Any 2018 RT's? feedback

[piperpilot75]

I am considering selling my 2014 RT and getting a 2018 RT, anybody have a 2018 and can give me some feedback on them, differences? Any and all info welcomed

[Flamewinger]

The only issue is with the new tech dash. If you get an RT or RT-S you'll only notice a nicer engine. The Limited has the dash and can be troublesome to a few that don't use the new technology enough. Those of us that have one find it a breeze. Good Luck

[JayBros]

If you have a basic 2014 RT you may appreciate the automatic road height compressor system in the '18. If you have an RT-S or Ltd, unless you have over 100K on the '14, why bother. JMO. Although I have no experience with nor have I seen the new '18 dash in action I personally don't care for the phone BS/GPS introduced in 18.

[h0gr1der]

I own a 2018 RTL, and it is the only Spyder that I have owned, so I can't make a comparison. Here's what I have to say. The Spyder has it's small idiosyncrasies, which are surmountable. Mine just spent a month in the shop with 1960 miles at 3 months of ownership getting the problems ironed out. Many more have absolutely no problems, but my case illustrated one glaring issue with Can Am, and it's not the machine!

Service is the main ingredient of a happy customer. Absolutely do not buy a Spyder from a dealer that doesn't have an outstanding service rating. If there are any negative reviews about service, skip that dealer and go farther down the road. Believe this.

There is much made of the dash in the new models. I can't speak to the earlier models, but this dash does what it needs to do. I can see the speed, RPM's and other information clearly in any sunlight. If you have the 20.8 (or later) firmware update it functions correctly, show average MPG, miles to empty, etc. I has some growing pains with the apps, but I don't use that stuff anyway, so I can't comment on that.

The 2018 RTL is a heavy bike. Unnoticed by me until I did a 2 up ride with a slightly heavy passenger, the 2018 RTL wallows in corners. Riding solo I didn't notice this. A front BajaRon sway bar is a must. I ahven't got one installed yet, but it is very next on the list. Check out my accessories, a lot of them are to improve handling and ride.

I run mine at around 70 mph, averaging around 32-33 mpg. They say it'll get better, but I really don't care. It's a 1000+ machine. At 60 mph I get around 38-39 mpg.

Other folks have said the 2017 has better build quality, and like the dash better. Some folks have made mention of reflective stickers replacing real reflectors on the newer bikes, but my 2018 still has all the reflectors as far as I can tell.

[h0gr1der]

Quick edit- When I said dealer ratings, I specifically don't mean the ratings provided by Can Am. The Silver, Gold, Platinum rating provided by Can Am seems to be on profit provided to the corporation, not customer satisfaction. Do due diligence, search our any real customer reviews on Facebook, Yelp, or any other place where real customers post real reviews. Ignore sales reviews, focus on service reviews. If you buy it, obviously the sales aspect is OK. When it breaks, do they bend over backwards to get you on the road again? Service is key to actually finding out if they deserve your business.

[MonPaul]

Very happy with my 2018 RT. I did a lot of research and was hesitant about the new dash but I am able to do everything I need to. Also it may seem overwhelming at first, but most of the settings you only have to set once. You may go in to set a radio station or reset your tripometer but it's not like you are constantly going through the menus.
Only time I go into the settings are to change my music between bluetooth and music from my phone.
I can't compare them to other years, this is my first Spyder.

[piperpilot75]

Well, my main reason for trading up is to avoid any potential problems. I am 2 1/2 hours away from lamonster garage, I will take it to Lamont if needed. However, I do want something on warranty, and debatign whether to go to a 2018 rt or to a goldwing at this point.

[SpyderAnn01]

There have been a lot of problems with the parking brake not releasing and issues with the left side controls.

[h0gr1der]

[QUOTE=SpyderAnn01;1463332]There have been a lot of problems with the parking brake not releasing and issues with the left side controls.[/QUOTE

And a few water pump failures. Mine had both the left switch pack and the water pump at the same time. The paperwork said the water pump nozzle defect was causing the leak.

If you buy a new Spyder go ahead and get the extended warranty.

[Spyder Insyder]

My first Spyder was a 2012 RT Ltd. I bought it used with less than 4K miles. It was a beautiful bike, but was in the shop 3 times during the two months I owned it. Out of frustration, I traded it for the 2018 RTL that I now have. So far with over 6000 miles, it has been trouble free. I installed XM satellite radio, and after the dealer performed the v20.8 software update, the audio really came alive. I can actually hear the speakers quite well at 70mph, thanks to the ambient audio level increase with the v20.8 update. The display menus do take a little getting used to, but as stated earlier, once set up is complete, it requires very little fiddling.

[Thopper]

I have a 2018 RT non L with 2K miles. No problems yet. I do not have any tire or belt vibrations I hear peeps speak of. So far so good. I like the dash and all that it offers.

[CopperSpyder]

Another + to the 2018 and up models that I don't hear people talk about is the power steering, I understand they upgraded it to work better at idle and low speed.

[stiernan]

I have a 2018 RTL as well, bought this spring. Have 1500 miles of a lot of local driving on it, and have not had any particular issues. The dash is easy to navigate, and I agree that most things only have to be set once. Being mostly in town, I'm getting in the 28's per gallon in Eco mode. I would agree that the apps are a bit of a hassle, and use my phone for navigation and music. The Bluetooth is quite easy to navigate and hook up. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.