Anyone else got Poor brakes on their Spyder? Any fixes?

[Navydad]

Just some thoughts about BRAKING performance ...... Spyders have a large advantage over TWO wheel MTC's .... the amount of rubber in contact with the road surface is IMHO the deciding factor. .... The rear tire alone has more contact than Both tires on a two wheel machine. All Spyders have ABS and most two wheelers don't ( I could be wrong on that ). .... If the Spyder tires are properly inflated using veh. weight as the determining factor ( for Auto tires ) then I don't think a two wheeler can stop quicker .....Mike :thumbup:

Pretty hard to buy a two wheeler without ABS and traction control these days. Pretty much been standard equipment for several years now. There are a few exceptions, but that number is shrinking quickly. Any of my current two wheelers can stop shorter than my 15 RT, but as I said most of my years of riding has been on sport style machines. A lot depends on what type of machine you are used to and the skill of the rider. Fella gets a new two wheeler and starts practicing wheelies. I always got a new one and started practicing stopping.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Pretty hard to buy a two wheeler without ABS and traction control these days. Pretty much been standard equipment for several years now. There are a few exceptions, but that number is shrinking quickly. Any of my current two wheelers can stop shorter than my 15 RT, but as I said most of my years of riding has been on sport style machines. A lot depends on what type of machine you are used to and the skill of the rider. Fella gets a new two wheeler and starts practicing wheelies. I always got a new one and started practicing stopping.

Well my TWO wheeler days are long behind :clap: ..... I'll see what I can find about TWO wheel braking distances & see what is said about the Spyders .....Mike :thumbup:

 

[racoon]

How about just driving with a lighter touch on the grips.

It's not like it goes faster when you strangle the grips. :2thumbs:

 

[Bunson]

It's not the grip. It's the momentum of your upper body being slung forward.

 

[PMK]

I have had numerous 2-wheelers and now my first Can-Am, which is a 2023 Spyder RT. I am disappointed in the feel and stopping power of the brakes, compared to my motorcycles. Does anyone else experience this, and is there a good fix for it?

If the brake pedal is firm, without a soft feel, and the brakes are not acceptable, your 23 is probably still under warranty. Get a qualified shop or another Spyder owner you trust to evaluate and ensure they are acceptable.

Brakes are a definite safety item. Be sure they work correctly.

 

[PMK]

I agree that flat out stopping power of the brakes is very good at a minimum. My problem is me. I find it difficult to not induce some input to the handlebars on one side or the other which causes the bike to dart. The steering is rather quick and keeping a balanced grip on the bars under hard braking is difficult. I know it's me because if I take my hands off the bars first she stops straight. I thought of just raising my hands and covering my eyes might to the trick but that idea didn't go well with the wife.

Mr Bunson, the shimmy or darting you experience most often is on account of insufficient front wheel toe in. Under braking, the front suspension compresses. This induces toe out of the front wheels, and with that what you described.

If your Spyder has been aligned, or has not been aligned, consider a proper wheel alignment. If you have had it aligned already, revisit the tech that accomplished the task, explaining your concerns.

For comparison, our Spyder under normal braking can be a hands off the bars event. Under hard braking, the front does shimmy a moment, then as the front raises, awesome stability is restored. I do my own alignments and run minimum toe in, since 99.9999% of a ride is not hard braking.