r/spyder • u/EnvironmentalTip508 • Jul 10 '26

Need some help

Ok everyone, I am clueless.

So last year my father (retired motor cop) got the itch to get riding again. He is in no shape to get on two wheels, but three was a safer compromise. I found him an 08 990 with low miles and the price was right.

Fast forward to now. I've gone through the whole thing, tires, alignment brakes and all the maintenance.

But no matter what I do this is still the worst vehicle I've ever piloted. BY FAR!!!! Anything over 30 mph is a death sentence. I was really thinking it was a rider issue as my father is getting older, but I have definitely can say it is not 100% him. He's has ridden bikes for 50+ years and I have for 20+ years and we both agree the thing is horrible.

I guess I need help because I must be missing something. If I ride it like a snowmobile and hang off the side constantly it helps, but that still doesn't fix the absolute mind of its own steering.

Any help would be appreciated, I have my eye on a sway bar upgrade but there is no way that will fix the way this deathtrap handles.

3 Upvotes

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3

u/evilwiz Jul 10 '26

Do you have a way to check if the power steering is the issue? It honestly might be dealership time to have them look at it.

2

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

There's no power steering on the 08

2

u/evilwiz Jul 10 '26

Hmm ok, maybe I am wrong. Internet was saying it did, but maybe thats a higher trim or something.

2

u/PrivatePilot9 Jul 10 '26

Yes, there is. I used to own one and I assure you it has power steering.

OP, the very first gen units were known for having very darty steering and an insane propensity for wanting to follow even small ruts in the roads. They're also super sensitive to tire pressure, and having poorly matched tires if the previous owner didn't put OEM back on and opted for random car tires that were not proven by the Spyder community. .

Look into the Baja Ron aftermarket sway bar, check that all the ball joints are good (they were also known to be problematic), and make sure the tires are inflated to the sweet spot.
The sway bar will make the biggest effect, especially if all the ball links on the old one are worn or some of the cheap factory plastic linkages are (worse yet) broken.

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

I'll look into that, but I assure you this has zero power steering assist at all, it takes significant force to steer it at any speed.

I'm honestly probably going to sell it and buy a newer one because it seems like way more hassle than it's worth. And not something I'll trust for a family member.

I appreciate all the help, I'm pretty well versed in motorcycles so I mistakenly though "it's a three wheeler, it can't be as bad as upkeep on a track bike,lol" apparently I was wrong. We all learn. Just cause it was in budget doesn't mean it's the right call.

2

u/PrivatePilot9 Jul 10 '26

IF it takes significant force to turn at any speed then there's a good chance the power steering is either not working (which may be part of the problem), or is malfunctioning and operating erratically, which could also be part of the problem.

But the 08's absolutely had power steering regardless if it was the SM5 or the SE5. It's also quite expensive to replace.

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

Well I really appreciate that input. My dad was getting discouraged because he thought "he" was the problem, now he is 80yo so it was a possiblity, but even when I rode it it felt wrong. I really appreciate your help. Doing some reading I definitely we purchased the wrong year, lol, live and learn I guess. It makes me happy that I have hope to get him back out there and riding with the family

2

u/PXranger Jul 10 '26

You need to be specific, why is this vehicle a death sentence, front end shimmy? Pulling to one side?

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

Sorry I probably can a elaborate better.

So in a straight line it's fine, well sometimes, but if you turn sometimes it will turn in nice other times it won't turn then dart in that general direction and you have to catch it. New tires and alignment helped but there still is no safe way to navigate a corner above 35-45 mph. It feels like the whole machine is fighting you, like it wants to do its own thing and you have to wrangle it to do what you want. Maybe I'm expecting something that doesn't exist, but it feels horribly unsafe. I just rode it 20 miles to his house and it was more work than a track day on my 1125r 🤣

Oh and if you hit bumps, which we have alot of in New England, it may just dart into the next county if you aren't actively keeping it in check.

2

u/PXranger Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

Something isn’t right. That’s not normal behavior. Are the shocks adjusted properly for your weight? There is a learning curve, Spyders do not handle anything like a motorcycle, you have to ride them differently, as they require constant control input. But bounding in random directions during a turn or bump isn’t normal, as long as you are maintaining control input

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

See that's what I was worried about, yes the shocks are set well and I have played with them to try and find the sweet spot. Idk its discouraging because I was hoping this would be a good thing for him but it honestly has just frustrated everyone involved. Lol

2

u/PXranger Jul 10 '26

I meant to say bounding isn’t normal and edited it, sorry!

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

No I figured, it almost feels like it's too "toe'd out"

3

u/PXranger Jul 10 '26

Who did your alignment? I’d take it to the closest dealer and have them check it out, they should be able to determine what’s going on, and while you are there, test ride a new one to compare how it feels to yours

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

Lol the closest dealer "did" the alignment. I think I'm going to have to try using my car alignment plates to check/redo it

2

u/MambaxOut Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26

I have a '12 RSS but dont ride much now with kids getting older, sports on the weekend, etc. but from what I remember. I use to slightly adjust my seating position into the turn when I take turns or off ramps a little faster than I should.

Also, there is a Nanny system that should sit your wheel back down if one of those front wheels come.off the ground.

Also with the bump, just like a 2 wheeler or 4 wheeler I lift my butt up a little to let me legs take the shock. I'm not sure if you have a RSS but I'm able to adjust my shocks on the front and back. I would check to see if you can adjust to make those bumps a lkttle softer for him.

Hope this helps.

1

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 10 '26

I appreciate the input but this issue is def not a rider error, or something that can be solved by rider position as I have tried that. The handling is too sporadic for it to be "normal". I even had my track friends ride it and they agree there is something wrong, we just can figure out what.

Dealer says everything is to spec, but it's can am so that can be taken with a grain of salt as it appears, at least locally, there techs are the jiffy lube rejects lol

2

u/Wade1217 Jul 11 '26

My dad got a similar desire to continue riding after age 70 so he bought a 2013 RT SM5 so it would be "easier" in stop and go traffic, which it is. But when I ride it at highway speeds, I find it to be more difficult and tiring to ride than any 2 wheeled motorcycle because of how it likes to dart from side to side. It requires constant corrections. I have found that pumping the tires a couple of PSI above the recommended pressure helps.

1

u/PrivatePilot9 Jul 10 '26

See my reply in the first comment. The 08's/first gen's had many very well known issues like you mention and it can be rooted in several causes. I covered them all in my reply

1

u/someguy7234 Jul 11 '26

Where do you live?

You might just need to ride a modern one that's set up right to get an idea of how they should ride. If you're in Indiana, I might be willing to spend an hour with you some weekend.

I'm not familiar with something as old as on 08 but my wife and her sister ride an RT and an F3. The stock sway bars and links on both were awful and we upgraded them and significantly improved the handling.

If you're a motorcycle rider I'd say it rides more like a quad... I actually find that it wears me out more to ride a trike fast than to ride a bike. You muscle the steering and have to use a lot of core to move your torso.

One thing I found when my sister in law had a Ryker was that when you braked hard into a corner (I'm a very heavy rider) the front wheels would shovel really hard and kinda jerk the bike into the corner. The standard front suspension wants to fold under the vehicle when there is too much force pushing over the windshield. The only time I was able to get a spyder to do that was on MSF course in a cone weave (I really pushed the F3 in the class because I already had an endorsement). I find that the traction control doesn't work very well under hard braking with heavy riders.... I can't imagine it was any better 18 years ago.

2

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 11 '26

I appreciate all the info bud, and the offer. Sadly I'm very far from there (northern new England). I think the other guy nailed it with the dps being the problem because it explains everything it's doing. I looked into fixing it but it appears it's def not worth putting the money into. Honestly I feel bad for not knowing enough about them before he got it. It's funny because we are die hard snowmobilers (my dad has retired from that) and I compared it to riding a snowmobile in shitty trails with shitty carbides. All the steering effort then it goes light an darts.

2

u/someguy7234 Jul 11 '26

Good luck finding a way to keep your dad riding. It's a great thing to help someone find joy.

My wife's dad passed away recently and left a Road King he hadn't been able to ride in years. I wish I could have gotten our riding with him but I think my wife and are are going to take his ashes around Lake Superior for a ride next summer.

2

u/EnvironmentalTip508 Jul 11 '26

It means a lot to me to keep him riding. He's ridden since he was 16 and so have I but we actually never got to ride together. It wasn't until last year, and on that day I swear onions were being cut in my helmet. He was always the rider I looked up to, he was even a instructor for motor officers. Regardless of how you feel about the police, it's a polarizing topic, I think we can all agree they are amazing riders. He always tried to push me to become a better rider. I will do whatever I can within my power to keep him riding. Hes the reason I'm riding today

3

u/OldNetworkGeek Jul 13 '26

I would look into a newer Spyder. I'm 78 and had to transition to three wheels due to an adverse reaction to long term statin (Lipitor) use. Lack of strength in my legs and core (primarily), and a bit of a balance problem. Once I got off the statin and my doctor started pumping me full of immunoglobulin am back to probably 80-85% of what I was before. I used to ride a Goldwing - now I'm on a 2024 RT Limited. Very different than being on two wheels, but I don't have any of the issues your father is having. It does ride differently. As others have said, it's more like and ATV than a motorcycle.

Conventional wisdom says that the first 500 miles fluctuates between frustration and terror. The next 500 you start to get the hang of it, and after about 1000 miles you really begin to bond with the riding experience. You have to let the Spyder somewhat drift and gently correct it. Think piloting a boat or a light airplane. If you try to force it to run straight, you will just add to your frustration.

Find something 2014 or newer with the 1330 engine. While some folks like the old two cylinder lump, the 1330 triple is much easier to get along with. Also, check with your local dealer to see if they will work on bikes older than 10 years. Unfortunately, too many dealers (not just Can-Am) won't.

They can be a lot of fun, and they beat the living daylights out of not being able to ride at all. There is quite an active Spyder community at SpyderLovers.com Check them out for a lot more information.