Maintenance

[Baron14y]

Just under 18,000 miles on my 2015 RTL SE6. Oil and filter changed (Amsoil 10W-40), radiator flushed and refilled, brake lines flushed and refilled. Checked brake pads (plenty of material left). Total price....$317.55 inc tax. Obviously, it wasn't a Spyder dealer.:clap:

Yeah, I just noticed I held the "a" key down too long.

 

[Woodaddict]

if not a Spyder dealer, you better check the oil level the correct way to make sure they know what they are doing

 

[JayBros]

I also recommend checking the coolant level when the engine is cold to make sure it is at the proper level for the same reason. You want to be certain all the air was burped out of the system.

 

[Baron14y]

if not a Spyder dealer, you better check the oil level the correct way to make sure they know what they are doing

What makes you so sure that a dealer knows what he is doing?

 

[Woodaddict]

that's the whole point, they might not. you said they are not spyder a dealer of these machines. so could be highly possible they could overfill, if not proper procedure followed. if you new to spyder, its in book. take on a 10 minute ride, park at home flat surface, let idle, hear 2 cycle fan operations. turn off, check oil level within 2 minutes

 

[Sputter]

What makes you so sure that a dealer knows what he is doing?

:agree:What he said!!

 

[PMK]

that's the whole point, they might not. you said they are not spyder a dealer of these machines. so could be highly possible they could overfill, if not proper procedure followed. if you new to spyder, its in book. take on a 10 minute ride, park at home flat surface, let idle, hear 2 cycle fan operations. turn off, check oil level within 2 minutes

Two fan cycles or ride it, not both

 

[Woodaddict]

Two fan cycles or ride it, not both

better to ride it, then 2 fan cycles at idle to let oil settle from scavage pumps, this is best, from what others have wrote

 

[PMK]

better to ride it, then 2 fan cycles at idle to let oil settle from scavage pumps, this is best, from what others have wrote

At a guess, those stating this are less than knowledgeable in how a dry sump engine setup performs, and insecure they got the oil hot enough to be accurate. Sorry but not seeing any need to deviate from manufacturers published data on this one.

 

[Mikey]

Just under 18,000 miles on my 2015 RTL SE6. Oil and filter changed (Amsoil 10W-40), radiator flushed and refilled, brake lines flushed and refilled. Checked brake pads (plenty of material left). Total price....$317.55 inc tax. Obviously, it wasn't a Spyder dealer.:clap:

Yeah, I just noticed I held the "a" key down too long.

Sounds like a keeper to me, I only wish you lived closer to Maine!!!:cheers:

 

[sandeejs]

What makes you so sure that a dealer knows what he is doing?

That's what I say!
~Sandee~

 

[FirstBike]

I need some advice on Amsoil vs BRP oil based on experiences from Can-Am diehards.

I bought my RT Limited new and the dealer recommended Amsoil following the 3,000 break-in. I did Amsoil, had no problems. Now that I'm ready for the 9,300 mile servicing, my dealer is no longer in business, probably due to the impact of our virus snafu. I'm scheduled for the servicing at another dealership who is adamant that the BRP semi-synthetic is what he recommends citing numerous problems with Amsoil, though he does have a barrel of it in his shop. From my car experience, I've always switched to full synthetic after the break-in period since full has to be better than semi. I'm not sure what the Amsoil weight was that was put in after the break-in oil. I think it was 10-40.

Should I continue with Amsoil, and if yes, what weight? If I go with what the dealer recommends, do you think I'd have problems switching back to a semi-synthetic?

Jerry

 

[JayBros]

The only way you can tell how an oil is performing, regardless of whether it's dino, blend or full synthetic, is to have it analyzed. I would be interested, and I think Bajaron would be too, if you could get the dealership that cites "numerous" problems with Amsoil to provide you with specifics. Remember, the plural of anecdote is not science.

 

[Baron14y]

I need some advice on Amsoil vs BRP oil based on experiences from Can-Am diehards.

I bought my RT Limited new and the dealer recommended Amsoil following the 3,000 break-in. I did Amsoil, had no problems. Now that I'm ready for the 9,300 mile servicing, my dealer is no longer in business, probably due to the impact of our virus snafu. I'm scheduled for the servicing at another dealership who is adamant that the BRP semi-synthetic is what he recommends citing numerous problems with Amsoil, though he does have a barrel of it in his shop. From my car experience, I've always switched to full synthetic after the break-in period since full has to be better than semi. I'm not sure what the Amsoil weight was that was put in after the break-in oil. I think it was 10-40.

Should I continue with Amsoil, and if yes, what weight? If I go with what the dealer recommends, do you think I'd have problems switching back to a semi-synthetic?

Jerry

Is Amsoil a great oil...absolutely. Is it overpriced...absolutely. Amsoil is not a refiner, it is a marketing company. I don't know who produces the oil for them, but, there are a number of other oils out there that are equally good and far less expensive. Just make sure they meet JASO MA/MA2. Also, any oil that meets API specifications can be mixed with any other oil that meets the specs with no problem or interaction. Amsoil was put in my Spyder because that was what the dealer supplied. I put in 10W-40, live in Florida where it is well above 90 already.

 

[Baron14y]

Sounds like a keeper to me, I only wish you lived closer to Maine!!!:cheers:

Anything further north then Titusville, Fl., is unfit for human habitation.hyea:

 

[Oldtimer51]

Exactly my point and believe. Some owners think that if we are willing to fix Spyders and do basic maintenance we are somehow crazy or imcompetent freaks. Who do they think works at the dealership fixing Spyders some MIT Engineering graduate or some high school drop-out that can barely read a technical chart?
No disrespect to any dealers and their mechanics/technicians but they are in business to make money and hire the cheapest workers they can find that are still willing to do job and get their hands greasy. I rather fix my own stuff including all my cars and Spyders are not any different than any other mechanical piece of equipment. We grow up in the age when we had to repair everything at the farm, we learned to do electric welding, we did plumbing, carpentry, auto repairs, industrial repairs. We are not affraid to do stuff and read and learn about stuff and if we screw it up we fix it or buy a new one. The dealer that sold me the Spyder did not even changed the oil in my engine and did not find out that there was a screw loose inside it and I found it attached to the drain plug while doing my oil change. No much confident on many of these guys or the #BRP design and manufacturing company. Too many failures in too many Spyders to believe they are anything special. Some owners think these machines are completely different and unique technologies. Sorry they are not. The brakes were used on Honda Accords of 1993, The engines are similar to most other Japanese motorcycle engines. Cooling systems work the same way in most cars and equipment. Many of the basic repairs and maintenance are explained in the owners manual or in millions of You-tube videos. The info is there, you just need to go and find it, learn it and put it to good use. Spyder maintenance is not rocket science.

 

[Baron14y]

Exactly my point and believe. Some owners think that if we are willing to fix Spyders and do basic maintenance we are somehow crazy or imcompetent freaks. Who do they think works at the dealership fixing Spyders some MIT Engineering graduate or some high school drop-out that can barely read a technical chart?
No disrespect to any dealers and their mechanics/technicians but they are in business to make money and hire the cheapest workers they can find that are still willing to do job and get their hands greasy. I rather fix my own stuff including all my cars and Spyders are not any different than any other mechanical piece of equipment. We grow up in the age when we had to repair everything at the farm, we learned to do electric welding, we did plumbing, carpentry, auto repairs, industrial repairs. We are not affraid to do stuff and read and learn about stuff and if we screw it up we fix it or buy a new one. The dealer that sold me the Spyder did not even changed the oil in my engine and did not find out that there was a screw loose inside it and I found it attached to the drain plug while doing my oil change. No much confident on many of these guys or the #BRP design and manufacturing company. Too many failures in too many Spyders to believe they are anything special. Some owners think these machines are completely different and unique technologies. Sorry they are not. The brakes were used on Honda Accords of 1993, The engines are similar to most other Japanese motorcycle engines. Cooling systems work the same way in most cars and equipment. Many of the basic repairs and maintenance are explained in the owners manual or in millions of You-tube videos. The info is there, you just need to go and find it, learn it and put it to good use. Spyder maintenance is not rocket science.

Well said. Do I think a Spyder is the greatest thing since sliced bread? No I don't. Do I think it is well designed? No I don't. Do I think it is well constructed? No I don't. Why do I drive one? Because it has a semi-automatic transmission and a water cooled engine. Do I do my own maintenance? No I don't. Could I? I tore down my first engine (Ford flathead V8) when I was 16. I was an aircraft mechanic and crew chief in the Army and worked on my own planes for 50 years. I have an engineering degree (big deal). So, the answer is, of course I could. Unfortunately, I am 79 years old, have a bad back, and on oxygen 24/7(I keep my concentrator strapped to the back of the Spyder). So I take it to a shop that I have confidence in that they know what they are doing with a Spyder. And that aint the dealer.:bdh:

 

[Jetfixer]

If it wasn't a dealer, then they probably didn't use BUDS. In that case there's no way you got your ABS unit flushed out.

 

[carbonation]

I need some advice on Amsoil vs BRP oil based on experiences from Can-Am diehards.

I bought my RT Limited new and the dealer recommended Amsoil following the 3,000 break-in. I did Amsoil, had no problems. Now that I'm ready for the 9,300 mile servicing, my dealer is no longer in business, probably due to the impact of our virus snafu. I'm scheduled for the servicing at another dealership who is adamant that the BRP semi-synthetic is what he recommends citing numerous problems with Amsoil, though he does have a barrel of it in his shop. From my car experience, I've always switched to full synthetic after the break-in period since full has to be better than semi. I'm not sure what the Amsoil weight was that was put in after the break-in oil. I think it was 10-40.

Should I continue with Amsoil, and if yes, what weight? If I go with what the dealer recommends, do you think I'd have problems switching back to a semi-synthetic?

Jerry

If you have a choice, run the AmSoil. There is nothing wrong with it, and he would not be able to logically prove there is. It just ain't so. AmSoil has a huge following, a die hard customer base, and there is no way there have been "numerous problems" with it.
I'm not a fan of the long drain interval CanAm recommends, but if a choice between their 5w40 and a 10w40, there is no choice. Every oil turns to water in these things, BRP just does it faster. AmSoil will hold up a bit longer.
Always go with the smaller spread in shared sump machines.
You can switch between conventional, semi, and full syn at will and at any time.
BTW, the dealer adamant about the BRP oil... ask your self why? Hint... it's about the money.