Time to pull the plug.

[BlueLine]

Love my 12RT and loved the rides and events and those that made them all possible. But dealerships and lack of service support for the vehicle has pretty well bummed me out. I truly envy those of you that are blessed with well equipped, stocked and staffed dealerships that are dedicated in supporting the Spyder. Guess I'm spoiled by Harley where you can take your bike to most any dealership and get the support you need to get up and running again. I have 3 dealerships within 150 miles, but not one that can provide for the bike, or is willing to make the effort to do so. What I get is we don't have the parts right now, they may be back ordered or we're a little backed up we'll call you. Not really what I want to hear after trying for 2 weeks to get the manual clutches leakage problem even looked at. For the past two days all I get is we'll check and call you right back. Even tried a call to Quebec this morning but got a taped apology about their lines being down, please call back. This is the third incidence I've endured, the last took 6 months to get a side cover replaced that had blown or vibrated off. Dealership told me it was on back order and wouldn't be in production for another 3 months. My call to BRP discovered the dealership was using the wrong part numbers and I got the part in 3 days. BRP has been great, but you shouldn't have to go through this negative experience when something goes wrong with the Spyder. Wished I was closer to Pit Bull or Cow Town, and those dealerships that truly support the customer, but I'm not, I'm here in N.E. North Carolina. Even considered trading the 12 for a 2013 with the auto shift, but again, what if I have a problem with it, still stuck with we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Thought the rant might make me feel better, but I hasn't. Gonna miss my Spyder.

[ARtraveler]

Sorry to hear you are going to part with the . There are enough issues on a ongoing basis to make a good argument for your decision though. Wish there was a better solution to your problems.

[Chupaca]

we will miss you as well. Maybe in time there will be better dealerships and service in your area and you will come back. The ryde will still be the best fun one can have on the open road and I for one will find ways around these unfortunate excuses and keep my RS on the road. There is nothing I love to ryde more than these machines. Hope you find happiness in your next ride..!! do come back and visit...

[Dan_Ashley]

Love my 12RT and loved the rides and events and those that made them all possible. But dealerships and lack of service support for the vehicle has pretty well bummed me out. I truly envy those of you that are blessed with well equipped, stocked and staffed dealerships that are dedicated in supporting the Spyder. Guess I'm spoiled by Harley where you can take your bike to most any dealership and get the support you need to get up and running again. I have 3 dealerships within 150 miles, but not one that can provide for the bike, or is willing to make the effort to do so. What I get is we don't have the parts right now, they may be back ordered or we're a little backed up we'll call you. Not really what I want to hear after trying for 2 weeks to get the manual clutches leakage problem even looked at. For the past two days all I get is we'll check and call you right back. Even tried a call to Quebec this morning but got a taped apology about their lines being down, please call back. This is the third incidence I've endured, the last took 6 months to get a side cover replaced that had blown or vibrated off. Dealership told me it was on back order and wouldn't be in production for another 3 months. My call to BRP discovered the dealership was using the wrong part numbers and I got the part in 3 days. BRP has been great, but you shouldn't have to go through this negative experience when something goes wrong with the Spyder. Wished I was closer to Pit Bull or Cow Town, and those dealerships that truly support the customer, but I'm not, I'm here in N.E. North Carolina. Even considered trading the 12 for a 2013 with the auto shift, but again, what if I have a problem with it, still stuck with we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Thought the rant might make me feel better, but I hasn't. Gonna miss my Spyder.

If you wannto come visit Southern California, we have one of the best mechanics in the nation right here. His name is Lou. (Lou, are you listening?). If you want to tow your Spyder here, Lou will fix it up, he won't charge you a fortune neither. ...and we have a spare bedroom you could use...

[Pennyrick]

Sorry to hear this.

Are you certain that the other brands are well represented by dealerships close to you?

I'd hate to see you exchange one problem for another.

[BigLegMac]

I understand exactly how you feel. i have had 2 syders. the first one a 2010 audio and convenience that stayed in the shop till i just could not take it anymore and traded it and got the 2013 rts and picked it up in april. that too was going to shop a lot because of the check engine light and overheating light that constantly came on, but i managed to get 7500 miles on it till i crashed it. Now I will give BRP one more chance to get it right and am waiting for the 2014's to come out. I am going to get a 2014 rts and if this does not work out for me and i can drive it and have it in the shop less i will keep buying spyders. I too dont have the best dealers and am on my second one for the second bike. I may keep the second one for the third bike. they are better than the first dealer. If not, i will be going to third dealer which is 80 miles away. All I can say to you is just wait and see the reviews for the 2014 as i am going to wait also. We both may be surprised with what BRP comes up with. Keep hope alive my fellow spyder brother. I too wish that i lived close to misssouri. I am giving BRP one last chance with the 2014 and if they dissappoint me yet again i will look at the honda goldwing trike.

[BlueLine]

Just got off the phone with the dealership, finally worked my way up to a manager. Here is her answer when I asked to speak with her father which is the owner of both businesses, "CLICK".
Not the support a customer wants to hear. These are your dealers BRP, customer satisfaction not guaranteed. She did wonders for my blood pressure, and assured my abandonment of a bike that I loved.

[Well Hell]

I too am sorry to hear this. I am also hoping that the BRP person we see on here every now and then see this and can figure out what to do. I am no marketing genius but they (Canada) needs to figure out how much lousy customer service is costing them here in the state. I am going to be willing to say that enhanced customer service would be worth more than it would cost to train their dealers

[spyder3]

Sorry your experience has brought you to this point. But it is also totally understandable. The crappy dealerships really do add to the angst of owing a spyder for some. I'm sure it doesn't help sales.

[quickster47]

Not sure where you have tried but perhaps a dealer in Virgina would give you better service.

Carl

[SPYD3R]

YIKES...! ! !
sorry 2 hear dat..... bum'ma....

i was gona recommend u visit POWERSPORTS of GREENVILLE (SC)... but i just did a Map Quest, and you're 400+ miles from here.... PoG has been fabulous to me and all the people i've recommended them to.... (sans the sales Dept.).... Bridget, the Service Mgr. is just TERRIFIC in every way... greets u with a smile, and takes control.... the technicians are ABSOLUTELY tops... Lang, Gary, etc. are the best i've ever seen....

my suggestion would be to sell your house, and move to Greenville.....

[Bob Denman]

Sorry to hear that you've had to make this difficult decision ...
You're still family to us; we're going to expect to see some great pictures of your next pride and joy!

[bobnaquin]

I have gotten to the place where you are with my first Spyder. I went away for a while but came back because there is nothing else that I have found that I like to drive as much. My solution has been to buy a used out of warranty bike and stay away from dealers as long as possible. I am doing fine with this program. The one time I have had to go to a dealer was enough to make me more dedicated to my plan. BRP really needs to step up their dealer network or better yet, contract it all out to Harley Davidson.

[sledmaster]

It is sad to hear of the weak dealer support some of you have experienced. A good dealer can really make the difference between a happy ownership and a dismal one. I know here in Minnesota we have riders coming from all over the state to my local dealer just because of their quality service and certified technicians. Things get taken care of properly. Funny thing, those riders then start buying accessories and new spyders, so in the long run does it really matter where the spyder was originally purchased? A good dealer will take care of you, regardless. In areas that do not have strong ski-doo or can-am atv dealers long established it will be tough to get a good spyder dealer in place. Not impossible, but more difficult. The spyder is like a computer, it works better and better with each new update to the software. To not visit a dealer for a long period of time is not the best strategy, as you miss out on the software updates and error code downloads that can indicate issues you might not even know about.

[BlueLine]

Not sure where you have tried but perhaps a dealer in Virgina would give you better service.

Carl

Called the closest in Virginia, they said they were very busy but I could schedule an appointment for an assessment then after they determine the problem I could schedule an appointment for the repair after the parts are received.

[Bob Ledford]

Read everything to this point. Sledmaster's reply was one of the better ones I think. I agree with the OP it is past time to pull the plug. As I have stated many times in my postings a good dealer that cares about his/her customers and the products they sell to them is essential to the success of the Can-Am Spyder. I do not understand the attitudes most dealers are portrayed as having in regard to what we are hearing here on the forum. Like the young lady hanging up on a customer. She is the stone around her Daddies neck and if he does not wake up soon she will have ran off all his customers and the cash flow will reverse itself to cash outflow.

I am so spoiled to have a dealership that honestly cares that the customer leaves the property satisfied. I hear things that upset me at times about this or that made so an so unhappy and I have been known to storm the Owners doorway asking " what's the deal about so an so telling about this or that?" I have also done the same thing to his staff, then to him. Why? I want t hem to stay in business as I may need their future services. Plus the fact that on Saturday mornings they have fresh donuts and hot coffee for the customers..... Very important stuff!!

[fastfraser]

I too am sorry to hear this. I am also hoping that the BRP person we see on here every now and then see this and can figure out what to do. I am no marketing genius but they (Canada) needs to figure out how much lousy customer service is costing them here in the state. I am going to be willing to say that enhanced customer service would be worth more than it would cost to train their dealers

I hope you ment to say BRP and not Canada ??

[OldDog]

Sorry to hear you are going to part with the . There are enough issues on a ongoing basis to make a good argument for your decision though. Wish there was a better solution to your problems.

Here we have another case of Bad Dealers ruining someone's Spyder experience. You, I and others have commented a number of times about the need for BRP to have a minimum service requirement across the board for all its dealerships. We see such a wide spread in technical skill and customer service among dealerships. We see dealerships such as Pitbull and Cowtown that are exemplary. Then we read of horror stories like this. We've all asked the question on SL "How would you like to see BRP improve?"

1.Across the board dealer network service standardization.
2. Improve the spare parts logistics network.
3. "Get on it and ride it across country without skipping a beat reliability"

These things have been discussed before. People are very vocal in their opinions.

I know dicsussing this is not a popuiar thing, but we cannot deny the obvious.

(This is not intended as a highjacked thread , but as a serious observation)

[Illinois Boy]

It is easy to get pulled into any negative news/conversation... however it is also easy to understand your reasons for pulling-the-plug.

There are certainly enough issues that one would now consider it to be a major problem; unless they are blind or overly-optimistic on every issue.

BRP had better get a handle on this soon, or risk blowing the Spyder's reputation. Once the negative-word breeds... it is nearly impossible for any company to survive it.

I like my Spyder, and have had a few issues, and still have a few existing; however I currently have dealer that can handle it. As soon as the tech leaves... that scenario changes fast.

[sledmaster]

When we're talking bad dealers, I would believe this is not unique to Spyder. We see it with all brands of snowmobiles and dirt bikes, and in my experience I have seen it with most car and truck brands as well. I am not as familiar with motorcycle dealers so I can't speak with knowledge on that one, but each and every dealer network I work with has similar problems. As for cross-country reliability, I believe if we were to survey 1000 spyder owners randomly, not only those here on SL, we would discover well over 90% experiencing satisfactory reliability, good enough to travel cross country. A forum like this does tend to collect those looking for answers. Many riders with no issues do not visit this site often, if at all. Statistically speaking. At least this has been my experience with other motorsports forums. All dealer networks have room for improvement, IMO. If I were to single out one brand that does better than others it would be Yamaha, again, in my experience. Or Honda.

[Illinois Boy]

When we're talking bad dealers, I would believe this is not unique to Spyder. We see it with all brands of snowmobiles and dirt bikes, and in my experience I have seen it with most car and truck brands as well. I am not as familiar with motorcycle dealers so I can't speak with knowledge on that one, but each and every dealer network I work with has similar problems. As for cross-country reliability, I believe if we were to survey 1000 spyder owners randomly, not only those here on SL, we would discover well over 90% experiencing satisfactory reliability, good enough to travel cross country. A forum like this does tend to collect those looking for answers. Many riders with no issues do not visit this site often, if at all. Statistically speaking. At least this has been my experience with other motorsports forums. All dealer networks have room for improvement, IMO. If I were to single out one brand that does better than others it would be Yamaha, again, in my experience. Or Honda.

Assuming your 18 posts encompasses your entire experience here on SL... you might not have seen the number of negative/problem posts that are on here in comparison to posts about other more positive aspects of the machine (BS posts regarding personal info and such do not count).

Certainly, sites like this are for solving problems, and there could easily be a situation where the site is littered with "problem posts"... but the number of posts with problems is high in comparison to other product sites (from my years of experience). And these posts are not problems caused by the owners... but rather a product suffering from poor engineering, production, and dealership support.

Stick around... and you will see...

[sledmaster]

It is not a matter of sticking around. I have been here since September of 2007. Very few have been here longer. Very few have an earlier unit than I do. Not many have more miles. I just don't seem to have the issues that so many others do. Not sure why. Wish I could do more to help those who do have problems. For this kind of money the units should work. A machine is only as good as the support network. Clearly there is room for improvement. An old saying says, "If what you're doing isn't working then change what you're doing." Applied here, if the dealer you're working with isn't solving your problems, get a new dealer. If that fails after a few attempts, then we can't fault one for moving on.

[ValCruzSpyder]

BlueLine,
I'm up here in Va Beach. You are about 60 miles from the Dealership that we bought our Spyder from. All Out Cycles in Chesapeake has been great and outstanding for us. I would recommend them to anyone. I would be willing to give them a call for you. PM me with all of your concerns. By the way, I also have a closed trailer if you want to bring it to "All Out Cycles". I feel your pain...we have all gone through some sort of discomfort at least once or twice in our life. Just think of all the good times you had when you were negotiating the "twisties" when the Spyder was up and running. Hang on to those!! If I can be of any help, just let me know. John and Velma

[Illinois Boy]

It is not a matter of sticking around. I have been here since September of 2007. Very few have been here longer. Very few have an earlier unit than I do. Not many have more miles. I just don't seem to have the issues that so many others do. Not sure why. Wish I could do more to help those who do have problems. For this kind of money the units should work. A machine is only as good as the support network. Clearly there is room for improvement. An old saying says, "If what you're doing isn't working then change what you're doing." Applied here, if the dealer you're working with isn't solving your problems, get a new dealer. If that fails after a few attempts, then we can't fault one for moving on.

I also wish there were not as many problems. I have had a few, and have a few more to deal with; however my experience has been more good than bad.

Just wish that was the case for more people...

EDIT: Corrected my statement.

[BlueLine]

I really like the Spyder but this dealership experience really took its toll, BUT ValCruzSpyder has maybe given me a toe hold for hanging on. Gonna Call AllOut Cycles this morning.
Thanks again for all the replies.