AZCowboy
New member
2012 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited
Now don't get my wrong I love my bike and enjoy riding it people should know about the other side of the coin (the dark side) before they buy one.
Problems from day one with the unit.
Under 600 miles.
Button for the front storage compartment cover did not work most of the time
- Fixed by dealer.
Front storage compartment cover latch moved caused by nut and bolts not tighten enough (both front storage compartment cover problems found on a 2013 Spyder RT Limited right after it was purchased).
-Fixed by Harley Riders while out on a bikers night a long way from home and couldn't latch it closed.
Wife and I went for a ride turned out to be 110 that day by other drivers gage. Wife got serious burns on inside of right leg just below knee now has scars. Problem was the heat from the two fan ports on right. Heat coming down side of unit giving me a hot foot and going between my right leg and body of unit. It mixed with the heat coming up from the cat converter that is under with no shielding between the driver's foot rest and the passenger's. Combined heat hit wife's boot and went up wife's denim pants burning her leg. The combined heat was pulled up by the vacuum of the windshield which also went up to her head causing some level of heat stroke all in a short ride.
- Ignored by BRP. Fixed by myself after a few try's while talking to other Spyder RT riders. The fix turned out to be a simple one and I am not even a engineer. I told their tech that even the blogs talk about the heat problem and their answer was they watch the blogs but can't believe them? If anyone wants to know how I did it just contact me and I will tell you and send you the information free.
- Note we had some Canadians come down to the Grand Canyon on their Can-Am's and all the did is complain about the heat problem saying they don't have this problem in Canada. We reminded them that they do not have our heat either.
Under 5,000 miles
Turn signal switch kept getting stuck on left turns and couldn't be disengaged.
- Dealer contacted BRP and they didn't want to replace it saying it still worked. Dealer pushed on safety and got it replaced.
At 11,000 miles the new left turn signal now sticking on left turns only also.
Oil leaking out of water pump.
- Dealer replaced the water pump got parts right away but took a month to get tools to do it.
Death wobble in front end and when hit a bump it went out of control.
- Dealer found on new front tire came apart inside causing it. The tires a suppose to be with in a half pound of each other or it would go into limp mode. BRP replace tire but wouldn't replace other which had 5,000 miles on it (they should be replaced in pairs).
Flashing check engine light when it got approximately 110 on their meter and the bike didn't need to have been running would do this with bike engine cold. Have a lot of complaints of owners out here.
- BRP know so it but have not given any answer about fixing problem. Still a problem.
Over 5,000 miles.
Rear tire wears out a average of 8,000 to 10,000 miles and BRP tries to force you to buy the tires they control made for them by Kendra.
- If you want to put a different tire meeting same specs they may mount it for you but you have to sign a waver. You can not do it unless you have the tooled to re-align the belt.
- Tire I am using on my rear is a Toyo Proxes 4 of which has been fantastic compared to the stock tire which did poor. I have heard people also us Goodrich GForce Sport, Porsche, Cobra, and Faulkner tires. I will never go back to the stock tires.
Since the new car tire is doing so well I am replacing the sway bar with a BajaRon Sway bar. Can-Am has come to realize they have a problem with there's and are offering another sway bar for a additional price like the windshield.
- If you need front end alignment most of the dealers out in Arizona plus Nevada don't have what they need saying it cost to much?
Bolts coming loose and falling out of exhaust muffler end caps.
Drive belt replacement.
- Design gives no place for a stone to go if picked up onto belt. They do not have any guard to block stones getting up on belt. If you need to replace belt for any reason BRP says you have to replace both sprockets with belt. If you only get belt replaced then you have to sign a waver. The cost of the belt and both sprockets being replaced is $1,100+.
I have found it very hard to even get to the air filter to replace it or to the head lights to replace light if needed. Just to change the oil filter (both if you have a SE5) without taking off half of the side and underbelly. Even their own techs hate to work on the units. Gas mileage really sucks on them if you are lucky you may get 28 mpg (with high test as they call for) but have to run the motor at 5,000 rpm's. The SM5's I am hearing gets maybe 28 to 30 mpg. On the SE5 in trailer mode will not let you shift till you are 4,500 to 5,000 rpm's. BRP doesn't tell you the best RPM's to shift or ride at. I have found 5,000+ rpm's is good and ride at 5,000 rpm's. Now to pass I have found with the SE5 if you are going approximately 65 mph you have to kick it down to 4th running up your rpm's other wish you feel like you have a limiting device on the unit. They will also go through oil without leaking it. From 8,000 miles on bike to 12,000 miles I went through a quart of oil.
I have been riding bikes since I was in diapers and learned on a Harley 45 and a 1939 flathead Harley tank shifter/suicide clutch. I am 66 now and don't really care for the new Harley Trike but now think that would of been a better deal then the Can-Am Spyder RT LTD. In good faith I can't recommend the Can-Am Spyder RT to anyone and I also own a 2004 ATV of theirs. The company doesn't seem to care about the customer and doesn't even respond to them and have heard this also from people with some of their other products.
[email protected]
Now don't get my wrong I love my bike and enjoy riding it people should know about the other side of the coin (the dark side) before they buy one.
Problems from day one with the unit.
Under 600 miles.
Button for the front storage compartment cover did not work most of the time
- Fixed by dealer.
Front storage compartment cover latch moved caused by nut and bolts not tighten enough (both front storage compartment cover problems found on a 2013 Spyder RT Limited right after it was purchased).
-Fixed by Harley Riders while out on a bikers night a long way from home and couldn't latch it closed.
Wife and I went for a ride turned out to be 110 that day by other drivers gage. Wife got serious burns on inside of right leg just below knee now has scars. Problem was the heat from the two fan ports on right. Heat coming down side of unit giving me a hot foot and going between my right leg and body of unit. It mixed with the heat coming up from the cat converter that is under with no shielding between the driver's foot rest and the passenger's. Combined heat hit wife's boot and went up wife's denim pants burning her leg. The combined heat was pulled up by the vacuum of the windshield which also went up to her head causing some level of heat stroke all in a short ride.
- Ignored by BRP. Fixed by myself after a few try's while talking to other Spyder RT riders. The fix turned out to be a simple one and I am not even a engineer. I told their tech that even the blogs talk about the heat problem and their answer was they watch the blogs but can't believe them? If anyone wants to know how I did it just contact me and I will tell you and send you the information free.
- Note we had some Canadians come down to the Grand Canyon on their Can-Am's and all the did is complain about the heat problem saying they don't have this problem in Canada. We reminded them that they do not have our heat either.
Under 5,000 miles
Turn signal switch kept getting stuck on left turns and couldn't be disengaged.
- Dealer contacted BRP and they didn't want to replace it saying it still worked. Dealer pushed on safety and got it replaced.
At 11,000 miles the new left turn signal now sticking on left turns only also.
Oil leaking out of water pump.
- Dealer replaced the water pump got parts right away but took a month to get tools to do it.
Death wobble in front end and when hit a bump it went out of control.
- Dealer found on new front tire came apart inside causing it. The tires a suppose to be with in a half pound of each other or it would go into limp mode. BRP replace tire but wouldn't replace other which had 5,000 miles on it (they should be replaced in pairs).
Flashing check engine light when it got approximately 110 on their meter and the bike didn't need to have been running would do this with bike engine cold. Have a lot of complaints of owners out here.
- BRP know so it but have not given any answer about fixing problem. Still a problem.
Over 5,000 miles.
Rear tire wears out a average of 8,000 to 10,000 miles and BRP tries to force you to buy the tires they control made for them by Kendra.
- If you want to put a different tire meeting same specs they may mount it for you but you have to sign a waver. You can not do it unless you have the tooled to re-align the belt.
- Tire I am using on my rear is a Toyo Proxes 4 of which has been fantastic compared to the stock tire which did poor. I have heard people also us Goodrich GForce Sport, Porsche, Cobra, and Faulkner tires. I will never go back to the stock tires.
Since the new car tire is doing so well I am replacing the sway bar with a BajaRon Sway bar. Can-Am has come to realize they have a problem with there's and are offering another sway bar for a additional price like the windshield.
- If you need front end alignment most of the dealers out in Arizona plus Nevada don't have what they need saying it cost to much?
Bolts coming loose and falling out of exhaust muffler end caps.
Drive belt replacement.
- Design gives no place for a stone to go if picked up onto belt. They do not have any guard to block stones getting up on belt. If you need to replace belt for any reason BRP says you have to replace both sprockets with belt. If you only get belt replaced then you have to sign a waver. The cost of the belt and both sprockets being replaced is $1,100+.
I have found it very hard to even get to the air filter to replace it or to the head lights to replace light if needed. Just to change the oil filter (both if you have a SE5) without taking off half of the side and underbelly. Even their own techs hate to work on the units. Gas mileage really sucks on them if you are lucky you may get 28 mpg (with high test as they call for) but have to run the motor at 5,000 rpm's. The SM5's I am hearing gets maybe 28 to 30 mpg. On the SE5 in trailer mode will not let you shift till you are 4,500 to 5,000 rpm's. BRP doesn't tell you the best RPM's to shift or ride at. I have found 5,000+ rpm's is good and ride at 5,000 rpm's. Now to pass I have found with the SE5 if you are going approximately 65 mph you have to kick it down to 4th running up your rpm's other wish you feel like you have a limiting device on the unit. They will also go through oil without leaking it. From 8,000 miles on bike to 12,000 miles I went through a quart of oil.
I have been riding bikes since I was in diapers and learned on a Harley 45 and a 1939 flathead Harley tank shifter/suicide clutch. I am 66 now and don't really care for the new Harley Trike but now think that would of been a better deal then the Can-Am Spyder RT LTD. In good faith I can't recommend the Can-Am Spyder RT to anyone and I also own a 2004 ATV of theirs. The company doesn't seem to care about the customer and doesn't even respond to them and have heard this also from people with some of their other products.
[email protected]
