Looking into the future of the RT

[Lamonster]

For a first year production unit I think BRP did a pretty good job with the Touring version of the RT. It has a few bugs to workout like any other product but all in all they did good.

I'm sure that a lot of information was gleaned from this site as far as what we were doing to the GS/RS Spyder. If you look at other BRP products like the watercraft you can get the idea that they are always looking for the next best thing to make a product even better.

Chances are we're not going to see any major changes for a few years but now that a lot of us have put some real miles on the RT, what improvements would you like to see in the future?

I'll start.

• Longer range before fuel stops.
  Even though the RT is right in line with other trikes as far as range and fuel economy I would like to see at least a 200 mile range. That may take a bigger tank, bigger motor or change in gearing but if you're going tour you need more range.
• Better suspension.
  I'm pretty happy with the stock rear suspension but the front is really lacking and that should be an easy thing to fix. I know the Elka's made a huge difference in the ride for me and there's no reason the RT can't come stock with good shocks. I know most companies cut corners in this area but BRP doesn't need to. UPDATE- Fixed in 2011
• Better seat with fuel door.
  After spending some serious miles on my Corbin I can tell you there is a lot of room for improvement on the seat. Having the seat cup you in and having a backrest is something that all touring machines should have. The gas door is one of the greatest things ever. Not having to lift your seat to fill your tank is a big plus.
• More power for more lights and gizmos.
  If you look at the Goldwings or even the Harley Touring bikes they all have extra lights and gizmos on them. Not only that but when you start adding stuff like heated seats, GPS, radar, neon's or LEDs, cell phone chargers and who knows what else it really starts adding up. Along those lines I think the next RT should come stock with HID lights. That really makes a difference on those dark country roads. It's a safety thing too as people can see you better.
• More windshield options.
  I would like to see taller and shorter versions of the stock windshield. Right now I wish mine was about 3" shorter and I'm sure there are those who would like a taller windshield. UPDATE- Fixed in 2011.
  And a windshield wiper like these guys sell. http://www.peerclear.com
• Wind deflectors.
  There are a few areas on the current RT that I would like to block the wind and there are times I would like to route the wind to me. All the Goldwing guys use Baker Airwings and they do a good job at doing this very thing. At least make that a factory option.
• Adjustable floorboards and more forward foot position.
  This is one thing that Harley has nailed. Having your feet in front of you makes for a much better day in the saddle. A heal/toe shifter option would be good too. This is something the Goldwing is limited on because it's a flat 6 but I think it's doable on the RT. On the Boss Hoss it is adjustable so that the controls slide on a rail to where you need them. While you're at it make the read board adjust without any tools like it looks like it does in the BRP video. That would be handy when you go from one of your kids on the back to your wife.
• Passenger armrest.
  Once again this should be standard on all touring machines. And while you're there how about a passenger cup holder and maybe a flip up grove box that's built into the armrest, ladies love that kind of stuff.
• Top loading bags with removable trunk.
  I absolutely hate side loading bags. I never use the ones I have now because they are too much trouble. A top loading bag works so much better and I would use those if I had them. There are more than a few of us that ride solo most of the time so I really don't need a rear trunk most of the time. Make it so that is removable and maybe give us a fender rack to throw on top if we like. Once again Harley nailed it on this one.
• Handbrake?
  I'm sure there is a good reason for not having it on any of the current Spyders but I sure can't think of one. Motorcycle guys tend to grab for that brake in a panic stop. Roll you bike out of a trailer and tell me what you grab for when it starts getting away from you. I know you can get use to not having one but dog gone it I spent all these years training myself to grab the front brake first and then the rear and I want to keep that training when I jump back on my bike.
• Adjustable handlebars.
  We come in all shapes and sizes and it would be nice if the bars could adjust forward and backward and maybe up and down. I think they do this on their watercraft already.
• More power on take off.
  This thing is a dog on take off, you give it throttle and nothing happens till the computer is happy. They really need to at least give us the same throttle response as the RS
• Bluetooth interface.
  Everything is wireless now days so why have a cord to tether us to the RT? At least make Bluetooth a option. Driver to passenger communication should be standard and the wiring should be in place for all the options so all you have to do is buy the component and plug it in. Don't make the dealers have to figure out after they order the CB that they need a separate wiring harness to make it work.
• Audio upgrade option. It would be nice to have a better option than stock. A lot of guys are now changing out the speakers for better ones and I'm sure if BRP offer a Premium Audio package it would sell.
• Move the GPS. I would like to see the GPS up on the top of the dash so you don't have to take your eyes off the road to look at the map. While you're at it give us weather and traffic like on the Garmin 665.
• Match the the rear with the front. I'm not sure why you can't get the rear wheel to match the fronts. If you're going to have "Metallic Silver" front rims then give a rear wheel and sprocket to match.
• Tapped hole on the bars? It sure would be nice if they gave a 1/4" 20 tapped hole on the left bar somewhere so a guy can easily mount a RAM ball. That could be used for all sort of things like cell phones, GPS, cup holders and all the other goodies folks load a touring bike up with.
• Shorty antennas. I've replaced my antennas with shorties and they work just fine for what I need them to do. I can't tell you how many post I've read here about the antennas either falling off or breaking off. Give us a shorty stock.
• Gauge options. A lot of us have pulled the analog gauges out and replaced them with volt and oil pressure gauges. I would love to see that as a factory option.
• Miles per gal/tank reading? I know just about every car I've owned in the last 10 years will tell me how many mile to the gallon I'm getting real time and on average. They will also give you how many miles left in the tank. We all know these are not numbers to live by but I sure would like to know if I can adjust my speed and maybe get a few more miles out of my tank if need be.
• Off Road pipe option. I'm sure if there was a Hindle option for the RT it would sell for those of us that like a little attitude in the sound department.
• Graphics option. I would love to see some graphic options for all the Spyders. I've seen some pretty cool stuff out there from the aftermarket guys and if I could get something like that from the factory I would be all over it.
  
  
  That's all that comes to mind right now but maybe you can add to this list. As far as I know the Spyder is the first road machine that BRP has made and maybe they could use a little input from us as to what would make a great product just about perfect.

[Rando]

2011 Spyder RT LE (Lamonster Edition)

[Lamonster]

2011 Spyder RT LE (Lamonster Edition)

I'm good with that.

[MarkLawson]

AUX Input Jack in the front dash area.

Fuel Economy is much less than it should be. My brother's '08 Goldwing with CSC Trike kit gets about 10 mpg better than my RT.

Intercom as Standard Equipment. The installation requirements for these is beyond belief. A harness should already be in place to add the CB & XM without having to pull the rear saddlebag & trunk assembly off.

AND BRAKES THAT DON'T SQUEAL! I hate sounding like a junk truck when I step on the brakes.

Plus everything Lamont said already...

[tea6638]

I'm hope there are going to be some changes for the 2011
Model Year. Lamont, you could not have said it any better. I can only hope that BRP takes what has been said to heart and takes it to the next level. Just my 2 cents

[SpyderGirl]

All good suggestions. There is always room for improvement.

Longer range, adjustable footrests, and passenger armrests seem to be a given to me. I also hate the side loading bags.

[bruceofthebronx]

Dear BRP, out of the goodness of my heart, I'll test drive the 2011 LE edition for you, at no charge.
Great sounding machine, thanks.

[dave01]

Guages that actually work.
Key lock on center console so you wont have to lock the steering all of the time.
12V plug in center console.
Floorboard option for driver.
Height adjustable foot brake pedal.
Light in rear storage box.
Better button to cancel turn signals.
Pre-wired for all BRP accessories.
........more to come

[Brevet05]

Although I've only a week as an RT-S owner, I'd echo the separate locking for the glovebox, 12V plug in center console, light in rear storage box, better button to cancel turn signals as my immediate nuisance fixes. I'd also agree with Lamont (and others) on the range and fuel mileage issues, arm rest for the passenger, and easier accessories path.

My brakes don't squeal, so hopefully they've gotten to that solution.

What I really want for future buyers is a closer correspondence between the advertising and the reality. The blue on the RT is nothing like the color in the ads; the RT-S no longer comes with the frunk light standard, and the travel cover covers everything except the front wheels. I recognize that these are all changes from the initial offerings, but changing the BRP website should be an easy fix, even if they can't get all the other (You Tube, SpyderLovers, reviews) outlets to correct their pages.

[manoman14]

If this thing was perfect right out of the box, what would all of the tinkerers improve on?

[MangoMike]

Damn, I was ready to buy and RT now y'all have gone and screwed with my feeble mind .

These are all excellent ideas and ones that I just might wait to see if any are added for 2011. BRP did an outstanding job, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Mike

[Lamonster]

Damn, I was ready to buy and RT now y'all have gone and screwed with my feeble mind .

These are all excellent ideas and ones that I just might wait to see if any are added for 2011. BRP did an outstanding job, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Mike

I can pretty much assure there will be very little changes if any on the 2011 RT. You can wait forever for the "best" product to come out but at some point you got to take the leap because there will always be something better down the road.

[Brevet05]

One more: The 12v outlet is hot all the time. Given that I have my XM rig plugged in there, it's only going to take one time forgetting to unplug the charger between rides to potentially drain the battery. Having an option or 2nd keyed outlet there would be useful.

[bikeguy]

The mileage doesn't bother me but I'd really like more range and I'd like to see it in the 240 mile range which would mean having an 8 -8.5 gallon tank. I also wish the brakes were better. With almost 1600 miles on my RT, the brakes have bedded in some and are better than new but still just barely adequate.

A handbrake would be nice. I'm not sure I can ever ride it far enough that I won't reach for one and, like Lamont, I don't really want to lose the habit of grabbing the front brake. I still get on two wheelers far too often to forget.

The seat is the most comfortable thing I've ever been on - wouldn't change it. Ditto for the windshield and the fairing but hot weather may change my mind. I'd go for the adjustable wind deflectors Lamont mentioned.

Mine is a relatively late production model and I wonder just how much, if anything, has changed from the early production models. A lot of folks talked about the fly-by-wire throttle being twitchy on early demo rides. Well, mine is just the opposite if anything. Mine is almost 3/4 of a turn from idle to full throttle and I wish it was about half that. I usually have to get a second grip before I can get full throttle.

Actually, most of these things are just minor inconveniences. Nothing is ever perfect, thus the list of things to improve, but the RT is the best touring machine we have ever owned.

Cotton

[Coolbreeze]

I'd like to see BRP put a little pressure on the dealers to offer service at a reasonable rate. Almost $500.00 for 600 mile service and $180.00 for an oil change should be a criminal offense. Since the dealers are few and far between it's difficult to shop around for a better deal. Maybe someone could come up with a list of dealers and how much they charge for different services. Or let the dealers advertise their charge for services on the site so they have some competition. I wouldn't mind riding 500 miles for an oil change if I could save some money. I would ride that far anyway and the money I saved would help pay for my trip.

I spoke to the folks at Baker Built and they are working on air wings for the RT. They don't know when they will be available. Lamonster is right on about the hand brake. Thats the first thing I missed and is especially needed if you are riding with your foot up on a highway peg and have to brake quickly.

[ARtraveler]

Lamonster is right on concerning recommendations for things on the RT. I would not add or subtract anything from the list. Adjustable stuff for driver ergonomics is at the top of my list. After a 175 mile ride today--I'm ordering the Corbin seat--the stock one has got to go. Other than that, I'm very happy with the bike. RE: gas mileage--I just completed 175 highway miles at 55 & 65 MPH and got 32.77 miles per gallon. Thats my best to date. Times 6 gal with .6 to spare thats a range of 196 miles on a tank.

[wcc002]

Definitely like Dave said, Pre-wired for all BRP accessories. If an accessory needs a component, include it without all of us having to guess- do we need to order this part, is it included in the box, is it already installed on the bike?...

[IWN2RYD]

Your primary list is solid. May I add.....

Storage; The Driver side storage needs to be tweaked to allow for a full size helmet to fit.

The front storage closes to rough and makes me think I will break it at some point....

Handbrake; This needs to be an option offered from BRP. Period. I can understand the cost control (Tell that to us that drop $1200 on a gps!!! Or the $800 on the CB) And I understand the State regulator issue. But this means nothing to those that need the handbrake so they can ride. After market is wonderful. It may stay there....

Traction Control; Allowing for sport riding or touring would be great! I understand from my llimited research... That if we turn one control off, it shuts them all off... Example... Turn off VSS and loose ABS (ETC). Having more of a sportier setting, allowing for more say... zero to 35mps fun...

Power; The bike, two folks and gear..... Well makes for a nice cruiser.. But not for getting on the freeway or into fast moving traffic. In Washington State the law states we have to be at the speed of traffic as we merge... Well the on ramps are not always that long, and it requires a bit of umph to get up to speed. Needless to say... the last two times I tried getting on the 50mph+ flow... the traffic had to move over to allow me in. All fine and good of course. But more power is always better for me when needed...

Needs one more gear; Not only do I like power, but I like gas mileage and life long service. It may just be me... But one more forward gear would be the cats meow!!

BTW.... I have to make sure I say this... This RT model of BRP's... Is darn near perfect. I am so grateful they listened to influences and input as they designed this ride. To me this is the best set of ideas ever put together in one package.. Correctly done right the first time!

P.S. I would love to see one about 6-8"'s longer to allow for big boy's and a bigger fuel tank..

[chris56]

i love it !!! (5 days / 500mls/ ser.nr 0064) so I don`t want to criticize too much - but lamont is right.. for me its that
1. - ergonomics - disappointing - absolut nothing adjustable...
2. - still cannot find a contact to my frontwheels / steering-shocks wheels ??..don`t know - not the GS-Style in the curves
2. - the way the screen goes up and down is much to short - first i thought this is a bug - miss the last 2 inch to go down ..
3. - fuel capacity..
4. - would like the old Gs- seat - my passenger sits too far away now
5.- ALL buttons need a rethink
last thing .. maybe someone could tell me where are 40% more weight ..

but still ... THE MOST HAPPIEST RT OWNER

[Oldmanzues]

I'd like to see BRP put a little pressure on the dealers to offer service at a reasonable rate. Almost $500.00 for 600 mile service and $180.00 for an oil change should be a criminal offense. Since the dealers are few and far between it's difficult to shop around for a better deal. Maybe someone could come up with a list of dealers and how much they charge for different services. Or let the dealers advertise their charge for services on the site so they have some competition. I wouldn't mind riding 500 miles for an oil change if I could save some money. I would ride that far anyway and the money I saved would help pay for my trip.

I spoke to the folks at Baker Built and they are working on air wings for the RT. They don't know when they will be available. Lamonster is right on about the hand brake. Thats the first thing I missed and is especially needed if you are riding with your foot up on a highway peg and have to brake quickly.

Based on experience with Baker Built Wings on my RS, it will be a quality product. They did a good job of blocking the wind over the top of my legs on a 20 degree ride (New Years Day in Ohio)

Old Man Zues.

[Prense01]

1) provisions for a stock heated seat.

2) intercom and headset connections should have been factory installed. Intercom should not be built into the CB. The current setup is entirely too costly considering all of the aftermarket options.

3) rear trunk light. It is the little considerations that can truly matter.

4) front trunk light is entirely too feeble. I have seen incandescent flashlights with half dead batteries put out more visible light. The light should be LED and always hot...same with the rear trunk.

5) please let me listen to my stereo when I wash my bike! Or anytime I am sitting idle without the engine running.

6) cut the windshield down 2" and give it two more inches of travel on the top end. At 5'10" with a 30 inch inseam, I can see over the top of the wind shield, but barely and not sitting in my normal riding position. I have to "sit tall" to see above it. Additionally, a functional vent in the wind shield would be a nice touch to a luxury tourer.

7) I do not mind the fuel economy at all, but get the bike's range to 200 miles. The fuel indication system needs to be looked at for improved useful accuracy. At about half tank, my analog needle is into the red. Half tank appears to be around 75 miles. Red = get gas...unsat.

8) consider a rear tire that gets more life. 8k miles is a little on the light sid. I would be content with 12-15k miles. With such a large contact patch, does the tire have to have such a soft compound? I am basing expected tire life from what I have read here.

9) headlights need to be brighter...HIDs??


Think that's it...

Chris

[VaughnCat]

Great review Lamont
with the additional comments by serious ryders!
and bonus points if they fix my pet peeve.....

better button to cancel turn signals

[NancysToy]

1. Separate CB and comm system. No "hidden" harnesses to purchase, or systems that require an additional system installed...i.e. comm system does not require audio system, etc.

2. Front suspension improvements. More preload available for front shock, or optional springs available to fit rider preferences or heavier riders. Better front dampening, preferably adjustable. Stiffer sway bar.

3. Improved gauge package. Enable both digital and analog gauges at same time. Add oil pressure gauge and voltmeter. If you are going to include ambient temp readout, make it more accurate, and preferably adjustable.

4. Improved electrical output. 1,000-1,200 watt capacity for added accessories like heated gear. Alternator in place of magneto, for better low rpm charging.

5. Aerodynamics improvements. Recurved, wind-tunnel tested windshield, to reduce buffeting and backwash. This might allow a slightly shorter windshield, which more riders could see over. Spoiler or other aerodynamic device to "wash" rear end with air, reducing debris and moisture return to rider and passenger. Second the motion on adjustable wind deflectors or adjustable windshield vent(s).

6. Standard trailer connector/converter. Three wire is OK, but specialized connector and integral module do not readily allow use of non-BRP trailers which still meet weight restrictions, like tent campers. more versatility means increased sales to experienced touring riders.

7. Powerlet outlets. Replace cigarette style with Powerlets. Add forward Powerlet(s) and one near passenger.

8. Better brakes! More braking power is essential.

9. Increased fuel capacity. Cruising distance of 200 miles plus reserve would be best, 180 miles plus reserve would be a minimum. It should be calculated using average, realistic fuel mileage numbers, not inflated computer or dyno-derived figures.

10. Improve console storage. Separately lockable compartment door. Additional Aux/iPod input inside compartment.

11. GPS versatility. Available connections or optional harness for power and input connections to audio system/intercom. Mounts separately available for those with existing GPS units. Mounting adapters to fit a variety of brands/models would be a huge plus, If not, continue with Garmin. Prewiring to ease installation would also be a plus.

12. Increased power/torque. It may be just my RTS' engine difficulties, but power seems to be slightly lacking. A slight displacement increase (to 1,200-1,300 cc?) would be more comfortable, particularly when fully loaded and towing. A little excess may not be necessary, but it makes life easier. Just don't get carried away with 1,800-2,000 cc.

13. Adjustable controls/driver pegs. Ability to adjust shifter and brake pedal position slightly, to suit ride preferences. Perhaps also adjustable driver footpeg height.

14. Improved passenger heated grips. Either increase output or delete the option altogether. Also change the control to work conventionally, like the rider control.

I might add that while I understand the preferences for other changes that were listed previously, I disagree with some. Seats are such a personal thing that I feel differences should be left in the hands of experienced aftermarket suppliers like Corbin and Russell Day-Long. What fits one well will not fit another, and the stock seat is the most comfortable I ever rode, yet may be less adequate to other riders. I also prefer the side loading bags and integral topcase. I would not have considered this purchase if these had not been available. I also would not have found driver footboards, a heel-toe shifter, or more forward foot position acceptable. If these are desirable to others, I would prefer to see a "cruiser" model released. This was designed as a touring machine, and fits that mold well, ergonomically.

[glynnk]

Agree with what Lamont and Scotty have posted, but one thing that I'd like to see is a bigger digital screen. Reading the time and other features across the top along with items on the bottom while riding is a real pain...generally have to wait until I stop to see the info.....

Glynnk

[NancysToy]

Agree with what Lamont and Scotty have posted, but one thing that I'd like to see is a bigger digital screen. Reading the time and other features across the top along with items on the bottom while riding is a real pain...generally have to wait until I stop to see the info.....

Glynnk

Forgot that one... ...or maybe free bifocals with every purchase.