Front Sprocket Failure

[007james]

Yes, they will need to first gain access then remove the entire engine / gearbox assembly. Once on the bench, the cases need to be split to allow replacing the gearbox shaft.

WOW! That Spyder is going to be down and out of service for unknown months. Plus, the Dealer’s Certified Tech will need to be real experienced in splitting cases and doing such repairs. If its under Waurentee, too bad the engine couldn’t be shipped back to the factory for repair. I sure hope my shaft splines in my 2016 RT were not worn and twisted. But how would I ever know? If they were twisted on the ends only, they could have been filed down just enough so the new Sprocker loaded with gobs of Locktite could slide on, then the new Bolt with Locktite screwed in and torked. If that was done, I’d never know the difference, unless it failed later, at another 10 to 20 thousand miles after the Factory Waurentee expires. The wining noise on deceleration was gone. If it was done that way, it probably was a better way to go than splitting the cases and repacing the shaft .

 

[fantabstic]

Front Sprocket failure.

WOW! That Spyder is going to be down and out of service for unknown months. Plus, the Dealer’s Certified Tech will need to be real experienced in splitting cases and doing such repairs. If its under Waurentee, too bad the engine couldn’t be shipped back to the factory for repair. I sure hope my shaft splines in my 2016 RT were not worn and twisted. But how would I ever know? If they were twisted on the ends only, they could have been filed down just enough so the new Sprocker loaded with gobs of Locktite could slide on, then the new Bolt with Locktite screwed in and torked. If that was done, I’d never know the difference, unless it failed later, at another 10 to 20 thousand miles after the Factory Waurentee expires. The wining noise on declaration was gone. If it was done that way, it probably was a better way to go than splitting the cases and repacing the shaft .

As a matter of fact, that is what the senior tech from BRP suggested to the dealer! Either way I lose on this deal. I have 2 year left on the warranty and hope for the best. I will talk to the dealer next week as they have to order the sprocket and put it on. They will not be splitting the case I guess. I hope the shaft is in OK shape. All is covered under warantee up to now.

 

[Road-Kill]

On Friday my front sprocket ground out and left me dead on the side of the road requiring BRP to send a tow.
I had the first front sprocket replaced at 18,000 miles.
It was "red dusted" but was found in time and replaced under warranty.
This second front sprocket was never "red dusted" and just grinded to smithereens at 13,000 miles.
Apparently checking it every so often proved pointless.
Had this occurred on a shoulder-less portion of a highway it would have resulted in a tragic accident.
If I get another sprocket failure I'm filing a complaint with the Attorney General under lemon law. (three strikes your out)
I wonder how many people have been injured from this faulty product.
My thoughts.

 

[Sarge707]

On Friday my front sprocket ground out and left me dead on the side of the road requiring BRP to send a tow.
I had the first front sprocket replaced at 18,000 miles.
It was "red dusted" but was found in time and replaced under warranty.
This second front sprocket was never "red dusted" and just grinded to smithereens at 13,000 miles.
Apparently checking it every so often proved pointless.
Had this occurred on a shoulder-less portion of a highway it would have resulted in a tragic accident.
If I get another sprocket failure I'm filing a complaint with the Attorney General under lemon law. (three strikes your out)
I wonder how many people have been injured from this faulty product.
My thoughts.

I remember when you first had it replaced they said it really wasn't bad and didn't need replacing? I asked if they showed you the worn sprocket and they did not? Knowing some dealers they may have just told you they replaced it and sent you on your way- Now 13,000 miles later it Just Disintegrates from wear? I hope I'm wrong But it reminds me of dealers who say they checked valves and charge people $800 and they did nothing.

 

[larryd]

My Rant

This is just another manufactured in defect from BRP...They had a major DPS recall with the GS models and they still have some problems today, 10 years after the first problem...Then they manufactured in the DESS problem and just waited for the machines to get out of warranty so we can pay for this mistake...Also the windshield adjusting bracket breaking...Fuel pumps that sound like jet engines...Air ride Air Compressors that fail by the hundreds...Machines leaving the factory so badly aligned that they twitch and dive all over the road...Plus many more...

I've owned motorcycles for 60 years, all have had front sprockets and the ONLY problem I ever seen was the teeth wearing off from the chain...

Yes I LOVE my 2014 RTS when its working correctly...This machine has kept me riding well into my seventies...But YOU would think that after being in the Spyder business for 10 plus years these thing would be getting more refined and bullet proof...What ever happened to QUALITY CONTROL and PRIDE in WORKMANSHIP???

larryd

 

[SpyderAnn01]

You really should fike a complaint with the NHTSA. If everyone who has a failure reports it they will have to address it with a recall.

 

[Road-Kill]

I remember when you first had it replaced they said it really wasn't bad and didn't need replacing? I asked if they showed you the worn sprocket and they did not? Knowing some dealers they may have just told you they replaced it and sent you on your way- Now 13,000 miles later it Just Disintegrates from wear? I hope I'm wrong But it reminds me of dealers who say they checked valves and charge people $800 and they did nothing.

No they never showed me the worn part.
It was faith in my dealership that had me thinking it was problem solved with an "upgraded" new sprocket.

This is just another manufactured in defect from BRP...They had a major DPS recall with the GS models and they still have some problems today, 10 years after the first problem...Then they manufactured in the DESS problem and just waited for the machines to get out of warranty so we can pay for this mistake...Also the windshield adjusting bracket breaking...Fuel pumps that sound like jet engines...Air ride Air Compressors that fail by the hundreds...Machines leaving the factory so badly aligned that they twitch and dive all over the road...Plus many more...

I've owned motorcycles for 60 years, all have had front sprockets and the ONLY problem I ever seen was the teeth wearing off from the chain...

Yes I LOVE my 2014 RTS when its working correctly...This machine has kept me riding well into my seventies...But YOU would think that after being in the Spyder business for 10 plus years these thing would be getting more refined and bullet proof...What ever happened to QUALITY CONTROL and PRIDE in WORKMANSHIP???

larryd

You really should fike a complaint with the NHTSA. If everyone who has a failure reports it they will have to address it with a recall.

I'm waiting till this turns into a third failed (hopefully not) sprocket as I can seek restitution through the AG under lemon law.
At that time I'll also file under the NHTSA for good measure.
Then I'll sell my ride and like my Harley sh*tbox ….never look back.
My biggest gripe is the safety issue.
Had I have been on a shoulder-less highway with car/trucks behind me doing 60-70 MPH I would have become a statistic.
The epic failure was so sudden and unannounced it gave me 2 seconds.....then it was dead.

 

[007james]

No they never showed me the worn part.
It was faith in my dealership that had me thinking it was problem solved with an "upgraded" new sprocket.



I'm waiting till this turns into a third failed (hopefully not) sprocket as I can seek restitution through the AG under lemon law.
At that time I'll also file under the NHTSA for good measure.
Then I'll sell my ride and like my Harley sh*tbox ….never look back.
My biggest gripe is the safety issue.
Had I have been on a shoulder-less highway with car/trucks behind me doing 60-70 MPH I would have become a statistic.
The epic failure was so sudden and unannounced it gave me 2 seconds.....then it was dead.

Most Spyder buyers do not log 20,000 miles within the 2 year Factory Waurentee time, so they won’t see the Sprocket failure until the Waurentee expires. Plus, those owners rarely buy the BEST extented Waurentee because they are not high mileage riders. So BRP not having a Recall to replace Sprockets is cheaper for them to continue replacing only those failures under the two year factory waurentee. But if fatalities start happening due to Sproket failure and accidents, then Class Actions Suits might be much more expensive than recalling the Spyders manufactured with the defective Sprockets. I hope I get more than 13,000 miles out of my replaced Sprocket done at 21,500 miles. I have a year left on my Factory Waurentee, and don’t expect to log much over 10,000 miles, next year since I now have a Harley also. So I will have to buy the BEST extension Waurentee for sure. Also, I notice a noisier sound coming from that front Sprocket area than usual, so I am not confident that every thing is as when I drove it out of the Show Room. Time will tell, as it always does. Meanwhile, we will,surely comtinue to be hearing about new Sprocket failures as each Spyder approaches the 20,000 mile mark.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

No they never showed me the worn part.
It was faith in my dealership that had me thinking it was problem solved with an "upgraded" new sprocket.



I'm waiting till this turns into a third failed (hopefully not) sprocket as I can seek restitution through the AG under lemon law.
At that time I'll also file under the NHTSA for good measure.
Then I'll sell my ride and like my Harley sh*tbox ….never look back.
My biggest gripe is the safety issue.
Had I have been on a shoulder-less highway with car/trucks behind me doing 60-70 MPH I would have become a statistic.
The epic failure was so sudden and unannounced it gave me 2 seconds.....then it was dead.

Waiting to file a complaint helps no one. As you said it is a safety concern and should be reported .

 

[Road-Kill]

almost two weeks down but she is back in the garage

I just arrive home with my F3s.
My tech told me BRP told him install my new front sprocket with Locktite 660.
The below copy/paste is from the Locktite website so don't beat me up on the misspelling.

http://www.loctite.sg/sea/content_data/93755_Loctite_660_Quick_Metal_Retaining_Compound.pdf

LOCTITE® 660 is designed for the bonding of cylindrical fitting parts, particularly where bond gaps can approach 0.50 mm (0.02 in.). The product cures when confined in the absence of air between close fitting metal surfaces and prevents loosening and leakage from shock and vibration. This product possesses excellent gap cure characteristics. Typical applications include restoring correct fits on worn shafts, spun beraings, and damaged keyways.

 

[Sarge707]

I took my bolt off at 9,800 and now I have 14,000 so I'm gonna buy a new $10 Bolt and check it again and will post pictures when I do it. You don't have to loosen anything to change the Bolt Except take the bolt off- Look- Put new bolt back on to torque specs. Hopefully I will sell or trade for the Ryker before Spring so it won't matter then?

 

[007james]

I took my bolt off at 9,800 and now I have 14,000 so I'm gonna buy a new $10 Bolt and check it again and will post pictures when I do it. You don't have to loosen anything to change the Bolt Except take the bolt off- Look- Put new bolt back on to torque specs. Hopefully I will sell or trade for the Ryker before Spring so it won't matter then?

BRP is discounting the 2018 RT Limited at $5500 Discount presently on Internet Ads! It will be interesting to see what the Year old Rykers in Show Rooms will be discounted for, and if they follow the 20% per year and more, depreciation as the RTs have done, the $8500 Rykers will kill the used RT and F3 Market. It will be tough for us RT Owners to ever be able to recover our Investments, if we decide to sell.

 

[Freddy]

I just arrive home with my F3s.
My tech told me BRP told him install my new front sprocket with Locktite 660.
The below copy/paste is from the Locktite website so don't beat me up on the misspelling.

http://www.loctite.sg/sea/content_data/93755_Loctite_660_Quick_Metal_Retaining_Compound.pdf

LOCTITE® 660 is designed for the bonding of cylindrical fitting parts, particularly where bond gaps can approach 0.50 mm (0.02 in.). The product cures when confined in the absence of air between close fitting metal surfaces and prevents loosening and leakage from shock and vibration. This product possesses excellent gap cure characteristics. Typical applications include restoring correct fits on worn shafts, spun beraings, and damaged keyways.

I think someone made the comment a coupla months back in that looong thread on spline failures, about Loctite 660 being the correct product for this application. Hey wait a minute - that was me. :yikes:

 

[Sarge707]

BRP is discounting the 2018 RT Limited at $5500 Discount presently on Internet Ads! It will be interesting to see what the Year old Rykers in Show Rooms will be discounted for, and if they follow the 20% per year and more, depreciation as the RTs have done, the $8500 Rykers will kill the used RT and F3 Market. It will be tough for us RT Owners to ever be able to recover our Investments, if we decide to sell.

So True- I'm trying to sell my Beautiful 2015 F3 for $12,200 with 14,000 miles and I see Numerous listings on Cycletrader for the same model SM6 2015 for about $13,000 with less than 3,000 miles? Makes it hard to compete? And a New SE6 is only 15,999 But it only has 100 HP But is a SE6. Now if I buy a $10,000 900 Ryker you know in 2 Years you will be lucky to get $6,500.
So I just may keep the F3 Because I Love It and buy a Ryker 600 ACE and have 2 In the Garage Again-You Only go around once and Having a F3, 600 Ryker and Jet-ski in the garage at 70 Is OK with me!!! :yes:

 

[007james]

So True- I'm trying to sell my Beautiful 2015 F3 for $12,200 with 14,000 miles and I see Numerous listings on Cycletrader for the same model SM6 2015 for about $13,000 with less than 3,000 miles? Makes it hard to compete? And a New SE6 is only 15,999 But it only has 100 HP But is a SE6. Now if I buy a $10,000 900 Ryker you know in 2 Years you will be lucky to get $6,500.
So I just may keep the F3 Because I Love It and buy a Ryker 600 ACE and have 2 In the Garage Again-You Only go around once and Having a F3, 600 Ryker and Jet-ski in the garage at 70 Is OK with me!!! :yes:

I agree that we need at least two in the garage after 70, especially if we don’t want any down time between break downs. At 76, I can’t wait to see another year’s newest Models, because I could break down any day along with my Spyder, which broke down with Sproket failure in May and was down for 2-1/2 months before getting repaired. Meanwhile, I bought a 2009 Harley Heritage, and learned all over again how to manuver the 800 lb. Beast around, as I quit riding my Kawi Vulcan 1500 when I turned 70 and bought my first Spyder. But 3 weeks ago, my Harley broke down leaving me stranded when all of the Electrical went out. So, now I am riding my Spyder again while waiting for the Harley to get repaired. But its already getting too cold to ride the Harley, so I might be 77 before its warm enough to ride it again! By that time, I might be ready for only a Wheel Chair, so again, after 70, we gotta keep a spare or two in the garage! Good luck selling your F3. I only got $8000 Trade on my 2012 RT Limited when I traded it for my 2016 RT Limited. Now if the Rykers had been out then, and I was a Newbie to Spyders, I would have bought the used RT rather than the new Ryker for almost the same money. It really will be interesting to see how the Market swings, and if there will be as many Bugs in the Rykers as we have experienced with the RTs and F3s, such as Alingment, Tire wear, Nanny Codes, nada nada nada. Surely, there has to be issues that will need debugging in the new Rykers as well. Nothing man made can be perfect!

 

[RudyB]

Ok so you check the torque everything is tight but you have some rust now what

 

[stevencovert]

I would order a sprocket and bolt and plan on a few hours to swap it out. Easy to do, just takes time. 2wheelpros.com has free shipping and is $20 cheaper than cheapcycleparts on this item. Mine just blew up - went from quiet to major loud rattle thinking the bike was gonna blow up in about 100 miles! Attached my pic - if yours looks like mine replace it ASAP and be safe! Be sure to use fresh bolt. There are instructions floating around on this forum about how to change, by taking out the shock bolt and jacking up so belt gets loose.

I checked mine 1000 miles ago while replacing the sensor behind it, was perfect as far as I could tell (no chips or cracked grooves, no wobble, etc.), but had red on it like in the pic. My guess it they get fatigued and fail (quickly).

 

[Madison Sully]

I haven't had mine apart yet, but I'm guessing the front sprocket is aluminum.
So red rust dust present on that part would indicate something made of steel is being abraded away (the splines on the drive shaft in this case).
Reason I point this out (as a question) is, the inner shaft is wearing down. Just replacing with a new sprocket won't replace that material.
But I suppose Loctite 660 is intended to fill the gaps (?).

So, stevencovert and others with red dust on the sprocket, would yours have failed if you used Loctite 660 at last install?

 

[Freddy]

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums...nt-Sprocket-Inspection&highlight=front+pulley

 

[jcthorne]

Ok so you check the torque everything is tight but you have some rust now what

If there is red oxide dust on the pulley face, the splines are failing and the Sprocket needs to be replaced. The current method BRP recommends is moly spline lube not loctite on the splines. You will need a new bolt (and washer if yours is not integral) as well.