DPS recall, anyone else had it done yet?

[SPYDERGUY1]

Ya Scotty, I tried to explain that to them, but day one now after being taken in after work last night. Will wait and see. Have an in tho, the salesman that sold it to me in now in MANAGEMENT, ha ha ha .

[Spyderman01]

Dropped my RS off at the dealer this morning, he asked me if they could have it all day............I said ok I will be back at 6pm and I would like to demo the RT.

[SPYDERGUY1]

funny how a suspect blown fuse in there eyes is now perhaps a speed sensor ??? All of this after the new dps update, like I said before, wish I had not got it done. OH WELL DAY 2 NOW AND STILL WAITING......

[GaryTheBadger]

TRIPOD, to answer your question, yes, it does seem "quicker", as though the steering ratio has been altered, requiring slightly less handlebar turn for a given curve compared to pre-DPS update. And its slightly less "notchy" as well.

[bruiser]

Had my DPS done yesterday. Drove for about 45 minutes, had stiff winds going out, bike handled same as before, rocking, bucking. Coming back, wind at my back, still didn't see any difference. Took it through the city, stop and go, left/right turns, still no difference. Last night I took a spin to check out the Glo Ryders I installed. I made a left turn and started to give it throttle, hit a bump and it jumped side ways and scared the _ _ _ _ out of me. I'll try again today and see if the feeling has changed.

[Bob Denman]

I'm taking mine in on Monday morning for the swap-out... Since I've got about a 55 mile ride to and from the dealer I'll give you all my impressions next week after I get it back...

[RLS]

Had my PDS done yesterday at Town & Country in Cement City. Mine is a 2009 SM5 that I've been driving for over 2,000 miles without a single problem...didn't realize what I've been missing. A huge difference in steering...for the better. I dropped it off yesterday and they called this morning to pick it up. I had them install the 2nd performance package from Spyder Pops while I had it there. Took them and hour and 45 minutes to install it all and they only charged me for an hour's labor...$78.00...I continue to remain impressed with my dealer...and of course...My Spydie...

My wife dropped her 2008 SM5 off to the dealer on 9/27 and picked it up on 9/28.
Some of my info is going to be repetative from other rider's postings. Joan has from day one complained about the steering. It was very difficult for her to steer. She looked at other owner's bike and saw a difference between her bike and theirs. (their's was easier) We almost got to the point of selling it. She has suffered with "tennis elbow" for two years because of the pressure it took for her to steer the Spyder. We had every DPS update done that BRP came up with and had the dealer check the steering settings with BUDS several times. Except for one time, each time it was within BRP's specs.
When the last update was done there was a big improvement in the effort needed to steer, but still not like the "demo" she rode before ordering.
Then the recall came. We were planning a trip to northern Michigan for a color tour last weekend. We decided to get it done before the trip. So far she has put over 500 miles on the new DPS. Joan found the Spyder to be more responsive, stabile and easier to handle. Yes, it took a while to get used to the new feel of the bike. She commented there would be a learning curve to get used to the new feel. On the trip up north, she didn't experience the fatigue as before, and much less pain in the elbow. She, for the first time, felt comfortable riding one handed at highway speeds. At one point, on I-75, a car that was passing was so curious about the Spyder that he stayed along side of her looking at the bike. Joan needed to pass a semi, so she rolled on the throttle and moved in front of the car and passed the semi. After passing the truck she looked at the speed-o and saw she was doing 91 mph. While she had driven that fast before, never did the Spyder feel so safe and secure. To date Joan has over 18,000 miles on the Spyder, with a 5,000 mile, month long trip out west last year. Several people have talked about tires and the pressure. I put a set of Falken auto tires on the front and rear in the spring. There was an immmediate positive effect on the bike handling. It took some playing with the air pressure to get it set for what was best for Joan's comfort level. The fronts 175/65/14 (one size larger) while rear is the same size as the OEM tire. We currently are running 28 psi in the rear and 25-27 in the fronts. Joan is able to handle the curves, straightaways, and expressways with much more confidence in the Spyder. If anything, she is upset that it took BRP two years to address this isue. Sorry for the long post

[Zerocool]

I wanted to provide an update since my last post... and thrashing of replies.

250 miles since my last post. It took a few dozen miles to lighten my touch and get re-acclimated with the steering.

< 60 mph
The steering is much more responsive than the previous DPS and I now find that the Spyder handles much better in curves btwn 45-60 mph. In fact, dare I say, it's a bit boring in that I don't need to muscle through the turns.

This is a noticeable improvement. I like it.

>60 mph (actually 75-90 mph)
I've adapted to the DPS being "on" above 60 mph. Having the RS SM5, I'd still rather have the DPS off at higher speed. It's not a physical ride anymore, which I liked, but that's just my preference.

I do believe that the loss of feeling like it was "on rails" may be due to the tire pressure and/or toeing, as some have suggested. I'll need to have a look and adjust, if possible.

Conclusion
The Spyder is handling better than the original, IMHO. Note, I never had an issue with the original DPS jumping/taking over/etc. That said, the steering is much more responsive and for those who want easy steering, this fits the bill. For those who liked the physical aspect of riding with the previous DPS, well, YMMV.

[I'm ducking now]

[Firefly]

I had been running my OEM tires up at 17---- then lowered them to 15 today-- and it makes a huge difference. Seems to handle better with lower pressure with this new DPS---as in you won't get as much 'bouncing around' with lower tire pressure...

Did some thrashing thru Hell today and wow---- really loving this new DPS!

[Dudley]

I wanted to provide an update since my last post... and thrashing of replies.

250 miles since my last post. It took a few dozen miles to lighten my touch and get re-acclimated with the steering.

< 60 mph
The steering is much more responsive than the previous DPS and I now find that the Spyder handles much better in curves btwn 45-60 mph. In fact, dare I say, it's a bit boring in that I don't need to muscle through the turns.

This is a noticeable improvement. I like it.

>60 mph (actually 75-90 mph)
I've adapted to the DPS being "on" above 60 mph. Having the RS SM5, I'd still rather have the DPS off at higher speed. It's not a physical ride anymore, which I liked, but that's just my preference.

I do believe that the loss of feeling like it was "on rails" may be due to the tire pressure and/or toeing, as some have suggested. I'll need to have a look and adjust, if possible.

Conclusion
The Spyder is handling better than the original, IMHO. Note, I never had an issue with the original DPS jumping/taking over/etc. That said, the steering is much more responsive and for those who want easy steering, this fits the bill. For those who liked the physical aspect of riding with the previous DPS, well, YMMV.

[I'm ducking now]

Really glad to hear!

[Raptor]

I had been running my OEM tires up at 17---- then lowered them to 15 today-- and it makes a huge difference. Seems to handle better with lower pressure with this new DPS---as in you won't get as much 'bouncing around' with lower tire pressure...

Did some thrashing thru Hell today and wow---- really loving this new DPS!

Fly - I think 15 is a good number. I'm at 15.5 now and I'm going to keep it there. I like it. You have to bring the pressures down with this new box but the net result is excellent!

[NancysToy]

Fly - I think 15 is a good number. I'm at 15.5 now and I'm going to keep it there. I like it. You have to bring the pressures down with this new box but the net result is excellent!

I would not recommend dropping the front tire pressure below 15 psi, no matter what BRP may recommend. The minimum pressure listed on the Kenda sidewall is 15 psi. Manufacturers virtually never put a minimum pressure on the sidewall unless there is a safety issue involved, such as a tire dismounting from the rim if underinflated.

[Christian]

If you read carefully the owner's manual, you should find that the recommended pressure for the front tires is 15 psi, and 28 psi for the rear tire.

Usually, when a specification is made available, it is the ''average'' around which everything is designed, including steering feel.

Therefore, not surprisingly the steering feels too light to the liking of some if the tire pressure is raised above 15 psi. That would also explain why the dealers were asked to readjust front tire pressure to 15 psi upon DPS installation.

Moreover, the Kenda tires are Spyder specific. Therefore, tire tests should have been done at intended pressure.


On a side note, ''vehicle'' Limp Home (meaning speed limiter and RPM limiter) after DPS installation are without doubt caused by the Steering Angle Sensor not being reset properly by the dealer.

The DPS cannot cause a ''vehicle'' limp home.

The Steering Angle Sensor is installed outside the DPS box, right below the steering lever and is mainly used by the VSS.


Christian

[dave01]

I guess I am different, but I upped the air in my fronts to 21 after the new DPS install. Mine has been on for a few weeks and nearly 1k miles. With the pressure at 16, the sidewalls bowed out too much and made the RT seem sluggish in the turns. Now, its much quicker entering the turn and exiting. OR....maybe its the RT with the swaybar that is making the difference

[M2Wild]

My fronts are at 17.5 and they feel a little floaty yesterday. I am going to drop that to 16 today and see if that makes a difference.


Went for an hour burp after getting all the house work done. I like it better after lowering the pressure to 16 on the fronts. Seems to be a bit smoother than 17.5

[SPYDERGUY1]

friday night finally got it out of jail. put it all back together , stereo and all. went for a 350km ride on saturday. steering is 100% different, so much so that when i hit the twisties, i kinda scared myself a bit due to over compensation. overall i really like the new setup, and for the record it was a bad ground connection. am going for another blast tomorrow for a long and twisted ride.

[txknight67]

Called my dealer today and they are saving their replacement DPS for the Spyders on their showroom floor.

Time to find a new dealer....that one has its priorities allllll hosed up!

[txknight67]

Just got my new DPS and what a difference! I was one of the fortunate ones who didn't have an issue before, but I needed to take my in to have the brakes checked, so they installed the new DPS unit. I agree it makes the steering much more smooth and responsive. At first, it was a bit scary, but by the time I was home (about 10 miles), I was comfortable with it. I'm glad I had it done!

Now I have a brake question for the wizards out there. I've had several occasions where the dreaded Brake Failure message scrolled and each time, I took it in and they reset it but couldn't find an issue (they did the first recall early on). A couple of months ago, the message started again and since I wasn't having any problems with the brakes, I put off taking it in. Today, they said they had to bleed the lines. Since my warranty has expired, they charged me for 2.5 hours labor for a total of $242 with tax and parts. My first question is "Doesn't 2.5 hours sound a bit overstated?". And my second question is, "If I don't have any leaks, why do the lines need bleeding?" I told them I feel BRP should cover it with all of the brake issues they've had. They told me they'd call BRP next week and see what they say but they aren't optimistic. Am I being unreasonable?
I do want to give my dealer kudos though because they've treated me well ever since I bought my Spyder from them in 2008. It's RideNow Peoria, AZ.

Mine was mid way between "full" and "min" (or whatever they are marked), but after top off, no more fail messages. Evidently at that level, under hard braking or cornering, the fluid sloshes and triggers the sensor for the Brake Fail message.

[SpyderWolf]

friday night finally got it out of jail. put it all back together , stereo and all. went for a 350km ride on saturday. steering is 100% different, so much so that when i hit the twisties, i kinda scared myself a bit due to over compensation. overall i really like the new setup, and for the record it was a bad ground connection. am going for another blast tomorrow for a long and twisted ride.

Glad to hear you got it back and everything is sorted out now.

Hey txknight67, good to see you out here again.

[txknight67]

Took my bike in for the "trying to pull the handlebar straight" issue and dealer received the recall that night. He had to wait on parts because recall was so new, but he told me mine was first in line. He knows that it is my main mode of transportation. (I can't give enough props to my dealer here in Amarillo, has been great)

Anyway, the part arrived two days later and it only took him half a day or less to replace the unit once it came in. When I picked my bike up, I noticed the same thing the rest of you are commenting on, it was much more responsive and stable. I also realized I was going to have to "relearn" how to ride it.

Unfortunately, that only lasted about a day and a half and it went back to intermittently trying to yank the handlebars straight when I was leaving parking lots/turning from a stop sign and high steering effort when cornering (even gentle sweepers) on the open road, again intermittently. I never know how much boost is going to be there at any one time. I rode it for a week or so trying to make sure it wasn't me or the bike setup.

Called dealer finally and he told me that others have had to reset the sensors more than once, so I took it back to him once I had a chance, which was last Monday. Again, got about a day and a half of great handling and steering response and now the old issue is back. Haven't had a chance to call the dealer again yet.

I have General AltimaxHP (185/60R14) on the front. I was running at about 16psi before the change out, but bumped it up to 19psi the same day I got it back because of ride/cornering characteristics that became noticeable once I wasn't having to fight the steering any longer. Still have completely stock front end (shocks, bearings, sway bar) but no looseness noted. Anyone else with automotive, slightly oversize tires on the front had the replacement done and the issue show back up? Just a nagging thought I have that maybe that extra contact patch is somehow causing the DPS to prematurely fail.

May be relevant, may not be, I also lock the handlebars every time I park the bike. I only pull it to the stop and back to center with power on though. Just slightly stumped now, am I simply out riding the design limits of the bike (doesn't sound like it, sounds like Raptor rides the same way I do) or is something else going on?

[NancysToy]

Took my bike in for the "trying to pull the handlebar straight" issue and dealer received the recall that night. He had to wait on parts because recall was so new, but he told me mine was first in line. He knows that it is my main mode of transportation. (I can't give enough props to my dealer here in Amarillo, has been great)

Anyway, the part arrived two days later and it only took him half a day or less to replace the unit once it came in. When I picked my bike up, I noticed the same thing the rest of you are commenting on, it was much more responsive and stable. I also realized I was going to have to "relearn" how to ride it.

Unfortunately, that only lasted about a day and a half and it went back to intermittently trying to yank the handlebars straight when I was leaving parking lots/turning from a stop sign and high steering effort when cornering (even gentle sweepers) on the open road, again intermittently. I never know how much boost is going to be there at any one time. I rode it for a week or so trying to make sure it wasn't me or the bike setup.

Called dealer finally and he told me that others have had to reset the sensors more than once, so I took it back to him once I had a chance, which was last Monday. Again, got about a day and a half of great handling and steering response and now the old issue is back. Haven't had a chance to call the dealer again yet.

I have General AltimaxHP (185/60R14) on the front. I was running at about 16psi before the change out, but bumped it up to 19psi the same day I got it back because of ride/cornering characteristics that became noticeable once I wasn't having to fight the steering any longer. Still have completely stock front end (shocks, bearings, sway bar) but no looseness noted. Anyone else with automotive, slightly oversize tires on the front had the replacement done and the issue show back up? Just a nagging thought I have that maybe that extra contact patch is somehow causing the DPS to prematurely fail.

May be relevant, may not be, I also lock the handlebars every time I park the bike. I only pull it to the stop and back to center with power on though. Just slightly stumped now, am I simply out riding the design limits of the bike (doesn't sound like it, sounds like Raptor rides the same way I do) or is something else going on?

I suppose the larger tires could be causing you problems, but the problems would always be there, not come and go...except perhaps when the road surface varied. My guess is either a bad ground connection, a bad wiring connector or wire...to the DPS or a sensor, or a bad sensor itself. Your tech needs to dig a little deeper. Reset after reset will not be a cure, IMO. Also, check your battery for tight connections and clean terminals. If necessary, do a load test. If low voltage kicks out the DPS, the wide tires will seem to try to pull the bars straight.

[Firefly]

Took my bike in for the "trying to pull the handlebar straight" issue and dealer received the recall that night. He had to wait on parts because recall was so new, but he told me mine was first in line. He knows that it is my main mode of transportation. (I can't give enough props to my dealer here in Amarillo, has been great)

Anyway, the part arrived two days later and it only took him half a day or less to replace the unit once it came in. When I picked my bike up, I noticed the same thing the rest of you are commenting on, it was much more responsive and stable. I also realized I was going to have to "relearn" how to ride it.

Unfortunately, that only lasted about a day and a half and it went back to intermittently trying to yank the handlebars straight when I was leaving parking lots/turning from a stop sign and high steering effort when cornering (even gentle sweepers) on the open road, again intermittently. I never know how much boost is going to be there at any one time. I rode it for a week or so trying to make sure it wasn't me or the bike setup.

Called dealer finally and he told me that others have had to reset the sensors more than once, so I took it back to him once I had a chance, which was last Monday. Again, got about a day and a half of great handling and steering response and now the old issue is back. Haven't had a chance to call the dealer again yet.

I have General AltimaxHP (185/60R14) on the front. I was running at about 16psi before the change out, but bumped it up to 19psi the same day I got it back because of ride/cornering characteristics that became noticeable once I wasn't having to fight the steering any longer. Still have completely stock front end (shocks, bearings, sway bar) but no looseness noted. Anyone else with automotive, slightly oversize tires on the front had the replacement done and the issue show back up? Just a nagging thought I have that maybe that extra contact patch is somehow causing the DPS to prematurely fail.

May be relevant, may not be, I also lock the handlebars every time I park the bike. I only pull it to the stop and back to center with power on though. Just slightly stumped now, am I simply out riding the design limits of the bike (doesn't sound like it, sounds like Raptor rides the same way I do) or is something else going on?

You for sure have something wrong going on. I can't comment on what PSI you should be running since you're not running OEM tires... and while tire pressure can affect your ride-- I don't think it's gonna cause the issue you are describing.

You could have a bad sensor, misaligned sensor(not zeroed properly), or perhaps a bad DPS altogether. The old version had failures 'out of the box', wouldn't be too shocked if we run across some lemons with the new batch.

I also wouldn't discount an electrical problem. How often do you use a battery tender? Low voltage, short, bad fuse/relay, etc. could also cause some problems.

Since this was your dealers first upgrade to the new dps--- it could also have been done incorrectly and/or damaged.

You're not riding it too hard or reaching the limits of performance-- plenty of us out here that ride the crap outta these things!

[Eagle Eye]

When they replaced parts on the DPS it made a world of difference when we got it back. Smooth turning on curves etc. Just so much better.

[txknight67]

I suppose the larger tires could be causing you problems, but the problems would always be there, not come and go .

I keep telling myself that, but the question keeps nagging at me. Thanks for reinforcing my thought process.

Reset after reset will not be a cure, IMO.

Yeah, I wasn't planning on just accepting a reset this time.

Also, check your battery for tight connections and clean terminals. If necessary, do a load test. If low voltage kicks out the DPS, the wide tires will seem to try to pull the bars straight

I had been wondering about that, but I have since had a few instances where I could tell I was just "fighting" against the tires. I've driven the old non power steering vehicles and recognized that feeling. Which just strengthened my impression that something is actively "pulling" against me. The no power steering is a direct connection to the tires, I can feel the "mush" of the tires pulling. The other is like I am twisting a solid steel bar to try and get movement or maintain the steering input to the front tires.

Edited to add: I have also experimented some with turning the bars at a rest while revving the engine. This after straightening the bars and being able to tell the DPS is taking a vacation. Nine times out of ten no help. Holds with the loose connection theory.

[txknight67]

You could have a bad sensor, misaligned sensor(not zeroed properly), or perhaps a bad DPS altogether. The old version had failures 'out of the box', wouldn't be too shocked if we run across some lemons with the new batch.

That is definitely a thought. I hope not, but it is entirely possible. If that is the case, figures it would happen to me.

I also wouldn't discount an electrical problem. How often do you use a battery tender? Low voltage, short, bad fuse/relay, etc. could also cause some problems.

I never use a battery tender. Ride it every day too and from work, 40 miles one way, so didn't figure I needed to. And this was happening before I started using my Gerbing this fall. However, loose connection is a definite possibility.

Since this was your dealers first upgrade to the new dps--- it could also have been done incorrectly and/or damaged.

He had already changed mine once before and I had gotten 8 trouble free months out of it, then this started showing up a month or so ago. I wouldn't expect the G2 DPS to be that much different.

You're not riding it too hard or reaching the limits of performance-- plenty of us out here that ride the crap outta these things!

I am starting to realize that. That was just a thought because I know I drive my cages harder than 95% of the driving population. If there is a performance related issue to be found on a cage I will be the one to find it more often than not. Looks like I am just part of the crowd here though.