Educate me on the reliability of the Rykers

[RykTek]

Now that you have educated me a bit on the older RS models, maybe you can tell me about the Rykers?

Again, I was looking at the Rykers and reading about the VSS codes that put you into limp mode for no reason made me real nervous.

Like I said in my other thread,

Thread 'Looking at an '09 RS SM5 - are they Reliable & Easy to work for DIY repairs & maintenance? What about Electronics?'

Mar 22, 2025

Looking at a low(ish) mileage '09 RS (Manual tans). Very nice shape. But I DIY all my motorcycle repairs and want to know if these bikes are simple enough to work on or if I should be nervous about all the electronics?

Help!

• RykTek
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Spyder GS/RS - Sport

I am a DIY person. No dealerships for me. The Ryker seemed a lot easier to work on in general compared to the Spyders. It is a lot more like a scooter, which I have experience working on.

How dependable are they. Easy to work on? Do they throw a VSS code every time you look at them crosseyed?

Which would you go for - an older ('09" RS) or a newer Ryker Rally?

THANK YOU!

 

[BajaRon]

The Ryker is a dependable ride. And they are easier to work on than the Spyder. The biggest maintenance item is the drive belt which BRP recommends to replace around 10k. Many get more miles than this out of it. But it depends on how the belt was broken in and how the Ryker is ridden. Putting a free flowing air filter on the belt drive side (like K&N) will extend the life of the belt. Still, it is a good idea to check that filter often.

 

[Raven]

Bought my 2022 Sport in 2023 so I don't have a lot of miles on it.
But it has never thrown a VSS fault yet.
My understanding they don't like trail braking (holding the throttle open and braking at the same time.)
The manual says not to use the cruise control in the rain (wheel spin, the TC is trying to brake and the cruise is trying to speed up)
Pretty simple to work on, and Rotax builds strong motors. There are sleds and side by sides that use the same basic motor pulling a lot more HP (200 plus)
One member here rode hers to Alaska and back.
Hope this helps
Bruce

 

[DickB]

I owned a Ryker for three years and follow the groups. My impression is Rykers are less reliable. Yes, many people have had no problems, but VSS faults, yaw sensor, the so-called "left turn wobble", and fuel pump issues are common. My Ryker was the most unreliable motorcycle I have ever owned. My 2019, bought used with 2500 miles two years old, had

• A broken roller on the driven pulley almost immediately.
• A botched fix (which the dealer did promptly correct) that left me stranded 20 miles from the dealer.
• Very early nanny on left turns only ("left turn wobble". The dealer charged me $170 to say it was "normal". At that point I bought my own BUDS and did fixes myself. The nanny fix required a Steering Update Kit per a Service Bulletin on this (which the dealer ignored when I pointed it out) and replacing a bad SAS.
• 2 fuel pump failures, one I caught and fixed before getting stranded; the other left me stranded.
• Fuel pump whine necessitating a Service Bulletin fix ($6 part added to the fuel pump, not covered under a recall).
• A failed exhaust manifold gasket (also not uncommon).
• Wheel nut recall and fender wiring recall. There was also a fuel pump recall for which I was told I did not qualify and other recalls that did not affect mine including a loose handlebar fix.
• Cracked front wheel (I did not hit anything).

As mentioned, the belt needs changing or at least inspection at about 12k miles; you need a special $30 tool to do it and BUDS to reset the service reminder if having that reminder constantly pop up bothers you.

 

[RykTek]

I owned a Ryker for three years and follow the groups. My impression is Rykers are less reliable. Yes, many people have had no problems, but VSS faults, yaw sensor, the so-called "left turn wobble", and fuel pump issues are common. My Ryker was the most unreliable motorcycle I have ever owned. My 2019, bought used with 2500 miles two years old, had

• A broken roller on the driven pulley almost immediately.
• A botched fix (which the dealer did promptly correct) that left me stranded 20 miles from the dealer.
• Very early nanny on left turns only ("left turn wobble". The dealer charged me $170 to say it was "normal". At that point I bought a BUDS and did fixes myself. The nanny fix required a Steering Update Kit per a Service Bulletin on this (which the dealer ignored when I pointed it out) and replacing a bad SAS.
• 2 fuel pump failures, one I caught and fixed before getting stranded; the other left me stranded.
• Fuel pump whine necessitating a Service Bulletin fix ($6 part added to the fuel pump, not covered under a recall).
• A failed exhaust manifold gasket (also not uncommon).
• Wheel nut recall and fender wiring recall. There was also a fuel pump recall for which I was told I did not qualify and other recalls that did not affect mine including a loose handlebar fix.
• Cracked front wheel (I did not hit anything).

As mentioned, the belt needs changing or at least inspection at about 12k miles; you need a special $30 tool to do it and BUDS to reset the service reminder if having that reminder constantly pop up bothers you.

Yikes! Thanks for the heads-up. Good to know.

 

[Peter Aawen]

All good info, both here and in your other thread, but please, do remember that Forums like this is where people come to find info about and resolve problems... So for every person you see/hear on any Forum with an issue, there's likely at least 15 or more people out there who are just riding on with absofreakinlutely NO concerns at all and without ever having had any significant issues either, except maybe due to the 'poor customer service/knowledge of some dealers, and those 'Great idea, absolutely crappy execution' issues that BRP still insists on foisting off on us & never bothers to fix!!

So as a Spyder Rider for over a decade now, having ridden well over 'just' into 6 figures of miles total on various Spyder's & Ryker's, I reckon you should probably forget about making such an effort to get all the bad news about all the potential problems that might occur, which in reality, a relative 'few' owners have encountered and most only ever read about, seemingly in an effort scare yourself AWAY from these things; and instead, go ride one or as many as you can!!

Maybe you should do one of the Demo rides that @cptjam is involved with running every year -

Thread '2025 Demo rides are on their way!!'

Mar 14, 2025

Hello, my friends!
SpyderAnn and I are going back on tour with the Can-Am Demo tour! We are thrilled and excited to bring the 2025 models out! I’m not sure about all the details, but, keep checking the website. This is our 5th campaign, and we just love to ride. I’m not sure if anyone has passed SpyderAnn, but her 350,000 Spyder miles easily makes her one of, if not the, highest mileage Spyder riders on the planet. I keep her rolling. We also fix/maintain them. I’m all about our community, and the fellowship. We have so many friends around the country, we hope to catch up with as many as...

• cptjam
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Spyder General Discussion

• 
• 

Or try to get on one of the MFS Courses for new Spyder/Ryker riders that are often run in various places over your way...


But above all, try them, ride them, and find out if you can enjoy the ride (bearing in mind that it takes many a while/a few thousand miles to truly come to grips with the different experience) and if you think you could come to like it as much as the rest of us do, then just:

'Buy the Damn Bike! You KNOW you Want to!'

And from there, ride it, learn about it, enjoy it, don't sweat the small stuff, just enjoy, and:

'Ride More, Worry Less!'

Just Sayin'

 

[BajaRon]

I owned a Ryker for three years and follow the groups. My impression is Rykers are less reliable. Yes, many people have had no problems, but VSS faults, yaw sensor, the so-called "left turn wobble", and fuel pump issues are common. My Ryker was the most unreliable motorcycle I have ever owned. My 2019, bought used with 2500 miles two years old, had

• A broken roller on the driven pulley almost immediately.
• A botched fix (which the dealer did promptly correct) that left me stranded 20 miles from the dealer.
• Very early nanny on left turns only ("left turn wobble". The dealer charged me $170 to say it was "normal". At that point I bought my own BUDS and did fixes myself. The nanny fix required a Steering Update Kit per a Service Bulletin on this (which the dealer ignored when I pointed it out) and replacing a bad SAS.
• 2 fuel pump failures, one I caught and fixed before getting stranded; the other left me stranded.
• Fuel pump whine necessitating a Service Bulletin fix ($6 part added to the fuel pump, not covered under a recall).
• A failed exhaust manifold gasket (also not uncommon).
• Wheel nut recall and fender wiring recall. There was also a fuel pump recall for which I was told I did not qualify and other recalls that did not affect mine including a loose handlebar fix.
• Cracked front wheel (I did not hit anything).

As mentioned, the belt needs changing or at least inspection at about 12k miles; you need a special $30 tool to do it and BUDS to reset the service reminder if having that reminder constantly pop up bothers you.

Not to dispute the seriousness of your situation. But the fact is that you can go to any forum, Goldwing, Harley, you name it and find similar stories. Every product has it's issues. The seriousness and repetition may vary. And I think that is the question we are looking at here.

 

[RykTek]

I'm not trying to talk myself out of one. I am just a research-heavy type of person. At the same time I am looking at Spyders/Rykers, I am looking at Harleys, BMWs and a few Jap bikes. In fact, I never STOP shopping.

I have been able to keep myself in "free" motorcycles for years now. Buy low, have fun, sell for a few bucks extra and move on.

I DO want a Can-Am! Hard to decide if I should pursue the '09 RS Spyder or a newer Ryker though. I have to admit, the RS is SOOOOO purty....

 

[RykTek]

Not to dispute the seriousness of your situation. But the fact is that you can go to any forum, Goldwing, Harley, you name it and find similar stories. Every product has it's issues. The seriousness and repetition may vary. And I think that is the question we are looking at here.

Yep. I wanted a Gold Wing 1500, so I spent a good while researching them. By the time I found a "deal" on one I already knew enough about it to rebuild it. So that's why I do my research.

 

[Mikey]

If it's built by man, it will fail and break down sooner or later! It comes with a warranty and hopefully the design failures will rear their ugly heads before it runs out! You said you are a DYI type of person and trust me you are not going to find anything in the world that will last forever without working on something! Just bite the bullet and put your hair in the breeze and buy one, you know you want one, get it!!! Stop trying to talk yourself out of it!!

 

[DickB]

Not to dispute the seriousness of your situation. But the fact is that you can go to any forum, Goldwing, Harley, you name it and find similar stories. Every product has it's issues. The seriousness and repetition may vary. And I think that is the question we are looking at here.

I follow both Spyder and Ryker groups. While my personal Ryker experience is admittedly not common, I also indicated that VSS faults, yaw sensor failures, the so-called "left turn wobble", and fuel pump issues are commonly reported. I have seen more posts on VSS problems and limp home mode with Rykers than Spyders, and also specific Ryker design defects related to VSS and design and manufacturing defects with the fuel pump that were not covered under recall or warranty but in my opinion should have been.

To answer the OP's question directly, I would choose an older Spyder over a newer Ryker. In fact I did.

 

[RykTek]

Lots of good info. Thank you!

 

[spyderladyf3]

l had a '20 Ryker for 4 months, had 2 VSS fault codes on it, put in a little over 1000 into it before l traded it for my F3 SE. The Ryker was in the shop getting fixed the 2nd time when the finance guy said, let's get you into a new ride. l had only made 4 payments on the Ryker. l love my Spyder, he has way more power. The Ryker always sounded like I was pushing it to its limit, but my F3 just cruises along perfectly. Look into a Spyder before you get a Ryker, you'll love it!

 

[StalkyTracker]

2023 Ryker Rally purchased new. 3,400 +/- miles, most put on last year. No issues, though it did have a dead battery when I picked it up from the dealer. Prepping for another 3,000 mile trip.