too many problems

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I have a can am rs se5 and a harley electra glide. I have to say that both have their place. However, the can am just has too many problems. I have had the can am for 1 year and 9 months and it has been back to the shop many times. Don't get me wrong, i really enjoy riding the can am but I have come to the point of not trusting that the bike will get me back home. One day it runs fantastic and then the next day, lookout. BRP came up with a fantastic idea when they developed the can am, but they need to get it right. It is tough riding a bike one cannot trust. I know their are a lot of Harley bashers out there, but one thing is for sure, push the button on a harley and it starts and one does not have to worry whether they will get back home. That cannot be said for the Can Am.

My biggest wish is that BRP would get their act together and correct the problems people are having with their bikes. Goodness knows, enough people are having a lot of the same problems that one would think that BRP could design them so the problems would go away. What an awesome day that would be. And, please educate the people who work with customer service. Even the dealers are frustrated with them. Might as well talk to a pole.

Would I buy another Can Am? Probably not. Will I keep the one I have, probably so in the hopes that BRP will finally get it right. It is fun, but worrysome which takes alot of the fun out.

 

[spyder3]

so what has happened since 13 days ago you were saying "signed, A happy Can Am owner again." :dontknow:

 

[Grandpa Spyder]

Well I think they are really trying hard to do just what you have said and that is get it right. I just went today and got the latest software update which I understand will clear up a lot of complaint people have had about limp mode. That being said I have a 2012 RTS SE5 and I now have 4500 miles on it and I have never had any problems with it. I think BRP is trying very hard to get it right. it is nice that they came out with new filters that allow a 5000 mile oil change (I know 4600) and that the recent update changes the way limp mode works. I have never been in limp mode But I have read the complaints and this new update addresses it.

 

[daveinva]

I know their are a lot of Harley bashers out there, but one thing is for sure, push the button on a harley and it starts and one does not have to worry whether they will get back home.

:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:

 

[canner]

so what has happened since 13 days ago you were saying "signed, A happy Can Am owner again." :dontknow:

it really starting running bad again. quick stop and it would shift into first.

 

[Grandpa Spyder]

it really starting running bad again. quick stop and it would shift into first.

I thought it was suppose to shift into 1st when stopped:dontknow:

 

[Cliff-Co.]

can-am problems

I have a can am rs se5 and a harley electra glide. I have to say that both have their place. However, the can am just has too many problems. I have had the can am for 1 year and 9 months and it has been back to the shop many times. Don't get me wrong, i really enjoy riding the can am but I have come to the point of not trusting that the bike will get me back home. One day it runs fantastic and then the next day, lookout. BRP came up with a fantastic idea when they developed the can am, but they need to get it right. It is tough riding a bike one cannot trust. I know their are a lot of Harley bashers out there, but one thing is for sure, push the button on a harley and it starts and one does not have to worry whether they will get back home. That cannot be said for the Can Am.

My biggest wish is that BRP would get their act together and correct the problems people are having with their bikes. Goodness knows, enough people are having a lot of the same problems that one would think that BRP could design them so the problems would go away. What an awesome day that would be. And, please educate the people who work with customer service. Even the dealers are frustrated with them. Might as well talk to a pole.

Would I buy another Can Am? Probably not. Will I keep the one I have, probably so in the hopes that BRP will finally get it right. It is fun, but worrysome which takes alot of the fun out.

Yep-per I agree on Can-Am problem's, & always-always ride with a buddy!!, it will save ya a long walk home,:yikes: I've had it happen, too me a dozen times, & caught a ride home on a ole Harley!!:banghead:

 

[spyder3]

it really starting running bad again. quick stop and it would shift into first.

Its supposed to shift into first when you stop.....Your so vague its really hard to help you(not that i can) but there is plenty of help on this board.

So, what does running bad again mean?

How many miles on bike? have you change the exhaust gaskets to the honda gaskets? new plugs? new wires? :dontknow: Give people something to work with unless you just feel like complaining.....

 

[mxz600]

I have a can am rs se5 and a harley electra glide. I have to say that both have their place. However, the can am just has too many problems. I have had the can am for 1 year and 9 months and it has been back to the shop many times. Don't get me wrong, i really enjoy riding the can am but I have come to the point of not trusting that the bike will get me back home. One day it runs fantastic and then the next day, lookout. BRP came up with a fantastic idea when they developed the can am, but they need to get it right. It is tough riding a bike one cannot trust. I know their are a lot of Harley bashers out there, but one thing is for sure, push the button on a harley and it starts and one does not have to worry whether they will get back home. That cannot be said for the Can Am.

My biggest wish is that BRP would get their act together and correct the problems people are having with their bikes. Goodness knows, enough people are having a lot of the same problems that one would think that BRP could design them so the problems would go away. What an awesome day that would be. And, please educate the people who work with customer service. Even the dealers are frustrated with them. Might as well talk to a pole.

Would I buy another Can Am? Probably not. Will I keep the one I have, probably so in the hopes that BRP will finally get it right. It is fun, but worrysome which takes alot of the fun out.

How many years did it take Harley to get to the point of being the refined roflblack machine that they are today.

I really don't know what people expect from BRP. Does the Spyder have issues? Yes. Does the dealer network have issues? Yes. Is BRP trying to correct these issues? Yes. Could BRP do more? Maybe.

I do get it that if you get a bad Spyder it can be really bad. But again a lot of that can be attributed to bad setup and overall lack of knowledge by the dealer.

I have had the same growing pain issues as everybody else. The recalls, bulletins etc., but my Spyder has never left me stranded on the side of the road. I trust it just as much as my wife's Fusion and my F-150 (no Ford jokes Randy).

I do hope you get things straightened out with the Spyder. One last thing. I have owned a Harley and know a lot of people that ride Harleys. They are far from being God's gift to the motorcycle community. Just a classic example of the blind leading the blind. nojoke

 

[canner]

Its supposed to shift into first when you stop.....Your so vague its really hard to help you(not that i can) but there is plenty of help on this board.

So, what does running bad again mean?

How many miles on bike? have you change the exhaust gaskets to the honda gaskets? new plugs? new wires? :dontknow: Give people something to work with unless you just feel like complaining.....

Sorry I did not give enough info. First, the heating problem. I solved that by installing the air management system. Seems to work well. It would not shift into neutral by itself, especially when first starting the bike, in the event I forgot to put it into neutral before I shut it off. Went to shop many times on this one. Also, engine would race to about 2000 rpm. Shop said battery terminals were not tight enough. That didn't work either. After a tow in, a new battery, and over $200 later, that problem seemed to go away. In the past two weeks, after the new battery, at 55, the engine sounded like it had a miss in it. Speed up or slow down, and it seemed to go away. It doesn't like 55. If you are at highway speeds and go to pass, the bike hesitates before it takes off, enough so that I don't hit it hard because I don't know what it is going to do. I usually downswhift one time when passing. The braking problem; I solved that problem by having the dealer install a front lever. The best money I ever spent. After reading about the woman who flipped her can am because she couldn't stop, that was enough for me to spend the money.

Last time out, got caught in a red light turning quick and did a quick stop. Can Am only shifted to second. After playing with the thumb shift a few times, it went into first. The bike has 2600 miles on it, is riden about once a week not ridden really hard. Have been to red line (actually 500 rpm below) about 2-3 times since I owned the bike. When I purchased the bike new one year and nine months ago, I had a cigarette lighter install so I could plug in my Garmin Zuma GPS. Since my battery had such a short life span, I asked if the GPS could be the problem and dealer said no. Said my battery had a bad cell.

I have not installed any new plugs or gaskets or wires as the bike has only 2600 miles on it. I also asked the dealer if a battery tender would help and was told it should not be needed.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Dudley]

It would not shift into neutral by itself, especially when first starting the bike, in the event I forgot to put it into neutral before I shut it off. If it doesn't go into neutral when starting it will not start. In the owner's manual it says to apply the brake to start when the Spyder is in gear.

Also, engine would race to about 2000 rpm Did it continue racing or just when it started? I think all Spyders will race past their idle speed when starting...even your car does.

It doesn't like 55. If you are at highway speeds and go to pass, the bike hesitates before it takes off, enough so that I don't hit it hard because I don't know what it is going to do. I usually downshift one time when passing If you are on the highway doing 55 in 5th gear, you are in the wrong gear...either drop to 4th or speed up. Yes, you're right, the Spyder does not like 55...not in 5th gear. This IS NOT an automatic...we do have to use common sense to assist it to maintain it's sweet zone. Apparently your dealer is clueless there also.

Last time out, got caught in a red light turning quick and did a quick stop. Can Am only shifted to second. After playing with the thumb shift a few times, it went into first That has happened to most of us who have had to do instant stops. Once again the transmission is not fully automatic. You need to read the owner's manual a little bit more and get more familiar with your Spyder.

Now if you read my signature you will see that I have an RT SM5, so how do I know. I was one of the pioneer SE5 owners, first production, and rode 43,000 miles without any transmission problems.

 

[SpyderDuck]

I have a can am rs se5 and a harley electra glide. I have to say that both have their place. However, the can am just has too many problems. I have had the can am for 1 year and 9 months and it has been back to the shop many times. Don't get me wrong, i really enjoy riding the can am but I have come to the point of not trusting that the bike will get me back home. One day it runs fantastic and then the next day, lookout. BRP came up with a fantastic idea when they developed the can am, but they need to get it right. It is tough riding a bike one cannot trust. I know their are a lot of Harley bashers out there, but one thing is for sure, push the button on a harley and it starts and one does not have to worry whether they will get back home. That cannot be said for the Can Am.

My biggest wish is that BRP would get their act together and correct the problems people are having with their bikes. Goodness knows, enough people are having a lot of the same problems that one would think that BRP could design them so the problems would go away. What an awesome day that would be. And, please educate the people who work with customer service. Even the dealers are frustrated with them. Might as well talk to a pole.

Would I buy another Can Am? Probably not. Will I keep the one I have, probably so in the hopes that BRP will finally get it right. It is fun, but worrysome which takes alot of the fun out.

I'm no expert by a long shot, but all my transmission troubles stemmed from not having a ground wire fix. The problems were intermittent, as yours are. My dealer looked at he thing several times, even kept it for a week once, and couldn't find the issue, even though a service bulletin had been issued long, long ago. If you do have the ground wire installed (and don't trust your dealer's records on this; my dealer showed the fix had been done), check to see if it's still on snugly. It might not be your problem, but it can't hurt to check.

I have a 2009 RS SE5. After the ground wire was installed, I find that my Spyder is very reliable; the only other issue I had was when a relay had vibrated loose. One little push on the relay fixed that. After having experience with 2 Harleys, I'd take the Spyder over them any day of the week. Those darn things left us stranded countless times.

 

[spyder3]

It would not shift into neutral by itself, especially when first starting the bike, in the event I forgot to put it into neutral before I shut it off. If it doesn't go into neutral when starting it will not start. In the owner's manual it says to apply the brake to start when the Spyder is in gear.

Also, engine would race to about 2000 rpm Did it continue racing or just when it started? I think all Spyders will race past their idle speed when starting...even your car does.

It doesn't like 55. If you are at highway speeds and go to pass, the bike hesitates before it takes off, enough so that I don't hit it hard because I don't know what it is going to do. I usually downshift one time when passing If you are on the highway doing 55 in 5th gear, you are in the wrong gear...either drop to 4th or speed up. Yes, you're right, the Spyder does not like 55...not in 5th gear. This IS NOT an automatic...we do have to use common sense to assist it to maintain it's sweet zone. Apparently your dealer is clueless there also.

Last time out, got caught in a red light turning quick and did a quick stop. Can Am only shifted to second. After playing with the thumb shift a few times, it went into first That has happened to most of us who have had to do instant stops. Once again the transmission is not fully automatic. You need to read the owner's manual a little bit more and get more familiar with your Spyder.


Pretty much everything said here seems right on the money. You really aren't having problems with the spyder, excluding the battery. The heat is what it is and you easily fixed it and the brake you weren't comfortable with and you fixed that. Without being a wise ass which comes natural to me, :roflblack: this is perhaps the best advice you have received----> You need to read the owner's manual a little bit more and get more familiar with your Spyder.

I think all of the above issues will go away and perhaps a new dealer is on the horizon. I hope you make an attempt to work these things out and enjoy the machine.

 

[Clicker1944]

Im not belittling anyone's problems but with the recent rash of problem complaints the last few days has anyone else noticed the low number of posts on almost all the complainers? :dontknow: Just seems kinda strange to me.

 

[Arr MiHardies]

Yeah, I noticed that too.

 

[canner]

It would not shift into neutral by itself, especially when first starting the bike, in the event I forgot to put it into neutral before I shut it off. If it doesn't go into neutral when starting it will not start. In the owner's manual it says to apply the brake to start when the Spyder is in gear.

Also, engine would race to about 2000 rpm Did it continue racing or just when it started? I think all Spyders will race past their idle speed when starting...even your car does.

It doesn't like 55. If you are at highway speeds and go to pass, the bike hesitates before it takes off, enough so that I don't hit it hard because I don't know what it is going to do. I usually downshift one time when passing If you are on the highway doing 55 in 5th gear, you are in the wrong gear...either drop to 4th or speed up. Yes, you're right, the Spyder does not like 55...not in 5th gear. This IS NOT an automatic...we do have to use common sense to assist it to maintain it's sweet zone. Apparently your dealer is clueless there also.

Last time out, got caught in a red light turning quick and did a quick stop. Can Am only shifted to second. After playing with the thumb shift a few times, it went into first That has happened to most of us who have had to do instant stops. Once again the transmission is not fully automatic. You need to read the owner's manual a little bit more and get more familiar with your Spyder.

Now if you read my signature you will see that I have an RT SM5, so how do I know. I was one of the pioneer SE5 owners, first production, and rode 43,000 miles without any transmission problems.

I really appreciate the time you took to answer me. I have on question concerning the 55 mph in 5th gears. Try as I may, I can't find anything in the manual that says I should not be in 5th gear. I certainly runs fine at 50mph in 5th. So, I am confused. What is the sweet spot as far as rpm's go?

 

[Dudley]

I really appreciate the time you took to answer me. I have on question concerning the 55 mph in 5th gears. Try as I may, I can't find anything in the manual that says I should not be in 5th gear. I certainly runs fine at 50mph in 5th. So, I am confused. What is the sweet spot as far as rpm's go?

All the suggestions about the rpm vs. mph come from experience from the riders. Riding in high gear/low speeds will eventually trash out the transmission which will be caused by slippage. Here is an example of Spyder newness: when I got the SE5, I was really paranoid about turning too fast, slow mind you, but fast to me. The dealer told me not to worry, it would not tip over. It still took me a long time to feel easy about it. Most riders go hell bent and are OK, I wasn't. Fifth gear should not be used until you are going over 60 mph and planning on traveling at least that speed for an extended period of time. You will hurt your Spyder a lot faster trying to baby it than you will keeping the rpms in the sweet zone. This will come with riding time. Soon you will shift up or down from the sound of the engine, without looking at the tach. One hint, but not always, after 3rd gear, your sweet spot is 5000 rpm...keep it there until you need to shift because of more speed or 6000 rpm or more. When we go riding in the country roads, I will seldom go into 5th gear, but stay in 4th, because I do not drive too much over 50 on such roads. Good luck, safe riding and keep learning.

 

[Camdenlake]

All the suggestions about the rpm vs. mph come from experience from the riders. Riding in high gear/low speeds will eventually trash out the transmission which will be caused by slippage. Here is an example of Spyder newness: when I got the SE5, I was really paranoid about turning too fast, slow mind you, but fast to me. The dealer told me not to worry, it would not tip over. It still took me a long time to feel easy about it. Most riders go hell bent and are OK, I wasn't. Fifth gear should not be used until you are going over 60 mph and planning on traveling at least that speed for an extended period of time. You will hurt your Spyder a lot faster trying to baby it than you will keeping the rpms in the sweet zone. This will come with riding time. Soon you will shift up or down from the sound of the engine, without looking at the tach. One hint, but not always, after 3rd gear, your sweet spot is 5000 rpm...keep it there until you need to shift because of more speed or 6000 rpm or more. When we go riding in the country roads, I will seldom go into 5th gear, but stay in 4th, because I do not drive too much over 50 on such roads. Good luck, safe riding and keep learning.

:agree:Great rpm advise. This is what i am running now and it likes it much better. 5th seems very tall.

Josh

 

[Illinois Boy]

I'll have to add to the RPM comments...

The OP said he has an Ulta... so do I. The first problem I had was getting used to running the Spyder at a higher RPM. I am going to assume this person is having the same problem. The Ultra and Spyder's engine are entirely different from each other, thus have to be operated as such.

I also hear of people saying they down shift to pass and find the Spyder hesitates. My guess it that they are also running it at too low of RPM's prior to the downshift, and then are adding too much throttle causing the engine's system to figure-out what the rider is wanting it to do.

Taking a long trip with the trailer (in trailer mode) forced me to get used to riding at higher RPM's.

The result? The Spyder does NOT like low RPM's, or being forced to run at low (lower torque) RPM's. I am now comfortable running the Spyder in 4th gear doing 60 plus (easily). The Spyder has more power running at higher RPM's and the motor (bearings, tranny, and etc) all seem less stressed when doing so.

So... if you are not running your Spyder at higher RPM's, it is my opinion, you are simply hurting your machine, and not letting it provide you with the best it has to offer.

 

[cubuff70]

I really appreciate the time you took to answer me. I have on question concerning the 55 mph in 5th gears. Try as I may, I can't find anything in the manual that says I should not be in 5th gear. I certainly runs fine at 50mph in 5th. So, I am confused. What is the sweet spot as far as rpm's go?

I'm not sure about the manual, but with my 2011 RT-Limited, and several other places on here, it seems like the Spyder runs most efficiently at least 4500-5500 rpm. On mine, that equates to 4th gear until about 60-62 mph, then I upshift. Hope this helps out with your problems in that area.