I want to start by saying that I am impressed by the loyalty to the Spyder shown by many on this forum. I do not own one at present and came on here to learn about the Spyder, warts and all. I think it is a great concept and I rode one of the preproduction models in July 07 and really liked it. I did not consider buying one at that time as the closest dealer was almost 300 miles from me. That being said let me tell you my observations and conclusions regarding the purchase of a Spyder.
My greatest concern has become it safety and reliablility. I have read about a lot of things failing that could lead to a catastrophic end under the wrong conditions. Examples are the power steering problems, failure or deterioration of wheel bearings, fuel lines routed to close to a hot engine, excess heat affecting the wiring and hoses under the tupperware,output shaft chewed up and metal paricles ending up in crankcase and fires on at least 5 spyders which currently are of unknown cause. Recognizing that these are new vehicles, in production only about 3 years problems are to be expected. But some of the above are too serious in my mind to ignore.
In addition there are other things that point to either lack of proper engineering or attempting to cut corners to reduce cost. Examples are failures of exhaust gasket at relatively low mileage, oil pump failures, oil sensor failures, mode button failures, cracking coolant reservoirs, defective radiator caps, and defects in evap cannister design resulting in strong fuel odors. People are still having problems with the emergency brake lever failing which was the case with the one I rode in 07. I would think they would have resolved that before now.
The last area of concern is the cost of operation. I am not a good mechanic and so can only do basic things like change oil and coolant. Due to the electronic wizardry of the Spyder much of the maintenance must be done at the dealer because they are the only ones who have the software to be able to do the necessary analysis. When I read of the cost of routine services, as much as $1100 for the 12k service I definitely have pause. I have never had to pay anything close to that kind of charge for a routine service on any vehicle I have ever owned. One person was charged $200 labor just to remount the rear tire. Yikes.
When I see a lot of low mileage Spyders up for sale I have to wonder why. I fully recognize that all the problems occur for a minority of owners but none the less some of the problems are too serious to overlook. I know some people probably do not find it a satisfactory replacement for a 2 wheeler but I also think there are other reasons.
In conclusion, as much as I like the Spyder I will not be buying one real soon. I will continue to monitor this forum and others sources and see if they get these bugs worked out. Then I will reevaluate my decision.
I hope nothing I have said here has offended anyone but I thought you might like to know what an outsider (non owner) thinks after reviewing your comments on this forum. I really wanted to be a Spyder owner and someday maybe I will be.
My greatest concern has become it safety and reliablility. I have read about a lot of things failing that could lead to a catastrophic end under the wrong conditions. Examples are the power steering problems, failure or deterioration of wheel bearings, fuel lines routed to close to a hot engine, excess heat affecting the wiring and hoses under the tupperware,output shaft chewed up and metal paricles ending up in crankcase and fires on at least 5 spyders which currently are of unknown cause. Recognizing that these are new vehicles, in production only about 3 years problems are to be expected. But some of the above are too serious in my mind to ignore.
In addition there are other things that point to either lack of proper engineering or attempting to cut corners to reduce cost. Examples are failures of exhaust gasket at relatively low mileage, oil pump failures, oil sensor failures, mode button failures, cracking coolant reservoirs, defective radiator caps, and defects in evap cannister design resulting in strong fuel odors. People are still having problems with the emergency brake lever failing which was the case with the one I rode in 07. I would think they would have resolved that before now.
The last area of concern is the cost of operation. I am not a good mechanic and so can only do basic things like change oil and coolant. Due to the electronic wizardry of the Spyder much of the maintenance must be done at the dealer because they are the only ones who have the software to be able to do the necessary analysis. When I read of the cost of routine services, as much as $1100 for the 12k service I definitely have pause. I have never had to pay anything close to that kind of charge for a routine service on any vehicle I have ever owned. One person was charged $200 labor just to remount the rear tire. Yikes.
When I see a lot of low mileage Spyders up for sale I have to wonder why. I fully recognize that all the problems occur for a minority of owners but none the less some of the problems are too serious to overlook. I know some people probably do not find it a satisfactory replacement for a 2 wheeler but I also think there are other reasons.
In conclusion, as much as I like the Spyder I will not be buying one real soon. I will continue to monitor this forum and others sources and see if they get these bugs worked out. Then I will reevaluate my decision.
I hope nothing I have said here has offended anyone but I thought you might like to know what an outsider (non owner) thinks after reviewing your comments on this forum. I really wanted to be a Spyder owner and someday maybe I will be.
