To spyder or not spyder, that is the question...

[Arthur---Mexico]

Here in Mexico City there is extreme traffic congestion like you can't imagine. Instead of taking 20 minutes it can take you 2½ hours to go someplace if you are caught in traffic. I got caught in traffic two Fridays ago. My water cooled 2008 SE5 GS Spyder got hot 'having to stop and go every few meters. The motor slowed down and all sorts of messages presented themselve on the gauges, but I got to where I was going. There was no way of stopping to let things cool off in this traffic and no turnoffs in the road. When I stopped there suddenly developed a big leak of coolant and steam that drained the engine. The following day I returned with coolant so that I could get back home and I did. Last Monday I began removing the hose clamps to find a loose or ruptured hose and everthing was solid. But when I pulled out the plastic coolant expansion tank out I found it had burst. During the three hours of stop and go driving I did not see one car that had stopped because of over heating. But my water cooled Spyder did. On Tuesday, from the agency that did my last updates and repairs, I requested a price on a new plastic expansion tank an its top that didn't release the high pressure and now 4 days have passed and I'm still waiting for the price. I could go one but the dealer could sue me for deflamation. Besides burning my feet the danm thing has to explode. Spyders are not dependable transportation. I do all the repair work I can do myself because of the extremely poor workmanship that has been done in the two Can Am agencies I have dealt with before. I bought my Spyder with the idea it would be another hobby for me, riding. Now its repairing.

 

[IWN2RYD]

Well Carlo contacted me and he is going to have brp tech contact the dealer. It turns out it doesn't matter whether I have best or 3rd party extended warranty, brp will help either way.
May be they can get Malcolm smith motorsports to shape up.
:2thumbs: for Carlo.

Now that is what we like to read... :thumbup:

 

[aka1004]

A short update. Day 19 since spyder was towed back to dealer.

Spyder is still sitting and have not even been looked at as promised by service manager, asked to speak to owner/GM and waiting for returncall.

have not heard back from Carlo. He said he would call back when hears something.

 

[vt228]

call BRP and keep calling till u get someone to help you your sales man should lend you his bike till yours is fixed. If they want your money and it was there men that screwed up they should make you happy and callBRP for u or give you the numbers to call.:gaah::agree:

 

[aka1004]

My 2 year warranty is expired and I have 3rd party extended warranty but Carlo said I still have brp products and they are behind it 100% although they prefer I get best coverage.

I just wanted to clarify that.

 

[aka1004]

Mr. Malcolm smith of Malcolm smith motorsports have called and said he was embarrassed about all this after I gave him the details on my spyder repairs there. Fact that it took 3-4 month for repairs and how it's been sitting there since engine blew up after 17 miles with rebuilt engine and he will see to it that my spyder gets done the asap.
When I told him spark plug was broken he immediately said "something was not done right when we rebuilt the engine".

 

[marvin24]

I was thinking of buying a Spyder, you guys are scaring me off. Are the dealers really this bad?

 

[murphybrown]

I was thinking of buying a Spyder, you guys are scaring me off. Are the dealers really this bad?

To answer your ?...NO..many, many great dealers out there. This is one of those situations that we all pray never happens to us whether it be purchasing a Spyder or a lawn mower or whatever...

I encourage you to not let what you read here on this particular incident stop you from enjoying your own Spyder. My Spyder and dealer are :firstplace:.

Life happens, sometimes in ugly ways. How we handle it is what matters. Carlo at BRP appears to be involved and a solution to a situation gone bad will happen.

 

[BajaRon]

I was thinking of buying a Spyder, you guys are scaring me off. Are the dealers really this bad?

Just like with anything else, there are some bad dealers. Some dealerships put the Spyder on a back burner, 2nd class status. They don't know much about the machine and frankly, they really don't care.

I am not sure there has been a pole taken or anything substantial to back up my theory, but I think the majority of Spyder dealerships are worthy of your business.

Like with any other subject on a forum like this, you're going to hear a lot more about the bad than you will about the good so it tends to skew the impression.

I highly recommend a perspective buyer go to the dealership and have a talk with the ownership and service department. Express your honest concerns up front (politely and without calling names).

I don't think you'd need much of their time to get a feel for how you would be treated as a Spyder owner.

And you can also ask for input on your dealership here from people who have actually done business there.

 

[aka1004]

Update: day 23
Service manager called and tells me engine is torned down and "floated" valves seems to be the culprit. He says it looks piston hit the floated valve and pushed valve into spark plug. Head of intake valve is broken and also the spark plug. He is going toward "engine was over reved".
Mechanic put 14 miles on my spyder after engine rebuild and I put 17.

I told him I am not going to argue about it till adjuster from extended warranty company takes a look on Friday.

This is little beyond my mechanical knowldege and I don't fully understand his explanation, does it make sense?
He also said it looks like valves were floating for a while before engine died.
Shouldn't the valves still be sitting higher than piston's reach even if valves were floating?

 

[NancysToy]

Update: day 23
Service manager called and tells me engine is torned down and "floated" valves seems to be the culprit. He says it looks piston hit the floated valve and pushed valve into spark plug. Head of intake valve is broken and also the spark plug. He is going toward "engine was over reved".
Mechanic put 14 miles on my spyder after engine rebuild and I put 17.

I told him I am not going to argue about it till adjuster from extended warranty company takes a look on Friday.

This is little beyond my mechanical knowldege and I don't fully understand his explanation, does it make sense?
He also said it looks like valves were floating for a while before engine died.
Shouldn't the valves still be sitting higher than piston's reach even if valves were floating?

There is a rev limiter on the Spyder, so if it was over-revved, it would be due to another failure...the failure of the rev limiter. The valves could also have contacted the piston because of improper assembly procedures, bad valve spings, or a broken keeper or other part. I would ask exactly them to explain exactly how an engine with a rev limiter can be over-revved. Also, have them show you the BUDS printout showing the maximum rpm reached and the rpm graph. That would readily prove what really happened. There is a reason the ECM records that data.

 

[marvin24]

Went to a can-am dealership located in the basement of a yamaha dealership here in Indiana. Walked in they had three can am spyders, sat on the rt model looked around the place, no salesman, no one in the shop. Walked out got on my bike and left. No one new I was there. They must have been upstairs saleing Yamaha's. Very discouraging to say the least.

 

[aka1004]

There is a rev limiter on the Spyder, so if it was over-revved, it would be due to another failure...the failure of the rev limiter. The valves could also have contacted the piston because of improper assembly procedures, bad valve spings, or a broken keeper or other part. I would ask exactly them to explain exactly how an engine with a rev limiter can be over-revved. Also, have them show you the BUDS printout showing the maximum rpm reached and the rpm graph. That would readily prove what really happened. There is a reason the ECM records that data.

Thank you. I forgot that spyder had rev limiter, called dealer and told them "umm spyder has rev limiter" and he goes "yes it does" I was going to ask why were you saying spyder was over-revved and that cause the piston to hit valves? But I made my point so I didn't go any further.

I got the impression from them after spyder was towed back with blown engine after 17 miles that they were going to try to pin this on me that spyder was abused, for whole 17 miles...

Over-revving is not going to work so I don't know what's their next move if western service contract denies claim. They paid first time without a fight but I am sure they will have questions this time.

 

[jedd]

Thank you. I forgot that spyder had rev limiter, called dealer and told them "umm spyder has rev limiter" and he goes "yes it does" I was going to ask why were you saying spyder was over-revved and that cause the piston to hit valves? But I made my point so I didn't go any further.

I got the impression from them after spyder was towed back with blown engine after 17 miles that they were going to try to pin this on me that spyder was abused, for whole 17 miles...

Over-revving is not going to work so I don't know what's their next move if western service contract denies claim. They paid first time without a fight but I am sure they will have questions this time.

Man this really sucks, your in a nasty spot, your dealer sucks and with them screwing it up no other dealer would want their problem. Carlo someone help this problem, engine failure 21 days after rebuild should be on dealers dime not yours not BRP not anyone but the dealer

IMHO
Jim

 

[aka1004]

Man this really sucks, your in a nasty spot, your dealer sucks and with them screwing it up no other dealer would want their problem. Carlo someone help this problem, engine failure 21 days after rebuild should be on dealers dime not yours not BRP not anyone but the dealer

IMHO
Jim

Engine failed after 17 miles after I picked up. Day 23 is since it was towed back to dealer on June 20th.

 

[darren]

Engine failed after 17 miles after I picked up. Day 23 is since it was towed back to dealer on June 20th.

Im sorry to hear that they are still draging the repairs out you must be feeling sick over all this. all the best to you

 

[aka1004]

Thank you and short update: day 28

No further contact or action from Carlo.

Claims adjuster came by but approval is still pending and service dept. is acting like a bystander that had no hand in this.

I sent an email to Carlo if mechanic is even qualified to do an engine rebuild.
2 engine rebuild and both fail at 450 and 17 miles...
That will raise some questions.Both extended warranty company and I.

 

[packbuckbrew]

Sounds like mechanical malpractice, if I operated like that, I would lose my license.

Perhaps Spyderlovers should develop a dealer ranking system, I am fortunate to have two dealers within close proximity that are excellent. Rob's in Johnson Creek WI, and Cedarcreek Motorsports in Grafton WI. I also have two dealers close by that sell spyders, but seem very indifferent about the product.

 

[aka1004]

Update: day 31

Western service contract denied claims and Malcolm smith motorsports is claiming spyder was abused in those 17 miles I rode and asking either to give them ok to fix spyder on me or pick it up as.

What can I do now?
Small claims court, hire a lawyer? Too small for lawyer?

 

[MouthPiece]

Update: day 31

Western service contract denied claims and Malcolm smith motorsports is claiming spyder was abused in those 17 miles I rode and asking either to give them ok to fix spyder on me or pick it up as.

What can I do now?
Small claims court, hire a lawyer? Too small for lawyer?

Pray