• 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.

Another newbie with questions

Yemaya

Yemaya

New member
I've been a longtime lurker, and I finally bought a 2011 RT Limited last Thursday. :yes: I have been riding it every day. I came from a two wheel background, but I sold my motorcycle last winter because I just knew I wanted to buy a Spyder. In order to make the decision on which one to purchase I took the Apex Spyder training class a few weeks ago. It was so much fun, they covered everything on the Spyder. I had the opportunity to ride a manual RSS, a manual RT, a semiautomatic RT, and I sat on an ST. It was like a three day test ride. Once I did practice maneuvers on the semiautomatic RT, I knew this was the bike for me. Coleman Powersports supplies the Spyders for Apex's training classes, and when I went to the dealership, there it was....the very Spyder I'd trained on. I knew I had to have it, it rode really well, and being a Limited, it had everything on it. A couple of hours later I was out the door and headed home in the dark cold, but I didn't care.

The next day I was running errands on my Spyder, and when I tried to start it up, it wouldn't start. I had to call my husband out to jump the battery. He discovered it was at less than 20%, so when I got home! I left it on the trickle charger overnight. The next morning, we went out riding (hubby has an HD Road Glide), and when we got home after an hour of riding, the battery was way down again. We went back to Coleman Powersports to see if the battery had jus gotten old and needed to be changed. After they took it apart, they thought the culprit was the aftermarket Gorilla alarm system the previous owner had installed. They would like to take it apart and remove the alarm system. My husband had them install a brand new battery instead, and we are supposed to go back to get the alarm removed on Tuesday.

Since I've gotten the new battery, I haven't had any problems at all with start ups. I haven't used the alarm with the new battery though. But with the old battery, it wasn't staying charged for long at all.

Do you all think my problems stemmed from the old battery, or do I need to get this aftermarket alarm system removed?
 
Congrats on the new ride.

I would guess that the battery was the problem. I have the Gorilla on mine with no issues.
 
.:agree:.......probably the battery but keed an eye on it for a few days. :welcome: and :congrats: on your new-to-you :spyder:.
 
Thank you all. I will try using the alarm system this week and see how the new battery holds up. I'm glad to hear others have the Gorilla system with no issues.

Thanks for the warm welcomes!
 
Nice bike,just like my wife's!

My wife's 2011 still has the original battery and no alarm.No battery tender hooked up yet.
Batteries can last a long time or short time.

The dealer could have tested the battery to confirm.
 
Last edited:
Welcome..!!

glad you moved from lurker to poster for it's the only way to go...congrats on a great looking ryde your gonna love it and enjoy it more every day. Does sound like the battery and hopefully they checked the charging system as well. They should have been able to see the load the alarm system was drawing and tell if it was defective. To have or not to have an alarm has a bunch of threads...be safe..!! :thumbup:
 
:welcome: and :congrats: I think the alarm is sucking all the battery juice but give it a try. I may just be an old battery. My buddy have 2011 and stated that he had the battery issue. Have your dealer check the charging system if its on par. Good luck and ride safe.
 
Yemaya said:
Do you all think my problems stemmed from the old battery, or do I need to get this aftermarket alarm system removed?
Click to expand...

Since it's some 2 years old and may have sat alot (ie. not being run for long intervals) it's very likely that the battery had simply died... batteries will self-discharge over a month or so, then once low the battery starts to deteriorate internally and dies. The alarm system though a slight drain shouldn't be able to discharge a good battery between rides. If you're going to let it set for more than a week or two between rides (such as over the winter months!) then get a Battery Tender Jr and put on it to maintain the battery! They're cheap, like $23 including shipping on Ebay right now (I keep one each on my SeaDoo and my jet boat over the winter months to maintain their batteries).

Congrats on getting the EXACT Spyder you wanted... sounds like love at 1st ride to me! ;)

- Michael
 
Congratulations...

Congrats on being a new Spyder Owner!!!

Seems to me that the dealer could've done a load test on the battery to determine if it's faulty. i'd definitely set/use the alarm sometime soon to determine if the alarm is the culprit...no sense in taking the Spyder apart (even if minimally) to check the alarm hookup if it can be avoided. If it were me, i'd engage the alarm overnight, then check the battery load in the morning and see if it has discharged any. If not, it was the battery.

Here is to many years of happy Spyder Ryding:trike:
 
Thanks for all of the tips, you all know more than the dealers do about these bikes. My dealership suggested testing the charging system, but it would have required us to leave the bike there from last Saturday until Tuesday and I wasn't ready to part with it so soon after getting it. We have turned the alarm on while it has sat all day, so I'm going to see how the new battery has held its charge. We have a couple of chargers, so I will have to get used to charging it overnight. I didn't realize the RT's were using so much power, even when off. But there is a lot going on with the RT.

I'm not too upset about the battery issue, because that happens especially when you buy a used vehicle. We will hopefully get my issues narrowed down to either the battery or the alarm system this week. I wasn't feeling spending money to get the alarm removed if that truly wasn't the problem. I almost let them take it out too.

Again, thank you all for the advice!
 
:welcome: and :congrats: on your new ryde. It does sound like battery issues and that you are on the way to solving them. We just turned 10,000 miles on our 2011 (purchased new in 2012) and really like that machine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

dlwilliams48
Battery drained after 3 & 1/2 weeks standing, cranking slow, and throwing VSS Error - is this normal? Any help appreciated...
2
Replies
22
Views
843
dlwilliams48
dlwilliams48
P
Curious if others have had battery issues with newer OEM Batteries?
Replies
12
Views
792
LongIsland
LongIsland
S
2011 RSS - DPS buzzing when battery is connected. Anyone else? Any ideas on fix?
Replies
4
Views
186
Peter Aawen
Peter Aawen
V
My Problem Free time with the RT is over!
Replies
18
Views
2K
vito1943
V
Rogue Hawk
Any suggestions on a good riding camera - need one, after a road rage incident!
Replies
8
Views
405
Albec
Albec
Back
Top