Spyder reliability (long term)

[UtahPete]

I purchased my Spyder from a dealer that claimed that the original customer bought it from him, his shop maintained it, and then the customer traded it in for a new three cylinder unit. He claimed that it had previously had no problems.

Except for throwing a code, you haven't really enumerated the problems you've experienced with it, so it's difficult to say whether or not you have a lemon.

[UtahPete]

Thanks for all the information. I do indeed intend to take a crack at fixing this issue myself as I have lost all confidence in the dealer that I bought this Spyder from. I was appalled last year to find out that the sole mechanic at this dealer had no prior experiance in repairing motorcycles or Spyders. They even damaged my Spyder's front end when loading it on a trailer, after it died on the road only 1 hour after I picked it up from a previous repair. Indeed this kills me as I have always toured with whatever bike I had and never considerded trailering the Spyder on a trip until recently. Does the P0174 code need to be cleared by a dealer or will it clear if I resolve the problem?

What a horrible experience you have had. To answer your original question, I don't think your experience with Spyders is typical. It's hard to say whether you got a lemon or a really bad dealer, but it's one or the other I think.

[safecracker]

Ken Kovas, thanks for sticking with it and posting what you have done and how the Spyder is running now. I have a 2011 RTS and i have 81,000 miles on my 998. I have a few issues during warrenty. None left me stranded. I have not had to replace the 2 vacuum lines yet, I guess my hose came from a good batch. As mentioned above, cleaning the throttle body once a year is a good idea. It is a pain in the arse to get the complete airbox out. On your 2012 you have 4 grease fittings on each A-arm. I remove the "Frunk" to grease these. I personally like the V-Twin motor over the 1330. It does require more maintenance. Good luck. Bruce

[south GA Farm Boy]

I am on my third Spyder, and reliability is a problem that I worry about! So far, I have either sold them before the warranty run out, or taken the extended warranty. My dealer's shop charges are $128 dollars an hour, so I can't afford to ride without a warranty!
I still feel that BRP needs to work on quality especially electronics, since my 2018 has had the control module on the left side replaced twice and the right handlebar module replaced once! At my age trying to live on retirement makes it hard to own a Spyder. I owned several Harleys, and never had a major problem, and I know Harley is on it's way down , and hopefully Spyders are on their way up! When you are listed as 10th on a scale of 10 on reliability, then you can start working your way up, so BRP, start your quality control people working on this problem! To all new new possible Spyder owners, it is a great ride and you will love it, we need BRP to get their act together, and go from last place at least to 4th or 5th! Some people ride them 100,00 miles without a problem,
but that has not been my case! So good luck and enjoy your new Spyder!

[UtahPete]

I am on my third Spyder, and reliability is a problem that I worry about! So far, I have either sold them before the warranty run out, or taken the extended warranty. My dealer's shop charges are $128 dollars an hour, so I can't afford to ride without a warranty!
I still feel that BRP needs to work on quality especially electronics, since my 2018 has had the control module on the left side replaced twice and the right handlebar module replaced once! At my age trying to live on retirement makes it hard to own a Spyder. I owned several Harleys, and never had a major problem, and I know Harley is on it's way down , and hopefully Spyders are on their way up! When you are listed as 10th on a scale of 10 on reliability, then you can start working your way up, so BRP, start your quality control people working on this problem! To all new new possible Spyder owners, it is a great ride and you will love it, we need BRP to get their act together, and go from last place at least to 4th or 5th! Some people ride them 100,00 miles without a problem,
but that has not been my case! So good luck and enjoy your new Spyder!

Could you tell us where you are getting your comparative reliability ratings? Thanks.

[Rednaxs60]

Have been following this thread as I am a new Spyder owner, less than 3 weeks - 2014 RT LE. Bought with 9100 Kms on the clock and have put some 2K Kms on it since. Have an '85 Honda Goldwing Limited Edition fuel injected model as well. Mechanically, these bikes will cross Canada and tour the US with no difficulty. What is relevant is the electrical/electronics. We have no control over if and/or when something will happen. The Spyder is a complicated electrical/electronic machine as is my '85 Honda Goldwing. My Honda Goldwing has a travel computer that has a trip and fuel management system. I can change between KPH and MPH. I can hit a button and the dash changes to display the oil pressure and temperature instead of the fuel and engine temperature. The ECU, travel computer, and dash are all interrelated and rely on signals from each. The ECU monitors the computerized fuel injection (CFI) system and has an internal diagnostic system that, when a faulty signal is encountered, displays an error code on the ECU. There are faults in the CFI system that will stop the engine such that it will not restart.

Fast forward to owning a Spyder, complexity yes, and just as daunting. Have owned a Honda 1500 and 1800 Goldwing, just as electrically/electronically challenging considering that a lot of shops will not work on older machines. The electrics and electronics of the Spyder are the only items that I cannot control, and as such, don't worry about this. Hopefully if something happens and I cannot correct the issue, the dealer will be able to do so without my having to mortgage the farm so to speak. The more we expect the manufacturer to deliver, the more issues we may encounter.

A used vehicle of any description will always be a crap shoot. I have a friend who only buys new and sells before the warranty is up. He admits he is mechanically and electrically challenged, and because of this, buys/sells accordingly. My local dealer mentioned that he has a client that trades in his Spyder every two years religiously for this very reason.

If a used, out of warranty Spyder keeps you awake at night and is affecting your enjoyment, time to change up the paradigm.

Good Luck. Cheers

[Rednaxs60]

Further to my last, good to read that issues have been taken care of and getting less. My brother has been a mechanic for years, and has discussions with the newer breed. Manufacturers have set diagnostic requirements that require the following of a set of guidelines - no deviation, and the repair is generally repair by replacement. If the R by R does not work at a certain point, carry on to the next. Intimacy with a make and model is hard to find in a mechanic today. This can also be attributed to the reliability of the new vehicles. No quick fix to what is happening in the industry.