I've said as gospel, but in general terms I think it's reliable. Hopefully Lamont will chime in and set me straight if any of this hogwash. But then, he may be enjoying reading the speculations and comments. One way for him to get his kicks! :yes: And then again maybe he doesn't dare say anything because he won't disclose close-hold information.

[Lamonster]

There was a recent discussion complaining about the wait before starting. Apparently that is gone in the 2016 line up. All Spyders will have the turn key, push mode, hit start, like the F3 has now.
I can't comment on some of this but I can comment and have in another post about the startup.

All Spyders with full color screens including the F3-T and Limited with have a long bootup as before. Your source was incorrect on that and a few other things.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I can't comment on some of this but I can comment and have in another post about the startup.

All Spyders with full color screens including the F3-T and Limited with have a long bootup as before. Your source was incorrect on that and a few other things.
Thanks. Fast startup in 2017 maybe?

Both guys I talked to were at the dealers event but like the old story of six blind guys describing an elephant! :dontknow:

My guess from looking at the F3 lineup for 2016, and my conversation with the BRP rep, is that a similar scenario is coming for the RT. A new dramatic variation for a touring model in 2017 or 2018 with the current style continuing and then an F3 type of lineup expansion the following year with the current RT being dropped at that time.

Ain't it fun to take rumors, information, and misinformation, and create a stew of speculations? :yes::yes: Let's all enjoy a bowl of it! :ohyea:

[Fat Baxter]

OK, so the key fob starts the bike remotely. How then do we lock/unlock the saddlebags? Another electric unlocking circuit that may fail, or not work if the battery's dead?

I like things simple. A key is simple.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

OK, so the key fob starts the bike remotely. How then do we lock/unlock the saddlebags? Another electric unlocking circuit that may fail, or not work if the battery's dead?

I like things simple. A key is simple.
The fob doesn't start the bike. It allows the bike to be started with a push button or touch button or something of the sort. He didn't say, and I didn't ask, about the trunk & saddlebags but I suppose it'll be an electric lock. Most of them like on cars and Goldwings are very reliable. I suppose there may be a key also.

[900Dave]

[QUOTE=WasWinger;1042683]The one on their snowmobiles is a two piece unit. One part snaps onto a knob on the sled and can be connected to the rider's arm with a lanyard. There is also a second unit you can keep in your pocket so you don't have to connect the lanyard. If the unit on the sled senses the pocket unit moving away quickly, or moves away several yards, it will kill the engine.


I disagree with this. You are correct about attaching the lanyard. But you can walk as far away as you want with the lanyard attached and it will run and anyone can use the sled. There is no second unit in my pocket (thank god) I have enough stuff to carry. See the pic below, if attached anyone can take off with the sled. The lanyard is programmed for each machine and cannot be used on a different sled just like the key on you Spyder.

~

I also have to disagree about the Slingshot! Big Hit in my opinion. The Spyder was out about 4 years until I had actually seen one on the road. I have seen 9 SS's on the road already in there first year and they were all not in my area. I have seen them randomly in the NE & Mid Atlantic states.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

[QUOTE=WasWinger;1042683]The one on their snowmobiles is a two piece unit. One part snaps onto a knob on the sled and can be connected to the rider's arm with a lanyard. There is also a second unit you can keep in your pocket so you don't have to connect the lanyard. If the unit on the sled senses the pocket unit moving away quickly, or moves away several yards, it will kill the engine.


I disagree with this. You are correct about attaching the lanyard. But you can walk as far away as you want with the lanyard attached and it will run and anyone can use the sled. There is no second unit in my pocket (thank god) I have enough stuff to carry. See the pic below, if attached anyone can take off with the sled. The lanyard is programmed for each machine and cannot be used on a different sled just like the key on you Spyder.

~

I also have to disagree about the Slingshot! Big Hit in my opinion. The Spyder was out about 4 years until I had actually seen one on the road. I have seen 9 SS's on the road already in there first year and they were all not in my area. I have seen them randomly in the NE & Mid Atlantic states.
Is yours a Can Am? The fob I saw on the sled in the showroom was about 2" long, longer than the one in your pic. Maybe it's a change on the new machines, or maybe the two piece is coming. In any case, that is what I was told. And then there is the old adage about how can you tell when a salesman is lying! :dontknow:

[900Dave]

[QUOTE=900Dave;1043242]
Is yours a Can Am? The fob I saw on the sled in the showroom was about 2" long, longer than the one in your pic. Maybe it's a change on the new machines, or maybe the two piece is coming. In any case, that is what I was told. And then there is the old adage about how can you tell when a salesman is lying! :dontknow:

Yes! That lanyard is from my 2014 Ski doo Renegade. The purpose of the lanyard is if you happen to come off of the sled the lanyard comes with you and shuts it down. Sure beats a spinning studded track ripping into you body.

It is also good security as the lanyard is programmed for your snowmobile just like the key on your Spyder and no one else with a Ski doo lanyard or without can start it.

2 piece? No need IMO.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Just remembered this tidbit.

One of the rumored changes coming to the Spyder that I didn't think to include earlier is front wheel drive. No idea if the concept is front wheel drive or all wheel drive.

That may be the next big change for the RT.

[Roadster Renovations]

I wish the power steering could be made effort-less under 3-5 MPH. When you are in a parking lot and need to turn the wheels and can't move, turning the wheels is a big job. I know I'm a wimp, and old to boot.
Stan

That would be a nice change. On most new cars they have progressive power steering. The faster you drive the more it dampens the power steering so that you don't overcorrect. BRP could do something like that with the steering on the Spyder.