2012 RT with unknown issue - won't go into gear; P0504, C1183, & PO61E - anyone else?

[jasonlcook724]

Purchased a 2012 used off of a dealer (not a Can Am dealer), didn't have the bike a week and it broke down on me. Check engine light came on stating ECM, and something to do with the Power Steering. While riding it home, went to pull into the street I live on, and it stalled out, staying in gear 5, never down shifted, and dropped to 1st immediately upon stopping and won't grab the belt to go into gear now.

Thought maybe the Shift linkage, as the paddle shifter will allow me to go to first, it sounds like it wants to grab, the mechanism moves but it doesn't go into gear. Same when I put it into Reverse, mechanism moves but doesn't put it into gear. All the lights work, goes into Neutral, but doesn't make the same clanking noise that it did when it would go into first gear. Prior to this happening the bike shifted and downshifted without incident. The Codes came up, P0504, C1183, PO61E. I looked them up and it all seems like a simple reset, but the dealer can't get it in until middle of July. If it's not the Shift Linkage then another item shown is the Shift Modulator, but I would think if that were bad, it wouldn't register that I am trying to shift into the gears, but I am not a mechanic, and I am just upset as I've always wanted one of these bikes, finally can afford one, and then this happens

Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[pegasus1300]

1st thing - since you are new, you do know it must be running to shift? The Clutch is centrifugal and must be spinning to work. The shifter is also hydraulic and works off oil pressure so the engine must be running.
2nd - low battery giving false codes, readings
3rd - low oil giving bad shifts. Your V-Twin must have a full or nearly full oil tank to shift properly. You must drive a few miles to get the oil warm and up to its true level to check. Or warm the engine thru 2 fan cycles.
There could be a shift linkage down on the engine too, but let's rule out the first 3 before we go on.

 

[mecsw500]

I would also echo battery. If it sat for a while at the dealer who knows how old it is. The battery has to be in top notch condition, with both terminals really tight. Also all the grounding points have to be tight and free of corrosion.

With a 2012 bike who knows how long the battery has been in there. I’d buy a new one, charge it fully off the bike then change it.

Once it is charged and then installed, install the tails for a battery conditioner and use that every time you park it up.

Spyder’s are notorious for requiring batteries in excellent shape. They have a lot of electronics and even aging batteries that test good often aren’t.

When they have problems the electronics can throw random codes.

I’d also echo oil level. These are dry sump engines that require a specific way to measure oil level. The 998 cc v twins burn oil and need to be checked regularly. The 1330 cc triples don’t really consume much.

Follow pegasus1300’s advice. That’s where I would start.

 

[jasonlcook724]

1st thing - since you are new, you do know it must be running to shift? The Clutch is centrifugal and must be spinning to work. The shifter is also hydraulic and works off oil pressure so the engine must be running.
2nd - low battery giving false codes, readings
3rd - low oil giving bad shifts. Your V-Twin must have a full or nearly full oil tank to shift properly. You must drive a few miles to get the oil warm and up to its true level to check. Or warm the engine thru 2 fan cycles.
There could be a shift linkage down on the engine too, but let's rule out the first 3 before we go on.

So I know it's not the battery, as I have placed a new battery into the bike because that was the first thing that was thought to be the case, and I keep it on a trickle charge at all times. It was low on oil, and thought that we would start there. I filled it up, got it where it needs to be, and let it run for a good 20 minutes before trying to shift into first gear. It shifted it into 1st gear and it sounds like it wants to go into gear, and shows on the screen that it's in first, but when given the throttle, the bike won't move, the brake is off, but it still won't move. So that's what lead me to believe it was the Shift Linkage, but I was hopeful that I wouldn't need to go to a dealer to get this corrected.

I would also echo battery. If it sat for a while at the dealer who knows how old it is. The battery has to be in top notch condition, with both terminals really tight. Also all the grounding points have to be tight and free of corrosion.

With a 2012 bike who knows how long the battery has been in there. I’d buy a new one, charge it fully off the bike then change it.

Once it is charged and then installed, install the tails for a battery conditioner and use that every time you park it up.

Spyder’s are notorious for requiring batteries in excellent shape. They have a lot of electronics and even aging batteries that test good often aren’t.

When they have problems the electronics can throw random codes.

I’d also echo oil level. These are dry sump engines that require a specific way to measure oil level. The 998 cc v twins burn oil and need to be checked regularly. The 1330 cc triples don’t really consume much.

Follow pegasus1300’s advice. That’s where I would start.

Yeah the battery I just replaced, that's what someone else told me, and the battery did not look to be that old to begin with, all the terminals were very clean. It had a Brake Fluid Flush done two days before I purchased it because there was an issue with the brakes. Then 5 days later, the check engine light came on, the dealer I bought it from won't deal with it, because I bought As-Is, and that's fine, I get that, but don't tell me you checked everything and I'm now having issues with it, 5 days in. A new Battery I got, no big deal, but that didn't fix it. I added Oil, and that didn't fix it. I'm not a mechanic and I am not sure where to go next.

 

[mecsw500]

You could also check to see if the splines have not stripped on the front drive belt pulley. There have been recalls for this, but I'm not sure about your year.

 

[Mikey]

You say the linkage is moving, but is the shifting shaft going into the transmutation moving! The linkage has been known to strip the teeth off because it's alum, and the shaft is steel, and it will just spin and not move the shaft. Good luck!!

 

[mecsw500]

You could also check to see if the splines have not stripped on the front drive belt pulley. There have been recalls for this, but I'm not sure about your year.

So I know it's not the battery, as I have placed a new battery into the bike because that was the first thing that was thought to be the case, and I keep it on a trickle charge at all times. It was low on oil, and thought that we would start there. I filled it up, got it where it needs to be, and let it run for a good 20 minutes before trying to shift into first gear. It shifted it into 1st gear and it sounds like it wants to go into gear, and shows on the screen that it's in first, but when given the throttle, the bike won't move, the brake is off, but it still won't move. So that's what lead me to believe it was the Shift Linkage, but I was hopeful that I wouldn't need to go to a dealer to get this corrected.



Yeah the battery I just replaced, that's what someone else told me, and the battery did not look to be that old to begin with, all the terminals were very clean. It had a Brake Fluid Flush done two days before I purchased it because there was an issue with the brakes. Then 5 days later, the check engine light came on, the dealer I bought it from won't deal with it, because I bought As-Is, and that's fine, I get that, but don't tell me you checked everything and I'm now having issues with it, 5 days in. A new Battery I got, no big deal, but that didn't fix it. I added Oil, and that didn't fix it. I'm not a mechanic and I am not sure where to go next.

If you select first gear and you can hear the bike mechanically trying to get it into gear, and the same with reverse, but with no drive, then that suggests it isn’t the left hand cluster that is failing. Can’t be 100% sure of course.