Why does it take so long?

[Biscuit]

Two weeks ago I left for work on my 2017 RT limited and eight miles from home I went into limp mode.
Road home to get a car and checked for the code when I got home from work.
I got a P0340 - error on camshaft position sensor signal.
Called the dealer and they said it would be two weeks for them to check it.
I am not sure how long they will need to repair it once they check it.
A year ago it took two months to repair the bike after I hammered a deer.
Just wondering why does it take so long?

RJ

[SpyderAnn01]

The actual replacement of the sensor won’t take an hour but if your dealer is like most, they are busy servicing ATV,s, Jet Skis and Snowmobiles. I make an appointment to have work done, not to drop off my Spyder for it to sit gathering dust, that is something I really like about my dealer and their service department.

[Peter Aawen]

Why does it take so long? I really dunno....

But from over this side of the World, it looks like most of your CanAm Dealers aren't JUST Spyder or Ryker Dealers, most do a LOT of other CanAm offerings plus some also do other machines too. This means that our Spyders & Rykers simply aren't their bread & butter, they are just one income stream amongst many, and servicing them is pretty time intensive and only small income stream at that!! So they, probably quite rightly from a business point of view, don't assign a priority to our servicing needs & turn-around times - we hafta compete with & sometimes even come after all the more lucrative or 'priotity for the season' machines! Only way I can see to change that is to work towards becoming one of your local Dealer's primary sources of income either individually or (probably more realistically) collectively! So maybe we should all get out there & 'sell' the crap outta these things so their market grows & becomes their driving impetus!

Another few things that contribute to those times start with the growing industry wide tendency towards not holding much in the way of spares inventory. These days, holding inventory is quite simply a quite significant Dealer Principal/Owner investment that has a very poor rate of return, so they minimise it as much as they can! And that's not helped by BRP's veerrrrryy slow order processing and delivery times, especially when compared to other brands of motorcycles! (But see the 'not their bread & butter' comment above! If it's NOT their prime source of income, it's simply not a priority! ) If BRP provided order processing and spares delivery in a timely manner, the delays in our service/repair turn-around would be a LOT smaller.... but they don't, and trying to do so doesn't seem to be anywhere in their near future!

Then there's the lack of 'properly trained', experienced, and skilled technicians! And the lack of awareness amongst Parts Interpreters & Service Managers of the 'common problems' being discussed on all the CanAm Forums...even the 'least social media aware' amongst us know of many instances where problems & issues widely identified on the Forums still get the 'First time we've ever seen that one' treatment when we present at the Dealer looking for a remedy! Maybe it's just ignorance, or maybe it's simple dishonesty, but it seems that BRP & their Dealers are ACTIVELY avoiding paying any attention to all the Forum info (& admittedly, some of it's just scuttlebutt!) out there, when it COULD BE one of their greatest assets for improving their service, their market penetration, and increasing their sales! If only someone at a high level in their organisation would pushes them to pay SOME attention to Forums & Social Media in order to improve their awareness & readiness to deal with problems, instead of actively ignoring us like they do atm (even Smoaks has mentioned their negative response to issues raised 'on a forum' & of being told to 'ignore all that'!) Imagine what they could achieve IF ONLY they actively read & paid attention to all the discussion on Forums & Social Media? Hey, they might even be able to correct some of the 'scuttlebutt' & misinformation that abounds But we all know what abounds in a vacuum, and THAT is apparently the preferred approach from BRP & their Dealers!

And I could go on & on.... but I won't. It's simply a case of 'This is what we've got', and that means we either put up with it or go elsewhere.... OR MAYBE we could all band together and send a heap of emails/letters/whatever to BRP telling them what a great marketing & potential improved sales opportunity they are missing out on by ignoring the vast pool of knowledge & experience that's out here in each of US, their 'Beta Testers', and all the discussion & info that abounds on Forums - and the potential for it to be even more accurate & helpful if 'they' were actively involved?!

[Biscuit]

After telling the service person that the bike can stay at my house until they could do it she wasn't receptive.
The service manager called back and said that is the way it is, but he was very nice.
I agree with what you said just thinking out loud.
It is what it is.

RJ

[Tyris]

Your scenario about selling the crap out of them means that service would get worse before it gets better, will be a lag between dealers actually finding\training more technicians plus more competition with more spyders and rykers. It's a vicious circle unfortunately. Frustrated in Iowa cause of the actual driving window to begin with, I guess I could buy another one?

[2dogs]

Last time my spyder hit the shop for repair (cussed compressor) it was there for just over 2 weeks. BRP tech ask me if I had a cover for it. I said yes,why? He told me sorry, but we have no covered parking and I don't think you want it sitting out in the sun or the rain. I went home got the cover and took it back to him. The next week I was suffering separation anxieties so I dropped by the spyder dealership to check on my bike. There it was in the parking lot covered up with my cover. I lifted the cover and some panels and the seat were missing. I asked the service manager what was up with my bike's repair and he said parts are on order. I asked where my panels and seat were located and he showed me where they were stacked on the end of the work bench with shop towels between each part. Can't get better than that. I asked why they didn't have a compressor on hand and he said the owner can't carry every part for every bike they sell. Can't argue with that either.

[h0gr1der]

The actual replacement of the sensor won’t take an hour but if your dealer is like most, they are busy servicing ATV,s, Jet Skis and Snowmobiles. I make an appointment to have work done, not to drop off my Spyder for it to sit gathering dust, that is something I really like about my dealer and their service department.

100%

Took my Spyder in for diagnostic (parking brake motor) on 10/9/19, that's one day burned. Got in a great ride over and back, 180 miles round trip. They'll call me when the parts come in, but the bike is still usable in the meantime. Earliest possible time the hear of parts is Monday 10/14-19, but I suspect it will be longer.

[Mikey]

Two weeks ago I left for work on my 2017 RT limited and eight miles from home I went into limp mode.
Road home to get a car and checked for the code when I got home from work.
I got a P0340 - error on camshaft position sensor signal.
Called the dealer and they said it would be two weeks for them to check it.
I am not sure how long they will need to repair it once they check it.
A year ago it took two months to repair the bike after I hammered a deer.
Just wondering why does it take so long?

RJ

Can you turn a wrench? Find the cam sensor and take it out and clean the magnet, it may have some crap on the end of it, and that could be you problem! May save you some money and get you a little closer to bike!!

[trikermutha]

replace the sensor . Its a common issue on some of the 17 models maybe more?

Or you will have to wait till they get to service your Spyder.

[JayBros]

The actual replacement of the sensor won’t take an hour but if your dealer is like most, they are busy servicing ATV,s, Jet Skis and Snowmobiles. I make an appointment to have work done, not to drop off my Spyder for it to sit gathering dust, that is something I really like about my dealer and their service department.

Exactly! And it's true of not just Spyders but anything in the economy that a buyer purchases which ultimately needs service. If a dealership has an owner population of one they won't be in business very long.

[ARtraveler]

Why does it take so long? I really dunno....

But from over this side of the World, it looks like most of your CanAm Dealers aren't JUST Spyder or Ryker Dealers, most do a LOT of other CanAm offerings plus some also do other machines too. This means that our Spyders & Rykers simply aren't their bread & butter, they are just one income stream amongst many, and servicing them is pretty time intensive and only small income stream at that!! So they, probably quite rightly from a business point of view, don't assign a priority to our servicing needs & turn-around times - we hafta compete with & sometimes even come after all the more lucrative or 'priotity for the season' machines! Only way I can see to change that is to work towards becoming one of your local Dealer's primary sources of income either individually or (probably more realistically) collectively! So maybe we should all get out there & 'sell' the crap outta these things so their market grows & becomes their driving impetus!

Another few things that contribute to those times start with the growing industry wide tendency towards not holding much in the way of spares inventory. These days, holding inventory is quite simply a quite significant Dealer Principal/Owner investment that has a very poor rate of return, so they minimise it as much as they can! And that's not helped by BRP's veerrrrryy slow order processing and delivery times, especially when compared to other brands of motorcycles! (But see the 'not their bread & butter' comment above! If it's NOT their prime source of income, it's simply not a priority! ) If BRP provided order processing and spares delivery in a timely manner, the delays in our service/repair turn-around would be a LOT smaller.... but they don't, and trying to do so doesn't seem to be anywhere in their near future!

Then there's the lack of 'properly trained', experienced, and skilled technicians! And the lack of awareness amongst Parts Interpreters & Service Managers of the 'common problems' being discussed on all the CanAm Forums...even the 'least social media aware' amongst us know of many instances where problems & issues widely identified on the Forums still get the 'First time we've ever seen that one' treatment when we present at the Dealer looking for a remedy! Maybe it's just ignorance, or maybe it's simple dishonesty, but it seems that BRP & their Dealers are ACTIVELY avoiding paying any attention to all the Forum info (& admittedly, some of it's just scuttlebutt!) out there, when it COULD BE one of their greatest assets for improving their service, their market penetration, and increasing their sales! If only someone at a high level in their organisation would pushes them to pay SOME attention to Forums & Social Media in order to improve their awareness & readiness to deal with problems, instead of actively ignoring us like they do atm (even Smoaks has mentioned their negative response to issues raised 'on a forum' & of being told to 'ignore all that'!) Imagine what they could achieve IF ONLY they actively read & paid attention to all the discussion on Forums & Social Media? Hey, they might even be able to correct some of the 'scuttlebutt' & misinformation that abounds But we all know what abounds in a vacuum, and THAT is apparently the preferred approach from BRP & their Dealers!

And I could go on & on.... but I won't. It's simply a case of 'This is what we've got', and that means we either put up with it or go elsewhere.... OR MAYBE we could all band together and send a heap of emails/letters/whatever to BRP telling them what a great marketing & potential improved sales opportunity they are missing out on by ignoring the vast pool of knowledge & experience that's out here in each of US, their 'Beta Testers', and all the discussion & info that abounds on Forums - and the potential for it to be even more accurate & helpful if 'they' were actively involved?!

Crikey, methinks you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.

[billybovine]

It is extremely dealer dependent. My local BRP dealer sells Ski-doos and ATV's. Whenever I wanted work done on my Ski-doo. I could get in right away or wait 3 weeks. Depending on the backlog. I could make an appointment if it was still driveable. As for parts. If I ordered before 11 am. They would be at the dealer the next afternoon. It did not seem to matter what the part was. Ordered a crankshaft once. It came in the next day.

My local dealer was not allowed to sell Spyders or the parts. So I bought my first Spyder from a dealer an hour away. Appointments for service was not allowed. You dropped it off and they were looked at in the order they came in. Even if it was just an oil change. If I ordered a part from them. It could take up to a week to come in. I was puzzled about the parts taking so long. So I talked to my local dealer. He told me there is shipping fee for every parts order. It is the same no matter how big the order is. So the dealer saves on shipping fees if they only ordered once a week.

My next Spyder was bought from another dealer an hour and 15 minutes away. Due to my unhappy experience at the previous dealer. Appointments for service varied from right away to 3 weeks. Seasonal products business. Very long wait in the spring because of sea-doos coming out of winter storage. Parts if ordered before 11 am. Came in next day. When I hit the dog and smashed up the front end. That was on a monday night. I figured out what parts I needed and ordered them tuesday morning. Insurance adjuster called back and said he would look at it, at the dealer, wednesday afternoon. I dropped off the Spyder, at the dealer, just after lunch on wednesday. The parts where already there. The dealer fixed it on thursday and I picked it up on friday.

Next Spyder bought from a third Spyder dealer 1 1/2 hours away. Second dealer cut off as Spyder dealer due to low Spyder sales. Did not order any parts from 3rd dealer. So I don't know how long they take. Only one service appointment so far. It took a week from when I called. But service done while I waited in waiting area. It had comfy chairs, couches, tv, internet, coffee, tea, bottled water.