Used Spyder RT 2015 or 2016; Any thoughts or recommendations?

Hi All:

Wife and I have settled that we like the Spyder RT. Particularly the riding posture/ergonomics relative to the F3.

We were about to buy a new condition 2016 RT Special Series. Beautiful. Loved the test ride. On "sale." ...Until the dealer tacked on the fees, taxes, etc. which pushed us above our price limit.

Looking at used RT's now. Found a dealer who can get us an "out the door" price (taxes, fees, and all) below our max limit.

Test ride tomorrow. Looking at a 2015 (~23k miles) or a 2016 (~56k miles). Rationally speaking, leaning towards the 2015 with ~23k miles. Any words of wisdom regarding 2015 RT's vs. 2016's?

I searched the forums here, so far didn't find any "red flags" one way or the other. Figured I'd ask if anybody has any advice.

Thanks! :cheers:

The 2015 and 2016 are the same other than maybe colors so I'd choose the 2015 with lower miles assuming the 2016 doesn't have a ton of accessories you feel you have to have.

I agree, no real difference between 15 and 16. The 15 sounds like a better deal.

Good luck!

Rich and Rhonda

I agree that the lower mileage 2015 is the one I would select, given what you're said. I gather they're both offered by the same dealer, so I'd ask about maintenance records for each. It's possible that the higher mileage alternative was better taken care of than the lower mileage one. My 2015 RT-S had a whopping 436 miles on it when I bought it making it pretty much a no brainer. On the other hand my wife's 2012 RTL had around 32,000 miles on it but the original (and only owner) owner treated it like it was a favorite child making it was something of a bargain. We've been pleased with both. Whichever you select, enjoy and ride safely.

Test drive both and see which one you like the best. All things equal, I would go with the lower mileage one. :yes:

Both had issues with the DESS module ..... find out if it has been re-placed ..... the 16 had less issues than 15 ..... but the DESS module itself can be had for about $135.00 ..... You will need to remove the FRUNK ( I think 8 bolts ) not difficult. and access the module .... it's just above the battery to the left when facing the battery ..... ( I have pics in my albums ) ... un-plug the two connections and change the units .... After I had mine replaced I then moved the module ( there is enough oem wire to do this ) to under the right headlite using the oem mounting holes and short 1/4 in. bolts .... I did this move just incase I ever had to do it again ...... good luck ..... Mike :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by MONK

The 2015 and 2016 are the same other than maybe colors so I'd choose the 2015 with lower miles assuming the 2016 doesn't have a ton of accessories you feel you have to have.

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Thanks! We actually don't need a ton of options. The new condition 2016 we looked at previously had more stuff than we really needed. But it was our favorite in terms of comfort/ergonomics and the test ride was great. It looked like a great deal at first but unfortunately didn't pan out. We'll verify what options the used models have, but those won't be deal breakers.

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Originally Posted by rmag

I agree, no real difference between 15 and 16. The 15 sounds like a better deal.

Good luck!

Rich and Rhonda

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Thanks! '15 looks better at least on paper, but we'll check out both,

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Originally Posted by Arion

I agree that the lower mileage 2015 is the one I would select, given what you're said. I gather they're both offered by the same dealer, so I'd ask about maintenance records for each. It's possible that the higher mileage alternative was better taken care of than the lower mileage one. My 2015 RT-S had a whopping 436 miles on it when I bought it making it pretty much a no brainer. On the other hand my wife's 2012 RTL had around 32,000 miles on it but the original (and only owner) owner treated it like it was a favorite child making it was something of a bargain. We've been pleased with both. Whichever you select, enjoy and ride safely.

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Maintenance records: Yep. For sure I've asked about those. Didn't hear back from them today, but that's OK. We'll see them tomorrow. It is the same dealer for both. That's a good point though, I want to see how well they've been maintained and that could be a pivotal factor. (I keep my maintenance records for my Suzuki 2-wheel.) Thanks!

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Originally Posted by ARtraveler

Test drive both and see which one you like the best. All things equal, I would go with the lower mileage one. :yes:

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For sure. I've asked if they can have both available for test rides if we need to decide between them. So far leaning towards the lower mileage model, but we'll ride both.

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Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911

Both had issues with the DESS module ..... find out if it has been re-placed ..... the 16 had less issues than 15 ..... but the DESS module itself can be had for about $135.00 ..... You will need to remove the FRUNK ( I think 8 bolts ) not difficult. and access the module .... it's just above the battery to the left when facing the battery ..... ( I have pics in my albums ) ... un-plug the two connections and change the units .... After I had mine replaced I then moved the module ( there is enough oem wire to do this ) to under the right headlite using the oem mounting holes and short 1/4 in. bolts .... I did this move just incase I ever had to do it again ...... good luck ..... Mike :thumbup:

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Awesome! Thank you! This is good to know. I'll definitely check into this. (I'm Mike too, BTW.)

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Originally Posted by irritatedmongo

Maintenance records: Yep. For sure I've asked about those. Didn't hear back from them today, but that's OK. We'll see them tomorrow. It is the same dealer for both. That's a good point though, I want to see how well they've been maintained and that could be a pivotal factor. (I keep my maintenance records for my Suzuki 2-wheel.) Thanks!

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In the unlikely event that the dealer cannot come up with the maintenance records for one or both, then I would suggest running away from that particular machine. All dealer has to do to get the records is input the VIN # into the records and they can provide you with a print out. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don't tell.

I bought my 2015 brand new in January of 2017. It is a black base model RT and it just didn't sell. The dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse and now it has 35,000 trouble free miles on it. I had the chance to get the DESS disabled a year or so ago and I had that done BEFORE I had any issues. It is our two up touring machine and has served us well. I plan on adding a lot to that 35,000.

What are they asking for the bikes?

ARtraveler is right in the bulls-eye regarding maintenance records if they have been done by a dealership. If not inquire if there are any owner kept records. Regarding the '15, which I would opt for, do recognize that it is about 3K miles from its 28K service that is a major one; see the maintenance schedule which begins on pg 89 of the operator's guide. If there is no OG with the vehicle, insist the dealership provide you a hard copy and in the interim you can download one at this site, http://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/I...adster&type=og. Just drill down to the 2015 F3 series. The only downside you should recognize is that a five year old bike might be due for a battery sometime in the not too far distant future.

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Originally Posted by davev1pa

What are they asking for the bikes?

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Both were about $16k. We bought the 2016 even though it had more miles. They had service history for this one and it seemed in better shape overall. They actually dropped base price down to ~$15k.

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Originally Posted by JayBros

ARtraveler is right in the bulls-eye regarding maintenance records if they have been done by a dealership. If not inquire if there are any owner kept records. Regarding the '15, which I would opt for, do recognize that it is about 3K miles from its 28K service that is a major one; see the maintenance schedule which begins on pg 89 of the operator's guide. If there is no OG with the vehicle, insist the dealership provide you a hard copy and in the interim you can download one at this site, http://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/I...adster&type=og. Just drill down to the 2015 F3 series. The only downside you should recognize is that a five year old bike might be due for a battery sometime in the not too far distant future.

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Thank you! We bought the 2016 actually. Follow on post...

Thank you all for your helpful thoughts! We bought the 2016 actually. The 2016 had more miles (~50k+), but my wife generally liked that one better than the 2015. The dealer had service history for the 2016 (well maintained) but not for the 2015. Test rode both. Nothing obviously wrong with the 2015, but the 2016 seems well cared for and we were more comfortable with the known service history. Dealer (Lifestyles Honda; Mt. Vernon, WA) worked with us. Lowered base price a little below their sale price and we got a 3 year dealer warranty. Happy so far. Thanks again to all for sharing your thoughts! (That's my grinning mug in the garage after the ride home. It's my wife's Spyder actually. I'll post pics of her when we go riding.) :spyder2::thumbup:

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Originally Posted by JayBros

ARtraveler is right in the bulls-eye regarding maintenance records if they have been done by a dealership. If not inquire if there are any owner kept records. Regarding the '15, which I would opt for, do recognize that it is about 3K miles from its 28K service that is a major one; see the maintenance schedule which begins on pg 89 of the operator's guide. If there is no OG with the vehicle, insist the dealership provide you a hard copy and in the interim you can download one at this site, http://www.operatorsguides.brp.com/I...adster&type=og. Just drill down to the 2015 F3 series. The only downside you should recognize is that a five year old bike might be due for a battery sometime in the not too far distant future.

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...And it came with all the manuals.:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by davev1pa

What are they asking for the bikes?

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Here's the one we bought (they actually lowered the base price a little from ~$16k+):
https://www.lifestyleshonda.com/stre...AM_SE6/B16897A

Here's the 2015:
https://www.lifestyleshonda.com/stre..._SPYDER/U17146

Congratulations. They are nice machines. The 3 year warranty is a real bonus.

Congratulations! You made a good decision and the Spyder is just getting into it's best years, IMO. I'm just shy of 69K on mine and am looking forward to many more thousands of miles of fun.

Congrats on your purchase. But when shopping, I also take a look at the private market. My friend just sold her 2014 RTS with the BRP trailer for $12,000. She had a load of add ons, and it was in mint shape. I would have purchased it for myself if I could have hidden it from the wife for a while. But 3 bikes in the garage would be pushing the limit a bit much.

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Originally Posted by JayBros

Congratulations! You made a good decision and the Spyder is just getting into it's best years, IMO. I'm just shy of 69K on mine and am looking forward to many more thousands of miles of fun.

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Thank you! So far, so good.

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Originally Posted by blacklightning

Congrats on your purchase. But when shopping, I also take a look at the private market. My friend just sold her 2014 RTS with the BRP trailer for $12,000. She had a load of add ons, and it was in mint shape. I would have purchased it for myself if I could have hidden it from the wife for a while. But 3 bikes in the garage would be pushing the limit a bit much.

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�� Thank you! Yes, I did look for some private sellers too. I saw somebody selling another 2016 (I think) with the trailer included. Would like to have checked that out, but they were too far out of state. But I did look at those too.