Newbie question: 2008 for starter spyder?

[Jid]

So I love my toys. I learned to ride a 2 week bike a year ago and I like it. Cruisers. Not catch rockets. But I don’t like to drive like an idiot. I just like the freedom. I also love to Jetski and ride ATVs. I have been thinking of adding a Spyder to the stable. Will I love an 08 or is that too sport-bike like? I’m hoping it is like a Jetski for the roads but I haven’t driven one yet. And I hate to test ride a private party bike for my first ride.

Thoughts?

ive been reading a ton. Thanks for an awesome forum!!

joseph

[DGoebel]

Test Ride, test ride, test ride, you'll know what you like soon enough. I love my 2 cylinder v-twin 998 touring trike. No matter what the 1330 folks will eventually try to convince you of, there's many, many very happy folks riding their 2008 - 2013 998's. But if you test drive a '14 or later and do like it more, then get one of those.....

[Chupaca]

You will love the spyder the big twin 998 is best but you should try all the models you can to find the best fit...

[SpyderSkeets]

Here's my suggestion:. Do not buy an '08. In fact, do not buy any Spyder from '08-2018...or any one in future years. Why? Because it will take over your life! You will like it so much that you'll never going to want to be home and your other toys will be neglected and become very expensive dust collectors! You'll be having to deal with people checking it out all the time and having to answer the same questions over and over!

I am loving my Spyder and really do not know anything about the 08s or the specifics of the deal that you're looking at but I would never buy a used vehicle of any kind without test driving it first. It's pretty simple to ride, especially if you ride jet skis and ATVs. The Spyder might not be for you (a silly thought, but stranger things have happened), but you're not going to know that unless you ride it. Why be stuck with it because you didn't ride it until after you bought it?

[bobnaquin]

Having never ridden a two wheel motorcycle and not having any interest in doing so, I purchased a 2008 Spyder sight unseen. In the next two years I put 45,000 miles on it going across country twice and seemingly every where else at least once. I still have a 2008 Spyder and take every opportunity to ride it. I have seen more of this beautiful country from the back of that motorcycle than most people see ever. Certainly more cylinders on the newer ones are better and there are any number of new models to fit anyone's budget but it is the safety and handling, not the power plant, that make this machine special.

[SteveP]

My 2008 GS is a great machine . Takes a few hours of different types of roads to get completely used to them but then it's very cool . If you can afford to buy one go for it .... just a short test Ryde won't give you the true experience of the machine , but may make you feel more comfortable before pulling the trigger . I may trade for a newer 1330 in the future but glad I started with this

[Jid]

Thanks for all the replies so far!!

i will definitely test drive before I buy. No doubt.

with bikes, once I started riding, I bought a few. Had 5 in the garage but downsized to one. So I’m happy with that. I also have an Ariel Atom which I love to drive. When I bought that in 2012, I figured I would never want a bike because it is an amazing ride. But I love the bike also. It is POSSIBLE that I would love the spyder and never ride anything else. But in my reality (read:1st world problems) life should be about ‘ands’ and not ‘ors’.

is is the newer generation -that- much faster/more refined/better? Or just different?

Thanks y’all!!!

Joseph

[SteveP]

Thanks for all the replies so far!!

i will definitely test drive before I buy. No doubt.

with bikes, once I started riding, I bought a few. Had 5 in the garage but downsized to one. So I’m happy with that. I also have an Ariel Atom which I love to drive. When I bought that in 2012, I figured I would never want a bike because it is an amazing ride. But I love the bike also. It is POSSIBLE that I would love the spyder and never ride anything else. But in my reality (read:1st world problems) life should be about ‘ands’ and not ‘ors’.

is is the newer generation -that- much faster/more refined/better? Or just different?

Thanks y’all!!!

Joseph

Most will say the GS and RS are quicker but the triples seem to have more power from cruising speeds , I've only drove one F3 and hard to tell for me . My GS with a Yoshimura pipe and K&N will smoke the tire at will in 1st or second easily with just me on it . They are not as fast as a 750 or 1000 sport bike but work well

[sealfloorboards]

I had a 2009 RS (GS) and loved it. great fun, fast and easy to ride. It did, however, feel too much like a crotch rocket. Not a good feeling for this 'ol boy, being bent over and my feet behind me. Me Seal Floorboards took care of that and allowed me to sit more in a cruiser position. It was a great first Spyder.
Ride in comfort,
John

[ARtraveler]

The 2008 GS is a pretty good machine--if you can find a nice one these days. I had the first one sold in Alaska.

The 2008, if not modified, will sit like a crotch rocket. Most owners modified seating and raised the handlebars. Price for those is in the $6,000 and slightly up range. A good price for a $15K original price machine.

The 990/998 engine has been discontinued and since 2014, the 1330's are out and about.

I liked mine so much that I bought the spouse a 2009 with semi auto transmission.

[wyliec]

To bad you don't live closer. I'd give you a good deal on a 2008 GS SM5.

[PCBeachBum]

I've had my '08 GS SM5 since March of 2009. It was used as a demo with 237 miles on it and I remember the day I just went to the dealership to look after checking them out online for about 6 months. Within 30 minutes I was signing the papers and thought I had done it again, just like the truck and boat, going to look only and end up buying. I don't regret buying the Spyder one bit and love the 998 engine. All my friends ride Harley's and I have no problem keeping up with them and can even give them a run for their money. I'm still hearing from my friends about the Ferrari Testarossa, I took on on the highway that was running next to me and in 3rd gear, starting up from a stoplight and I brought it up to 5500 rpm, shifted to 4th than to 5th and doing a head checks a few times he was no where in sight, until I slowed to turn off and head for the restaurant my friends and I were going to eat at and he passed me.

I couldn't ride for just over 15 months, not because of something wrong with the Spyder, but with me and had wounds on my lower legs from agent orange exposure and when I had type 2 diabetes that I'm no longer being treated for. It was killing me, not being able to ride and seeing it sitting in the enclosed trailer and going out to fire it up 2 or 3 times a month, to keep fresh gas in the engine and lube up the parts and put the battery tender back on and add air to the tires. Than the day came when I got on my riding gear and went for my first ride, just over a week ago and the thrill and smile on my face was back. I'll never trade or sell this 2008 and did make changes in my riding position, with the last thing being changing the color a few years ago from silver to a pearl white with small metal flake and leaving the black alone to keep that '08, '09 appearance. This past week was Thunder Beach Bike Rally and I only saw two RT's and one guy from here just bought an '08 Phantom. He asked about the catseye LED working break/taillight I had after his license plate light reflector fell off. I told him it amazes me how they can put that piece of junk on $16k to $25,000 machine, knowing its going to come off sometime.

To really get the feeling of the Spyder a quick test ride won't do it and you need a 2 or 3 hour ride to, feel what you have under you.

[Sarge707]

I had 35,000 miles on my 09GS BUT being 68 I got tired of the Crotch Rocket seating and switched to the F3 Base Model and it corners Way better without feeling like your going to be tossed off. Much Less maintenance I Just Love it. You can get a used F3 or leftover for Steal This time of year with the Rebates and winter coming. Try an F3 set up for your legs if you can after you try the GS and I bet you would get the F3- Just My Opinion?