CAN-AM Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CAN-AM SPYDER GS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

I HAVE HAD THE 2013 SPYDER RTS SINCE 6-24-2014. EVER SINCE GETTING IT THERE HAS BEEN EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING FROM THE BIKE, ESPECIALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE WHERE THE RADIATOR EXHAUST IS VENTED. THE BIKE GETS EXTREMELY HOT WHETHER SITTING STILL OR MOVING. I HAVE DONE MODIFICATION IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE HEAT, AS SUGGESTED ON SPYDERLOVERS.COM BY OTHER SPYDER OWNERS. THE MEASURES HAVEN'T REALLY HELPED AND THE BIKE IS STILL WAY TO HOT! *TR

AFTER RIDING THIS MOTORCYCLE FOR AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES IN WEATHER ABOVE 70 DEGREES F. (IN WARMER WEATHER THE CONDITION OCCURS MORE QUICKLY AND MORE SEVERELY) THE LOCATION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BIKE WHERE YOUR LEG IS POSITIONED BECOMES UNBEARABLY HOT. IN WARMER WEATHER 80 DEGREES F. OR MORE IT ACTUALLY BECOMES PAINFUL TO BARE SKIN. IT BECOMES SO HOT YOU MUST MOVE YOUR LEG AWAY AND INTO THE WIND TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF. THIS FORCES YOU TO TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE FOOTREST AND AWAY FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. ALSO, AFTER RIDING THE BIKE AS STATED ABOVE AND STOPPING FOR TRAFFIC OR TO STOP AND GET OFF YOU CAN CLEARLY SMELL GASOLINE VAPORS. WITH THE PANELS REMOVED I OBSERVED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDER THE FUEL TANK. THE HEAT FROM THIS COMPONENT APPEARS TO BE HEATING UP THE FUEL TANK AND CREATING THE FUEL VAPORS YOU SMELL NEAR THE BIKE. TO REFUEL THE BIKE YOU MUST LIFT THE SEAT TO ACCESS THE FUEL CAP, AFTER RIDING IN THE CONDITIONS STATED ABOVE THIS FUEL CAP ALSO BECOMES VERY, VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH. AGAIN, ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE MORE PRONOUNCED THE WARMER THE WEATHER. I BELIEVE BOTH THESE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE A DANGER TO THE CONSUMER. THE FIRST CONDITION COULD CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION OR POSSIBLY EVEN A SLIGHT BURN TO THE SKIN. IT COULD ALSO CAUSE A DELAY IN REACHING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH HEAT CAUSING YOU TO MOVE YOUR LEG FROM THE VICINITY OF THE BRAKE. THE SECOND CONDITION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A FIRE. BOTH THESE CONDITIONS SEEM TO RELATE TO ONE ROOT CAUSE, TOO MUCH HEAT UNDER THE BODY PANELS AND NO PLACE FOR IT TO GO. THE PROXIMITY OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO THE FUEL TANK IS ALSO A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THESE CONDITIONS. BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE BODILY HARM AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. *TR

THE AREA AROUND THE FRONT OF THE SEAT AND BODYWORK GETS EXTREMELY HOT, HOT ENOUGH THAT LEGS/THIGHS BECOME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND HAVE TO RAISE OFF OF SEAT WHENEVER STOPPED TO GET SOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY APPARENT WHEN RIDING IN WARMER WEATHER AND SITTING AT STOPLIGHTS AND STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THE HOT AIR COMING OUT OF THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE DIRECTLY ONTO RIGHT LEG AND BOOT IS ALSO BECOMES VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE STORAGE BOX IN FRONT OF THE SEAT IS BASICALLY UNUSABLE DUE TO THE HEAT AND THE BODYWORK ALSO BECOMES EXTREMELY HOT AT TIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CAN-AM SPYDER RT MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT COULD SMELL FUEL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS HOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT AND THE SEAT WOULD BECOME VERY HOT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V386000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC), BUT DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800.

THERE IS EXCESSIVE HEAT ON THE RIGHT FOOT AND LOWER LEG AT ALL SPEEDS TO THE EXTENT THAT ONE HAS TO PUT THEIR FOOT ON THE PASSENGER FOOTBOARD TO KEEP THE DISCOMFORT AT A TOLERABLE LEVEL. THERE IS ALSO EXCESSIVE HEAT COMING FROM THE FRONT AND SIDES OF THE SEAT ALSO TO THE POINT OF DISCOMFORT. AFTER RIDING FOR A SHORT TIME (WELL LESS THAN 30 MINUTES) IF THE SEAT IS RAISED, ONE CANNOT TOUCH ANY SURFACE UNDER THE SEAT FOR FEAR OF BEING BURNED. *TR

THE BIKE HAS EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM UNDER THE SEAT AND ALSO HAS A GAS SMELL AFTER RIDING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. *TR

I WENT OUT FOR A SHORT RIDE BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN ON MY BIKE IN A WHILE DUE TO THE HEAT THAT WE NORMALLY EXPERIENCE AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR AND I WANTED TO TRY OUT A NEW HELMET I HAD PURCHASED. WHEN I RETURNED, I PARKED MY BIKE IN THE GARAGE AS I NORMALLY DO. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE SMELL OF GAS. I GOT OFF THE BIKE TO INVESTIGATE, AND AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE BIKE I COULD IMMEDIATELY HEAR WHAT SOUNDED LIKE BOILING. BY THIS TIME THE SMELL OF GAS WAS ALMOST OVERWHELMING. I PUSHED THE BIKE OUT OF THE GARAGE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, AND LET IT COOL OUTSIDE, FOR FEAR OF A FIRE OR EXPLOSION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK. AFTER IT COOLED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, I PUSHED IT BACK INTO THE GARAGE AND PARKED IT. THE NEXT DAY I WENT FOR ANOTHER SHORT RIDE AT ABOUT 10 AM FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THE SITUATION REPEATED ITSELF EXACTLY AS IT HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THE BOILING SOUND AND OVERWHELMING SMELL OF FUEL, EXCEPT THAT I DIDN'T PARK IT IN THE GARAGE THIS TIME. I JUST GOT OFF OF IT AND LET IT COOL OUTSIDE ON THE DRIVEWAY. I HAVEN'T RIDDEN MY SPYDER SINCE THEN. I BELONG TO A FORUM CALLED SPYDERLOVERS.COM AND I DID A SEARCH TO FIND OUT IF ANYONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM AND WHAT I COULD DO ABOUT IT.. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT MANY PEOPLE, OTHER THAN MYSELF, ALSO HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE, SOME RESULTING IN ACTUAL FIRES. *TR

AT RANDOM TIMES, THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT ON THE SPYDER WITH NO WARNING. IT DOESN'T SHOW ANY CODES WHEN IT HAPPENS. DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OR CURVE. DIFFICULTY TURNING THE WHEELS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. *TR

EXTREME HEAT ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEAR MY FEET. INSTALLED FANCAN, WITH NO RESULT. ALSO, HEAT IS EXPERIENCED AROUND THE SEAT. *TR