My Spyder Threw a sprocket last Saturday...

[Spyder Tony]

I was coming home from a group ryde and was maybe 40 miles from home on a back road when I completely lost forward motion (other than coasting). The engine was still running, but no acceleration when I gave it gas. Coasted to the side of the road and immediately saw that the drive belt was dragging on the floor. a quick check revealed that the back sproket was fine, but the front sprocket was missing!
At that point, the Spyder ryder behind me approaches and tells me she saw a round metal piece fly off my bike and into the field on the side of the road. I was unable to find the sprocket, but my local dealer came and picked Charlotte (my Spyder) and I up...AND he brought me a cold Gatorade (I already knew the driver)!

I just heard yesterday that in addition to the lost sprocket, my belt suffered a couple of small gouges taken out of it when the sprocket exited my ryde, and is unusable. The good news was that although the bolt holding the sprocket snapped, the tech was able to remove the remaining portion that was stuck...otherwise I was looking at removing and semi dismantling the Rotax to remove the offending piece. As it stands, Charlotte is at the dealership waiting for a belt and sprocket delivery...and in the meantime, I am ryding a Butterscotch 2014 RT-Limited as a loaner from the dealership until the repairs are done.

As a note...coming off a GS, things in the RT world are sure different. I LOVE the 1330 ACE (Which is why i'm currently figuring out how to get an F3), but I miss the nimble feeling of my GS in the twisties. The RT has GREAT storage capacity, and my son LOVES riding on the back of an RT...but I will still be real happy to get Charlotte back home where she belongs.

I'm still trying to justify approximately $300 for the belt alone. I've changed belts in my cars over the years, and although the Spyder belt is much bigger than anything on a car, the belts in an automobile are a fraction of the price i'm paying for a new Spyder belt...but it's not like I can go to my local Pep Boys (or other auto parts store) and pick one up for my Spyder.

Pic 1 is the pic I took after i pulled to the side of the road when it happened, and Pic 2 is the part of the bolt that was removed by the BRP Tech.

 

[ARtraveler]

Sorry to hear of the mechanical issues. Glad to hear that help was on the way quickly.

The $300 plus to replace a belt is ballpark. I have done two now. Mine were broken/damaged belts--no sprocket issues though.

 

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Glad to hear that this didn't turn out any worse than it did!
(The belt could have got wrapped around something that needed to keep moving; and stopped it! :yikes:
And you've also had a chance to see things from the 1330 RT's side of the fence...
You've looked at Life; from Both Sides Now...

 

[Chupaca]

Bummer..!!

glad it just popped off like that you were lucky. And lucky again the you will be able to replace the drive sproket and belt and be up and running again. They are a special belt and you may find it on ebay cheaper but not much...:thumbup:

 

[Spyder Tony]

Thanks for the well wishes all!

Another concern of mine was that the sprocket would've sheared of and possibly hit one of the other Spyder Ryders. I would've hated for that to have happened.:yikes:

 

[Motorcycledave]

Be real glad it is not a Harley when my Harley had that happen it cost
way more than 300.00
If I were you I would replace front and back drive sprockets along with
the belt, start out new you will be glad you did.
Dave

 

[DrewNJ]

Output shaft splines are OK? Usually, you run a good chance of the output splines being fubar'd when that happens. And that is what shears the bolt....
You got lucky for sure!

 

[StanProff]

good dealer

Sounds like you have a very good and responsive dealer. Sorry for your problems but looks like it is going to work out. By the way, you might as well save your money. I believe when you test ride an F3 that will be the bike for you. Performance and handling all wrapped up in one good looking package. I am an RT man on the touring side of things but I can certainly see the appeal to many for the F3. :clap:

 

[Spyder Tony]

Be real glad it is not a Harley when my Harley had that happen it cost
way more than 300.00
If I were you I would replace front and back drive sprockets along with
the belt, start out new you will be glad you did.
Dave

Hi Dave...I did not mean to imply that the total cost was $300...that was just for the belt. $149 for the sprocket, then labor. I'm still a few hundred under a Grand when it's all said & done, so I actually count myself lucky...it could've been so much more expensive. A fellow ryder has a bent shift shaft a couple weeks ago that resulted in a total teardown of her Rotax. Good news is that she's pretty much got a rebuilt Rotax in her '09

Here's a pic of hers under repair...

 

[ottawa-rider]

I can understand the bolt snapping and the pulley coming loose.

But how the hell did it get out of where it's nestled without making a racket and causing all kind of collateral damages?

 

[Bob Denman]

Hi Dave...I did not mean to imply that the total cost was $300...that was just for the belt. $149 for the sprocket, then labor. I'm still a few hundred under a Grand when it's all said & done, so I actually count myself lucky...it could've been so much more expensive. A fellow ryder has a bent shift shaft a couple weeks ago that resulted in a total teardown of her Rotax. Good news is that she's pretty much got a rebuilt Rotax in her '09

Here's a pic of hers under repair...
View attachment 96931

:shocked: Whoa! SpyderGuts... :barf:

 

[r1100rider]

I was coming home from a group ryde and was maybe 40 miles from home on a back road when I completely lost forward motion (other than coasting). The engine was still running, but no acceleration when I gave it gas. Coasted to the side of the road and immediately saw that the drive belt was dragging on the floor. a quick check revealed that the back sproket was fine, but the front sprocket was missing!
At that point, the Spyder ryder behind me approaches and tells me she saw a round metal piece fly off my bike and into the field on the side of the road. I was unable to find the sprocket, but my local dealer came and picked Charlotte (my Spyder) and I up...AND he brought me a cold Gatorade (I already knew the driver)!

I just heard yesterday that in addition to the lost sprocket, my belt suffered a couple of small gouges taken out of it when the sprocket exited my ryde, and is unusable. The good news was that although the bolt holding the sprocket snapped, the tech was able to remove the remaining portion that was stuck...otherwise I was looking at removing and semi dismantling the Rotax to remove the offending piece. As it stands, Charlotte is at the dealership waiting for a belt and sprocket delivery...and in the meantime, I am ryding a Butterscotch 2014 RT-Limited as a loaner from the dealership until the repairs are done.

As a note...coming off a GS, things in the RT world are sure different. I LOVE the 1330 ACE (Which is why i'm currently figuring out how to get an F3), but I miss the nimble feeling of my GS in the twisties. The RT has GREAT storage capacity, and my son LOVES riding on the back of an RT...but I will still be real happy to get Charlotte back home where she belongs.

I'm still trying to justify approximately $300 for the belt alone. I've changed belts in my cars over the years, and although the Spyder belt is much bigger than anything on a car, the belts in an automobile are a fraction of the price i'm paying for a new Spyder belt...but it's not like I can go to my local Pep Boys (or other auto parts store) and pick one up for my Spyder.

Pic 1 is the pic I took after i pulled to the side of the road when it happened, and Pic 2 is the part of the bolt that was removed by the BRP Tech.
View attachment 96895View attachment 96896

you need to do
some research on this it was a problem that happened on a lot of early spyders my self included the belt tension wAs to tite and caused the sprockets to wallow out the splines then snapping the bolt I check mine a lot and this is why I bought a smooth spyder so I could run lower belt tension