Looking at an RT

[Spin]

My wife and I are looking at a new RT. I am new to Spyders but I have ridden bikes for years and also have a Rennegade 800. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

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[Bob Denman]

If you have ATVing experience: the Spyder will feel pretty comfortable for you!
The cornering process is most similar to ATVs and snowmobiles; not to motorcycles.
Which model RT has caught your attention? Are you looking at an SM-6 bike, or one with the paddle shifters (SE-6)?

[Spin]

I'm looking at a 2016 SE6. It is the base RT, not the RT S.

[larryd]

If your going to be riding with a passenger you may want to think about the RTS because of the adjustable air ride feature...larryd

[Spin]

That was something I didn't think I needed. My wife and I with gear will be less than 400 lbs. and the bike is good for 500?

[Zgore]

I am about to pull the trigger on a new RTS and have some questions about the belt system problems. I had an electraglide Harley with belt drive and no problems and a goldwing with shaft drive. Are the belt problems over exaggerated to sell belt tension devices or are they all suffering from the bad vibrations and short belt life. I know forums can bring out and exaggerated minor problems so I thought I would talk to the RT riders themselves before spending 25 grand. I have to switch to a trike because of my short legs and the problems I have moving a 1000# bike around in parking lots and dirt driveways. Thanks

[DC1]

That was something I didn't think I needed. My wife and I with gear will be less than 400 lbs. and the bike is good for 500?

If you ride it continuously 2 up it won't be an issue on the BASIC RT you still have a nozzle under the seat to add air and provided the air bladder on the shock don't leak it will maintain it for days...The issue comes at night with headlight adjustment if you constantly switch from 1 to 2up and vise versa....even small air pumps blow the fuse for the 12v accessory in the trunk and I am not brave enough to go to a larger fuse and chance it...So.....Before a trip I air mine up to the right pressure and we just ride it 2up everywhere if it is dark out especially....And it works...

I kinda wish I had the rider floorboards and fog lights of he more expensive model, but can live without it for the $ savings....Wife and I don't need all the Bluetooth helmet crap and connectivity, We have been yelling over each others shoulders for so many years that I'm not sure we could even get used to that fancy stuff. For a simple kinda guy/gal the radio, cruise control, and rest of the stuff the stock RT has is adequate....If we had come from a Wing To a Spyder I might have opted for a SE instead, but coming from standard cruisers the amenities are abundant , to us anyhow...

Besides, If you are lacking something you find you can't life without, just get it installed....

Be patient at first, coming from 2 wheels the handling will drive you crazy if you let it, you have to learn to hold the grips loosely and gently guide the handlebars the direction you want it to go....Grip them tightly and you will be riding a rattlesnake...Takes a few hunnert miles to get used to it, and a little longer to find its sweet spot in the twisties, then you have it made....Enjoy your new experience and best of luck to ya! DC1....

[Hendo]

Started out with a base 2012, great bike but with how much we ride we needed more. So we upgraded to a Limited last year. Love the gps with speaker volume. Also, bought the trailer so the adjustable air shock is a must. Whatever model you get.....you will enjoy.

[blacklightning]

If you ride it continuously 2 up it won't be an issue on the BASIC RT you still have a nozzle under the seat to add air and provided the shock don't leak it will maintain it for days...The issue comes at night with headlight adjustment if you constantly switch from 1 to 2up and vise versa....even small air pumps blow the fuse for the 12v accessory in the trunk and I am not brave enough to go to a larger fuse and chance it...So.....Before a trip I air mine up to the right pressure and we just ride it 2up everywhere if it is dark out especially....And it works...

I kinda wish I had the rider floorboards and fog lights of he more expensive model, but can live without it for the $ savings....Wife and I don't need all the Bluetooth helmet crap and connectivity, We have been yelling over each others shoulders for so many years that I'm not sure we could even get used to that fancy stuff. For a simple kinda guy/gal the radio, cruise control, and rest of the stuff the stock RT has is adequate....If we had come from a Wing To a Spyder I might have opted for a SE instead, but coming from standard cruisers the amenities are abundant , to us anyhow...

Besides, If you are lacking something you find you can't life without, just get it installed....

Be patient at first, coming from 2 wheels the handling will drive you crazy if you let it, you have to learn to hold the grips loosely and gently guide the handlebars the direction you want it to go....Grip them tightly and you will be riding a rattlesnake...Takes a few hunnert miles to get used to it, and a little longer to find its sweet spot in the twisties, then you have it made....Enjoy your new experience and best of luck to ya! DC1....

I agree with the above statements. I ride 95% of the time 1 up. But when going 2 up on long trips, I may add a little pressure to the shock. It has never been a problem. The additions that I wanted on my base RT, I added and still came out cheaper, and like them better. I added the fog lights for the look. Then I added things like Web floor boards (best looking and functioning around IMHO), drivers backrest, 3rd. brake light, etc. As you can tell, with any model you get, you will still be adding things to make it your own. But don't shy away from the base model, it just allows you more money to do your own customizing.

[Chupaca]

STOP LOOKING....!! Test ryde them and go for it...You can go for the base model and with all the cool products out there now and the money you save you can build exactly what your looking for.

[Spin]

If you ride it continuously 2 up it won't be an issue on the BASIC RT you still have a nozzle under the seat to add air and provided the shock don't leak it will maintain it for days...The issue comes at night with headlight adjustment if you constantly switch from 1 to 2up and vise versa....even small air pumps blow the fuse for the 12v accessory in the trunk and I am not brave enough to go to a larger fuse and chance it...So.....Before a trip I air mine up to the right pressure and we just ride it 2up everywhere if it is dark out especially....And it works...

I kinda wish I had the rider floorboards and fog lights of he more expensive model, but can live without it for the $ savings....Wife and I don't need all the Bluetooth helmet crap and connectivity, We have been yelling over each others shoulders for so many years that I'm not sure we could even get used to that fancy stuff. For a simple kinda guy/gal the radio, cruise control, and rest of the stuff the stock RT has is adequate....If we had come from a Wing To a Spyder I might have opted for a SE instead, but coming from standard cruisers the amenities are abundant , to us anyhow...

Besides, If you are lacking something you find you can't life without, just get it installed....

Be patient at first, coming from 2 wheels the handling will drive you crazy if you let it, you have to learn to hold the grips loosely and gently guide the handlebars the direction you want it to go....Grip them tightly and you will be riding a rattlesnake...Takes a few hunnert miles to get used to it, and a little longer to find its sweet spot in the twisties, then you have it made....Enjoy your new experience and best of luck to ya! DC1....

Switching from 1 to 2 up won't be an issue so I'll probably stay with the RT. What pressures do you use for 1 or 2 up?

[Highwayman2013]

The auto air leveling is a nice feature, but as has been stated there is nothing wrong with the base model. To set the record strait it does not have an air shock. It has a shock and a separate air bag.

[Spin]

I agree with the above statements. I ride 95% of the time 1 up. But when going 2 up on long trips, I may add a little pressure to the shock. It has never been a problem. The additions that I wanted on my base RT, I added and still came out cheaper, and like them better. I added the fog lights for the look. Then I added things like Web floor boards (best looking and functioning around IMHO), drivers backrest, 3rd. brake light, etc. As you can tell, with any model you get, you will still be adding things to make it your own. But don't shy away from the base model, it just allows you more money to do your own customizing.

Ha! I've been looking at upgrades already and I don't even own it yet!! I also like the look of the fog lights so I might get them.

[Twilldous]

My wife and I are looking at a new RT. I am new to Spyders but I have ridden bikes for years and also have a Rennegade 800. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

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We have the 2015 RT limited and the only thing I need to make this ride perfect is a driver back rest.
We are former Goldwing riders one summer on the Spider and there's no turning back.

[Spin]

Judging from all the comments it looks like we will go for it. We have been talking ourselves into it already anyway. Now I have to decide which bike or quad to take off the insurance policy because only 4 are allowed.

[Bob Denman]

Ha! I've been looking at upgrades already and I don't even own it yet!! I also like the look of the fog lights so I might get them.

This is how it starts...
Back in 2010; I bought an RT Audio and convenience model. It was sort of a step up from the base RT (Which was REALLY basic back then...)
Brand New.jpg
But then... I discovered farkling!
And the bike looked like this!

05-04-2013 004.jpg

I ended up turning into a full-blown RT-S... and THEN SOME!
But it would have been a whole lot cheaper to just have bought the RT-S in the first place...

Just sayin'...

[rcturner]

I am about to pull the trigger on a new RTS and have some questions about the belt system problems. I had an electraglide Harley with belt drive and no problems and a goldwing with shaft drive. Are the belt problems over exaggerated to sell belt tension devices or are they all suffering from the bad vibrations and short belt life. I know forums can bring out and exaggerated minor problems so I thought I would talk to the RT riders themselves before spending 25 grand. I have to switch to a trike because of my short legs and the problems I have moving a 1000# bike around in parking lots and dirt driveways. Thanks

For all practical purposes, the is no belt problem on an RT. About the only thing that shows up on this forum is when they get damaged or if someone messes up the alignment. This belt system is much more friendly than the one that was on my 2008 Harley Ultra. No worries.

[JP58]

Judging from all the comments it looks like we will go for it. We have been talking ourselves into it already anyway. Now I have to decide which bike or quad to take off the insurance policy because only 4 are allowed.

Sell one of your two wheel bikes. You will probably never ride it after riding/owning the Spyder.

[Bob Denman]

"For all practical purposes, the is no belt problem on an RT. About the only thing that shows up on this forum is when they get damaged or if someone messes up the alignment. This belt system is much more friendly than the one that was on my 2008 Harley Ultra. No worries."


No problem exists with the drive-belt...

[UCLA F3S]

We bought wifey a '16 RT-S SE6. She absolutely LOVES it. She was coming from ZERO motorcycle riding experience, but she picked it up within 30 minutes of noodling around on it. Great ride!

[RedRTS]

We have the 2015 RT limited and the only thing I need to make this ride perfect is a driver back rest.
We are former Goldwing riders one summer on the Spider and there's no turning back.

Rode Goldwings since '84... Took me about 500 miles of riding to get used to that third wheel...(im either slow or used to dragging the pegs just a bit too much..lol)... but sure loving it now. And I can certainly identify with the short seams and the GW. I had to stand on my tiptoes on the GW... just got to where it was a bit heavy for that to keep working for me.

The other thing... the wife rides a LOT more than she did on the GW. Feels much more comfortable and confident that the bike wont get 'dropped'.. so there's plusses all the way around. Do you research and join our crazy club!

[rutger]

Ha! I've been looking at upgrades already and I don't even own it yet!! I also like the look of the fog lights so I might get them.

Just speaking for myself.

We've had 3 RT's and all came with stock Fog Lights. And again speaking just for myself, but if the last 2 hadn't come stock on the bikes, I'd NEVER have added them after that first bike. They are a waste of money.

You can't see them when they're on at all during the day. They're aimed too low and they aren't adjustable.

They are the main reason I added Custom Dynamics Driving Lights to all 3 RT's. Because the Fog lights are visible only at night and even then not that much.

Again speaking ONLY for myself. Because they aren't cheap! Do they look good on the bike? Whether turned on or off? Yes. But you might as well leave them off 100% of the time since in the day light, you can't see them when they're on.

Because if you're riding in front of an RT that has them and you look in the mirror back at it, unless that bike is cresting a hill behind you, you can't tell if they are on or not.

And that's why I'd never add them.

PS. don't know how much of an upgrade Lamonster's LED fog lights are?

As far as the belt vibration. We've been riding RT's for 4 years now and personally I think it's a bit over blown but to each his own. And I rode a Valkyrie with shaft drive (a bike my daughter referred to as a rolling lounge it was so smooth) for 19 years before buying the first RT.

Road a Wing for 1 year and traded it in for another Valk because the Valkyrie was actually a smoother ride.

But if the amount of vibration at certain speeds bothers you, it doesn't appear to be that much of a job to install one of belt vibration smootheners. I just rotate the throttle up a little and it seems to go away.

Take one for a test ride for at least 50 miles. We test road one back in '10 or '11 on an 8-10 mile ride and didn't like it at all. I mean NOT at all.

Then after talking to people about them for the next couple of years. We gave it another try after someone said: "You need to take it out for at least 50 miles and learn how to ride it before you decide to hate it." Wow were they were correct!!


Good Luck!

[DGoebel]

Been riding for 46 years, most types of bikes (except Harley's), my used 2013 RTL is the best bike I've ridden 2 up with ever. I concur with the above about how comfortable my wife has been riding on the back.

Test Ride, test ride, test ride together to make your decision. I did test rides on Harley and Honda conversion Trikes first, then left running for the Spyders.
My wife did two different Spyder test rides before purchase and was convinced she'd be more comfortable on it. We've even done a test ride on F-3 models and she prefers the RT due to seating positions and angles. We rode further together in the fall of last year than the previous 27 years of marital bliss.

[Spin]

Sell one of your two wheel bikes. You will probably never ride it after riding/owning the Spyder.

I have 2 bikes and 2 quads on the policy. I'll probably take one of the quads off.

[Navydad]

base model RT and are very happy with it. Anything we wanted extra we have added ourselves, lots of great vendors here. I have 50 pounds of air pressure in the rear and it rides quite well with wife and I on board. I very rarely ride it solo as I still have two motorcycles in the stable and enjoy them. I have read about belt vibration being an issue for some, but we have had ours up to 90 mph and smooth as silk so I think I will leave it alone for now. Buy it, ride it, add goodies as needed or wanted.