MRH
Active member
I've been reading the many negative reactions to the 2015 lineup over the last week or so, and wanted to share some general thoughts. There seemed to be a set of expectations this year that everybody would get the upgrades they wanted. I get it, I've got a 2014 RT and it was a very significant upgrade to my 2010.
What I've also noticed over time is that significant changes often come with engineering issues that we and BRP have to strugle with. The 2013 RT, arguably, caught the issues that would have otherwise been a problem in the 2014. My 2010 certainly had issues. So, it seems, do most new model years or years after significant changes. The F3 looks amazing - with a touring package I'd probably like it better than my RT, but I'll have to accept having a bike I love instead of one I might love even more.
BRP, it would seem, has a finite amount of resources (and there are certainly a finite amount of sales for the niche we call a Spyder). This year they introduced something completely new, and I'm sure they've done their general best to make it as problem free as possible (although I'm also sure they'll be a recall or two and a few significant issues on the first model year, despite those efforts). Customer service, as well, requires resources. I want BRP to have what it needs to fix problems and right wrongs quickly and efficiently.
Had BRP, at the same time as they introduced the F3, reworked the ST or RS for the 1330 engine, I'm pretty sure that six months from now there would be issues with every model year. Dividing their resources and trying to bite off too much couldn't possibly help the quality of the product, and even if they could multiply their resources then they would still be confronted by the normal issues with making major changes.
Ideally, yes, it would all be bulletproof. And, yes, their customer service is getting better but there are still often challenges if you have a truly bad apple. As a small business owner I've learned that what looks easy on the outside can be very difficult to actually achieve in real life, and when you have to rely on others (dealers, in this case), you can do your best and still end up looking bad. To be clear, I'm not defending bad customer service when it happens, but it does help to understand how complex some of this really can be.
I do get it, the 1330 in six gears is something just about everybody wants, and the F3 and RT aren't for everybody. They have added some bold color choices (most of which I like, although there are one or two combination that puzzle me, but in those cases a 2014 would be a bargain to buy and be essentially the same bike). To grow, BRP needs to reach a larger market, and that will benefit us all. I really think the F3 will do that, and making the RS more "fun" may indeed appeal to a younger demographic. I'm 49, which actually puts me in the younger group on this board, and there are plenty of people younger than me, who, like me, would love being on a motorcycle but can't or don't want to take the full level of risk that accompanies having just two wheels. You aren't going to miss many of those new colors on the road, and that also may help keep us safer.
I think BRP deserves a little bit of grace on not giving us everything we want this year, and instead we ought to have the reasonable expectations that what they do invest in producing has been well tested and engineered, and that the very positive direction that many of us have experienced in their customer service will continue to move towards excellence.
What I've also noticed over time is that significant changes often come with engineering issues that we and BRP have to strugle with. The 2013 RT, arguably, caught the issues that would have otherwise been a problem in the 2014. My 2010 certainly had issues. So, it seems, do most new model years or years after significant changes. The F3 looks amazing - with a touring package I'd probably like it better than my RT, but I'll have to accept having a bike I love instead of one I might love even more.
BRP, it would seem, has a finite amount of resources (and there are certainly a finite amount of sales for the niche we call a Spyder). This year they introduced something completely new, and I'm sure they've done their general best to make it as problem free as possible (although I'm also sure they'll be a recall or two and a few significant issues on the first model year, despite those efforts). Customer service, as well, requires resources. I want BRP to have what it needs to fix problems and right wrongs quickly and efficiently.
Had BRP, at the same time as they introduced the F3, reworked the ST or RS for the 1330 engine, I'm pretty sure that six months from now there would be issues with every model year. Dividing their resources and trying to bite off too much couldn't possibly help the quality of the product, and even if they could multiply their resources then they would still be confronted by the normal issues with making major changes.
Ideally, yes, it would all be bulletproof. And, yes, their customer service is getting better but there are still often challenges if you have a truly bad apple. As a small business owner I've learned that what looks easy on the outside can be very difficult to actually achieve in real life, and when you have to rely on others (dealers, in this case), you can do your best and still end up looking bad. To be clear, I'm not defending bad customer service when it happens, but it does help to understand how complex some of this really can be.
I do get it, the 1330 in six gears is something just about everybody wants, and the F3 and RT aren't for everybody. They have added some bold color choices (most of which I like, although there are one or two combination that puzzle me, but in those cases a 2014 would be a bargain to buy and be essentially the same bike). To grow, BRP needs to reach a larger market, and that will benefit us all. I really think the F3 will do that, and making the RS more "fun" may indeed appeal to a younger demographic. I'm 49, which actually puts me in the younger group on this board, and there are plenty of people younger than me, who, like me, would love being on a motorcycle but can't or don't want to take the full level of risk that accompanies having just two wheels. You aren't going to miss many of those new colors on the road, and that also may help keep us safer.
I think BRP deserves a little bit of grace on not giving us everything we want this year, and instead we ought to have the reasonable expectations that what they do invest in producing has been well tested and engineered, and that the very positive direction that many of us have experienced in their customer service will continue to move towards excellence.
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