Soft handling issues on 2013 Spyders has a fix-please read

[NancysToy]

I know the joy you are feeling. My 2010 did that sudden, unpredictable lane change thing, and scared the bejeebers out of me. "Night & Day" is a perfect reference to what happened when they made it right. Enjoy the Ryde!

 

[cyclelover63]

Ball joints aren't the same as tie-rods, and normally replacement doesn't change the alignment.

Oops,You are correct..My mind wandered from ball joints to tie rod ends!

 

[Big Arm]

CurrantRyder, I've been following all your post, since you first reported on your handling problem. I am happy that BRP stepped up to the plate, and was able to solve your problem. No doubt that your Spyder, was a learning experience for them also.
:congrats: to BRP on a quick fix, and I'm happy for you that you now have a great machine to ryde. :thumbup:

 

[Bob Denman]

:2thumbs:

 

[weapon]

:thumbup: Great news.

 

[GuitarPlayer]

Metro Motorsports is now applying the same fix to my RT-Limited. Hopefully I'll see it soon! Not that I can ride it anyway. We had 15" of snow this last week.

Tony

 

[wildtexasrangr]

Guess Im lost on this ???

I called the dealer today and asked if he had info on this fix he stated yes but then asked for my vin. #. Gave it to him and he stated my bike is not under it. So wont do anything unless its in the computer for the vin #. ( Does this mean my bike is good or smoke blowing up the butt:banghead: ) this is my first spyder so I'm not sure ( ST limited ). Does all this stuff go under the vin.# or is for all 2013 bikes?

 

[JJW SpyderRider]

I called the dealer today and asked if he had info on this fix he stated yes but then asked for my vin. #. Gave it to him and he stated my bike is not under it. So wont do anything unless its in the computer for the vin #. ( Does this mean my bike is good or smoke blowing up the butt:banghead: ) this is my first spyder so I'm not sure ( ST limited ). Does all this stuff go under the vin.# or is for all 2013 bikes?

The ball joint replacement may only be for some Spyders but there was also an issue with the alignment on some units. If your ST gets dangerous above 45 mph get the dealer to do the alignment or at least inspect the ST. My dealer would not touch my old GS if it was not on the VIN# list even though it was known that some on the list were effected also and should have been fixed.

 

[twain]

Wildtexasrangr, just called my dealer and gave vin#. My ST has to go in according to BRP to have bearings swapped out. Pulled up and my bike was flagged so hope this answers your question. Twain

 

[JKMSPYDER]

BALL JOINTS

Wildtexasranger, if I read Lamonsters thread correctly, BRP recommends all 2013 Spyders get the new ball joints whether you are experiencing soft handling issues or not. If your dealer won't do it, get BRP involved.

 

[MouthPiece]

Wildtexasranger, if I read Lamonsters thread correctly, BRP recommends all 2013 Spyders get the new ball joints whether you are experiencing soft handling issues or not. If your dealer won't do it, get BRP involved.

BINGO!!! The BRP bulletin was for ALL 2013's I'm having mine replaced as I write. (2013 RT-S). Seminole Power Sports in Sanford, Florida, says that it should take (and remember mine is their first one in doing this) about 2 hours max to get done.

I also asked them to ride it after the work is done, and give me an assessment on getting the allignment check out.

GEET ER DUN

Hope this helps.

Chris

[Edit: I'm going to "walk back" a little bit of what I just wrote. I would think that BRP would ask the dealer what the vin # is in order to approve the warranty work done. What I mean by this is that the dealer will do the work and submit a work order with the vin # to BRP. BRP will in turn compensate the dealer for the work performed. I would think that the dealer would need some verification (even though it is a "duh" situation), i.e., vin # confirmation from BRP. Just thinking out loud.]

 

[Riding RT Limited]

I will find out in the morning!

Tuesday I went to "look" at the 2013 RT Limited. They had a couple of RT's on show room floor, but not a single Limited built. I told the salesman I was looking for a Pearl White Limited, he checked and had one still in the crate not built yet. Needless to say, I left with the purchase paperwork in hand. They were supposed to start building it yesterday. Yesterday I found this site, joined and started reading about the soft handling issues and found Lamonsters post about the fix recommended by BRP. I called the dealer, told him what I found and was advised that it would be taken care of prior to my pickup on Saturday morning. I was told that they can tell by the VIN which ones need to have the fix. I told him that although the problem machines are listed by VIN it is also recommended to complete the fix regardless. It is supposed to be fixed and ready today and I will be there in the morning when they open. Wish me luck, I have a 50 mile ride home mostly on the freeway!

 

[bullant12]

BINGO!!! The BRP bulletin was for ALL 2013's I'm having mine replaced as I write. (2013 RT-S). Seminole Power Sports in Sanford, Florida, says that it should take (and remember mine is their first one in doing this) about 2 hours max to get done.

I also asked them to ride it after the work is done, and give me an assessment on getting the allignment check out.

GEET ER DUN

Hope this helps.

Chris

[Edit: I'm going to "walk back" a little bit of what I just wrote. I would think that BRP would ask the dealer what the vin # is in order to approve the warranty work done. What I mean by this is that the dealer will do the work and submit a work order with the vin # to BRP. BRP will in turn compensate the dealer for the work performed. I would think that the dealer would need some verification (even though it is a "duh" situation), i.e., vin # confirmation from BRP. Just thinking out loud.]

I just gave my dealer a call. The tech (which he's got experince in :spyder2:'s since most of the area riders go to him and I have been going to him the last few times) told me that it was based on VIN#. I told him that this was not what I heard, and proceeded to tell him that mine is a little "squirmy"... It rode nicely last Sunday but I had to place a little effort to keep her straight. Once I said that, he said he would schedule me once the ball joints came in. You need to let these guys know what is going on!

 

[ARtraveler]

In summary of my previous posting; my 2013 RT LTD was scooped up by BRP lat week and taken to their Arizona testing facility, along with other affected machines in this area. I'd like to think mine was the worst of the lot, but that's conjecture on my part.

My dealer called this morning and said my RT was dropped off at their dealership at about 8:00pm last night. Took them all day today to get around to washing it and releasing it to me (somewhat akin to Chinese water torture), finally I just went to the dealer before closing time and said "ready or not I want it." I got nothing from them stating what had been done, just assurances that the ball joints were replaced and they think perhaps allignment adjusted as well.

OK, enough of the drama. I gassed the black beauty and headed out for my pre-surveyed 50 mile test route. The route consited of very mixed roads, including nasty secondary black top complete with whoop de doos, silk smooth new pavement, well worn in pavement with compressed tracks, and finally freshly grooved concrete.

OK, enough of the drama. Can we all in unison sing that old Cole Porter favorite..."Night and Day", while we think of Jacques Clouseau (the Pink Panther) saying in his very French accent...."the case is now sol-ved". Because it is.

I averaged 65-75 mph and put it though several exercises. The most telling one is to bring it up to a good speed, say 70mph, and slam the throttle down while stabbing the brakes. IF, repeat IF, I could have even hit anything near 70 before, the machine would plow headlong either into the passing lane or the ditch (you never knew which way it would go) and then the futule chase for correction would begin while you scanned the instrument panel for the ejection seat button.

Doing the same exercise tonight, the machine stayed straight as an arrow with not so much as a twitch. Moreover, I never thought the handling below 55 was too bad, but now it's also better. There is a better, no, ....new "on center" feel that just wasn't there before.

Now...old business. This stability problem really, really wasn't anything to do with iron fisted, newby fixated over control of the handle bars. The problem was real. I stand vindicated, please.

Secondly, once BRP gave me a case number and jumped on the problem with both feet, things went pretty fast. My opinion of the large "powersport" franchises, however, still lies somewhere near 180 degrees from my opinion of BRP. The children running their service departments just don't get it. Because they don't pro-act, and instead cling to the time honored tradition of re-acting to problems, they're continually behind the curve, complaining about how busy they are, how stressed their customers are, and are total strangers to the concept of "follow-up." Other than that, they're just fine.

So, finally I can personally relate to the many comments in this forum about how fun these machines are. NOW I GET IT.

Those of you who are in the Sun City West, AZ part of the country, please be careful if you are on the roads near here in the next few weeks. That glare in your rear view mirror is not glint off of some trucker's chrome, it's my "toots" (Canadian for teeth) and the sun glinting in the middle of my smiling face.

Thank you BRP !

I am liking what I am reading. Hope we hear a repeat with others who have the fix done.

 

[MouthPiece]

FOLLOW UP:

I am liking what I am reading. Hope we hear a repeat with others who have the fix done.

As I said earlier in this thread, my dealer installed the new ball joints. WOW!!! I had no idea. All I can say is that I didn't experience the severe wandering that some had described. Did I experience wandering? Yes, but I honestly thought it was normal. I say that because I hadn't been "in the saddle" for almost a year, and I can remember the first time I took my spyder going 80 mph. I just felt that it would take a little time to get back in the groove.

I picked up my spyder about 1:30 P.M., and have been riding it ever since. I rode from Sanford to Deland on
I-4, going speeds varying from 65 to 80 mph. The 60 mph seemed to be where the wandering kicked in. I could put my spyder on cruise control doing 75 mph and take my hands off the handle bars. The thing went dead straight down the road.

The other thing that I had experienced before the change was that when I wanted to come to a quick stop, my spyder wanted to go all over the place. That too has been fixed or at least has disappeared since the did the work on it today.

I'm totally satisfied that this issue has been addressed and has been diagnosed correctly by BRP. My service manager showed me the old ball joints. One would move freely. The other was as though it clicked to move. (meaning that it was much more resistant to moving).

Anywho, I just thought I'd be "one of the others that has had the fix done"

Chris

 

[Big Arm]

Anywho, I just thought I'd be "one of the others that has had the fix done"

Chris

:clap: :2thumbs: :clap:

 

[weapon]

:thumbup: I like it :firstplace:

 

[Riding RT Limited]

Ready

12 hours 22 minutes till I pick up my New Limited and counting! :yes:

 

[twain]

Riding RT, where are you getting it from? I am right down the road from you in Rosharon. :yes: Need to hook up and do some riding. We have a pretty good group of Spyder Ryder's around here.

 

[krazykat]

Handling

I guess my question is why would this phenomena, i.e., wandering only when you reach 60 mph and higher, and not speeds lower than 60 mph based on "the ball joint"?

I'm asking this question for information purposes only, and not as a "doubter" that this is the fix.


Chris

The wandering is indeed present below 60mph. I have felt it (to a much lower degree) as slow as 45mph. I guess it's just because the faster you go, the more severe and noticeable it becomes. I have been too frightened to try it above 70mph. Certainly hope this repair solves the problem. (2013 RT Limited).