Results 1 to 22 of 22
  1. #1
    Active Member Bruiser37's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Tucson Arizona
    Posts
    78
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default 2021 Spyder RTL headlights - BRP Blunder!

    RT 2021 Spyder Low beam projects wide V pattern on road ahead. Center of beam projects downward for approximately 30 to 40 yards for averge width of a two lane road beyond that is a black hole and you see absolutely nothing 40 to 50 yards beyond road head... a very dangerous condition to ride more than 45 MPH at night. Upper legs of V pattern lights up both sides of two lane road very well out to about 50 to 65 yards. Completely ass backward from way it should be for safe ride after dark. High beam lights up center of road for safe riding at higher speeds. High beam must be used 100 percent of the time for all after dark riding conditions. But Then all on coming traffic ios flashing reminder to turn off your high beams... another ass backward condition you are forced to live with for safe riding after dark.

    I have owned several single headlight motorcycle brands dating back from mid 50's to modern motorcycle brands with dual LED hedlights. 2020 -2021 Can Am RT spyder headlights are worse than all of them and there is no third party replacement hedlights available to correct this egregious BRP engineering blunder.
    2018 RT Limited Spyder , Garmin Zumo GPS, Battery tender wire harness Show Chrome brake pedal extender Oxford Blue

  2. #2
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    N. Wilkesboro, NC
    Posts
    1,902
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Everything changes once you add the Auxiliary light.

  3. #3
    Very Active Member RICZ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    2,735
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    ROWAN & LIGHTS 5.jpg

    Here's what a pair of auxiliary lights can do.
    Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
    2017 F3 Limited , Red, Black & Chrome

  4. #4
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,356
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruiser37 View Post
    RT 2021 Spyder Low beam projects wide V pattern on road ahead. Center of beam projects downward for approximately 30 to 40 yards for averge width of a two lane road beyond that is a black hole and you see absolutely nothing 40 to 50 yards beyond road head... a very dangerous condition to ride more than 45 MPH at night. Upper legs of V pattern lights up both sides of two lane road very well out to about 50 to 65 yards. Completely ass backward from way it should be for safe ride after dark. High beam lights up center of road for safe riding at higher speeds. High beam must be used 100 percent of the time for all after dark riding conditions. But Then all on coming traffic ios flashing reminder to turn off your high beams... another ass backward condition you are forced to live with for safe riding after dark.

    I have owned several single headlight motorcycle brands dating back from mid 50's to modern motorcycle brands with dual LED hedlights. 2020 -2021 Can Am RT spyder headlights are worse than all of them and there is no third party replacement hedlights available to correct this egregious BRP engineering blunder.
    LED headlights are from " third " party sellers..... and your headlights may not be focused properly ..... good luck .... Mike

  5. #5
    Very Active Member Mikey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Durham,Maine
    Posts
    3,644
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Mike may have some thing here, if they are LED, they may not be focused!! That would be tossing a strange pattern to the ground.
    2012 RTL , Pearl

  6. #6
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    KS
    Posts
    250
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    The manual on my "21 RT has a page on focusing and adjusting the lights.

  7. #7
    Very Active Member Arion's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    San Antonio, TX & Moosehead Lake, ME
    Posts
    771
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by milryder View Post
    The manual on my "21 RT has a page on focusing and adjusting the lights.
    Good point. There is no guarantee that the lights are "correctly" aligned when a Spyder leaves the factory. Guess that's why there is the ability to adjust them, yes, no?
    2012 2012 RT-L and 3015 RT-S , 2012 - red and 2015 black (way too black)

  8. #8
    Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Peter Aawen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Australia; Sth Aust, Adelaide Hills
    Posts
    9,613
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Arion View Post
    Good point. There is no guarantee that the lights are "correctly" aligned when a Spyder leaves the factory. Guess that's why there is the ability to adjust them, yes, no?
    Nah.. Yeah.... RIGHT??







    Sorry, but I just hadta! She made me do it!

    2013 RT Ltd Pearl White

    Ryde More, Worry Less!

  9. #9
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Albany NY
    Posts
    165
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Mine were horrible from the factory had to adjust them they are great now.

  10. #10
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Grand Forks, ND
    Posts
    341
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    What did you use as abase line to adjust the head lights?
    Jim

  11. #11
    Very Active Member IdahoMtnSpyder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    9,775
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911 View Post
    LED headlights are from " third " party sellers..... and your headlights may not be focused properly ..... good luck .... Mike
    Check that to be sure. The 2020 & 2021 parts catalog shows the headlights as a single assembly with no separate bulb. The specifications list in the operator's guide lists the headlight simply as LED. The parts diagram looks like the bulb can be removed, which only makes sense, but what would the replacement be? It looks like they come from the factory with LED headlights.

    There are two adjustments on the '20 & '21 headlights, up/down and left/right. There are two bulbs in each light. The outer is the only one on for low beam.

    So the '20+ headlights are altogether different from what we're used to dealing with.

    2014 Copper RTS

    Tri-Axis bars, CB, BajaRon sway bar & shock adjusters, SpyderPop's Bumpskid, NBV peg brackets, LED headlights and modulator, Wolo trumpet air horns, trailer hitch, custom trailer harness, high mount turn signals, Custom Dynamics brake light, LED turn signal lights on mirrors, LED strip light for a dash light, garage door opener, LED lights in frunk, trunk, and saddlebags, RAM mounts and cradles for tablet (for GPS) and phone (for music), and Smooth Spyder belt tensioner.
    2014 RTS , Copper! (officially Cognac)

  12. #12
    Very Active Member RICZ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    2,735
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    On the subject of headlights....I am in the process of switching my F3L to LEDs. Each headlight is tethered by an adjustment cable that prevents them from being completely removed. I was able to JUST switch out the left headlight, but there is not enough space to do the right one. Ironically, Lamonster has an excellent video, but only shows changing the bulb on the left headlight and not the right.
    + What did you do access the back of the right headlight?
    + There is an easy to remove clip at the cable's console end - if I undo that, how difficult is it to get it back into place?
    + Does the cable detach at the headlight?
    TIA
    Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
    2017 F3 Limited , Red, Black & Chrome

  13. #13
    Very Active Member IdahoMtnSpyder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    9,775
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RICZ View Post
    On the subject of headlights....I am in the process of switching my F3L to LEDs. Each headlight is tethered by an adjustment cable that prevents them from being completely removed. I was able to JUST switch out the left headlight, but there is not enough space to do the right one. Ironically, Lamonster has an excellent video, but only shows changing the bulb on the left headlight and not the right.
    + What did you do access the back of the right headlight?
    + There is an easy to remove clip at the cable's console end - if I undo that, how difficult is it to get it back into place?
    + Does the cable detach at the headlight?
    TIA
    On the RT the headlight adjusting cable is anchored to the fiber body brace under the upper panel with an easily removable nut. The cable can be pulled out to enable taking the headlight completely out of the Spyder. Feeding the cable back to the brace isn't a great challenge. I would think the situation would be same with the F3.

    2014 Copper RTS

    Tri-Axis bars, CB, BajaRon sway bar & shock adjusters, SpyderPop's Bumpskid, NBV peg brackets, LED headlights and modulator, Wolo trumpet air horns, trailer hitch, custom trailer harness, high mount turn signals, Custom Dynamics brake light, LED turn signal lights on mirrors, LED strip light for a dash light, garage door opener, LED lights in frunk, trunk, and saddlebags, RAM mounts and cradles for tablet (for GPS) and phone (for music), and Smooth Spyder belt tensioner.
    2014 RTS , Copper! (officially Cognac)

  14. #14
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,356
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by IdahoMtnSpyder View Post
    Check that to be sure. The 2020 & 2021 parts catalog shows the headlights as a single assembly with no separate bulb. The specifications list in the operator's guide lists the headlight simply as LED. The parts diagram looks like the bulb can be removed, which only makes sense, but what would the replacement be? It looks like they come from the factory with LED headlights.

    There are two adjustments on the '20 & '21 headlights, up/down and left/right. There are two bulbs in each light. The outer is the only one on for low beam.

    So the '20+ headlights are altogether different from what we're used to dealing with.
    Thanks, glad to see BRP is getting up to speed on the new products ........... Mike

  15. #15
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Albany NY
    Posts
    165
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    I have the front of the bike at 25 ft away from the garage door. Low beams on. The top cut off line which looks yellow in the picture is 38in off the ground.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  16. #16
    Very Active Member RICZ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    2,735
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    My method of adjusting headlights is to go out at night and do an "aim and ride" until they are lighting the road where I want them to. I start on flat pavement and a wall that I can do the initial aiming on.
    Ours is a red, black and chrome 2017 F3 Limited. Bought new in 2/2019. The avatar is my first bike back in 1952, a Simplex Servi-Cycle. Photo taken at the Barber Museum.
    2017 F3 Limited , Red, Black & Chrome

  17. #17
    Active Member Bruiser37's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Tucson Arizona
    Posts
    78
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by milryder View Post
    The manual on my "21 RT has a page on focusing and adjusting the lights.
    Thanks your suggestion works
    2018 RT Limited Spyder , Garmin Zumo GPS, Battery tender wire harness Show Chrome brake pedal extender Oxford Blue

  18. #18
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Hunter Valley NSW Australia
    Posts
    626
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruiser37 View Post
    RT 2021 Spyder Low beam projects wide V pattern on road ahead. Center of beam projects downward for approximately 30 to 40 yards for averge width of a two lane road beyond that is a black hole and you see absolutely nothing 40 to 50 yards beyond road head... a very dangerous condition to ride more than 45 MPH at night. Upper legs of V pattern lights up both sides of two lane road very well out to about 50 to 65 yards. Completely ass backward from way it should be for safe ride after dark. High beam lights up center of road for safe riding at higher speeds. High beam must be used 100 percent of the time for all after dark riding conditions. But Then all on coming traffic ios flashing reminder to turn off your high beams... another ass backward condition you are forced to live with for safe riding after dark.

    I have owned several single headlight motorcycle brands dating back from mid 50's to modern motorcycle brands with dual LED hedlights. 2020 -2021 Can Am RT spyder headlights are worse than all of them and there is no third party replacement hedlights available to correct this egregious BRP engineering blunder.
    I feel your pain. I have a '17RTL and here in the land down under our headlights are your Foglights. They are about as effective as a match on a tornado. I note too BRRRRP says the Spyder should not be ridden at night
    2017 RTL
    2017 RTL , White

  19. #19
    Active Member Bruiser37's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Tucson Arizona
    Posts
    78
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TIMMB View Post
    Mine were horrible from the factory had to adjust them they are great now.
    Projecting my new 2021 RTL Spyder LED low light beam on garage wall target calculated right triangle (Pythagoras’ Theorem) headlight alignment horizontal center of bright line in front of Spyder on dark road is exactly 22.8 yards. Low beam headlights are looking down at road exactly 2.23 degree angle. Don’t ride more than 40-45 mph on a dark country road with low beam or you’ll never see that large pot hole (worse yet a black cow) ahead in time to avoid. �� �� That’s exactly why you can’t see our RTL low beam headlights in daylight. Truth is if headlights were properly aligned you would easily see RTL on low beam in daylight and high beam at night would be more efficient. Those lower BRP factory and third party RT Spyder LED light bars are usless for night riding.
    2018 RT Limited Spyder , Garmin Zumo GPS, Battery tender wire harness Show Chrome brake pedal extender Oxford Blue

  20. #20
    Active Member Bruiser37's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Tucson Arizona
    Posts
    78
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default 2020-21 RT Spyder LED headlight horizontal adjustment

    I have concluded from my recent experience 2020 - 21 RT Spyder LED headlight horizontal angle -2.23 degrees must be reset to zero degree for optimum, maximum low and high beam safe riding operation. I moved glove box to side and with fingers located right & left hand horizontal allen screw alignment adjustments according to owners guide instruction. Unless your hand size is that of a 10 year old child forget adjusting RT Spyder LED headlights through glove box, run 100 percent on high beam and avoid riding in dark.

    No wonder they come assembled default from manufacturing without adjustment… that’s an owners option.

    Also noted Canadian RT LED Spyder headlights are screw driver adjustments located in Right & left hand mirrors… so convenient.
    2018 RT Limited Spyder , Garmin Zumo GPS, Battery tender wire harness Show Chrome brake pedal extender Oxford Blue

  21. #21
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    NW Iowa
    Posts
    146
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    how does the mirror trim piece come off? I'd hate to break it!
    Now
    2021 Sea2Sky
    Former
    2015 F3-S

  22. #22
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    NW Iowa
    Posts
    146
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    nevermind I finally got it! Now I hope the aim is true!
    Now
    2021 Sea2Sky
    Former
    2015 F3-S

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •