NHTSA Complaint #10382068 — 2010 CAN-AM SPYDER RT

CAN-AM SPYDERS WITH THE SEMI-AUTOMATIC "SE5" TRANSMISSION CAN LURCH FORWARD AND RAPIDLY DECELERATE WHEN THE THROTTLE IS MOSTLY OPEN AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BUTTON IS PRESSED TO SHIFT TO THE NEXT HIGHER GEAR. OPENING THE THROTTLE FOR QUICK ACCELERATION, WHEN MERGING INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, FOR INSTANCE, RESULTS IN FORCES THAT PUSH A RIDER'S BODY TOWARD THE REAR OF THE MOTORCYCLE. WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THE TRANSMISSION DROPS TO NEUTRAL SUDDENLY AND FOR MORE SEVERAL SECONDS RESULTING IN THE RIDERS' BODIES BEING ACCELERATED FORWARD RAPIDLY--OPPOSITE THE ACCELERATING FORCES--IN AN UNSAFE MANNER THAN CAN RESULT IN NEAR EJECTION FROM THE MOTORCYCLE. ALSO, WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, THE MOTORCYCLE DECELERATES RAPIDLY, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A REAR-END COLLISION, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THE DRIVER WAS INTENTIONALLY ACCELERATING QUICKLY FOR A MANEUVER SUCH AS MERGING OR A LANE CHANGE INTO FASTER TRAFFIC. THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, USUALLY WHEN THE SPYDER IS COLD, I.E. WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF STARTUP. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE HAS BEEN BETWEEN 27 AND 50 DEGREES, THOUGH I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURE CONTRIBUTES TO THE ISSUE.