IT FINALLY HAPPENED

[Daisyjoe]

I got hit by the dreaded LIMP MODE!! 250 miles away from home and it happened. One code was VSS the other I don't remember. I called my dealer and was advised to turn the bike off for a few minutes and see if it would reset itself. Thankfully it did. There were three Spyders at the event I attended and two of us were having problems. An RT owner had problems with his revving up. This was the first time he had a problem. Two people in my riding group were considering buying Spyders. Not after this weekend.

 

[MRH]

This can certainly be a symptom of "riding the brake", but it sound like you know not to do that. Any chance your foot was touching the brake peddle?

 

[Ga Blue Knight]

I got hit by the dreaded LIMP MODE!! 250 miles away from home and it happened. One code was VSS the other I don't remember. I called my dealer and was advised to turn the bike off for a few minutes and see if it would reset itself. Thankfully it did. There were three Spyders at the event I attended and two of us were having problems. An RT owner had problems with his revving up. This was the first time he had a problem. Two people in my riding group were considering buying Spyders. Not after this weekend.

Sorry that you had the dreaded Limpitis but it happens. I am also sorry that the folks in you riding group are turned off by the trouble that you guys had with you bikes. My MC Club has about 35 members and we ride a lot of miles in a year and I would say that there are many times where bikes have had problems but because the Spyder is unique they only remember the one time, in three years, that my Son's RS would not start on a ride 150 miles from home. They still talk about how unreliable Spyders are! Oh by the way his battery was dead. Like this never happens to other bike right?

Speaking of batteries have you checked your negative ground connection for tightness?

 

[Bob Denman]

Have you made an appointment yet with your dealer to hook it up to BUDS??

 

[currin20fan]

Dreaded Limp Mode!

I haven't experienced this.......yet......and hope I never will. Please keep us posted and hope its not too serious for you.:banghead:

 

[Rar]

Prior to taking possession of our Spyder, my dealer mentioned the rare possibility of the Spyder being unable to start, or going into Limp mode, though at the time, he didn't use the phrase 'Limp Home Mode'. He said to take both keys, if you have both keys close to the bike, and walk away from the bike for about 15 minutes. He said that should allow the Spyder's computer to reset.

Speaking to the dealer on another occasion, he said that in all of his years of dealing with Spyder's, he has experienced only one Spyder which remained in Limp Home Mode status until fixed.

That makes me more confident of the Spyder being able to reset or "reboot".

Speaking of rebooting, I suppose the Spyder is like any other computer. I know one of the first things I do when I have trouble with my iPhone, iPad, Kindle, wi-fi or desk computer, I reboot it It usually works.

 

[hrbeta]

You'll probably never get to see a code on a RS. I'm staying away from RTs until BRP do them right.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Dikicep9]

Limp Mode ...

I got hit by the dreaded LIMP MODE!! 250 miles away from home and it happened. One code was VSS the other I don't remember. I called my dealer and was advised to turn the bike off for a few minutes and see if it would reset itself. Thankfully it did. There were three Spyders at the event I attended and two of us were having problems. An RT owner had problems with his revving up. This was the first time he had a problem. Two people in my riding group were considering buying Spyders. Not after this weekend.

Had the same problem with my 2012 RT-S SE5 on a ryde to Helen with a few other Spyders the 2nd month (June 2012) I owned it. I don't normally use the brake that much (downshift through the gears using paddle b4 touching brake), but I was playing follow the leader that day and used my brake constantly to keep from ryding up the back of the person in front of me. Pulled over when I could, turned Spyder off, waited 15 mins., turned Spyder back on and "Hi Ho Silver A-W-A-Y!!" NEVER happened again. I've only ridden in a "pack" one other time since then and was ultra aware of shadowing the brake. Personally, I do think over use of my brakes that day had everything to do with the dreaded "limp mode" code displaying. I was lucky I was with other Spyder ryders who had experienced the very same problem so I wasn't thrown into "panic mode"!

 

[Trickie Dick]

You'll probably never get to see a code on a RS. I'm staying away from RTs until BRP do them right.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD[/QUOTES
Seems to me the original poster of this thread has an RS:yikes:

 

[JJW SpyderRider]

I rode 19,500 miles on my '09 GS without a single limp mode or any code for that matter. Yeasterday on my new RT-S, 1500 miles and going down a straight and level road and bam Limp Mode, check DPS. Slowed down and pulled over, turn off the bike then turned it right back on once the screen went off. Started right back up and 150 miles latter no problems so far. I think my RT pulls to the left and having to correct by steering to the right caused the problem. :dontknow:

 

[donnellpj]

Happened to me also,...

Right out of the box, 160 miles in, limp mode and all the lights lit up. VSS, ABS, DPS, etc, etc, and then my boots flew off! (not really)...

Needless to say it rattled the wife's faith in the bike, and my judgement. Brand new $28k machine on the side of MD 32 with cars buzzing by at 60 miles an hour, I got stink eye for that. My dealer took me in immediately (after I limped the 46 miles to the shop), and they fixed it,...no more issues in 850+ miles.

It's in now for the 1100 (err,...600) mile service, in preparation for our trip to Tennessee in Sept. The wife is still not convinced the Spyder won't crap out in the mountains somewhere. Frankly, I'm not convinced we won't either but I'll be damned if I am going to sit home and let it deter me. You only go around once. If it lets me down 500 miles from home, with 60 of my closest online friends around me,...well, I'll have to deal with that as it comes.

I love this bike, and I love ryding it, but I have to tell you, it's clear to me that this machine is far more advanced than this industry is used to. The learning curve is far higher than the next closest bike manufacturer. These dealers have managed to figure out they need to charge more $$$/hr for service, they just need to figure out how to provide the service and initial setup to match the $$$.

I know most of you all have seen many more miles/smiles than my meager 1100 and we are sometimes quick to talk about the negative here, but reading these stories, I'm not encouraged most days about my future on this machine.

I guess this touched a nerve, haha!

 

[currin20fan]

Limp Mode

Limp mode has touched a nerve with everyone. As for me, I'm determined to go to Lamont's BBQ. If it goes into limp mode, so be it. I'll deal with it then. ray:

 

[Ga Blue Knight]

My sons RS went into limp mode last week. It's an 09. It seems that he hit the starter while the startup sequence was still initially setting up. He got about ten feet and then......wait for it.....
LIMP MODE!!! It reset easily enough, no damage except to his nerves. H now starts the bike with his hands on his head in the surrender position.

My 2012 RT-S is still running strong with no limp mode after four days of ownership. LOL!

 

[NancysToy]

I rode 19,500 miles on my '09 GS without a single limp mode or any code for that matter. Yeasterday on my new RT-S, 1500 miles and going down a straight and level road and bam Limp Mode, check DPS. Slowed down and pulled over, turn off the bike then turned it right back on once the screen went off. Started right back up and 150 miles latter no problems so far. I think my RT pulls to the left and having to correct by steering to the right caused the problem. :dontknow:

That would do it. If I were you, I'd have my steering sensor calibration checked.

 

[bluestratos]

Prior to the most recently software upgrade my moto was "limp mode was just a matter of time". Not what they have desensitised the software I hope we may be past a lot of the problems, and if you do have a real problem the sofware allows you to limp home at a resonable speed now. I had 3 codes thrown last month but they did the software update and I have not have had the problems repeat itself since even though they did no repairs.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

CRAPPY COMPUTERS

Right out of the box, 160 miles in, limp mode and all the lights lit up. VSS, ABS, DPS, etc, etc, and then my boots flew off! (not really)...

Needless to say it rattled the wife's faith in the bike, and my judgement. Brand new $28k machine on the side of MD 32 with cars buzzing by at 60 miles an hour, I got stink eye for that. My dealer took me in immediately (after I limped the 46 miles to the shop), and they fixed it,...no more issues in 850+ miles.

It's in now for the 1100 (err,...600) mile service, in preparation for our trip to Tennessee in Sept. The wife is still not convinced the Spyder won't crap out in the mountains somewhere. Frankly, I'm not convinced we won't either but I'll be damned if I am going to sit home and let it deter me. You only go around once. If it lets me down 500 miles from home, with 60 of my closest online friends around me,...well, I'll have to deal with that as it comes.

I love this bike, and I love ryding it, but I have to tell you, it's clear to me that this machine is far more advanced than this industry is used to. The learning curve is far higher than the next closest bike manufacturer. These dealers have managed to figure out they need to charge more $$$/hr for service, they just need to figure out how to provide the service and initial setup to match the $$$.

I know most of you all have seen many more miles/smiles than my meager 1100 and we are sometimes quick to talk about the negative here, but reading these stories, I'm not encouraged most days about my future on this machine.

I guess this touched a nerve, haha!

I'm with you on this one PJ...My computer is clueless as to what is going on with the rest of my spyder and generally is lit up like a Christmas tree if it's even mildly warm out...less so on a cool day....But I no longer pay attention to it....if it's RUNNIN I'M RIDEIN :clap: :roflblack: Mike

 

[StriperKing]

I have a 2010 RT-S with 18,000 miles and no limp mode ever. Just want new readers to see this also. Sorry some are having this problem but now that I say this I will probably have one now, lol.

So just for new readers there are many Spyders that have no trouble at all. Just this weekend on a ride with friends, my friend`s Harley shut off on him twice in a half mile. Rode another 300 miles trouble free. They all have troubles its just that our machines are so new we get to do some of the testing. :shocked: It is worth it.

 

[bruisersbaby]

A friend of ours from the riding club completed the Iron Butt (1,000 miles in 24 hours) about two weeks ago. He rides a Victory Crossroads(?). Most of the other riders rode Harleys, and of all the bikes there, the Harleys were the ones that were breaking down. We haven't had any problems with limp mode (probably just jinxed myself) and will be taking mine in for a 'check-up' before ryding to Lamont's. Bruiser's is a new 2012 RT, so his better not have any problems.

 

[Ga Blue Knight]

I have come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of Spyder Lovers. Those who have had Limp Mode and those that will! But you know what? It's well worth it to have this great machine in my garage.

 

[daveinva]

Dang it, I hate hate HATE posting in these threads-- I've never had a limp mode, I don't want to jinx myself ray:.

Like many have said, the problem isn't the limp mode. The problem is the *implementation* of the limp mode-- it being too eager to come on, too limiting in its performance, and too opaque to the rider.

There was a great posting a while back on the car blog Jalopnik entitled "Why The Check Engine Light Must Be Banned": http://jalopnik.com/5875751/why-the-check-engine-light-must-be-banned.

To boil it down, in 2012, there's simply no excuse for computers to tell us so little about what's wrong with our vehicles. If there's something wrong with my Spyder, why do I need to do a complicated thumb maneuver to call up error codes? And why are they error codes-- why not just tell me what's wrong with the dang Spyder in English? Or, if you insist on codes, why not provide those codes to the owner in the regular old manual?

Instead, BRP has tried to fit the ignorant car owner square peg into the (relatively) informed motorcycle owner round hole. Dumb it down, provide minimal information to the rider, force the rider to go into the BRP dealer (and only the BRP dealer) to hook up to their proprietary software, and control the entire process end-to-end. Works great for keeping owners in the dark and maximizing warranty leverage for the company, but not much else.

Beyond minimal maintenance and mods, I don't know how to fix my bike any more than I know how to fix my car. But that doesn't mean I should be left in the dark about what's wrong with my bike *if* it can tell me what's wrong, nor treated like a child when the bike's computer decides to nerf the ride with a limp mode.

I'm not some teenager hooning a hand-me-down Toyota while the oil light rages for a week. Treat me like an adult: tell me what's wrong, and I'll get it fixed, promise! :doorag: