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Moving my Spyder in an emergency?

F

frenchbz

New member
Can a CanAm Spyder be towed if it stops running in a remote area?
I drive an Stse5 Limited and my woman-riding companion rides an F3. We ride extensively in the remote back roads of Me, NH, VT and Canada. Often where cell tel signals are non-existent. If one of the Spyders stops running can we tow it with the other Spyder to where we can get help? Both Spyders are usually filled with personal belongings needed for multi-day travel. We would not want to abandon one Spyder and many personal goods on the road-side while we ride two-up seeking help.

Can a tow line be used to pull the trike to a location where we could get help? I would like to thing that CanAm’s, that roll easily, could be rigged with a nylon line with a bridal and carefully towed by the running Spyder. It appears that the brakes would work on the Spyder that is shut down. Your comments please.
 
Tough one....

First option would be for the running vehicle to ryde till cell service is available and call for a tow.... You can tow your spyder though not recommended and the hook up points are not great. You could add a "D" ring attached to the frame at the cross member and safely tow it from there. The next is how far would you have to go towing and the terrain... Hills to climb, rough roads, heavy traffic etc. Not recommended but doable...:thumbup:
 
The biggest issue at the beginning is , you need to get the Spyder into NEUTRAL . You cannot tow it otherwise … There is a way to get it into ...without the motor running ( but someone else ) here will have to tell you how …. Adding tow RINGS to something other than the front suspension would be best …. The other Spyder MUST have a HITCH …. DennisKirk .com sells tow device for Snowmobiles that would work great..... I would ONLY tow the minimum distance needed ………. Prepare now if you think this might occur ….. I hope it doesn't ….. Mike :ohyea:
 
I would appreciate knowing how to get into Neutral if necessary. We travel about 15,000 miles each year and so far no roadside breakdowns. But it is a concern. Thanks
 
You do not need to get it into neutral for a short tow. Without the engine running the clutch is not engaged. So it will roll fairley free. But for a long tow, yes put it in neutral. There is a shaft on the left side where the shift lever connects to on a SM model. Should be able to shift it from there with a vice grips.
 
Around here all the tow trucks use a flatbed. They hook on and pull the vehicle up onto the flatbed. As billybovine said, moving them a short distance (like up onto a flatbed) shouldn't hurt the Spyder. I would be more worried about whether the nose of the Spyder hits the flatbed but probably they would lift it up with the tow hook in order to get it on the flatbed -- otherwise that would be a problem with every car as well.
 
I would definitely want it to be in neutral if I was going to try to pull it somewhere. Jack up the rear and try to roll the rear wheel with it in gear and feel the resistance, then put it in neutral and do the same. There is quite a bit of resistance when it is in gear.

Wasn’t the procedure to get it in neutral in the Owners Manual?
 
If I ABSOLUTELY Positively had to tow it,I would cut the belt. Whats another 300 bucks when you stand to lose even more.
 
I bought the shift lever and bolt for a SM6 for the same year as my SE6, for just this possibility and I have a long handle Vice Grip.
 
johnsimion said:
Around here all the tow trucks use a flatbed. They hook on and pull the vehicle up onto the flatbed. As billybovine said, moving them a short distance (like up onto a flatbed) shouldn't hurt the Spyder. I would be more worried about whether the nose of the Spyder hits the flatbed but probably they would lift it up with the tow hook in order to get it on the flatbed -- otherwise that would be a problem with every car as well.
Click to expand...

Yes, but his question was towing it far enough to get cell service which I would not do with it in gear.

Revalden said:
I bought the shift lever and bolt for a SM6 for the same year as my SE6, for just this possibility and I have a long handle Vice Grip.
Click to expand...

You must have been a Boy Scout!
 
I have not really investigated the Spyder transmission but I can tell you I have ripped a lot of snowmobiles apart. 2 stroke and 4 stroke. The best way to tow a broken down sled is to remove the belt from the secondary. This will allow the track to spin free with no resistance. If you fry a piston you don't want the primary moving or you are going to rip apart the jugs etc. I have to investigate how the belt works on the back wheel of the Spyder. I would also goto your dealer and have him explain the little back fuse box behind your cover in the front trunk. There are some things in your fuse box that might help putting it in nuetrol but I won't expand on that. Your dealer tech can explain. I would use two rackets around each front wheel section and back to one on the back of the Spyder. ( Make a Y) That would be the only safe way to tow. You'd bet be ready to go slow. Above 15 you can kill the guy behind you. Roll, start to sway and your both dead or recked.
Here are a couple questions? What are you going to hook up on the back of the Spyder? You will need hitches on "both" for you don't know which one breaks down. I ride snowmobiles exclusively in no cell zones. I have gone without cell coverage for "days" some 80 miles from the closes town. How far really are you from cell coverage- 2 hours at tops? Here is a recommendation in this matter. For $50 a month get a SAT phone. Activate it for the primary time you are worried about it. We are all GPS chipped when riding boon docking or in the mountains. One guy always has a sat phone. You only need one. We have used it once and glad we had it. If not leave the Spyder and ride till you get reception. The amount of money and damage you might cause will never catch up to even 4 hours. There is no where in the USA that you can't get cell within 2 hours. Thats nothing as in the time, parts, damage and costs of a 2 hour drive. Be Safe, The SAT phone is my solution. $400 investment and $50 activation a month when wanted. Way cheaper than 1 hitch alone.

You live In Massachusetts, I have been in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and can get reception within an hour even in the mountains. I go out west and run the Tetons and into Montana and again cell coverage in at least 2 hours. You can run the entire bear tooth pass in 2 hours if needed to get reception. I also suggest getting a trakphone both at&t and Verizon. Our trak phones get reception anywhere for they can use any tower. I have a simple old flip phone and get better reception than most smartphones when in the mountains.
 
Thanks for the comments. A simple method to tow the disabled Spyder seems to have become very complicated. It may be that I should plan my travels around cell Tel reception maps.
 
I can't help you with 'How to tow a disabled spyder, but offer you some advice on Cell phone coverage in Vermont, I have a Trac phone (smart phone) and I have cell phone coverage. I also carry my cellphone with me on my spyder.

Also, check your motorcycle insurance policy to see if you have towing on your policy. When you find an area that has cell phone coverage, call your motorcycle insurance company they could help you with towing the "disabled spyder". Example: I have GEICO and I have "towing" on my motorcycle policy. I have a 2014RTS-SE6.



Deanna
 
Isn't there an informal network of Spyder owners willing to help fellow ryders who have broken down in their vicinity?

I remember reading something about this a few years back but don't remember the details.

I'd be willing to rescue a Spyder with my drop tail trailer if needed.
 
UtahPete said:
Isn't there an informal network of Spyder owners willing to help fellow ryders who have broken down in their vicinity?

I remember reading something about this a few years back but don't remember the details.

I'd be willing to rescue a Spyder with my drop tail trailer if needed.
Click to expand...

On the Spyderlovers home page. On the upper left. There is a link to Spyders to the rescue. You can join there.
 
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