NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
I don't think anybody, even the BRP engineers, can say something like this with conviction. As of right now the cause or causes of these incidents are unknown, and it is foolish to read anything into it that is not there. Like everyone else, I have concerns, but I feel this will be resolved in time. In terms of quantity, this is still far from an epidemic.
Some resposes to your comments:
1. The wires and hoses do seem to be routed too closely for longevity in some cases, and BRP has made modifications on the newer machines, indicating a need to address the older Spyders. There are none of these things running near an extreme heat source, however, at least not on our Spyder. The only extreme heat source present is the exhaust. A water-cooled engine can only reach an external temp slightly above the water temp if the cooling system is working. That means maybe 230-250 at the absolute max. It takes 495 degrees F to ignite gasoline vapors, and more to ignite oil.
2. I tend to agree that the Spyder would benefit greatly from more air flow beneath the bodywork. Automobiles do not have much, if any, more air flow in the cases of some rear-engined cars, however. I doubt the matter is crucial, but more of a rider comfort thing. Wiring and hoses these days are rated for higher temperatures than we are experiencing. This is not the old rubber coated wire, that breaks down readily with heat. Long-term longevity is suspect, however. My thought right now is to install a cooling fan in the splash pan to pull some of the hot air out. This is to offset the air movement I believe I lost when the foglights were installed, and also to make the body panels cooler to ride against during hot-weather, extended rides. Removing the splash pans on our Spyder actually increased the engine temp, BTW, disrupting airflow through the radiator. I put them back on.
3. As has been debated here before, exhaust wrap is a compromise. There are things you may gain, and things you may lose, especially in the areas of performance and component longevity. If the heat was supposed to be "where it belongs" in the exhaust pipes, wouldn't each and every vehicle ever manufactured have exhaust wrap or double-walled exhaust pipes? Wrapping is a personal preference...no more, no less.
As to the statement you made in another post that owners do this stuff lest they get an insurance claim denied, where did that one come from? The vehicle manufacturer is liable for any defects in the design and manufacture, not the consumer. No court in the land would throw this one at the buyer, and any insurance company that denied a claim because the owner did not scratch his head to come up with a supposed "cure" and did not tinker to implement that fix, would be raked over the coals by the regulatory agencies, and would probably suffer substantial punative losses in the ensuing lawsuits. You are more likely to get denied if you do make modifications than if you don't. You would also probably be denied if there were a recall and you did not take your vehicle in to be repaired in a suitable amount of time.
All this tends to remind me of the Pontiac Fiero fires. Are there design difficulties leading to these incidents?......probably. Do we know with certainty what they are?......not yet. Every one who has had an incident needs to report this to the NHTSA (in the US). The rest of us need to inspect our Spyders for obvious problems, or request that our dealers do it for us. Beyond that it is going to have to be a waiting game. Guessing at a solution is something most of us are neither equipped or qualified to do. Guessing wrong could cost us more than waiting patiently.
....... I take our :spyder2: in for the steering recall Thursday.. '08 SE5 model - 4500 miles with no issues. I hope I don't have to call my wife to come and get me........one fire is too much; how many have we had now and no comments from the manufacturer (that I know of).
hyea:
