Nanny question.....

[martiniman]

I tried piggybacking on another thread but got no answer so trying again anew....
I'm Spyder-less at the moment but after being on two wheels all my life (54 now), I'm about ready to dive in. I hope to get a RT. Hopefully later this spring or early summer. I've heard the nanny doesn't like you to even look at the brake! Makes your status screen go orange and maybe affects performance? I like the mountains and foothills around here. What happens if you ride the brake a tad coming down a steep hill? You can obviously downshift but you'll still need to brake and don't need the thing causing problems during routine riding.
Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Bob Denman]

Hi again!
You actually did get some answers to your question...
"Nanny" does NOT like if you leave your foot on the brake pedal...
She thinks that the system is activated, and since you're not stopping, the brakes have failed. :shocked:
that will set off all sorts of alarms! :yikes:
It's not like a motorcycle, in that you just can't "cover the lever"...
Most folks just move their foot laterally, but keep it as close to the pedal as possible. :thumbup:

 

[Cruzr Joe]

Hi again!
You actually did get some answers to your question...
"Nanny" does NOT like if you leave your foot on the brake pedal...
She thinks that the system is activated, and since you're not stopping, the brakes have failed. :shocked:
that will set off all sorts of alarms! :yikes:
It's not like a motorcycle, in that you just can't "cover the lever"...
Most folks just move their foot laterally, but keep it as close to the pedal as possible. :thumbup:

Translated to English = nanny does not like you to rest your foot on the brake pedal unless you are braking.

Cruzr Joe

 

[Pennyrick]

I tried piggybacking on another thread but got no answer so trying again anew....
I'm Spyder-less at the moment but after being on two wheels all my life (54 now), I'm about ready to dive in. I hope to get a RT. Hopefully later this spring or early summer. I've heard the nanny doesn't like you to even look at the brake! Makes your status screen go orange and maybe affects performance? I like the mountains and foothills around here. What happens if you ride the brake a tad coming down a steep hill? You can obviously downshift but you'll still need to brake and don't need the thing causing problems during routine riding.
Thanks in advance for any input.

You have to define 'a tad'.

Running through the up and downhill twisties of the North Georgia mountains we are often faced with steep hills.... most of the time we run in 2nd and 3rd gear and some hills even require 1st. The braking power of the engine (the twin, as I have no experience yet with the triple), is phenomenal. For a really tight downhill turn I sometimes put the binders on just before entering and then I can power out. For long straight downhill stretches, I let the engine do the braking.

My first RT was an '11 and the only time I got a fault code on it was from running hard on GA route 60 from Dahlonega to Suches. I wasn't used to the Spyder and rode the brake a bit much on some downhill runs. It went into dreaded limp mode just as we came into Suches. With no cell phone service I couldn't reach the dealer so we just let it sit for fifteen minutes and fired it back up again with no problems.

From what I understand the Nanny on the '14's is a bit more forgiving but riding the brakes isn't a good idea on any machine.

 

[Jeriatric]

braking

Think you are over analyzing things. True, riding the brake can/will cause an orange screen. That said, using your brakes properly while descending a mountain grade should not create a problem. Riding brakes down a decline is not a good thing to do(they will eventually overheat. Use your brake and gears to scrub speed. Say, from 60 MPH to 45(example). Then, once you're back to 60 MPH use your brakes again to scrub your speed. This allows time for the brakes to cool between applications. If you are having to use this technique to frequently to allow brake cooling. You are descending at to high a rate of speed and should be in a lower gear. jmo

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree: Use them if you need them; these bikes have some pretty awesome stopping power! :thumbup:

 

[ARtraveler]

I have run into the limp mode/brake failure scenario one time. I was wearing a new pair of boots at the time and did not realize I was activating the brake pedal.

For long down hills, I usually let the engine do the braking. I can go down the eleven mile Hatcher Pass road with very little braking and just let the tranny do its work. Sometimes first gear is required on the 15 to 20 mph turns--but mostly second is where I ride on the descent.

I have also had a brake failure warning screen--due to not having the fluid topped off exactly--but that is another story and thread.

 

[NancysToy]

As Bob said, you were answered the first time, but here goes again. When your foot makes contact on the brake pedal sufficiently to trigger the brake switch, but does not push hard enough to cause any brake pressure, nanny gets nervous. She thinks the brakes have failed and goes into limp mode for your safety. If you are going to push the brake pedal, push it hard enough to actually brake. If you are going to just hover, do it to the side or above the pedal. Your reaction time should still be more than sufficient.

 

[bluestratos]

I have never had this issue and I have ridden for 3 years, about 28,000 miles. If you ride the brake long enough I am told it will let you know which is better than burning them out. I came down a mountain pass and had my foot on the break a great deal of the time due to traffic and had no issues. I have also caught myself breaking and applying throttle at the same time and still no problems.

 

[martiniman]

Well, thanks for all the input. 'Nanny' is certainly appropriate name and I'm not sure I like it. I like the other features, ABS, Traction Control etc. It's going to be traumatic enough going from my Victory Cross Country to three wheels but either that or give it up completely. I know my wife is happy with the thought of the Spyder and that is perhaps the biggest battle!
Again, thanks everyone.

 

[NancysToy]

I have an LED on my dash to let me know if the brake light is on.
I have tried to figure out why the Nanny slips the Spyder into Limp Mode while the the brake has been been depressed and I can't seem to do it.

All I know is that when the brake is depressed and the throttle opened the Limp Home happens.

Inadequate brake pressure?

I don't know.

I am glad there are those who are confident enough to express their opinion as to what is actually happening.

I can't say with certainty, but I expect there may be programming to trigger a warning or limp mode when the throttle is held open and the brake pressure remains on too long. They could make it fairly simple for us by flashing a warning, "Hey stupid, are you stopping or going?" :roflblack: All joking aside, this does make sense if it is combined with some kind of time out routine, like for the mismatched steering sensors. In some ways Spyders are too smart for their own good. Have you asked the dealer to look at the occurred codes sequence to try to decipher what is happening?