2025 Can Am Spyder RT Limited - Power Steering not working! Do they have to ACTIVATE this? What else needs activating?

[vienna7475]

I recently purchased a new 2025 Spyder RT Limited. I knew some improvements had been made in the steering, as I drove one in 2021 and was amazed. When I did my road test, I was surprised at how hard it was to steer. I took it out on a road where I could get it up to 55 or 60 and the handlebars shook like crazy. My immediate thought was that it was out of alignment. I pulled over and had my wife take a video as I drove. Went back to the dealer and they said it drove like all the rest. I showed them the video and they agreed they would need to take a look at it. The next day they called me and said they had a new person putting the bikes together when they are uncrated it and I guess they ran some diagnostics to see if there are any software updates to apply. Anyway, they told me the tech didn't activate the power steering. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I'm wondering what else they may have forgotten to do. I still feel a little something in the handlebars but when I look at them they aren't shaking. Same as like when driving a car and you just know something is not right with your tires. This bike was built in Dec of 2024, so it has been sitting for 1 1/2 years. I suspect some of the belts in the tires may be having an issue. I'll address that later.

Main question - What all do they have to ACTIVATE on a new bike?

 

[JB62]

Never heard of that one

 

[Woodaddict]

Haven't heard of that happening, nothing should have to be done separate to activate power steering. Watch out for this dealership, they make up answers. But Kenda tires can easily be built out of balance. Maybe they were not properly spun balanced/

The front tires are actually not attached in the crate. They have to be mounted. It could be possible that the lug nuts were not torqued correctly.

Probably the top item missed is attaching the leveling arm for the rear ride height adjustment - many are delivered just not attached to the swingarm!

 

[BajaRon]

The power steering (DPS) does not get any 'Activation'. It may, however, need to have the steering angle sensor calibrated. If the sensor is outside of spec, it simply shuts the DPS down and will put you into Limp Mode. It would not cause a front end shake. I don't think you're getting the full story on this.

Having a person who doesn't know what they are doing assembling crated vehicles is a scary thought. I'm glad you survived the event, if this is what happened.

 

[Bfromla]

The power steering (DPS) does not get any 'Activation'. It may, however, need to have the steering angle sensor calibrated. If the sensor is outside of spec, it simply shuts the DPS down and will put you into Limp Mode. It would not cause a front end shake. I don't think you're getting the full story on this.

Having a person who doesn't know what they are doing assembling crated vehicles is a scary thought. I'm glad you survived the event, if this is what happened.

Agree & additionally: do not death grip the handlebars when testing. Granted, it sounds like an unavoidable experience, just another variable to include in your evaluation, & and remember the majority of new owners don’t actually get into their comfort zone with their Spyders for the first thousand miles plus. Sorry that's not within your average test drive ballpark. Good luck in your quest & with the dealer!

 

[mecsw500]

I recently purchased a new 2025 Spyder RT Limited. I knew some improvements had been made in the steering, as I drove one in 2021 and was amazed. When I did my road test, I was surprised at how hard it was to steer. I took it out on a road where I could get it up to 55 or 60 and the handlebars shook like crazy. My immediate thought was that it was out of alignment. I pulled over and had my wife take a video as I drove. Went back to the dealer and they said it drove like all the rest. I showed them the video and they agreed they would need to take a look at it. The next day they called me and said they had a new person putting the bikes together when they are uncrated it and I guess they ran some diagnostics to see if there are any software updates to apply. Anyway, they told me the tech didn't activate the power steering. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I'm wondering what else they may have forgotten to do. I still feel a little something in the handlebars but when I look at them they aren't shaking. Same as like when driving a car and you just know something is not right with your tires. This bike was built in Dec of 2024, so it has been sitting for 1 1/2 years. I suspect some of the belts in the tires may be having an issue. I'll address that later.

Main question - What all do they have to ACTIVATE on a new bike?

Yes, the “they all do that sir” response. Lovely.

The tires may have slightly flat spotted. They may not be correctly balanced. Your alignment might be a bit out, toe-out rather than toe-in.

Check your tire pressures are 20 psi up front and 28 psi rear to start. The fronts should be matching to within 1/2 a psi.

You might not be used to the natural way they feel until you get used to it.

The trouble is you won’t know which of these if you can’t trust your dealer to correctly PDI the machine. How can they remember who uncrated the machine 18 months ago, and I’ve never heard of activating or deactivating the power steering? It all sounds like BS to me. They should have configured everything with BUDS when they assembled it and test drove it back when.

 

[Snowbelt Spyder]

I recently purchased a new 2025 Spyder RT Limited. I knew some improvements had been made in the steering, as I drove one in 2021 and was amazed. When I did my road test, I was surprised at how hard it was to steer. I took it out on a road where I could get it up to 55 or 60 and the handlebars shook like crazy. My immediate thought was that it was out of alignment. I pulled over and had my wife take a video as I drove. Went back to the dealer and they said it drove like all the rest. I showed them the video and they agreed they would need to take a look at it. The next day they called me and said they had a new person putting the bikes together when they are uncrated it and I guess they ran some diagnostics to see if there are any software updates to apply. Anyway, they told me the tech didn't activate the power steering. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I'm wondering what else they may have forgotten to do. I still feel a little something in the handlebars but when I look at them they aren't shaking. Same as like when driving a car and you just know something is not right with your tires. This bike was built in Dec of 2024, so it has been sitting for 1 1/2 years. I suspect some of the belts in the tires may be having an issue. I'll address that later.

Main question - What all do they have to ACTIVATE on a new bike?

Despite all of the replies above to the contrary, this WAS a thing with the 2025 RT and F3 units. Shipped from the factory with a software issue that prevented the DPS from operating. What your dealer was trying to say was that, during PDI, a machine needs to be hooked up to BUDS to check for any mandatory updates. This particular update did, in fact, activate the DPS. Either it was missed, or the update hadn't been issued yet. The bulletin didn’t come out until March 2025, and is still in effect. At many dealerships, the Sales people do the PDI, not the Service people. Your dealership does have room for improvement with their communications, and they shouldn't have blown you off like that the first time. Maybe one might choose a different word, but in this case, however, the DPS really did need to be "activated".

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11015829-0001.pdf

 

[Mikey]

Now that you have had a bad experience with the bike, you're probably a little a little over sensitive to all the road vibrations you will feel from the surface of the pavement, or it could be that you have a tire out of balance just a bit, the stock tires are well known for that! It's too bad your shop didn't set it up right from the get-go, good luck hope you get it right, stay on them to get it where YOU want it!!