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Was a Spyder a Mistake?

w6ada

w6ada

New member
I have been a Spyder owner for about two months. I bought a 2014 Spyder RT with less than 3,000 miles. I loved it!. I have been riding two wheels for about 50 years starting with a Honda 305 to many other Honda's, lots of Goldwings and toured my entire adult life. Got into Harleys at "middle age" and had a bunch. I had a number of Harley's over the years and left two wheels (except for a Vespa, so much fun) for about ten years. Now, why am I telling you all this? Well, I guess to say I am not new to motorcycling, but I may have made a mistake paying well into five figures for a Can Am Spyder.

Within 300 miles of purchase, I began having the "DESS Key Error" Then I learn this is frequent for 2014 to 2016 Spyder RT's and it really wasn't until 2017 or 2018 did BRP correct this problem. So,right now, the Frunk is off and I am awaiting a DESS module and hope this resolves this issue. Never mind that my wife of 40 plus years now views the Spyder as "unreliable", and for those of you married a long time know the life span on that is, well, a long time.

But, more importantly, some extensive reading around this and another CAN-AM Spyder forums find some frequent threads regarding some significant and serious reliability issues. Looking further shows what seems to be an inordinate feeling the majority of Can-AM dealers are sub par, uncaring, and some even lie to customers. This cannot be true for no manufacturer could remain in business with such a reputation. Yet, the thread seems to be true.

I live in California and I have three Can-Am dealer/ service centers within 150 miles. None closer. The first is where the Spyder was sold new in 2014. I called them to see what service my Spyder had and when. After about ten days and six messages, no one from the dealer ever even called me back. Hmmmm... my first experience with a Can-Am dealer not good. The other two dealers had a waiting list of three to five weeks just for an (3,000 miles service) oil change. I could go on. I am doing the DESS module change myself mostly because now I don't really trust the dealers. But as alarming as this is was the Spyder owners making statements that "It isn't like a Goldwing" (ie reliability), or "I don't ever take it more than 75 miles from home". And many others I have read, irrespective of the irony of a Touring Bike not being reliable enough to travel more than 75 miles from a trailer to take it home!.

Anyway, I guess I am looking for the real owners picture of the Can-Am Spyder, specifically from 2014 on. I know people who find their product great don't often write in forums (or at least I hope this theory is true), but please tell me if your experience with a Spyder (or and a dealer) was positive, and most importantly, are they really a "Touring" motorcycle, or are they just too unreliable to trust them on a trip.
 
I have a 2014 30K miles and the only issue was the DESS module. I replaced it and no more issues.

Now some have disabled there's

My battery is 5 years old my Harley would only last 2 years.

For me the Spyder has been a Cadillac for me and reliable.

Only 3K miles you have plenty more to go.

I went to South Dakota ran it for 11 hours straight with a passenger and a trailer in tow.. The Spyder is a mule.
 
w6ada said:
I have been a Spyder owner for about two months. I bought a 2014 Spyder RT with less than 3,000 miles. I loved it!. I am not new to motorcycling, but I may have made a mistake paying well into five figures for a Can Am Spyder...some extensive reading around this and another CAN-AM Spyder forums find some frequent threads regarding some significant and serious reliability issues. Looking further shows what seems to be an inordinate feeling the majority of Can-AM dealers are sub par, uncaring, and some even lie to customers. This cannot be true for no manufacturer could remain in business with such a reputation. Yet, the thread seems to be true.

I live in California and I have three Can-Am dealer/ service centers within 150 miles. None closer. The first is where the Spyder was sold new in 2014. I called them to see what service my Spyder had and when. After about ten days and six messages, no one from the dealer ever even called me back. Hmmmm... my first experience with a Can-Am dealer not good. The other two dealers had a waiting list of three to five weeks just for an (3,000 miles service) oil change. I could go on. I am doing the DESS module change myself mostly because now I don't really trust the dealers.

Anyway, I guess I am looking for the real owners picture of the Can-Am Spyder, specifically from 2014 on. I know people who find their product great don't often write in forums (or at least I hope this theory is true), but please tell me if your experience with a Spyder (or and a dealer) was positive, and most importantly, are they really a "Touring" motorcycle, or are they just too unreliable to trust them on a trip.
Click to expand...

I can't tell you whether you made a mistake paying as much as you did, since you didn't say what that was. But, it doesn't matter because that's done.

The SpyderRT is a 'real' touring motorcycle. That's why we bought two for touring the states in our old age. Reliability is statistically NOT an issue with these machines, but you would think so reading some of these alarmist posts on the forum.

You found out the hard way it seems that BRP's achilles heel is their sparse and spotty dealer service network. The good news is that if you are patient and persistent, you can troubleshoot and fix MOST of the issues that will inevitably arise. I've never had a DESS issue, but I've had a VSS and limp home mode on both our bikes, both of which turned out to be nothing more alarming than a sticky brake switch (easily remedied).

If you are the kind of person who needs a lot of hand-holding from the dealer, though, it could be a frustrating and expensive experience with routine maintenance and repairs. If so, I strongly recommend that you get involved with the Spyder club in your area. Between the helpful folks in the club and the helpful folks here, your potential for frustration will be greatly diminished I think.

How close are you to the Sacramento group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/162255490493110/
 
I have owned two Spyders, the latest being a 2015 F3S which I bought new. It now has over 39,000 miles on it and I have never been stranded. I have ridden all over the US and even to Canada and have never worried about a breakdown. In September I will be riding to California for a Spyder rally and then to the Pacific northwest. I have had a few issues that were taken care of under warranty, but nothing major. I would ride my Spyder anywhere with confidence.
 
Like you I have been at this for over 50 years. Owned them all and rode them all over this great country. I actually have a very good dealership that has been selling Spyders since the very beginning. They have always answered any questions I have had and seem to be knowledgeable about what they sell. They are a multi brand dealer, but their Spyder customers do not get treated as second class citizens. They have two good techs, but I do my own work because I enjoy it and I am a mechanical kind of guy. I bought a 2015 base model RT in January of 2017. It was brand new and sitting back in the corner all by itself. It was black and as the base model probably not very appealing to most shoppers. I got a great deal on it. At this time it has 25,000 miles on it including a 5000 mile trip to Nova Scotia and the New England states. I installed car tires and Baja Rons shock adjusters and other than a few farkles that is it. Bike is stock, gets oil, filters, and other maintenance at the suggested mileage. I am on the original battery and the RT has been trouble free and reliable. I have experienced the dreaded DESS error twice and both times were after washing the bike and hosing it off leaving a small puddle around the ignition switch. Never other than that. When I can find someone near Ohio with the program to disable the DESS mine will be disabled post haste. Rt is a complicated piece of machinery, but not nearly as complicated as the 2017 Tacoma in the driveway. I would think nothing of jumping on the RT and heading for your place in northern California. Count me as a satisfied customer. Oh yeah, talk about living on the edge. I didn't purchase the extended warranty.
 
Hello w6,

I have a 2014 RT s also. It has never left me stranded. We have driven it on 3 trips of over 2,000 ( and many others of shorter distances )with out a second thought about reliability.

On forums like this the owners with problems come for help------ The thousands of us who have had little or no trouble don't brag about it much. Hopefully you can get the DESS problem solved as just about all others have. You can even have it disabled. As other have mentioned here and on other threads------ a solid dealer is a great find.
 
Spyder buyers are a captive market for BRP. As you've read w6ada, a disproportionate number of owners tolerate the reliability issues you read of and have now begun to experience for yourself. I hope you experience no more. As stated, you can have the DESS disabled but a dealer will not do it, or so I've read. One or two regulars on here can do it for you for a fee I believe. For what it was worth, a survey a year or two back rated Spyders at number 10 for reliability. All the defenders protested, but when you're sitting on the side of the road calling for help, stuck in limp mode, waiting weeks for parts and repairs or even diagnosis, that's when the reliability spyder's bite has bit you on the butt. I own a 10yo Spyder and would not trade or swap it for a newer one. Folks like us buy em coz just about no other machine will scratch the itch. Lotsa folks keep coming back for more. :hun:
That's my 2 cents worth. :cheers:
 
I'm so sorry for your issues and for your wife's feeling of unreliability. If I'm scared of a vehicle it soon goes away.

In my case my '15 RTL has been rock solid and I go everywhere. I have 30K trouble free miles and a wonderful dealer. We also have a '15 F3S with the same trouble free experience. I can only wish the same for you.

The best,
Rob

Rob


w6ada said:
Anyway, I guess I am looking for the real owners picture of the Can-Am Spyder
Click to expand...
 
I have 54,527 on mine; parking brake motor replaced under warranty at 9K miles. No other problems.
 
There are many of us here like Freddy - we've got one of these extrordinary machines, we enjoy ryding them, and generally, they've been thoroughly enjoyable & largely reliable rides for us over many thousands of miles! Many of us tour &/or travel long distances on them; even tho here in Aust, that's often on roads where a breakdown that sees you unable to proceed can become a life-threatening incident pdq! :shocked: Notwithstanding, we simply make whatever appropriate preparations and take the precautions we believe are necessary and we ryde! :yes: For most of us, we do that on our Spyders just like we would on any other machine.... it's not a majorly different thing just because it's a Spyder?! Sure, there have been some significant standout issues where BRP entirely fumbled the ball with their handling & response, but show me a manufacturer that's never had anything like that happen?! :dontknow:

So the DESS has become a problem for you & many others, but there IS a known range of tested & proven options you can choose from in order to resolve it. Some Ryders won't do anything more than take whatever BRP & their dealer doles out, even if it means the issue might arise again; while others seek a more permanent solution & work out how to get that done, then simply do the necessary so that they never hafta worry about that particular issue any more/ever again! Your ryde, your choice.... :dontknow: But a Spyder is a machine like all others in some ways, but unlike any other in how many miles of smiles most of us get to enjoy on ours! They are made to ryde, so we do - whenever & wherever the moment takes us! :ohyea: :2thumbs:

Who was it who first said - Ryde More, Worry Less! :2thumbs:
 
I started my Spyder experience with a 2014 RTS after many years and miles on 2 wheels, much like you. My 2014 finally got the DESS bug, a few thousand miles into it's journey. Really, that was the ONLY issue I had with it. Except a very slow boot up to be allowed to start it. Which nobody wanted to talk about on this forum or anywhere else. It drove me nuts !
Otherwise, it was great. The mileage isn't good, what performance machine is? Comfort was high. It was quiet, powerful, even hauling my large body around.
It was truly a different riding experience, and I toured it. I went to New Mexico, Texas, Pennsylvania, and many closer destinations too. It was still fairly novel and it got plenty of attention.
I knew there was a risk associated with a 1st year model, the 1330. Just like any first year machine. I traded for another RTS, a 2017, and so far it has addressed all the shortcomings the 2014 had. It really is just brilliant. The 14 was too, just to a lesser degree. It promises to be as reliable as the first one.
I checked the oil so many times, and for nothing, that I finally quit.
Tell the lady of the house to relax and enjoy the Ryde. It is at least as reliable as any other motorcycle. It wasn't that long ago if you saw ANY bike broken down on the side of the road, you knew almost without looking that is was a H-D.
 
Glad i read all this myself w6ada, have been wondering the same myself but understand and agree a lot of people write about the bad experiences.

Thing is i have a 18 F3 LTD with 2500 km on it now, it squeaks up front, ANYONE KNOW WHY?, the motor rattles and areas, plastics etc, are somewhat cheap BUT i love it, dont think i would go back to two wheels now.

I think that most problems were in the earlier models and the basics at least are sound now, as Peter says, ride it and don't worry!
 
I am curious if the OP came to this forum before the purchase - this would have been a good place to start before owning one. I personally lurked around this site for a few months before I purchased my 2016 F3L and 2 years later purchased the 2014 RTS.

It sounds like touring with your Spyder is out of the question since your wife deems it unreliable - I would get rid of it since you have an unhappy wife and continue with the Vespa as a local solo fun machine.
 
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