We had a great time with our Spyder family this past Thursday, February 24, for our Spyder TechTalk. We appreciate your participation and support in the Spyder community. For those of you who couldn't make it, below are some of the things we discussed.
We continually hear customers mention having issues with sporadic handling or pulling to one side or another.
One of the simplest but most common causes of this type of complaint is incorrect tire pressure. The pressure in the front tires is especially crucial to the way the Spyder handles. The front tires should always have the same tire pressure on both sides. If they are not the same, the Spyder can begin to pull in one direction or another.
The other reason correct tire pressures are important is for proper tire wear. The tires that come equipped on a Spyder are very sensitive to correct tire pressure and will wear poorly if the pressure is too high or too low. We recommend checking your tire pressures at least once a week.
Recommended Tire Pressures For Your Spyder |
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Spyder Model | Front | Rear | |
All RS and ST models | 18 PSI | 25 PSI | |
2010-2013 RT models | 22 PSI | 28 PSI | |
2014-current RT models | 25 PSI | 28 PSI | |
All F3 models | 22 PSI | 25 PSI |
Brakes affect the handling of the Spyder as well. It is important to inspect your brake pads for wear and to replace when the pads reach the wear bar. The wear bar is a groove cut in the center of the pad that does not go quite all the way through the pad. Once the pads have worn far enough that the wear groove is no longer visible it is time to replace your brake pads. Failure to replace the brake pads at this time can result in the brake pads not having enough material to dissipate the heat from braking, thus transferring the heat to the rotors and potentially warping the rotors. If the rotors warp, the Spyder may pull violently to one side when under hard braking. If the brake pads are neglected long enough the pad material may wear out entirely and cause the metal plate of the pad to contact the rotor and groove the rotor. Grooved or warped rotors are unsafe and would definitely need to be replaced. This is an expensive repair that can be avoided by changing the brake pads at the proper time.
At our Spyder TechTalk, our certified Can-Am technician Kenny also discussed the importance of a dealer performing the recommended maintenance on Spyders. Some customers perform their own maintenance at home and some elect to only have the oil and filter changed. This does not allow the technician to hook the Spyder up to the diagnostic software and check for electrical issues, software updates, or any of the other items that the diagnostic software allows us to monitor. Kenny also mentioned the importance of checking the engine oil and the proper procedure for doing so. The brake fluid is another item that some customers neglect to maintain at the proper intervals. To ensure proper brake pressure the brake fluid should be flushed every two years.
Feel free to come into Central Florida PowerSports and we will be happy to give you the maintenance schedule for your specific Spyder, which we recommend you following it as closely as possible. If you ever have any questions about the proper maintenance, if your Spyder is due for maintenance, or the cost of one of these items, please do not hesitate to call our service department for the answers to any of your questions.
We really enjoyed having everyone at our facility and sharing our knowledge with our Spyder family. We hope that everyone found the information useful and we encourage all of you to come back for the next one. If you have any suggestions on future topics that you would like discussed please let us know and we will be sure to include those in our next Spyder TechTalk. And for those of you who couldn't make it... don't miss the next one!
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Don Hiett
March 06, 2017
Great Information. Thank you hosting the brief. If I knew when an update was available for my Spyder I would bring it in immediately for service.
Thanks again.
Don and Becky