2018 RT Newbie Question - does this Spyder have CanBus electricals?

[GreggL]

Hey Folks,

Bought my wife a new to her 2018 RT Limited and am farkling it up for her. My question, being new to the BRP/Can Am world, is this: does this bike have a canbus electrical system, or can I expect to find traditional 12VDC at the license plate lamp (and elsewhere for that matter) in case I want to tap into it for an illuminated license plate bracket? Thanks in advance!

Gregg L
2018 RT Limited SE6, 2020 Indian Challenger Limited

 

[RICZ]

Yes. That's why it's good practice to install a fuse block to connect electrical accessories so as to avoid the bikes finicky electrics. Especially aftermarket ones.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Yes. That's why it's good practice to install a fuse block to connect electrical accessories so as to avoid the bikes finicky electrics. Especially aftermarket ones.

:congrats: and :agree: .... All Spyders had / have the Can-bus system ... I bought a very in-expensive Fuse block on this website - Bangood.com .... It's not fancy but does what it's designed to do .... PS my RT is lit up like a Christmas tree ...... Mike :thumbup:

 

[RICZ]

:congrats: and :agree: .... All Spyders had / have the Can-bus system ... I bought a very in-expensive Fuse block on this website - Bangood.com .... It's not fancy but does what it's designed to do .... PS my RT is lit up like a Christmas tree ...... Mike :thumbup:

I bought mine from Banggood too. I was going to post a link to it, but it appears it's no longer available...but this is and I wish it had been then. It would tidy up the area above the battery, getting fuses and relays in one box.
https://usa.banggood.com/Fuse-Box-A...p-1384213.html?cur_warehouse=USA&rmmds=search

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Hey Folks,

Bought my wife a new to her 2018 RT Limited and am farkling it up for her. My question, being new to the BRP/Can Am world, is this: does this bike have a canbus electrical system, or can I expect to find traditional 12VDC at the license plate lamp (and elsewhere for that matter) in case I want to tap into it for an illuminated license plate bracket? Thanks in advance!

Gregg L
2018 RT Limited SE6, 2020 Indian Challenger Limited

Let me clear things a little bit. As has been said the Spyder does use Canbus, but it is not tied into the electrical system per se. Canbus is a digital communication system between all the computer modules and other electronics for control purposes only, not for power. See this diagram from the 2014 service manual. The only significant change for 2018 is a new style cluster.



The closest connection between the electrical system and Canbus is the fact the turn signals are fed from the cluster which is on the network. You can connect lights and other items directly into the electrical system IF, and only IF, they are very low power units. This is because the Spyder wiring is not robust enough to tolerate additional high current loads without endangering the wires or blowing fuses. Two caveats apply. Do not connect trailer wiring to the system except with the use of a trailer wiring control module. This is because the turn signal feeds are not fuse protected and are fed from the cluster. A short or other problem in trailer wiring maybe could damage the cluster, a multi hundred dollar item. The other caveat is additional turn signal lights, even LED ones, can sometimes cause the turn signals to hyperflash. Solutions to that problem are discussed in the forum.

Using a fuse block to provide power to added lights and other farkles protects the OEM wiring from excessive loads. It also provides a way to optionally have the add-ons power up only when the engine is running by connecting a trigger wire from the fuse block to one of electrical items that comes on after the engine starts.

To answer your question directly all the power circuits are ordinary 12 volt + & - circuits. None of the lights are Canbus controlled like there is with BMW and others.

You are advised to get a service manual for your Spyder. Go to www.canammanuals.com. They're about $30 and contain wiring diagrams.

 

[BertRemington]

Know the territory

Gregg -- there are basically three power modes for Spyder circuits. Always-On (eg, horn, brake lights); Key-On (eg, marker and tail lights, parking brake); and Engine-Running (eg, headlights, paddle shift). And the BRP wires are sized to specific circuit needs. Your safest approach is to buy Spyder-specific farkles from trustworthy vendors such as those supporting this website. And if you have a choice between plug&play vs wire taps, choose plug&play even if it's more expensive because it's safer and easier.

If you're going to strike out on your own with custom-designed farkles or eBay's "universal fit" farkles, I suggest you run them by this forum before opening your wallet.

 

[BertRemington]

Use resistor-quenched relays

When choosing a fuse block, choose one that uses resistor-quenched relays like BRP does to avoid semiconductor (eg, LED lights, dashboard) damaging voltage transients. And if the fuse block is exposed to weather, consider something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Concours-Specialties-Waterproof-Marine-Relays/dp/B01FWILO0Y

 

[GreggL]

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice and guidance. I WILL invest in a service manual and as one of the responses suggested, I come from the BMW world where CanBus is common and simply tapping into the bike’s lighting circuits won’t work. The genesis of my question was to see if I could power up a Signal Dynamics illuminated license plate bracket like this at https://www.signaldynamics.com/02028 by tapping into the Spyder’s license plate lamp (running) and rear brake lamps. I will proceed cautiously if at all. Appreciate you all keeping me out of trouble!

 

[BertRemington]

Bad news, good news and ...

Gregg -- the bad news is apparently nobody makes a plug&play version of your license plate frame for the Spyder. The good news is the license plate wires are easy to reach. And the brake light will be a learning experience with your new ride.

Remove two T15 screws and the license plate light will come out. The connector is a 2-pin AMP/Superseal socket, Pin 1 Orange is power and Pin 2 Black is ground. You can get the Superseal plug and crimp tool at Amazon of course.

Getting to the brake circuit is more work and much more complex. Get a service manual. The rear light assemblies use a 5-pin Superseal connector. You can make a jumper or use a PosiTap.

Let's parse your desired objectives:

1. Chrome license plate frame -- available from many sources

2. Bright license plate light -- replace incandescent with https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...us-578-led-bulb-8-led-festoon-44mm/3418/7124/

3. Supplemental brake light -- consider the plug&play CHMSL offerings from Lamonster, TricLED and Show Chrome. The high mount provides better visibility than the low mount license plate.

I suggest you take the easy, albeit more expensive, way out.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

The genesis of my question was to see if I could power up a Signal Dynamics illuminated license plate bracket like this at https://www.signaldynamics.com/02028 by tapping into the Spyder’s license plate lamp (running) and rear brake lamps. I will proceed cautiously if at all. Appreciate you all keeping me out of trouble!

I don't see why that would be a problem. That is a 15 amp circuit with all lights, most of which are LED.

 

[GreggL]

Thanks Bert - appreciate the details!

 

[budC]

I bought mine from Banggood too. I was going to post a link to it, but it appears it's no longer available...but this is and I wish it had been then. It would tidy up the area above the battery, getting fuses and relays in one box.
https://usa.banggood.com/Fuse-Box-A...p-1384213.html?cur_warehouse=USA&rmmds=search

PSA

Banggood offers a discount if you order through their app. Be aware that:
A) To order _from_ the app, you must install the app on your smartphone.
B) Any app on your phone _will_ report back to its source.
C) What it reports is a function of its code (intention), the ability of the OS to control it, and how much the owner can be socially enginneered. (Stop to think, "Why does a purchase app need access to your contacts before you click on accept?")
D) Banggood's internet address is ".ca", i.e. China.

My level of paranoia says that I'll buy from them, but not through the app. YPMV

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

D) Banggood's internet address is ".ca", i.e. China.

Oops! .ca is Canada. .cn is China.