2012 Spyder RTS - New owner with some questions?!

[SpyderLinder]

SpyderLinder, if you live in the central Maine area there are a few Spyder Ryders. Some of us work on our Spyders. Might be able to give you some help.

On a side note, my maiden name is Stetson - your town is on my bucket list!!

[rustin921]

Search for this in the forums

"Do's and Do Not's" for new Spyder owners

It’s very helpful.

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...-Spyder-owners

[pegasus1300]

I have been shifting at around 3200 rpms! I read on this forum somewhere about running it higher - it's hard to do that by nature but I will try.

Shift at 6000 and cruise at 5000,your machine will love it and so will you. 3200 your clutch is not even fully engaged yet. The VTwins have a Centrifugal clutch that depends on engine speed to be fully engaged. That means 3800-4000. Also the VTwin engine came out of a sport bike and depends on rpm to make its power. You are choking it at 3200. Let it go and you will find a new machine. As to the ruff running,the original vacuum lines that feed the map sensors are rubber which breaks down very quickly in the heat of the engine compartment and over time. Go NAPA and get some 3 mm silicone vacuum lines, cut them to the same length as factory and replace. that should cure your rough running. Now go out and really ride that thing for several thousand miles before you start changing a bunch of suspension things. You need to know how it feels and how you want it to feel. Then when you change something you will know what it did for you and what else you may need to get what you want.I have a 2012 as well and I really like the VTwin. It is a fun sporty engine. Enjoy.

[safecracker]

Gorham is a couple hours south of my home. I live close to Newport Maine.

[davev1pa]

HEY SPYDERLINDER.Welcome! I bought a 12 RTL last year with 3600miles...it ran great until my first ride with "theguys"..then I got the orange screen and "codes"..oh I was hot as it had run perfectly for 200-300 miles. It developed an erractic idle -shifting was weird ..so I added injector cleaner, seafoam,then the Map hoses...nuthing helped. Took it to the dealer...they did spark plugs checked airfilter replaced my "new aftermarket MAP hoses" they were stumped and called BRP..BRP suggested a re-flash of the ECU(computer brain) and VOILA!!! Even the dealer was excited! Yeah it cost me $ 500.00 and i wasn't happy as I had it only a few weeks but it's not always mechanical as these are computerized machines...Now at 17k it has run flawlessly for this past year...I've added several mods and an additional 14 RTS as my wife stole my 12 RTL

[SpyderLinder]

HEY SPYDERLINDER.Welcome! I bought a 12 RTL last year with 3600miles...it ran great until my first ride with "theguys"..then I got the orange screen and "codes"..oh I was hot as it had run perfectly for 200-300 miles. It developed an erractic idle -shifting was weird ..so I added injector cleaner, seafoam,then the Map hoses...nuthing helped. Took it to the dealer...they did spark plugs checked airfilter replaced my "new aftermarket MAP hoses" they were stumped and called BRP..BRP suggested a re-flash of the ECU(computer brain) and VOILA!!! Even the dealer was excited! Yeah it cost me $ 500.00 and i wasn't happy as I had it only a few weeks but it's not always mechanical as these are computerized machines...Now at 17k it has run flawlessly for this past year...I've added several mods and an additional 14 RTS as my wife stole my 12 RTL

Hello Dave!!

My husband read that if you let it idle for at least 20 minutes it resets the ECU - did the dealership reset or did you do it? Wondering if you did the 'idle' method or not. The seafoam and stabilizer really made a difference after he drained the old fuel. It started stalling again while idling after a solid 75 mile ride- so he added more seafoam/cleaner, which I'm hoping will fix the issue.

FOR EVERYONE ELSE:

To those who educated me on running the engine at higher RPM's - THANK YOUUUU!!!! It's AMAZING!!! It definitely makes a HUGE difference. I shift now at around 5800 rpms and run around 5000.

***I do have a question though - is it safe to downshift to 1st gear if your rpms drop too low? It doesn't feel right to do it. I don't want to break anything after all!

P.S. Does anyone have an extra dash screw laying around that I could buy off of you? One of mine fell into the Spyder when I was installing the Carbon Fiber dash upgrade (GRRRR!) . Not mechanically needed, but the empty hole is staring me in the face.

You all are the BEST!

[ARtraveler]

Hello Dave!!

My husband read that if you let it idle for at least 20 minutes it resets the ECU - did the dealership reset or did you do it? Wondering if you did the 'idle' method or not. The seafoam and stabilizer really made a difference after he drained the old fuel. It started stalling again while idling after a solid 75 mile ride- so he added more seafoam/cleaner, which I'm hoping will fix the issue.

FOR EVERYONE ELSE:

To those who educated me on running the engine at higher RPM's - THANK YOUUUU!!!! It's AMAZING!!! It definitely makes a HUGE difference. I shift now at around 5800 rpms and run around 5000.

***I do have a question though - is it safe to downshift to 1st gear if your rpms drop too low? It doesn't feel right to do it. I don't want to break anything after all!

P.S. Does anyone have an extra dash screw laying around that I could buy off of you? One of mine fell into the Spyder when I was installing the Carbon Fiber dash upgrade (GRRRR!) . Not mechanically needed, but the empty hole is staring me in the face.

You all are the BEST!

RE: Your question: Engine operation is all about the RPM's. Keep it in that comfort zone (5500 or so). Back a few years ago, we went to Maui HI and rented a Spyder. We drove the scenic Hana Hwy. it is 50 miles one way and many 10 mph curves. The Spyder remained in first gear (to keep the revs higher) the whole 100 mile round trip. No problems with performance.

[pegasus1300]

No you wont break anything. When it gets down too low it will down shift on it's own. I down shift to keep the RPMs above 4000 so when it hits 4000 I. Go to cheapcycleparts.com,register so you get the discount and order the screw from them,sent right to your door.

[Peter Aawen]

......

To those who educated me on running the engine at higher RPM's - THANK YOUUUU!!!! It's AMAZING!!! It definitely makes a HUGE difference. I shift now at around 5800 rpms and run around 5000.

***I do have a question though - is it safe to downshift to 1st gear if your rpms drop too low? It doesn't feel right to do it. I don't want to break anything after all!

Firstly, the 'ECU Reset' that you get from idling it for 15 mins (20 mins won't hurt tho, but 15 mins is more than sufficient ) is NOT the same thing as the 'full reset' that davev1pa mentioned - what he mentioned is a complete re-loading of all the ECU Controls & Coding, while the 15 min idle thing simply resets the base parameters in the tables controlling the engine's running so that it can take into account any differences from the expected stock air intake or exhaust.

As for the downshift thing, while the 'Nanny' is pretty lenient when it comes to gear-changes and you might even be able to monetarily chirp or lock up the rear tire on a down shift, the computer that actually controls the gear changes you initiate with the flappy paddles really won't let you do anything too damaging!! It will lock out up-shifts that are too early, so no short-shifting; and similarly, it'll stop you from shifting down too soon if your road speed is too high for the rev limits on the particular gear you're trying to select! It just won't let you!! But going beyond that, there's even a 'safety over-ride' down-shift if you're slowing and you don't remember to change down soon enough - usually it'll just reveal itself by smoothly making the down-shift for you as you slow to a stop, but if you try to speed up again before you've fully stopped &/or grab a handful of throttle such that the engine'd send too much torque thru the transmission &/or clutch for the road speed you're doing, the computer will make the appropriate down-shift for you!! It's really intended as a 'down-shift of last resort' for those occasions when you might damage things cos you haven't down-shifted appropriately/soon enough, but some riders rely on it to make most if not all of their down-shifts for them - not really something that's recommended for riders using what is still essentially a manual transmission; but hey, it's their machine, so if they wanta do that to their machines, then that's OK by me... it's just not my preference nor is it really displaying much in the way of the rider's gear/rev/road speed matching skills or much 'mechanical sympathy'

Still, with regards to your specific question, while it's better on many counts if you practice & develop the skill of initiating all your gear-shifts, up or down, and matching your gear selection to your revs & road speed, the Nanny & her computer minions will try to keep you from doing too much damage with you gear changes, traction, braking etc - but be warned, she really can't protect you from outright stupidity (yours or anyone else's! ) so you do still hafta ride it like everyone is out to get you, and do remember that it IS essentially still just a manual transmission, only with the added bonus of a lever-less clutch & very fast computer controlled shifting initiated by your thumb & forefinger twitching on those + or - buttons as appropriate.... AND with a reasonably astute 'Nanny' in the suite of computer safe-guards that'll stop you doing anything that might be too damaging!

[ThreeWheels]

I am in Gorham!!!!! We are less than an hour away from a group ride!!! (once I get myself acclimated haha!)

A little off topic, but I love the videos posted by Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Repair.
Way Cool.
Those videos gave me the courage to try to repair my grandmothers sewing cabinet.