• There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.

Sticky steering

J

jwhatman

New member
Just got back from a ride with my parents and hubby. My steering started acting up on the way home. It felt "sticky". No other way to describe it. It felt like it was catching, like it needed to be lubricated. Anyway, I didn't panic but put in a bit more effort to make the turn. Nothing I couldn't handle, hubby noticed though. Took a turn a bit wider than I usually do. I kept playing with the steering and it seemed to only really act up on right-handed turns. Mubby took it for a ride, but like he said, he doesn't ride it enough to know the difference. Taking it to the dealer on Friday. I do not have the second update and only 2600 miles on my 2008 Se. We'll see. No error codes came up either. I'll take it for another short ride to check it out with hubby, once it warms up. I still love this bike!
Joyce
 
Hi Joyce. Just wondering the model and year of your spyder, also the miles you currently have on it?

I hope there is nothing to it, but ryde careful, ryde safe. Have you had the BRP suggested recall update from June of 2009 installed/applied?
Cheers and ryde safe.


jwhatman said:
Just got back from a ride with my parents and hubby. My steering started acting up on the way home. It felt "sticky". No other way to describe it. It felt like it was catching, like it needed to be lubricated. Anyway, I didn't panic but put in a bit more effort to make the turn. Nothing I couldn't handle, hubby noticed though. Took a turn a bit wider than I usually do. I kept playing with the steering and it seemed to only really act up on right-handed turns. Mubby took it for a ride, but like he said, he doesn't ride it enough to know the difference. Taking it to the dealer on Friday. I do not have the second update and only 2600 miles on my 2008 Se. We'll see. No error codes came up either. I'll take it for another short ride to check it out with hubby, once it warms up. I still love this bike!
Joyce
Click to expand...
 
I have a 2008 SE5 with about 2600 miles on it. I have only had the first update done, I didn't feel I should get the second update, and I still won't. I will wait for the next one, considering there should be more testing done on it. While talking with my husband, and explaining it to him, it felt like the power steering went out, which it does when you reach a certain speed, but it felt like I had to use a bit more effort to make small corrections than I normally have to. I'll have them hook it up to the BUDS and check to make sure the steering is set to zero. Other than this, I have had no problems with this bike. I love it like a child! Hubby just rolls his eyes when I suggest we go for a ride, he knows I will not be a passenger on his, unless it's too packed and we know we won't be able to find a place to park both bikes, or it's too cold and I need to snuggle close. But even that's not an issue since he hardwired my heated jacket to the spyder. It warms the cockles of my heart, oh and he does too.
Joyce
 
Glad to hear you will be taking it to the dealer for a check on BUDS. Describing the feeling from the steering to the dealer should also help. When they connect to BUDS, they will find out if an update is required.

Good luck and please feel free to update us on what the dealer does/decides.

thanks
 
My wife's did something similar on the way to Daytona. After we shut down and ate breakfast, I pushed on all of her relays and fuses to make sure they were properly seated. I did not feel anything out of the ordinary, but thought it was a good thing to do after reading many of the experiences on this forum. I then took it for a test ryde and did not have any problems with it. She rode it rest of the way to Daytona without incident, probably a good 200 miles or so. While there, Kurt from BRP hooked it up to BUDS and found the steering was a tiny bit off center. It shouldn't have been enough to cause an issue, but he rode around with the laptop hooked up to it and re-centered the steering for her. She rode rest of the time in Daytona and then back home yesterday without any problems at all. Hers did not throw any codes or anything either.

Hopefully you will be in a similar boat, and the dealer will be able to get you sorted out quickly. I wish you the best of luck with it, and please keep us posted as to what they may find out.
 
I hope so. My dealer is about 10 minutes away, I know, I'm very lucky in that regard. They also treat me very well. They know me by name and always are there to answer any questions. Hubby laughs because he used the same dealer for his Goldwing and they didn't know him at all. We would go walking into the dealership and they would all say hi to me and nothing to him. He just laughed. It's not that I have been there a lot, but I guess they don't get many female riders in there and if they do, usually it's their husband doing all of the talking. I do as much research on what I drive as my husband does, I want to know all I can about the vehicles. So I go in there armed with information and questions. I am confident this will get sorted out.
Thanks,
Joyce
 
jwhatman said:
I hope so. My dealer is about 10 minutes away, I know, I'm very lucky in that regard. They also treat me very well. They know me by name and always are there to answer any questions. Hubby laughs because he used the same dealer for his Goldwing and they didn't know him at all. We would go walking into the dealership and they would all say hi to me and nothing to him. He just laughed. It's not that I have been there a lot, but I guess they don't get many female riders in there and if they do, usually it's their husband doing all of the talking. I do as much research on what I drive as my husband does, I want to know all I can about the vehicles. So I go in there armed with information and questions. I am confident this will get sorted out.
Thanks,
Joyce
Click to expand...

That is awesome. Our nearest dealer that we worked with was 1 1/2 hours away and closed down. We are now on the hunt for another really good one, and am hoping for a situation like yours, although they will be 2 hours away at best.
 
I know I'm lucky about that. I could also go to the St. Augustine dealer where I bought my bike and he's about an hour away. They both are great dealers and are owned by motorcycle enthusiasts, not corporate people. So they do their research and know how to treat their customers. I hope it's just something simple. Hubby and I have a trip planned for the beginning of June to go back up to the Georgia Mountains.
Joyce
 
jwhatman said:
Just got back from a ride with my parents and hubby. My steering started acting up on the way home. It felt "sticky". No other way to describe it. It felt like it was catching, like it needed to be lubricated. Anyway, I didn't panic but put in a bit more effort to make the turn. Nothing I couldn't handle, hubby noticed though. Took a turn a bit wider than I usually do. I kept playing with the steering and it seemed to only really act up on right-handed turns. Mubby took it for a ride, but like he said, he doesn't ride it enough to know the difference. Taking it to the dealer on Friday. I do not have the second update and only 2600 miles on my 2008 Se. We'll see. No error codes came up either. I'll take it for another short ride to check it out with hubby, once it warms up. I still love this bike!
Joyce
Click to expand...

Mine did the same thing coming home from Daytona on the way home it felt just like what yours did. I took it to my dealer and they checked the all tire pressure notice the two front tires was down 10 psi and not 15 psi as require. after they inflat the tire test drove it. It seems to be fine. I drove it Sunday all day no problems. I will be on a watch for this. Let me know what your dealer says. I will be wondering about this until I hear a confirmation of what the problem really is. Mine is 2008 SE5 has 11,281 miles.
 
Cundiffla said:
Mine did the same thing coming home from Daytona on the way home it felt just like what yours did. I took it to my dealer and they checked the all tire pressure notice the two front tires was down 10 psi and not 15 psi as require. after they inflat the tire test drove it. It seems to be fine. I drove it Sunday all day no problems. I will be on a watch for this. Let me know what your dealer says. I will be wondering about this until I hear a confirmation of what the problem really is. Mine is 2008 SE5 has 11,281 miles.
Click to expand...


Interesting note about the tire pressure maybe causing these steering jumps.


:popcorn:

cheers and Ryde Safe, everyone.
 
Get it checked out... that's how it starts... like a glitch or a hiccup, ever so slight that you think it was just you or the wind. Mine did that then it didn't do it again for about 400 miles... then wham! Get it checked out and ryde safe! :thumbup:
 
jwhatman said:
While talking with my husband, and explaining it to him, it felt like the power steering went out, which it does when you reach a certain speed, but it felt like I had to use a bit more effort to make small corrections than I normally have to.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the problem I have, even after three visits to the dealer. I'll be interested to see what you find.
 
I checked the tire pressure before we rode. All was fine. Made the appt for friday. Jim, the service rep was trying to tell me that the second update will automatically be done as soon as they hook it up to BUDS. I told him he was incorrect. It will not download the second update unless told to do so. I told him I will NOT get the second update as another update will soon be released. I will be waiting while they work on the bike to make sure all is done correctly and so I can talk to the mechanic. I"ll let you know what I find out.
Joyce
 
:2thumbs::2thumbs: Good luck, thanks for keeping us in the loop on this, thus far.


Looking forward to your updates... and good luck!


Cheers.


jwhatman said:
I checked the tire pressure before we rode. All was fine. Made the appt for friday. Jim, the service rep was trying to tell me that the second update will automatically be done as soon as they hook it up to BUDS. I told him he was incorrect. It will not download the second update unless told to do so. I told him I will NOT get the second update as another update will soon be released. I will be waiting while they work on the bike to make sure all is done correctly and so I can talk to the mechanic. I"ll let you know what I find out.
Joyce
Click to expand...
 
jwhatman said:
I checked the tire pressure before we rode. All was fine. Made the appt for friday. Jim, the service rep was trying to tell me that the second update will automatically be done as soon as they hook it up to BUDS. I told him he was incorrect. It will not download the second update unless told to do so. I told him I will NOT get the second update as another update will soon be released. I will be waiting while they work on the bike to make sure all is done correctly and so I can talk to the mechanic. I"ll let you know what I find out.
Joyce
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan to me. I will be waiting to hear what you find out as well.
 
Okay, Maybe I won't be taking it in tomorrow. We have had some bad storms here today with tornado warnings, hail, etc. It's supposed to be nasty tomorrow too, we'll see. If it's not too bad I just put on some rain gear and head out. A 10 min drive is fine in rain, just not in a downpour. I will be waiting on the bike..Probably hovering and annoying the tech while I am at it, making sure he does NOT do the second update. I can be a bit intimidating when I want to. I'll let you know how it goes.
Joyce
 
Maybe someone in here will correct me if I'm wrong but I think once you bring it to the dealer and it's hooked up to BUDS then you are SOL and you get the update whether you want it or not.

jwhatman said:
Okay, Maybe I won't be taking it in tomorrow. We have had some bad storms here today with tornado warnings, hail, etc. It's supposed to be nasty tomorrow too, we'll see. If it's not too bad I just put on some rain gear and head out. A 10 min drive is fine in rain, just not in a downpour. I will be waiting on the bike..Probably hovering and annoying the tech while I am at it, making sure he does NOT do the second update. I can be a bit intimidating when I want to. I'll let you know how it goes.
Joyce
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Over White Pass, back Snoqualmie Pass
Replies
1
Views
93
Snoking1127
Snoking1127
N
Yakima to Stevenson
Replies
2
Views
140
kvilian223
K
Snoking1127
What does it feel like when the Nanny takes over?
2 3
Replies
48
Views
11K
Snoking1127
Snoking1127
TheMariner
What's the best way to set the steering lock? Am I doing it wrong?
Replies
6
Views
1K
Peter Aawen
Peter Aawen
RapidSpyder
Steering Darting issue solved!
Replies
8
Views
1K
Bfromla
Bfromla
Back
Top