Auto Clutch Damage

[Dudley]

OK, I have been thinking of saying this for some time, so here goes. Scotty is right...he, Lamont, myself and many others have posted about riding the Spyder with the trans in the wrong gear (like 5th gear doing 30 mph) and claiming that the Spyder runs just fine. But, like it was posted, it's your ride, so when the trans or whole engine goes belly up, don't complain about how trashy the Spyder is.
A person spends over $20,000 for a Spyder then complains about how much gas it uses, how fast the rear tire wears out, and the cost of the up keep, etc. If you can't afford the tires or the gas or the up keep, why did you buy the Spyder? Like anything else we own, we have to budget our Spyder needs. Complaining about it won't change the fact that the Spyder is what it is.

 

[retread]

One more thing about short shifting and low revs...I read an article recently about a service manager working on a Triumph Thunderbird, it was making a clanking noise when running. Pulled the engine, pulled the head, carbon built up on the pistons to the point the valves were contacting it, caused by not blowing the cobwebs out. Tractors can run slow, what we ryde can't.

john

 

[BajaRon]

You have to operate the machine as designed or you're not going to be happy with the results.

For example, I used to ride a fast street bike on my days off and drive a fire engine at work. I rode the street bike hard with the throttle wide open all the time, but with my fire engine.... Oh, wait.... Not a good analogy! Sorry, forget what I said....

 

[Grandpa Spyder]

You have to operate the machine as designed or you're not going to be happy with the results.

For example, I used to ride a fast street bike on my days off and drive a fire engine at work. I rode the street bike hard with the throttle wide open all the time, but with my fire engine.... Oh, wait.... Not a good analogy! Sorry, forget what I said....

Thats right I was a fireman for 34 years and beleive me he drove the fire engine the same way he did the MC.

 

[BajaRon]

Thats right I was a fireman for 34 years and beleive me he drove the fire engine the same way he did the MC.

Hey now! Public safety and the safety of my crew always came first!

Ok, well, it was right up there near the top....

Hmmm.... I am sure it was somewhere on the list... now, where is that list...

 

[ARCTIC]

Good info :thumbsup: that I was not aware of. These fawkers are way more fun in that 7-9,000 range anywayhyea:

 

[Tonga]

Anyone running 3000 rpms must drive Buicks. I own a Miata and never go below 4000 rpms. I find 5000 to be the sweet spot!

 

[boborgera]

Request print from Service.
:doorag:

That print out was that on your first second or third engine?:dontknow:

 

[docdoru]

That print out was that on your first second or third engine?:dontknow:

First, no Turbo. :doorag:

 

[boborgera]

First, no Turbo. :doorag:

:thumbup:

 

[78OldRide]

RPM

Being fairly new to the spyder I have a RTS SE5 I have learned to keep the rpm up.
I have noticed if I shift to soon I get a little lag time then a jump when it shifts. So I really try to keep the rpm up.
Only real Issue if you have a long ride to work is keeping the speed down.
Gary:shocked:

 

[CD8TR]

Most of you know but its worth repeating. We are seeing (via diagnostic reports on our customer units) many Spyders that are being riden below 3000rpms during cruise. This is BAD,BAD and BAD. It can result in complete failure and destruction of the clutch. Critical with the auto clutch that cruise is above 3000rpms to prevent the clutch from sliping which results in heavy wear,heavy heat and failure. We just had one in where the friction plates expolded and it was a mess. After B.U.D.S diag on the machine we found it was run below 3000rpms nearly 50% of the time. NOT GOOD! We are starting to see this of late thus I thought I would send out a little note for those that may not know.


Jeff

So as an outsider who is wanting to purchase a RT LTD, if the 3000 mark is such a bug deal for the SE clutch, why doesn't it just downshift to a lower gear automatically.....? Thank you.

 

[Bob Denman]

Anyone running 3000 rpms must drive Buicks. I own a Miata and never go below 4000 rpms. I find 5000 to be the sweet spot!

We drive a MINI actually... :roflblack: And it's almost as much fun as the RT! :thumbup:

 

[Jimmy Neutron]

thanks

Most of you know but its worth repeating. We are seeing (via diagnostic reports on our customer units) many Spyders that are being riden below 3000rpms during cruise. This is BAD,BAD and BAD. It can result in complete failure and destruction of the clutch. Critical with the auto clutch that cruise is above 3000rpms to prevent the clutch from sliping which results in heavy wear,heavy heat and failure. We just had one in where the friction plates expolded and it was a mess. After B.U.D.S diag on the machine we found it was run below 3000rpms nearly 50% of the time. NOT GOOD! We are starting to see this of late thus I thought I would send out a little note for those that may not know.


Jeff

Thanks I did not know this and drive mine alot at low rpms.. I only have 500 miles so hopefully I didnt do any damage yet,, New rule 3500 or bust

 

[NancysToy]

Thanks I did not know this and drive mine alot at low rpms.. I only have 500 miles so hopefully I didnt do any damage yet,, New rule 3500 or bust

Remember, it's not where you shift that means as much as where the rpms end up after you have shifted. That is the place you should be a 3,500 or better.

 

[Bob Denman]

tapping the paddles at 3900rpm seems to be keeping the revs up where they need to be...:thumbup:

 

[bmwlarry]

Now here is my question. I spent quite a bit of time in slow traffic. I noticed I stayed below 2500 RPM all the time in first gear with the SE5. How does this affect the clutch and what can you do in a situation like this if you can never get to 3000+ RPM?

 

[Bob Denman]

low and slow traffic isn't putting enough of a load on it for the issue to pop up... :thumbup:

 

[Autotechmark]

Well I guess gas mileage will have to take a back seat. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[zbunker]

5th gear doing 30 mph

OK, I have been thinking of saying this for some time, so here goes. Scotty is right...he, Lamont, myself and many others have posted about riding the Spyder with the trans in the wrong gear (like 5th gear doing 30 mph) and claiming that the Spyder runs just fine. But, like it was posted, it's your ride, so when the trans or whole engine goes belly up, don't complain about how trashy the Spyder is.
A person spends over $20,000 for a Spyder then complains about how much gas it uses, how fast the rear tire wears out, and the cost of the up keep, etc. If you can't afford the tires or the gas or the up keep, why did you buy the Spyder? Like anything else we own, we have to budget our Spyder needs. Complaining about it won't change the fact that the Spyder is what it is.

My spyder is a 2012 ES5. It is the first bike, er trike, er Spyder I have ever driven. The machine will not let me shift below 3K, and if in 5th gear when slowing down to (to a light let's say) within the 35MPH range, will automatically down shift to 4th gear. with the throttle closed will continue to downshift to almost a stop without braking.
But I will say that I used to up shift at around 3K, and the motor seemed to 'like' it.(smooth transitions between shifts) I took a fellow member's advice (Sorry, I forget who,) I started to shift in the 4 to 5 grand range and the machine seems to perform much better. I do not do much highway riding, so I don't always get into into 5th gear around the streets. But when I do, I try to keep it above 3 grand.