Won't start & parking brake

[Chazzman]

I pulled in at the gas station and turned the bike off, went to restart and nothing. I let it set, turned on, hit the mode button and flipped the kill switch a few times and nothing. On a Sunday and no one to ask so I called my wife that is always right and knows everything, lol... She looked in the manual that I left at home no information, no Roadside number, so she googles Spyder RT wont start, and found a link to a forum stating to apply the brake pedal. I pushed on the brake and she started right up. Is this required or what? Sorry for the elementary questions but I am really new to the Spyder.

Second question - Is there another method to start, in that same thread it talked about another starting procedure if the Roadster would not start.

Third question - Do you always need to set the parking brake when stopping, the alarm goes off when not set in neutral or 1st gear.

 

[boborgera]

With the auto trans, You have to step on the brake to start.
If you park in nutral without setting the parking brake and your parked on even a slite incline your Spyder will roll away.

 

[DragonLorD]

If you turned it off with gear in then you apply parking brake when starting, it'll shifts in Neutral automatically straight away. If you turn it off when on Neutral, no need to apply break.

...how useful is Operation Guide for you if it sits in drawer?

2,- :dontknow:

3,- you must apply parking brake when engine turned off at all times

 

[Spyderjuice]

From your description, you must have a SE5 or simi-automatic. When you stop and cut off the engine you will automatically be in neutral and the bike will roll if you do not engage the parking brake. When starting it up you do need to apply the brake to start it. It's a safety precaution.

I don't know of any other starting procedure.

Stan

 

[Chazzman]

Got it, Thanks...

 

[JCSMOKE]

Happens to all of us at least once, mine was at a restaurant on a Sunday afternoon in front of the big picture windowpps: they all clapped when I figured it out:clap:

 

[TicketBait]

Happened to me on my first ride back from dealership when I gassed up, I spent an extra 15 minutes trying to figure it out :banghead:, now I can laugh about it, but then it was oh no.

Glad u got it figured out. Loved your other write up too!

 

[Chazzman]

Thanks all, I have to say I felt overwhelmed sitting there at the station saying oh noooo... I had read about someone that stopped and the RT would not start. Oh well it's pretty laughable now and a big relief to know it was the operator and not the Roadster.

When I went to the dealership, I took the bike out for a test ride with 0 miles on it. There was rain in the forecast so I was in a hurry, the SM briefed me and I asked to just give me the basics so I can beat the rain. Now that I think about it, I believe the SM mentioned pushing on the brake pedal to start. I decided I was purchasing so I brought it home and left it in the garage, went back in the car and completed the purchasing transactions. I was looking in the owners manual and still have not seen the part about putting on the brake to start but I am sure it's there.

I have not seen the Roadside assistance number either. Is it in the manual? Hopefully something I will never have a need for...

 

[Mr. White]

You don't say if you have the SE5, but get in the habit of stopping...put in nutral....put on brake....turn off engine, in that order. Parking brake must be on or beep beep. When you start you do not have to apply the foot brake. (Ya do if left in gear). When I go in my barn to get BR1, I start him and roll him out in the drive...put on my jacket and helmet and he is warmed up a little by then and away we go.

To my knowledge, there is no mention in the owners manual about the nutral/in gear/brake thing.

No mention of road assistance either (BRP does not offer this)....it is a seperate issue you must buy from another company, like AAA, GEICO, etc. Most insurance companies offer this service and several towing companies also.

 

[Lamonster]

As some have pointed out it is good practice to put the RT in neutral before you set the parking brake. It will start with it in gear and your foot on the brake but if you have a weak battery it may not pop into neutral before it starts and wears the battery down. My rule is to ALWAYS park in neutral and set your parking brake.

 

[daveinva]

Wait, people really use neutral on the SE5 (compared to the SM5)? The only time I see it is when I start up the bike, and pass by it heading to reverse.

Is the SE5 supposed to idle forward in 1st, like a car? I seem to recall this happening for some folks, mine won't move at all in 1st without throttle. In the former instnace, I can imagine neutral being useful, but for me, I just always leave it in 1st with my foot on the brake when stopped.

Note: I will agree with those who believe that one of the great (intentional) design flaws in the Spyder remains the lack of a handbrake. Since the lousy parking brake remains such a bear to engage/disengage while seated on the bike, a number of times I've had to disengage the brake while standing next to the bike-- with no way to stop the bike from moving, since the foot brake is on the other side. Oops, time to do the quick hop on at that point :shocked:.

Now, I don't miss the handbrake for the usual reasons (motorcycle-trained muscle memory gripping a handbrake that isn't there). But I certainly miss it while parking/moving the Spyder, not to mention how the lack of a handbrake prevents aggressive left-hand cornering (it's impossible to easily apply the footbrake when you're leaned over monkey-style to the left, I never quite feel as confident speeding around to my left as I do my right).

 

[DragonLorD]

No move

No it shouldn't move in 1st gear on idle although few early units did but BRP solved it back then.
SE5 should always be in N when turning off, it won't hold bike as manual anyway so you need to apply Parking break and I can only advice that you learn how to do it while sitting on, I did it too and is a natural now, working it with tip toe - works fine

 

[JCSMOKE]

Wait, people really use neutral on the SE5 (compared to the SM5)? The only time I see it is when I start up the bike, and pass by it heading to reverse.

Is the SE5 supposed to idle forward in 1st, like a car? I seem to recall this happening for some folks, mine won't move at all in 1st without throttle. In the former instnace, I can imagine neutral being useful, but for me, I just always leave it in 1st with my foot on the brake when stopped.

Note: I will agree with those who believe that one of the great (intentional) design flaws in the Spyder remains the lack of a handbrake. Since the lousy parking brake remains such a bear to engage/disengage while seated on the bike, a number of times I've had to disengage the brake while standing next to the bike-- with no way to stop the bike from moving, since the foot brake is on the other side. Oops, time to do the quick hop on at that point :shocked:.

Now, I don't miss the handbrake for the usual reasons (motorcycle-trained muscle memory gripping a handbrake that isn't there). But I certainly miss it while parking/moving the Spyder, not to mention how the lack of a handbrake prevents aggressive left-hand cornering (it's impossible to easily apply the footbrake when you're leaned over monkey-style to the left, I never quite feel as confident speeding around to my left as I do my right).

I don't understand your parking brake issue, I just push a button

 

[daveinva]

I don't understand your parking brake issue, I just push a button

Oh, I just knew an RT owner would be in here to make that crack... :b

I have two issues with engaging the parking brake while seated:

Firstly, the brake falls out of adjustment so easily that it becomes harder and harder to engage unless you push ALL the way down, something that isn't easily accomplished just by your toes.

Secondly, and I understand this problem is unique to my ride (and others like me), I have passenger footboards on my RS, which means I can't do a full-foot press on the parking brake, I need to wiggle my toes in between the passenger board to get at it. This makes it even harder to engage/disengage the brake.

I've tried to solve the latter problem by ordering a parking brake extension, but I'm having an EPIC struggle with a certain grossly inept Spyder accessories company that will likely lead to a justifiably scathing review of their customer service over on the main page in about 3... 2... 1... BUT I'm trying to be nicer in the new year. ray: