Disappointment

[boborgera]

With all due respect to the new tech that posted, I don't believe for a minute that the end-user cannot replace the plugs. Perhaps they are just unaware that most of us out here are very handy....:thumbup:

I just change my [two] plugs and the Y gaskets my self, finish about an hour ago. I've change more plugs in MY life time than Carter has little pills.
The average owner will be hard pressed to do it them self, and it's not going to be done on the side of the road!! Removing the plastic is the easy part, Removing the air box that's a pain in the :cus: Then it's all got to go back with out extra screws laying around. And your going need a good set of tools, Tools that have Fisher Price stamp on the side won't cut it.

 

[NancysToy]

I just change my [two] plugs and the Y gaskets my self, finish about an hour ago. I've change more plugs in MY life time than Carter has little pills.
The average owner will be hard pressed to do it them self, and it's not going to be done on the side of the road!! Removing the plastic is the easy part, Removing the air box that's a pain in the :cus: Then it's all got to go back with out extra screws laying around. And your going need a good set of tools, Tools that have Fisher Price stamp on the side won't cut it.

:agree: .....but does that mean we are above or below average? :roflblack:

 

[boborgera]

:agree: .....but does that mean we are above or below average? :roflblack:

Right on the Curve = Plus or Minus hyea:

 

[Questions]

When the Rt was announced I started looking at them, nand even got the financing in place.....I'm still approved for the $38,000.00 that they were asking for the RT-S and the trailer complete.....but after stepping back and thinking about the problems that I had, had with my RS and haden't gotten them taken care of.... I just figured if they couldnt repair a $18,000 SPYDER then they wouldn't be able to repair a $38,000 SPYDER... that would make me more angry to get it twice as bad the second time around....

Now let me say this....I DO LOVE MY SPYDER!!! and I wouldnt trade it for anything else thats out there...Buy, the way BRP and the servicing locations have screwed around with NO QUALITY CONTROLL and not wanting to fix the things that are wrong.... I will hold into my letter from my Credit Union that says I'm approved for the money until they can repair my RS...its comming up on two years in October....At least I did get it over to the guys at West Coast Power Sports and they took care of most of the problems that I was having...at the time...GREAT WORK GUYS!!!!

One question is the plug fouling problem common to the RS ROTAX 990 ALSO?

I hope you all get your problems taken care of..and in a flash!

 

[BRPjunkie]

I don't recall plug fouling issues with the GS 990 Rotax. While the two engines are almost identical, they do have different compression, different throttle bodies and different octane requirements. I don't know if the spark plugs are the same.

 

[boborgera]

Should the owner turn the other cheek ?!? :lecturef_smilie:

Only if he's on a free ride.

 

[Mad Matt]

Just so we don't dwell on the negative here...the only issue I am really having is the wallowing handling. One reason the handling is so mushy is because the suspension is so soft. The RT is the most comfortable riding bike or trike I have ever ridden. So the handling is at least in part the price we are paying for the soft ride.

Other than a loose hose clamp on a radiator hose that was dripping some coolant (which the dealer fixed) , I just brought mine in for the 600 mile service and have not had any other issues.

So far I think it's a great machine.

Mad Matt

 

[Dudley]

HELLO SPYDER LOVERS I AM A TECHNICIAN TRAINED BY THE FACTORY TO SERVICE THESE VEHICLES AND A LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT U ARE HAVING ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY COMMON ISSUES. SPARK PLUGS FOULING ARE VERY COMMON AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS YOURSELF SO I DONT SEE WHY YOU WOULD CARRY NEW PLUGS. I CAN PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE ALSO THAT WHEN U HAD YOUR PLUGS CHANGED THAT THEY ONLY DID 1 SIDE THAT IS PROBABLY WHY YOU CONTINUED TO EXPIERIENCE THE PROBLEM. EVERY SPYDER I HAVE EVER CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS ON IMMEDIATELY RIDE BETTER AND DO NOT CONTINUE TO HAVE STARTING ISSUES. AS FAR AS YOUR STEERING IS CONCERNED THAT IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM IF YOU ARE EXPIERIENCING THE UNIT PULLING OR WANDERING BY ITSELF THEN U ARE PROBABLY NEEDING A NEW DPS UNIT. I HAVE REALLY GOTTEN A LOT OF MIXED REVIEWS ON THE SPYDERS AND WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET A GOOD REVIEW OF THESE THINGS OUT THERE SO THAT EVERYONE CAN BE HAPPY AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW.

Take a deep breath and then let it go. Scotty probably has more mechanical experience than you will ever dream of and if you read his post correctly, the plug fouled on the FIRST ride. That is unacceptable. And, he can probably change both plugs faster than you can change ONE. If a unit that sells for $26,000 needs ANYTHING done to it before 25,000 miles, then the factory people better get a grip on it and get off their stuffed chairs and get to work. And, btw, any reason for your CAPS? Are you trying to impress us with your knowledge by using the CAPS? I am blasting you because you have posted without cause or knowledge and demeaned one of my good friends.

 

[bodymanpainter]

Just so we don't dwell on the negative here...the only issue I am really having is the wallowing handling. One reason the handling is so mushy is because the suspension is so soft. The RT is the most comfortable riding bike or trike I have ever ridden. So the handling is at least in part the price we are paying for the soft ride.

Other than a loose hose clamp on a radiator hose that was dripping some coolant (which the dealer fixed) , I just brought mine in for the 600 mile service and have not had any other issues.

So far I think it's a great machine.

Mad Matt

:agree:Love mine and haven't had any issues with it and have almost 2000 mi. on it. I ride it daily to and from work. Sorry to here about all the problems hope they are taken care of.:spyder:

 

[SPIIDR]

I too noticed the Spyder going all over the joint whilst i was ridind in windy conditions and corners. i have had the dealer set the suspenssion (front) to setting 5 and it has made a heap of difference. Most of the time it is 2 of us on the bike but when i am solo it is still a big improvement. Having owned an RS myself the Rt did get a while to get used too but have over come the fear factor. hope you can solve your issues and if you find and aftermarket product that will hepl please let me know.

 

[effgjamis]

Just a question..

Why would one need a aftermarket componet to resolve handling and/or steering issue which is not a DPS problem?

 

[NancysToy]

Just a question..

Why would one need a aftermarket componet to resolve handling and/or steering issue which is not a DPS problem?

Sometimes it is the only anwer to overcome design shortcomings. As was said, the RT suspension is soft to enhance the ride, like a Cadillac. Unfortunately handling has suffered excessively, and most owners have been forced to raise the suspension pre-load to the max provided, two steps above the recommended for me. That leaves no room for further adjustment. Only the aftermarket can provide a more adjustable shock at this time. Sad, but it is the reality.

 

[effgjamis]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

But do you think just by changing shocks and adding a sway bar will resolve the handling issue?

Thanks..

 

[docdoru]

Sometimes it is the only anwer to overcome design shortcomings. As was said, the RT suspension is soft to enhance the ride, like a Cadillac. Unfortunately handling has suffered excessively, and most owners have been forced to raise the suspension pre-load to the max provided, two steps above the recommended for me. That leaves no room for further adjustment. Only the aftermarket can provide a more adjustable shock at this time. Sad, but it is the reality.

Going to max on the suspension pre-load and increasing tire pressure is going to hurt in time the bearings, hub and bushels. See previous GS/RS experience.

 

[Lamonster]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad case of buyers remorse Bro. I've tried to honest and point out the short comings of the RT along with the good points.

Paint runs, bubbles, and abundant orange peel
I do not have any runs or bubbles in my paint. I do have orange peel but it can only be seen in certain light at certain angles. I don't have a problem with that seeing just about every new car has the same thing. I can see you not being happy with it and the runs and bubbles sounds like you had some bad prep on the paint for sure. They should replace those parts.

I find that the fit and finish is much better than the RS. The panels fit better and they have done a great job at concealing the fasteners.

Then there is the gauge light that repeatedly refuses to work. Of course the gas gauge bounces half the scale, buries itself at the bottom before the low fuel warning comes on
This is a no brainer, they need to replace your gauge and/or your sending unit. That's a bummer but those that have had this problem have had it fixed under warranty.

Even the PE number embroidery is not up to snuff, with uneven stitching that makes the "#0150" appear to say "#0450"
I'm not sure what you can do about and I'm sure if you didn't have these other issues you wouldn't be focused on this at all.

The Spyder ate a spark plug the very first day. It continues to do so. Hard starting, plug fouling, misfiring at highway speeds...and a response from the tech to "never start it unless you are going to ride it"
I have no idea why you and others seem to be fouling plugs on the RT but it does have something to do with starting it and not riding it. This needs to be reported to BRP so they can look into this.

The last straw has been the hideous handling.
My very first post about the RT and several after that has been about the front suspension being too soft. Cranking it up all the way makes a big difference and putting Elka's on pretty much solved the problem for me.

I will say that the RT does not cut the wind like the RS and it is more prone to getting blown around than the RS. I found that I am not as relaxed in heavy wind as I was on my RS. I am over 4000 miles into this trip right now and I've been in some really bad wind coming across OK, TX, NM, and AZ. I'm towing a trailer so I'm sure that changes the effect somewhat but it is what it is and I just have to deal with it.

I read this post before I took off yesterday and really paid attention to the handling. I was able to pass semi's with one hand at 80 mph with out too much problem. I just have to relax even more so than I do on the RS. For the most part it handles fine with the new shocks for me but it would have been nice if they gave us more adjustment with the stock shocks rather than having to max them out to start with.

I hope you can work through these things with your dealer but I wouldn't hesitate to give Carlo a call and let him know about your concerns.

 

[scudrunner]

As you can see on the left, I am new to this board and Spyder world. Our RT-S NOW (after last night's ride) has 150 miles on it.
I will say that I'm impressed with the members on this board who are for the most part extremely civil. Just an observation, I hope we don't run off the young tech who posted his first message. He sounds young, energetic and will be a valuable asset.
I can empathize with Scotty's problems having been a first year production vehicle owner in the past. Sometimes, we ARE the beta testers. But if the manufacturer has any sense, they will use those instances as learning opportunities.
My observations on our RT-S (just from hearsay mind you, I don't have my motorcycle endorsement yet, so I can't sit in the pilot's seat! ). I've noticed the "wobble", "wandering", "track hunting" or what ever you want to call it and find it to be slightly alarming, especially when it starts to oscillate or wiggle. It appears to be the Spyder version of the Dutch Roll found on swept wing airplanes. I have not had a chance to attempt to dampen the wiggle, but I'm hoping that by stiffening the front end and adding a little air to the tires, it will decrease to the point of acceptability. Some one said it may be related to sidewall flex. By adding pressure to the front tires, that should stiffen the sidewalls a little.
Thanks to all, the research has been immensely valuable. What did we do before internet? It was called the library and Google was the Dewey Decimal System. If you found the one book that had references to your problem, you were ecstatic!

p.s. does anyone know the average age of the RT-S owner? Seems to me from the pictures, we are an older lot. Well, I am anyway. Nice to have the fresh voice of ROTXMECH on here.

 

[boborgera]

ROTXMECH [/B]on here.

95 Going on 25 :yes::yes::yes:

 

[nonseven]

I find all this disheartening. Based on this new input, I'm putting the purchase of the RT-S I was looking at on hold. I can't see spending $26k on a crap-shoot.

Maybe I'll just buy that Harley V-Rod I had my eye on.

 

[SC_DOC]

After reading the above posts, I guess I should consider myself lucky that my problems, while very frustrating and time consuming, have been relatively minor. I had a series of fault lights throwing the bike into limp mode and spent 3 hours at the dealer while service tried to figure out what caused it. They could not find anything wrong, so I left. The next day I got a DPS fault that put into limp mode, but this time I cleared it by stopping, killing engine, removing key, and restarting. Again back to the dealer for 4 hours while they talked to BRP, tested pressure sensors, brake light switch, etc. , test drove for 25 miles, not finding or reproducing the problem. I go in tomorrow for the 600 mile service and hope I don't encounter anything else. This seems to be some sort of virtual problem, rather than a real one cause by some electronic glitch, because when I got the DPS fault and limp mode, the steering was fine. No drift, no stiffness, etc.

If anyone has any ideas that I could pass on to the dealer, jump right in.

 

[grumpybob]

p.s. does anyone know the average age of the RT-S owner? Seems to me from the pictures, we are an older lot. Well, I am anyway.

Old enough to remember and driven a Ford Edsel- one time.:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack: