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2020 RT Limited - rpm/whining noise issue. Anyone else?

I've got about 650 miles on my 2020 RTL and it definitely has a whine. It occurs at 50 +/- 2 mph, regardless of gear or rpm. Can't say whether it's coming from front/back/left/right. I asked the dealer about it. Answer: We haven't heard about that from anyone else. Let it break in for a few thousand miles; should go away. We'll see. In the meantime, 6-speaker stereo + ear plugs and you barely notice it.
 
bikerbillone said:
Retail, check out this Vlog by Smoaks about 6 mins into the video. If you're not aware, this guy is a RTL tech guru. So is that a newer class DD? I sailed on one for 4 years, Korean War vintage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdAnV1qrPso&t=1371s
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to the Smoaks Vblog. Good stuff. I'm not sure he's talking about the same sound though. This is a high pitched whine that occurs only at 48-51 mph. Below and above that range, she purrs. Then again, it's my 1st Can Am and I've only had it for a month, so I could be wrong. I did call Can Am North America today to see if they knew anything about it. Of course, they did not. After I told the nice young lady that several other people on SL.com had cited the same issue, she said she would let the social media team know about it. Ok. Am I turning blue yet from holding my breath?

The ship in the photo is the USS Arthur W. Radford DD-968, the 8th of the Spruance class destroyers. That was a newer class DD back in the 70s and 80s. No doubt, much different from the Korean war vintage DD you served on. I served on 3 Spru-cans, all of which were eventually "retired" for target practice.
 
My ship was the USS De Haven DD727, Allen M Sumner Class, sadly, sold or given to South Koreans. I suspect wound up for scrap, possibly molded into HD parts. :>) Loved that ship, especially in heavy seas.
 
Hey Redtail,I have the whine exactly where you do. It seems like 50 mph is the sweet spot. My dealer in Hanover Pa.heard it also and said he was going to put a ticket in to BRP. Mine is also a 2020 RTL.
 
Very interesting. I picked up my new 2020 Rt limited on the 11th and now have just under 1500 miles on it. I too noticed some higher pitched noise but since this is my first Can Am (with nothing to compare it to) I assumed it was normal. I will now have them check it out when I return it for the Non-Operating saddlebags.
 
I was back at the dealer today to do some accessorizing and had a talk with the service manager about the persistent whine at 50 mph. He said that he wasn't aware of anything having been reported to BRP or the 2020 RTs, but would double check. He caught up with me a little while later with interesting news. BRP is, in fact, aware of the issue. Apparently they got the ticket on yours, Sharp. BRP attributes it to exactly what Smoaks said in his vblog -- air trapped between the belt and the pulley being expelled under pressure. You were right Bikerbillone! BRP claims that the whine has always been there but because of the way the pulley was shrouded on pre-2020 models, it was much less noticeable. The shrouding changed with the 2020 redesign, so now it is more pronounced. According to the service manager, BRP is in the process of redesigning the pulley to mitigate the problem, but when a fix might be available is anyone's guess. So for now, please join me in becoming a "whine aficionado." Crank up the stereo and ride on!
 
bikerbillone said:
My ship was the USS De Haven DD727, Allen M Sumner Class, sadly, sold or given to South Koreans. I suspect wound up for scrap, possibly molded into HD parts. :>) Loved that ship, especially in heavy seas.
Click to expand...

My how things changed in 30 years. DD-727 was 376 ft long with a 40 ft beam. DD-968 was 563 ft long with a 55 ft beam. No wonder you loved her in heavy seas. Interestingly, the crew compliment was about the same on both ships: 336 and 334. The ships I served on were yachts compared to the Sumner Class ships. I salute you, Brother!
 
Redtail said:
BRP attributes it to exactly what Smoaks said in his vblog -- air trapped between the belt and the pulley being expelled under pressure. You were right Bikerbillone! BRP claims that the whine has always been there but because of the way the pulley was shrouded on pre-2020 models, it was much less noticeable.
Click to expand...
And because of the way velocity interacts with air flow the fact you hear it a specific speed range makes perfectly good sense. An example, although not directly attributable to this case, was one day I was carrying my aluminum extension ladder on my pickup, propped up between the tailgate and top of the cab. In a certain range of speeds I heard a howl as the air passed by the ends of the open tube ladder rungs. The howl was only in a particular speed range.

Of course, Redtail, the cynic will tell you you are just hearing things! :roflblack:
 
My 2020 F3 does the same from the right hand engine/transmission side. Quite loud too. 4000 km and still loud.

Update: the noise starts at about 77 kph and gets really loud after 80kph regardless of the gear the bike is in. It's hard to believe that the belt is responsible.
 
Okay here is the deal since I first posted this.
Started riding the new 2020RT in mid April I now have 12000 miles on it. (that's a lot of local miles in a NH short riding season) From day one the whine has been there, no matter what I have done or the dealer has done, there has been no change. Whatever position the drive belt is in it's still there just louder or softer at different speeds... mostly 50mph. Dealer contacted BRP, but they have not had problems up to this point in April... or so they say. Then later on they said they're working on it and think it's the front sprocket/pulley. Move on to what's going on now... they have given my dealership a part # for the new pulley but as of today the part is not available with no release date. They told the dealer that the belt is not riding on/in the pulley correctly.
So I sit and wait to see what happens next.
That's all the info I have...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mrwog said:
... they have given my dealership a part # for the new pully but as of today the part is not available with no release date...
Click to expand...

Any chance you could get that part number from the dealer -- many of us would change pulleys if we could get the part.
 
I am having the same issue and it sounds more like a transmission gear sound to me. Occurs really bad at 2900 RPM, 49 mph in 5th gear. Sound is almost unbearable. I have almost 4000 miles and sound has gotten no better. Sound has been present since purchase. Having never owned or ridden a Spyder previously, I had no frame of reference on whether it was normal or not for the Spyder, however, I do know it is not a natural engine sound.
 
Did you folks with the whining sound to a test drive on the exact vehicle that you purchased? Did you notice it during the test drive? I’m just wondering because I’m getting ready to purchase one and wondering what to look out for. I’m also wondering if the whining sound is on all bikes of that year or just certain ones.
 
ollicat said:
Did you folks with the whining sound to a test drive on the exact vehicle that you purchased? Did you notice it during the test drive? I’m just wondering because I’m getting ready to purchase one and wondering what to look out for. I’m also wondering if the whining sound is on all bikes of that year or just certain ones.
Click to expand...

No it is not all of them, I took a ride on 2 other new RT's 1 did it and 1 did not.
Most that are doing it seem to be the same. Close to 50 mph if the whine is there you WILL hear it on the left
Front side sitting on the machine in 5th gear. Mine has gotten worse over the 12k miles
Now doing it in 6 also. If it is there, you WILL hear it. 5th gear at 50 mph just stay there and if it's there, you will hear it.
 
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