Recap of 2014 RT Problems

[coastrider]

Thank you Bob, but its too far. I'm in south Jersey. I try to schedule my service for Americade week at Progressive Motorsports in Hudson Falls NY, but it doesn't always work out.

 

[Bob Denman]

I know a little bit about South Jersey...
My Collegiate sentence was served in Lawrenceville, and most of my co-conspirators have actually seen the Jersey devil!
But; it'd be a nice ride! :thumbup:

 

[oldguyinTX]

WOW!!

For the last year most folks here have touted the 2014 RT as the great solution to all of the 2013 RT problems. Now, it doesn't seem as all encompassing as at first blush. Is the 2015 even better still? Than what? The 2014? Or the 2013? I cannot answer that, as I only own a 2013 RTL and I have no way of comparing the different models. Even with its problems, my wife & I ride our 2013 RTL as much as possible, and for the most part, we enjoy it. When it is at the dealer for 2 weeks, we don't like it so much. But hey, we did rack up 8K miles this season, and it was great. Looking forward to April (or May) 2015 for more miles piled on!!

 

[Orange Spyder Man]

Just i would add my 2 cents here. I have had No Problems with my 2014 RTS. Will have to change tire, by like people say that's more of a supplier problem than a manufacturers problem... I also do like to look for threads about what different issues the 2014 are having. Then if it happens to me i'll know that it's just not me... Teri

I agree with you about the part where you stated "its a manufacturers problem" BUT .. being realistic... Spyder owners bought these machines from BRP they made the money ... and they should warranty any part that fails to perform .. so in my thinking BRP should warranty any part that is defective.... if we had to deal with each part manufacturer separately for a defective part... it would be a absolute nightmare..

OSM

 

[whitjim10]

I don't understand why (especially lately) members of this forum have to invent different ways/things to complain about their Spyders.
As has been said many times now, this is not a Bitch forum.
The whole idea (my take anyways) of this forum was to have a place for like minded people to share their experiences and yes share the difficulties one might have experienced so to get feedback from other riders on possible remedies.
Starting a thread for the sole purpose of compiling a list of every known negative instance that has occurred on one Spyder or another solves nothing and truly takes away from what this site is all about.

I AGREE.....

 

[chuck gross]

ignition

there were a few bad ignitions that BRP sent out a notice for on your key tag there is a little tiny plastic tag that has some numbers on it they can identify the bad ignitions by these numbers. and yes I am getting a little tired of the group beat downs as well this forum is for the exchange of useful information the good bad & the ugly at times. I think cabin fever is starting to set in.
I love the heck out of my 2013 STL but I am not gonna pretend that there are no issues just to make a few people happy.

 

[JayBros]

Maybe Some Clarification on "Common Issues"

Perhaps I can offer some clarification on my experience with two of the "common issues" listed in the start of this topic and about which I commented on in two other threads. Does my fuel pump make some noise when I turn the key? Yes. Is it too loud/noisy? I haven't the foggiest idea. My experience with the big E appearing in the gearbox position window of the multifunction gauge does not IMO constitute a gearshift sensor malfunction. The operator's guide, pg. 144, states that N and R gear indicator lights in the speedometer section of the multifunction gauge will be flashing (don't know if it means one or both) and the E appears in the gearbox position window instead of the selected gear.



I have never experienced those N and/or R lights flashing with the E appearing instead of the selected gear. Again, to me not an issue.

Does my Spyder run like I expected when I drove it off the lot –- fast, slow and in between? You damn betcha! That's why I'm just chalking up both situations as something to inquire about in just a couple hundred miles at the 3K service and do not consider them problems with my Spyder.

 

[Bob Denman]

The 2014s are a vastly improved bike over previous offerings... :thumbup:
But, the roll-out of them hasn't been all Beer and Skittles...
There were some oil leaks reported
The ignition switches that needed replacing
Some windshield mounting screws that would pop their heads off at an inopportune time
Noisy (?) fuel pumps
And of course; the nagging suspicions that BRP still can't align the front end of a bike properly at the factory

Other than that.. :2thumbs:

 

[StanProff]

The 2014s are a vastly improved bike over previous offerings... :thumbup:
But, the roll-out of them hasn't been all Beer and Skittles...
There were some oil leaks reported
The ignition switches that needed replacing
Some windshield mounting screws that would pop their heads off at an inopportune time
Noisy (?) fuel pumps
And of course; the nagging suspicions that BRP still can't align the front end of a bike properly at the factory

Other than that.. :2thumbs:

Mine has the key switch that malfunctions sometimes and the frunk won't latch back. The cable must be slipping on the key switch. I can turn the key back and forth a time or two and it will then let the frunk latch. Is this the issue you are talking about with the ignition switches being replaced or is that a different issue? It is a minor thing and I'll have the dealer look at it at my 3000 mile service.

 

[wcricks]

Keep asking questions

Don't let a few people keep you from asking others to share their experience. I purchased a 2013 RT Limited and was very disappointed after riding for 15 minutes due to the unpleasant heat build up. Therefore, thanks to the forum information regarding the 2014, I took an $8500 loss on my 2013 to purchase a 2014. Guess what? It was worth it. The 14 is everything I wanted when I purchased the 13. I bet BRP would not have moved as fast on the 14 if our comments had not been available.

Seems that some on this forum would prefer that we only talk about farkels. I value the kind of feedback you are looking for from other owners. This is objective feedback from actual experience. None of us bought Syders in hopes of being a part of future litigation. Looking at the ages of RT owners it appears that they attract an older, mature, professional group of riders. Don't let the grouchy ones deter your participation.

Thanks Joe, but I'm long past the days when anything on the Internet can upset me. I was moved to write my last post because I enjoy a good technical forum, and I love to ride.

I'm saddened to see the decline in civility I've noticed in recent days and puzzled by the reactions to what seemed to me to be completely innocuous questions. Lamont administered the GL1800 board to which I referred in my earlier post, and I'd like to see him weigh in on appropriate decorum for this board.

BTW, I've always noticed that your posts are designed to be both useful and good natured, and for that you have my thanks.

 

[ulflyer]

I know those who have had no problems can say what they want but objective comments on what to watch for are a good thing. Constantly deriding anyone who mentions an issue serves no purpose. This forum is to help owners and not just the ones that have no issues I am happy for you all. Some people have not been so lucky and knowing what has happened may help them at the dealer resolving said issues.:dontknow:

I agree. I think most of us who were quick to jump on the '14 wagon expected to find problems and most of us are pleased to find there have been no serious ones. That is exactly what the above list shows.

 

[Art Mann]

Don't let a few people keep you from asking others to share their experience. I purchased a 2013 RT Limited and was very disappointed after riding for 15 minutes due to the unpleasant heat build up. Therefore, thanks to the forum information regarding the 2014, I took an $8500 loss on my 2013 to purchase a 2014. Guess what? It was worth it. The 14 is everything I wanted when I purchased the 13. I bet BRP would not have moved as fast on the 14 if our comments had not been available.

It was honest and factual accounts of the overheating issue (among other things) that persuaded me to buy a 2014 RT-S at a time when the 2013s were being heavily discounted. I am very thankful for those people and the forums here for preventing me from making a big mistake. There is a difference between someone who is giving a factual account of their bad experience and someone who is continually using Spyderlovers to try to impose some kind of revenge on BRP. Unfortunately, it isn't always tell from one post which is which.

 

[Bob Denman]

...Which is why I tried to figure out what was going on; before giving the OP a list...

 

[hill27]

no problem with my 2014 RT 7500 MILES

 

[stewartj239]

I thought I'd gather the collective experience of my fellow 2014 RTS owners to identify all common issues that have been experienced to date. So far I've seen threads detailing:

1. Uneven tire wear
2. Loud/defective fuel pumps
3. Defective shift sensors

Any other common issues other than the $500 oil changes?

So let me get this straight. The OP posted some legitimate questions pertaining to 2014 RT issues and people jump all over him? If he posted a similar list against the 2013 RT, would the reaction have been the same? This is one of many forums that I belong to and forums are for sharing the good, the BAD and the ugly. No product is perfect and the forums are a great way for people to sort through things. At the end of the day, the Spyder is just a machine of which I have no personal attachments to get defensive about .....

 

[stewartj239]

Before I get flamed, I just want to be clear that I am not knocking the 2014 at all. When the time comes, I will be buying the new 1330 and I am sure that whatever year that is, there WILL BE issues or known factory weaknesses that will need to be addressed. To me, when you buy a bike in stock form, it is mass produced for the general population for the least amount of money invested by the factory as possible. To make it optimal, every bike can be tweaked in one way or another to make it better. That is what forums are all about ... to understand what those weaknesses are and how to make them better!!!

 

[Bob Denman]

Actually; nobody got ugly for him asking; we just wanted to know WHY he was asking... :banghead:

 

[shelbydave]

So let me get this straight. The OP posted some legitimate questions pertaining to 2014 RT issues and people jump all over him? If he posted a similar list against the 2013 RT, would the reaction have been the same? This is one of many forums that I belong to and forums are for sharing the good, the BAD and the ugly. No product is perfect and the forums are a great way for people to sort through things. At the end of the day, the Spyder is just a machine of which I have no personal attachments to get defensive about .....

Before I get flamed, I just want to be clear that I am not knocking the 2014 at all. When the time comes, I will be buying the new 1330 and I am sure that whatever year that is, there WILL BE issues or known factory weaknesses that will need to be addressed. To me, when you buy a bike in stock form, it is mass produced for the general population for the least amount of money invested by the factory as possible. To make it optimal, every bike can be tweaked in one way or another to make it better. That is what forums are all about ... to understand what those weaknesses are and how to make them better!!!

Actually; nobody got ugly for him asking; we just wanted to know WHY he was asking... :banghead:

I think Bob stated it the best above... There are legit problems with every year Spyder out there, and there are some "characteristics" that can be applied over a wide range of bikes, and those just come with the territory.

For the people who are truly wanting to compile facts / issues to help fellow riders out, more power to them.

For the ones who for whatever reason, the honeymoon is over, and they just want to complain - Time to move on to the next big thing... We all make bad decisions in life, and shouldn't expect someone else to pony up the cost of our mistake.

For the ones who are fishing for information to feed some scumbag lawyer for a get rich quick scheme - move on! There's nothing to see here! I doubt there's any veterans on here that would jump on that bandwagon.

Unfortunately, when things get to where they are with BRP - the heat issues with the 2013's, the change in tire composition on the 2014's, etc..., It gets hard to tell exactly what the intentions of a post are, so maybe after all the negative from the last couple years, some of us are kind of "on edge", and ready to jump on anyone who looks like they fall into the bottom 2 from above.

So, speaking for myself, I understand that there are issues that need to be ironed out. BRP needs to make things right with many customers. But, the number of negative posts (or started threads) has made me weary of even reading on here. It seems that there are some that feel the need to keep this fresh, by starting new threads stating the same things as soon as the last thread reaches end of life.

I'd rather mull through 1 long thread (or ignore it) than to have my recent posts blow up with new threads of the same old stuff.

 

[sduskin]

How do you respond?

I have had 2 really good managers in my working career (so far!). Seperated by years, and work experience, both had the same principle that they worked by.

"Don't come to me with just a problem. Come to me with the problem AND potential solutions!"

What would benefit me more on many of these forum posts would be if posts were more like...
"I had this problem/issue/quirk and it was resolved this way."

-Steve.

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree:
But I'd hate to say that we think alike; I wouldn't want to insult you!