My Wife's RT is Fantastic!

[Mad Matt]

My Wife's RT is handling and riding soooo good. It is really a great machine now. The 3 things that made all the difference in the world as compared to when we first bought it.
1) DPS recall done.
2) ELKA shocks front and rear.
3) Evoluzione sway bar.

We have been riding it 2 up this weekend, which we don't normally do. I was driving and just after we passed a HUGE pothole in the main road to our house, my wife says to me in the intercom, Oh you missed the pothole. I replied, no, the rear wheel went right through it. She said, wow, I barely felt it! I can't believe how much difference a great set of shocks make. The ride is plush, the handling is good, the steering is such that you can totally relax. We were riding 2 up, and on Saturday we had strong winds all day and other than a little buffeting, no problem at all. It's a great machine! We were VERY comfortable and we could easily spend all day in the saddle on this machine. Alot of times people only post when they have problems so I just wanted to say that I think Can-Am has a fantastic engineering team and I have had virtually no issues with either of my Spyders. They have introduced a totally new vehicle on the market and have been successful at it. I also recently test drove the new Can-Am Commander X and it is also an impressive machine. I will be buying a Commander next year myself which means I will have 3 Can-Am vehicles. Yikes! I probably sound like a Can-Am commercial but I have no affiliation with Can-Am whatsoever. They are obviously innovators and are pushing the motorcycle market and UTV markets in new directions. The competition will have to pony up. That is a good thing for all of us.


Mad Matt

Happy Spyder RS, and RT owner and future Commander owner!

 

[Some Guy]

:thumbup:

I test drove the Commander at the Chicago owners event...very impressive machine! :2thumbs: Unfortunately, I'm over my toy budget... :gaah:

 

[Rider Steve]

Glad your enjoying the rides but I don't get why you said this...

I just wanted to say that I think Can-Am has a fantastic engineering team and I have had virtually no issues with either of my Spyders.

After you had this done...

1) DPS recall done.
2) ELKA shocks front and rear.
3) Evoluzione sway bar.

Are the ELKA shocks and the Evolution sway bar of BRP design?

Not meaning to step on toes here especially since the RT is only cranking up for a second year production run but I'm betting the 2011's are going to be the units that are going to make the engineers look fantastic. I hope so cause I'm going to be putting money on it. :f_spider:

I ride the GL1800 right now and many are happy with the wing from the factory, I am. Yet some will be dissatisfied and use after market parts to satisfy their lust (through their pocketbooks) to get what they feel is a better ride. To each their own I guess.

 

[fastfraser]

:2thumbs: Good post Mad Matt.

 

[Mad Matt]

Steve,

Good point, Yes I am cutting them a little slack for not putting some better shocks on the front. They have to design and build to a price point and are limited in what they can do. The DPS fix was a huge improvement, so that is to BRP's credit. You could say they should have got it right the first time, but, on a production vehicle, there are always issues. Every vehicle I have ever owned has issues and alot of times I fix the issues myself using after market parts and upgrades. I guess I just expect it now, it's easier than getting frustrated with the limitations of the production vehicle and lets me move on and enjoy my vehicle more.

 

[TicketBait]

Glad your enjoying the rides but I don't get why you said this...

After you had this done...

1) DPS recall done.
2) ELKA shocks front and rear.
3) Evoluzione sway bar.

Are the ELKA shocks and the Evolution sway bar of BRP design?

Not meaning to step on toes here especially since the RT is only cranking up for a second year production run but I'm betting the 2011's are going to be the units that are going to make the engineers look fantastic. I hope so cause I'm going to be putting money on it. :f_spider:

I ride the GL1800 right now and many are happy with the wing from the factory, I am. Yet some will be dissatisfied and use after market parts to satisfy their lust (through their pocketbooks) to get what they feel is a better ride. To each their own I guess.

No toes stepped on here, just a different take,
Imagine that your not running for political office and your not trying to sell anyone a bill of goods. And you start a post saying how much you are enjoying a passion you have in your life to ride and develop all sorts of things to make the experience even better. And for Matt, I feel his passion, and would love to buy him a beer and shoot the heck out of all different Spyder topics that he is so vastly knowledgeable on.

But with knowledge comes a vast array of distinctions that in this arena leads to choices. For me it was to learn to ride this machine the way it was to my best ability. My first modification was to have an alternate position for my foot/legs. Do you know that when I had the Kewlmetal highway boards "put on I was a little apprehensive in using them. I said to myself. "self", only use these when you are riding in a straight line. Well within about 2-3 days of riding around town I fell in love with my new found experience. I now change my foot position at anytime, rain shine or turn, makes no difference.

Experience can be a distraction in a narrow minded opinion. Matt never said the "engineers were gonna look fantastic" he said

the Can-Am has a fantastic engineering team and I have had virtually no issues with either of my Spyders. They have introduced a totally new vehicle on the market and have been successful at it.

For my novice experience by not coming from any 2 wheel machines, the crossover was effortless. I took a motorcycle safety course that showed me how to operate and use a manual shift so I could practice on the dealerships demo while i was waiting for my paddle shift to arrive. I downloaded and studied the Spyder Operators manual. And then went out and practiced all of the maneuvers and emergency obstacles that the manufacture recommended to become accustomed to their NEW fantastic experience.

When you have done something similar for a long time and the sensation is different it is only human nature to try to get that experience to be as similar as possible. Well when you create an entirely different platform for that experience,and you get a thumbs up from someone with a vast array of experiences to choose from with the exception of wanting a more controllable felt ride ( I never had a lack of this for me ) However Matt is an Elka distributor. And many other riders were wanting a stiffer feeling sway bar. For them stability meant more control. I never felt a lack there but if a $230 sway bar floats your boat more steady and you have a more enjoyable ride I am all for that.

So for everyone your experience might be unique. If Matt had a bad DPS unit then yes that is a must to have fixed . I never experienced this but it could have been terrifying to think you had less control over a situation than you should have.
I have never ridden a GL1800, I would have loved to have gotten my dream motorcycle, a 1978 GW Aspencade but was convinced to stay on 4 wheels, no one had thought of 3 back then....oh well.

Steve,

Good point, Yes I am cutting them a little slack for not putting some better shocks on the front. They have to design and build to a price point and are limited in what they can do. The DPS fix was a huge improvement, so that is to BRP's credit. You could say they should have got it right the first time, but, on a production vehicle, there are always issues. Every vehicle I have ever owned has issues and alot of times I fix the issues myself using after market parts and upgrades. I guess I just expect it now, it's easier than getting frustrated with the limitations of the production vehicle and lets me move on and enjoy my vehicle moreWell I just went to post and read Matts response to Ryder Steve,

That is a very politically correct response and answer Matt. Are you sure you don't have aspirations to run for political office someday?

anyhow I stand by my opinion for what it's worth.......Happy Halloween, and Boo if you haven't scared someone today

 

[Rider Steve]

Steve,

Good point, Yes I am cutting them a little slack for not putting some better shocks on the front. They have to design and build to a price point and are limited in what they can do. The DPS fix was a huge improvement, so that is to BRP's credit. You could say they should have got it right the first time, but, on a production vehicle, there are always issues. Every vehicle I have ever owned has issues and alot of times I fix the issues myself using after market parts and upgrades. I guess I just expect it now, it's easier than getting frustrated with the limitations of the production vehicle and lets me move on and enjoy my vehicle more.

They have to design and build to a price point and are limited in what they can do.

I can agree on the "build to a price point" they do need to make a profit but I don't agree on the "are limited in what they can do". A lot of company's can and do cut corners to make that profit. But the biggest mistake they can make is what Honda did with the Odyssey go cart they made many years ago. They over built it (way over built it) and that go cart came with a price tag of $10,000.00. They quit making it because most couldn't afford it.

Every vehicle I have ever owned has issues and alot of times I fix the issues myself using after market parts and upgrades.

If I had that kind of luck I'd probably be riding a bicycle these days. :sour:

 

[Mad Matt]

Just for the record, I never had any DPS malfunctions on either Spyder, but, I was unhappy with the way the RT steered/handled before. I do think the steering part of that is a very subjective thing, some people don't mind it, others seem to be really bothered by it. I am just really happy my RT is so nice now. I was actually a little worried about it for a while, the wife really did not like the steering, she is much happier with it now and she is really enjoying her RT. That's the bottom line for me.

As far as the comment about the engineers, since I am an engineer, and I have been involved in product design for a long time, I am just saying that I am impressed with what they have done and are doing at Can-Am. I like to see companies who blaze a new trail and expand the envelope so to speak.

Matt

 

[JohnE]

I would agree Matt the RT is a great machine. I think the engineering for the most part is fantastic. I unfortunately got a RT that has had electrical problems since it was delivered. As of today it is in the shop and probably will be for a while as it has been majority of the time I have owned it. Dealer cries no parts, BRP says were going to fix it. Took delivery in Feb and this is November and it appears no fix anytime soon. I am starting to lose all confidence in BRP. Not to highjack your post Matt as it is great to hear that a lot of RT's have no problems and any issues can be corrected by after market mods. I think most would say the RT is a great machine

 

[Mad Matt]

JohnE,

I am sorry to hear of your troubles. I am mainly thinking of the design and manufacturing teams, because that is where I have spent my professional career. There certainly should be a way for someone in your shoes to get expedited help directly from Can-Am. They need to do better in this department for sure.

Matt

 

[Bob Denman]

Is that a 1982 Aspencade?? :thumbup: