How Seriuos-Steering Problems-BRP Recalled nearly 10,000 Spyders

[groundeffect]

HOW SERIOUS-Steering Problems-BRP Recalled nearly 10,000 Spyders

Ok, all members and lurkers know about the steering problems the Spyders has, even now, it seems (and newbies are reading about it as they sign up to the forum ).


My question is simple:


"How serious is the steering problem that initiated the BRP Recall on nearly 10,000 Spyders back in July of 2009? (http://spyder.brp.com/en-CA/Owner-Ce...17.07.2009.htm).


QUESTIONS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED STEERING ISSUES, THEMSELVES, FIRSTHAND:

1. SMALL concern. I don't feel it will take me off the road or kill me.

2. MAJOR concern. Will NOT ride until totally fixed (tow to dealer for fix)


DOES ANYONE have any video to share of their testing or on-board camera video of this problem occurring; perhaps to help show the severity of the issue of the steering problem?


Thank you and ride safe.
cheers.

 

[stgilmer]

If you consider possible head on collision or going off road into whatever obstacle there may be serious, then yes its serious. I will ride it when my dealer says its ok to ride, but not with a passenger until I am able to put some good miles on it. Whenever I end up getting it back.

 

[musicarcade]

Welll...

My question is simple:

QUESTIONS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED STEERING ISSUES, THEMSELVES, FIRSTHAND:

1. SMALL concern. I don't feel it will take me off the road or kill me.

2. MAJOR concern. Will NOT ride until totally fixed (tow to dealer for fix)

OK- For me it is a MAJOR Concern. But I am like a crack addict with my Spyder. I HAVE to ryde it! If the weather is nice, I go thru withdrawals. So while waiting for the past 2 weeks for the service tech to pick up my Spyder, I have been carefully ryding it in the small town I live in. I refuse to take it out on the freeway, and stay close to home in case I need to walk or get help from friends. The furthest I go is the 15 mile ride to work. When ryding on the highway to work, I do the speed limit and only vary my speed to keep the other lane open in case I have steering issues.

My Steering is intermittant I've discovered, so when I come home w/ no problems I love my Spyderhyea:

when it sticks..... MAJOR :cus: CONCERN

It's no way to have to ryde...:gaah:

 

[ataDude]

I have had the problems and sold my Spyder... and keep relatively quiet about this issue as it's between owners and BRP.

Why are you... a non-owner... right in the middle of this? Why not just sit back and read, learn and understand? You have no dog in this hunt.

Sorry to be so blunt but.....
.

 

[groundeffect]

I have had the problems and sold my Spyder... and keep relatively quiet about this issue as it's between owners and BRP.

Why are you... a non-owner... right in the middle of this? Why not just sit back and read, learn and understand? You have no dog in this hunt.

Sorry to be so blunt but.....
.

I read, then, I ask questions to try to get a better understanding of the problems that exist in a product that I have some interest in, as a potential customer. As I understand it, there are many others out there in this same situation, as a cautious customer with concern for current Spyder owners and the thought to be a potential owner.

Thank you for your time.

 

[Way2Fast]

I have had the problems and sold my Spyder... and keep relatively quiet about this issue as it's between owners and BRP.

Why are you... a non-owner... right in the middle of this? Why not just sit back and read, learn and understand? You have no dog in this hunt.

Sorry to be so blunt but.....
.

Dude; I usually agree with your posts, but not with this one. The dangerous steering issue is NOT only between owners and BRP.....it also concerns prospective owners, and rightly so. I can see previous owners like yourself sitting quietly in the back row because they know they sold their Spyder, possibly to some unsuspecting party, and don't want to dwell on the known issues it had for obvious reasons.

 

[sabunim5]

Need a third option

Neither one of the extremes that are choices was appropriate for me. I mistakenly thought I could solve the problem and drive safely by disabling the DPS. I continued to have steering difficulties with no active power steering. They are minor compared to the problems with the DPS engaged. I am willing to drive to my dealer with the DPS off, but will not ryde the Spyder again until the problem has been resolved. The ride to my dealer is only about 15 miles on minor surface streets with a maximum speed limit of 45 mph. If I had a long ways to go or if I had to go at higher speeds, I would have it towed.

I don't mean to be rude but I do have to state that as a person who has experienced the DPS problem. It could Kill You. :lecturef_smilie: Make no mistake about that. I was lucky. My machine and I are both in one piece only because of a number of factors. I'd like to think some of them were experience, skill and knowledge gained on this forum. I do know that some of the factors are just sheer dumb luck. I encourage everyone to err on the side of caution. Do not risk your life.

 

[groundeffect]

sabunim5Glad you are still in one piece, absolutely!

Just wondering, did you remove ONE or TWO fuses when attempting to disable the DPS system?


Thank you.
Ride Safe.

 

[docdoru]

Just wondering, did you remove ONE or TWO fuses when attempting to disable the DPS system? Thank you. Ride Safe.

Are you working for or in any shape or form associate with BRP?

 

[groundeffect]

doc: huh??? Not at all... I've started researching the Spyder the middle of Dec., seemed like a great machine, and is what I'm looking for to ride, aside from the unfortunate steering issues . Just a concerned potential Spyder owner. To be honest, that steering issue is the only think keeping me from making a purchase. I can deal with engine oil blow-by accumulating in the airbox, there are ways to help that (lamonster's mod and/or form filter, etc...). I can deal with the occasional rear fender crack, topping up the brake fluid reservoir, or putting my own bed of foam in the fuse box to keep them seated so they don't come loose, etc...


I hope BRP fixes the steering issues for two reasons:

1. to keep current Spyder owners/riders safer on the roads from a fully working dps unit, for those who currently have steering issues.

2. So that I may enjoy you, once the steering issues have been worked out.


Perhaps you thought I worked for BRP because of the questions I'm asking... I only think BRP should be asking their customers these questions, and as a concerned potential spyder owner, I want to know the problems if/before I make a spyder purchase.


If we could somehow figure out how to disable the DPS AND for it to be safer then with a faulty DPS enabled - that then could help Spyder owners who have experenced the DPS issue get to where they are going, perhaps a little safer then having the DPS unexpectedly yank them around or off the road(s). Just a thought. You guys, as spyder owners would know more... I'm just trying to learn more about the issues here, and perhaps how to prevent them.

thank you for your time.

 

[Smylinacha]

Well put it this way - I would have been freaking out much more if this happened to me on the highway. It happened to me on a road going between 35 and 45 TOPS. And I was freaked out as it was at that speed!

New DPS is in but like I said, had that put in end of season so I only rode it once and not very far. Been in the garage since - not because of the DPS but because of the winter. I will go out on it again in the Spring BUT :lecturef_smilie: if it acts up just even once - I am definitely getting rid of it.

 

[Neez]

Dude; I usually agree with your posts, but not with this one. The dangerous steering issue is NOT only between owners and BRP.....it also concerns prospective owners, and rightly so. I can see previous owners like yourself sitting quietly in the back row because they know they sold their Spyder, possibly to some unsuspecting party, and don't want to dwell on the known issues it had for obvious reasons.

I agree with groundeffect and way2fast. This is not just a problem for owners or prospective owners, it is a problem for EVERYONE who uses the roadways! How about the guy in the oncoming vehicle who suddenly has a Spyder in front of him? How about the pedestrian who gets run over while walking roadside? I want BRP to succeed with the Spyder project, but they better get on this one fast before we get banished off the roads. We've been lucky so far....

 

[boborgera]

Are you working for or in any shape or form associate with BRP?

Almost sounds like a law student working on a case.:roflblack:

 

[Roaddog2]

Major concern but still ride it dealers won't replace it until it happens they have to get :thumbup: from BRP :gaah: so I didn't vote on poll :doorag:

 

[RoadHammer]

Don't get rid of it, just pull the fuses. That's what im gonna do if mine acts up again.

Well put it this way - I would have been freaking out much more if this happened to me on the highway. It happened to me on a road going between 35 and 45 TOPS. And I was freaked out as it was at that speed!

New DPS is in but like I said, had that put in end of season so I only rode it once and not very far. Been in the garage since - not because of the DPS but because of the winter. I will go out on it again in the Spring BUT :lecturef_smilie: if it acts up just even once - I am definitely getting rid of it.

 

[scdtrd]

Well put it this way - I would have been freaking out much more if this happened to me on the highway. It happened to me on a road going between 35 and 45 TOPS. And I was freaked out as it was at that speed!

New DPS is in but like I said, had that put in end of season so I only rode it once and not very far. Been in the garage since - not because of the DPS but because of the winter. I will go out on it again in the Spring BUT :lecturef_smilie: if it acts up just even once - I am definitely getting rid of it.

I hear ya..... I agree with ya.... but honestly... it is worth the worry? I mean, to get on it, and wonder.... will it work or not? That is why I sold mine. I purchased a Honda NT700V with ABS and not ONCE have the brakes squealed, I smelled gas, the steering locked up, or the belt howled (shaft drive), or do I need to put foam or any other home remedy to address an issue. I get on, push start and ride. So, yes, I agree.

 

[groundeffect]

Don't get rid of it, just pull the fuses. That's what im gonna do if mine acts up again.

That would be my thought about it also; pull the fuses to disabled the DPS, if it is faulty and acts up. I'm assuming this would get ride of the yanks on the wheels/bars that has been mentioned regarding the steering issues - I'm assuming the issues are isolated to the DPS system and not from other systems on the Sypder, in this case.:dontknow:



Cheers.

 

[Smylinacha]

Well I do understand that new things have bugs but we can fix little bugs but to me this steering thing is a big bug. What BUGS me is that none of us know if this new DPS is the fix or not - nobody has given any of us an answer. So yeah, I'm p*ssed about that but my bike worked after it got a new DPS but for how long.

I do have all winter long to think about it but I gotta tell ya - those Urals are cool. Question is, can I ride a hack. Did two wheels, have no interest in going back to that. Or I can just play passenger again on HDX's bike. That is nice too.

I hear ya..... I agree with ya.... but honestly... it is worth the worry? I mean, to get on it, and wonder.... will it work or not? That is why I sold mine. I purchased a Honda NT700V with ABS and not ONCE have the brakes squealed, I smelled gas, the steering locked up, or the belt howled (shaft drive), or do I need to put foam or any other home remedy to address an issue. I get on, push start and ride. So, yes, I agree.

 

[Smylinacha]

I'm not so sure about it being isolated to the DPS system. If they keep replacing DPS's and they go bad again, then wouldn't you think it's due to something else? Stability system? Software? Sensors? This thing is so intricate I feel like some things aren't communicating with others - just have no idea what things are snafu'd.

Plus the updates, the sneaky pete Purge thing, all this code that gets loaded into the :spyder: - could be that too. Who knows, will we ever find out :dontknow:.

That would be my thought about it also; pull the fuses to disabled the DPS, if it is faulty and acts up. I'm assuming this would get ride of the yanks on the wheels/bars that has been mentioned regarding the steering issues - I'm assuming the issues are isolated to the DPS system and not from other systems on the Sypder, in this case.:dontknow:



Cheers.

 

[docdoru]

Almost sounds like a law student working on a case.:roflblack:

NY, TX and FL have the combined MD/JD program. I need to go back to school. :thumbup: