2011 CAN-AM SPYDER RS — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS MY "DYNAMIC POWER STEERING UNIT" I HAD A LIGHT COME ON TELLING ME TO CHECK MY DPS!! I FIRST MENTION THIS TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY WHICH THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM!! THERE WAS A SAFETY CAMPAIGN IN JULY 2009!!

I HAD AN ANTIFREEZE LEAK FROM THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WHICH LEAKED ANTIFREEZE ALL OVER THE GROUND AND ONTO THE TIRES. UPON GOOGLING THE ISSUE I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK LEAKING FROM THE BACKSIDE OF THE TANK, SO COMMON THAT BRP (CAN-AM) MADE A NEW VERSION OF THE COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK THAT IS REINFORCED IN THAT AREA TO SOLVE THE ISSUE. UPON CONTACTING BRP (CAN-AM) THEY STATED THEY WERE NOT ISSUING A RECALL ON THIS ITEM AND I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE IT FROM A DEALER. I BELIEVE DO TO THEM KNOWING ABOUT THE ISSUE, MAKING A REPLACEMENT TANK TO SOLVE THE ISSUE, THAT THIS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER SOME TYPE OF RECALL DO TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF IT AND THAT IT LEAKS ANTIFREEZE ONTO THE GROUND WHICH THEN CAN CAUSE THE TIRES TO LOSE TRACTION CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS ISSUE IS ON SEVERAL WEBSITES AND FORUMS WHEN YOU DO A SEARCH.

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CAN-AM SPYDER MOTORCYCLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SMELLED OF GASOLINE AND FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE OVERFLOW TANK. THE CONTACT HAD THE DEALER REPLACE THE TANK TWICE BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,500.

MY LAST RIDE, AS IN PREVIOUS RIDES, WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ODOR OF RAW FUEL. AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 50'S. TYPICAL CITY TRAFFIC BUT NO LONG PERIODS OF STANDING STILL. ENGINE TEMPERATURE NORMAL. VOLUME OF FUEL IN THE TANK DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR. PARKED THE SPYDER AND, AS IN THE PAST, OBSERVED VAPORS EMITTING FROM THE VENT HOSE UNDER THE FRAME WITH AN OCCASIONAL DROP OF FUEL. REMOVED THE FUEL CAP, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND OBSERVED THE SOUND OF BOILING LIQUID. WITHOUT ANY DETAIL GIVEN I ASKED MY PASSENGER TO DO LIKEWISE WHICH RESULTED IN AN IDENTICAL OBSERVATION. VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE ENCLOSED NATURE OF THE VEHICLE, TO PREVENT HEAT RADIATED FROM THE EXHAUST, IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FUEL TANK, FROM HEATING THE TANK SUFFICIENTLY TO CAUSE THE FUEL TO BOIL. THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR