Welcome to the frustration, BUT... IT DOES GET BETTER
Philippe, I just read thru most of your posts & thought I'd share my insight with you.
1st, your 2011 RT-S is in NEED of DEALER ATTENTION for 2 reasons. It sounds to me like your intrument cluster is bad & needs to be replaced. Scotty & a few others have had this isssue, think Scotty may have had 2 or 3 replaced now. Your correct, that it is not confiidence inspiring, especially at this price point. But as others have noted, WE ARE ALL EARLY ADOPTERS to a BRAND NEW GENRE of on-road vehicle. Anytime a company comes to market with a Brand New offering, there's going to be glitches & issues, and One has to go into their buying decision Knowing this. The make or break moment, is if a company follows-up with their issues & does the best they can to correct them & to take care of their customer, or if they have an "We don't care attitude." BRP gets allot of bad rap, when in fact, its not their fault, but actually that of the dealers, and improper set-up. Most dealers WON'T admit they were wrong, and readily blame the manufacturer. Not saying this is the case for you, cause both your issues are known & have fixes. Just wanted to point it out tho.
2nd, it sounds like you haven't had the Throttle-Body Firm-Ware update done yet, & it sounds like the damage has already been done to your machine. I went thru the same thing myself. This would explain the starting issues that you have been describing in your posts. BRP had an issue with the 2010 RT's and HOT re-starts. To correct this issue, they changed the computer programming to hold open the Throttle-bodies to allow for easy Hot restarts. In doing so, they created a new problem with cold-starts, which it sounds like you are now experiencing. Hence, the new Firm-ware update, they believe they have found that HAPPY-MEDIAN to allow for both Cold starts & Hot-Restarts without issue. Not saying its good, but they are learing as they go & yes, sadly we are their proving grounds. But they are IMPROVING & they DO CARE.
Also, there could be an issue with a loose battery connection as many of the issues you've experienced are symptons of this. Just something else to check into.
Also of note, they do make Grip-Puppies that many here are using, and they increase the diameter of the throttle and also allow transfer of the heat thru the grip. I don't have them personally, but have read many good reviews about them. Believe you can get them on Ebay for under $15 & they are a very easy install.
Last thing I noticed, you come from a long history of 2 wheelers. The SpYder will wear you down like you have posted when you try to ryde it like a 2 wheeler. Best advise I've ever been given was to "LEARN TO LET GO" "IMAGINE YOU HAVE A BABY BIRD IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND, YOU DON'T WANT IT TO ESCAPE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO HURT IT EITHER." Once you learn to let go & allow the Spyder to do its thing, the more & more you will like it. When I 1st began ryding, I felt like I was dancing in my seat & I was all over the place. Then, after learning and letting go, its now one of the smoothest rydes on the road.
I mean no disrespect to you at all, and I'm far from an expert. I just remember being in your shoes when I 1st began my own adventure with this Amazing machine we call a Spyder & how frustrated & disillusioned I was to spend close to $30K on a machine that after 9 days, went into the shop for 39 days. I've had my issues like many have, but I can honestly say, I'm EXTREMELY GLAD that I stuck through it. I'm now addicted, ryde every day & love every minute of it. We've put on over 15K miles in just the last 4 months. Teddy & I have been on trips to Florida & New York (from Cincinnati, Ohio) & are planing on visiting family in California in July 2012. I just hope that you can get your "issues" worked out & find a similar level of joy with these Wonderful Machines we call SpYders.
