CAN-AM Complaints

I HAVE A 2009 CAN AM SPYDER. THERE IS A STEERING PROBLEM WITH THE BIKE. I WILL BE DRIVING THE BIKE STRAIGHT AND IT WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN GO LEFT WITHOUT MY TURNING THE HANDLE BAR IN THAT DIRECTION. I HAVE TO THEN PULL THE BAR RIGHT, IT WILL CLICK AND THEN I WILL HAVE CONTROL OVER THE STEERING AGAIN. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT SIX TIMES NOW, AND WHEN IT HAPPENS IT IS RANDOM. THUS FAR I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT BUT IT IS DANGEROUS AND BRP NEEDS TO BE WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEMS, COMPENSATING THEM OR SOMETHING. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, WHEN I TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR REGULAR 3000 MILE MAINTENANCE THEY DID ALL THE CHECKS, HOOKED IT UP TO BUDS AND BASICALLY SAID ALL WAS FINE. SINCE TAKING IT IN, THE STEERING HAS ACTED UP YET AGAIN. BRP HAS CALLED AND LEFT A RAMBLING MESSAGE ON MY MACHINE ABOUT HOW THEY ARE WORKING ON THE STEERING ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. IT IS A DANGEROUS BIKE AS IS, AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT IT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CAN-AM SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH ON MAY 26, 2010, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWERVE SUDDENLY CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL. THE CONTACT HAD TO SLOWLY APPLY THE BRAKES TO GAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED FOR RECALL 09V162000 (STEERING) IN AUGUST 2009 BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE DEALER, WHEN CONTACTED, ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,674.

HAD TROUBLE PUTTING IT INTO NEUTRAL WHEN STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY (DAILY). COMING TO A STOP IT ACTED LIKE THE CLUTCH WAS NOT ENGAGING AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. COULD NOT GET IT STARTED UNTIL I JUST HELD THE STARTER SWITCH, LET THE BIKE JERK ALONG AND THEN START. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE CERAMIC CLUTCH BEARINGS, AND THEY WOULD CHANGE THEM OUT WITH STEEL BEARINGS. ARE THEY ALL LIKE THIS? COULD FIND NO RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 RS SPYDER ON 05/04/2010 AND I HAVE RODE IT 300 SCARY MILES. THIS MACHINE IS DANGEROUS TO RIDE,IT FOLLOWS EVERY SEAM IN THE RODE SURFACE ,JERKING THE MACHINE BACK AND FORTH. SOMETIMES YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD CONTROL OF THE DIRECTION THE BIKE WANTS TO TAKE. I'VE BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES ALL MY LIFE AND KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE,I'VE LOGGED MORE 500,000 MILES ON MOTORCYCLES AND THIS MACHINE IS SCARY TO RIDE. I SPOKE TO THE DEALER ABOUT MY CONCERN AND HE CLAIMS THAT I WILL GET USE TO THE WAY THE MACHINE HANDLES. I DON'T THINK IT'S SEAT TIME, BUT A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT END GEOMETRY. RECALL 09V162000 WAS COMPLETED BEFORE I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE SPYDER. THIS RECALL IS SUPPOSED TO CORRECT A STEERING CONCERN I'VE TRIED TO CONTACT BRP. THE MAKER OF THE MACHINE WITHOUT SUCCESS..WHAT DO I DO? *TR

VEHICLE - 2008 BRP CAN AM SPYDER. WHILE RIDING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN AFTER DARK THE DYNAMIC POWER STEERING (DPS) SEIZED UP AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE UNIT WITH THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE HANDGRIPS. WHEN ENOUGH PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE HANDLE BAR TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE EXCESSIVE OVER STEERING RESULTED. THE OVER STEERING CAUSED ME TO DRIVE INTO THE OPPOSING LANE AND ALTERNATELY ON TO THE SHOULDER. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO PREVENT THE STEERING FROM LOCKING UP IN ANY ONE POSITION WAS TO CONTINUOUSLY MOVE THE HANDLEBAR FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ' RIGHT TO LEFT. I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I KNOW THAT BRP IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY REMEDY THAT PROTECTS THE OWNERS FROM SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. BRP'S APPROACH IS TO PROVIDE SOFTWARE UPDATES TO THE DPS UNITS WHICH MY SPYDER HAD INSTALLED SEPT. 2009. ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF FORUMS; MANY SPYDER OWNERS HAVE HAD DPS FAILURES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 15MPH, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT FINALLY GAVE OUT VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET STOPPED. VEHICLE WITH DRIVER JUMPED A CURB WENT OUT OF CONTROL HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THROTTLE WAS CHECK AND APPEARED TO BE OPERATION OK. SUSPECT THE VEHICLE SOFTWARE AS CAUSE. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PRIOR TO INCIDENT AND REPORTEDLY CHECKED OUT OK. COMPUTER WAS DOWN LOADED AND SHOWED HIGH RPM AND ACCELERATION UP TO THE MOMENT OF IMPACT. *TR

STEERING LOCK ON CAN AM SPYDER WHILE DRIVING. STEERING LOCKED UP SEVERAL TIMES AND HAD TO BE PUSHED QUITE HARD TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THUS CAUSING THE IMMEDIATE JERKING OF THE WHEELS, WHILE MOVING. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND HAS LED TO A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

CAN AM SPYDER EVERY NOW AND THEN WHILE GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE THE POWER STEERING WILL TURN OFF AND COME BACK ON CAUSING AN OVER CORRECTION AND POSSIBLE UNINTENDED LANE CHANGE. *TR

WHILE RIDING ALONG ON A LONG SWEEPING LEFT TURN THE STEERING LOCKED AND I NEEDED TO PHYSICALLY FORCE IT TO UNLOCK. I SINCE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER AND I'M AWAITING FOR A STEERING PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR.

2008 CAN-AM SPYDER DISPLAYED DPS AND VSS ERRORS. RESET ERROR BY TURNING OFF AND LETTING SET FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEN DROVE FOR 40 MILES ON HIGHWAY. UPON EXITING THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE BIKE'S STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WANTED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT ONLY. IT COULD NOT BE STEERED EVEN WITH GREAT FORCE APPLIED TO THE HANDLE BAR. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS THE ABILITY TO STEER KICKED BACK IN. THE SAME SYMPTOMS OCCURRED AGAIN 6-7 TIMES IN THE NEXT 1.5 MILES. BIKE WAS LATER TOWED TO THE CAN-AM DEALER IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. THEY REPLACED THE DPS MODULE WHICH AFTER ONLY 60 MILES IS STILL WORKING FINE.