Would like to see the % of Spyder riders that also own 2 wheelers, or have owned 2 wheelers in the past. Also why did you choose the Spyder? Did you chose a Spyder over a Trike?
I have 7 two wheelers in my garage. I chose the Spyder for the technology and safety and the thrill it provides. The wife loved it as well. Now it's our main ride.
I chose the Spyder over a Trike (I tried one out before buying) due to the safety of the wheels being in the front. The Spyder is designed as a 3 wheeler, not a kit or add on.
In the automotive world it is well known that two wheels in front are much more stable than a typical trike confriguration (nothing against trikes,everything has pros and cons including Spyders).
Last edited by StanProff; 02-06-2012 at 10:27 PM.
Reason: clarifications
Still have a BMW 1150GS, no plan to sell it, like it too much. I prefer the Spyder for most of my in town riding (safety, visability and water cooling), like the Beemer for the twistys and long runs/higher speed, and occaisional dirt roads.
pe 792; Hindle, performance filter, O2 mod, custom seat, NMN risers, F1 Slider, cowl vents, cold air induction, Triple play, Tipz kit, highway pegs, Kury ISO pegs, grips and throttle lock, 3 gal aux Tour Tank on custom rack.
Used to own a Honda Shadow and a Honda Rebel. One for out cruising the other for riding to and from work and getting amazing mileage.
I sold them due to former influences on my life at the time (exwife), and I have wanted a spyder since the first time I laid eyes on one in 2008. Again that was nixxed so when that situation changed last year I saved for 8 months, started looking and 2 months later pulled the trigger. I like the spyder because its different, which complements me. I like it because it is innovative, its eye catching, and to me its just amazingly fun. When I used to ride around in the mud and dirt I prefered a 4 wheeler (artic cat arntufun!) to the honda bikes I could have had cheaper. In my opinion that feeling is now able to carry over to the road. The Spyder is like nothing I have ever ridden, and now I am working on getting modded my way, then it is all weather gear time and I will keep the stang at rest in the garage.
By the way, I am in no means a professional, a "motorcycle" guy, or an avid lover of anything. I went with cruisers because my love of speed kept me AWAY from crotch rockets because I KNEW it would end poorly. The spyder RS is my perfect blend of the two.
Also I have ridden an RT now, and they are nice but take away some of my "fun" feel with their nifty features, I did REALLY like the radio though
Last edited by zrc; 02-01-2012 at 03:31 PM.
Reason: Editted for Content!
This is an ongoing debate in our home... The Missus keeps saying that I'm done with bikes, and I keep telling her that I'm just "between rides"! If she doesn't kill me I'll let you know how it all plays out!
I have a 2009 Vulcan 900 LT. I ride it most everyday (in season) as my commute bike (40 miles round trip). I usually use the RTS for longer rides--but may use both bikes this year for that.
I still have my GL1800 Wing and my VTX1800 Cruiser... hope to never have to give them up!!! I love slicing through the curves effortlessly, on both.
Love ryding the Spyder too... different ryde, different fun! It makes me feel lyke I can Snowmobile on the road. It's lyke a fun workout when muscling through the curves!
I think of a trike as a motorcycle with training wheels, while the Spyder is a whole different animal with a spirit of its own!
Plus, there is nothing that compares to seeing a large group of Spyders scambling down the highway!!!
I still have more two-wheelers than most. I'll never give up two wheels until I am no longer physically able...but most of my touring from here on out will be on the Spyder. I have to admit to riding the Spyder more than anything else in the garage these days. My BMW R1100RT has served me well as a tourer, but I like my Spyder RTS better. The Big Beemer will probably be sold this year, and will be replaced with a lighter adventure bike like the Triumph Tiger 800 or the BMW F800GS. I chose the Spyder for comfort and stability. I ride it because it is the least mentally fatiguing of anything I have ever owned. It eats up the miles while all I worry about is traffic and my route. Nancy's Spyder hooked me, and I am happy it did. I have owned and ridden trikes, but I prefer the Spyder's greater stability. I also like the footpegs...footboards and I don't get along well.
-Scotty 2011 Spyder RTS-SM5 (mine) 2000 BMW R1100RTP, motorized tricycle & 23 vintage bikes 2011 RT-622 trailer, Aspen Sentry popup camper, custom motorcycle trailer to pull behind the Spyder
I’ve got two-wheelers in the garage. Love ‘em and love the RT. Two different experiences. I gave up when everyone kept asking what the compromises are, isn’t the Spyder great but…, don’t you miss…? The simple truth is, the Spyder is a blast. And it’s different. Not less. Different. I gained a new hobby. They are not the same and critics should stop complaining that one or the other lacks this or that. They are both great. Some days I ride two wheels and some days I ride three wheels. What’s not to like?
Believe me, I have full respect for all the riders out there who for whatever reason feel they can no longer ride two wheels. But we need to have Spyders evaluated and recognized for what they are – great machines for everyone. Even the dealers sometimes unknowingly get in the rut of promoting Spyders as a second-class alternative to two-wheelers. We bought ours from a dealer who’s been selling Spyders since day one, and sells a ton of them. But even the very helpful salesman kept drifting into stories about one they sold to someone with this problem, or that problem, or whatever. For a young, healthy adult, those kinds of stories are enough to make you head for the door. What sold me on the Spyder (as far as the dealer’s concerned) – the 35-year old parts manager that we’ve known for years. He’s an aggressive dirt-bike rider and good road rider. He bought an RS and loves it. I kept thinking, if he likes this thing, there must be something to it. I've got to try it and find out for myself. That’s how you sell Spyders to the general population and to the two-wheeled riders. I relayed this story to BRP in their after-sales questionnaire. I can only hope somebody actually read it.
I’ve got two-wheelers in the garage. Love ‘em and love the RT. Two different experiences. I gave up when everyone kept asking what the compromises are, isn’t the Spyder great but…, don’t you miss…? The simple truth is, the Spyder is a blast. And it’s different. Not less. Different. I gained a new hobby. They are not the same and critics should stop complaining that one or the other lacks this or that. They are both great. Some days I ride two wheels and some days I ride three wheels. What’s not to like?
Believe me, I have full respect for all the riders out there who for whatever reason feel they can no longer ride two wheels. But we need to have Spyders evaluated and recognized for what they are – great machines for everyone. Even the dealers sometimes unknowingly get in the rut of promoting Spyders as a second-class alternative to two-wheelers. We bought ours from a dealer who’s been selling Spyders since day one, and sells a ton of them. But even the very helpful salesman kept drifting into stories about one they sold to someone with this problem, or that problem, or whatever. For a young, healthy adult, those kinds of stories are enough to make you head for the door. What sold me on the Spyder (as far as the dealer’s concerned) – the 35-year old parts manager that we’ve known for years. He’s an aggressive dirt-bike rider and good road rider. He bought an RS and loves it. I kept thinking, if he likes this thing, there must be something to it. I've got to try it and find out for myself. That’s how you sell Spyders to the general population and to the two-wheeled riders. I relayed this story to BRP in their after-sales questionnaire. I can only hope somebody actually read it.
Well said!
-Scotty 2011 Spyder RTS-SM5 (mine) 2000 BMW R1100RTP, motorized tricycle & 23 vintage bikes 2011 RT-622 trailer, Aspen Sentry popup camper, custom motorcycle trailer to pull behind the Spyder
I've been on 2 wheelers all my life. First in the dirt, then the go fast turn left crowd of super bikes (that didn't end well at all). I was lucky to have survived that accident. I stayed off of bikes for 20 years. Then, the movie Wild Hogs came out and I remembered the fun times and kinda forgot the real bad one. My next purchase was a Honda VTX 1300, but I didn't enjoy the laid back stance or the floorboards. I traded the VTX in for our 2011 RTS. My Honda only had 1180 miles on it when I traded it in... 4 years after I bought it! In comparison, our Spyder had 3,200 mi within the first three months! I think that I would by a sport model Spyder as a second bike and keep this one for our long rides.
“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow.”
―James Dean
Suzuki M109R. I didn't get the Spyder because I could not or didn't want to ride 2 wheels anymore. Matter of fact, I liked my M109R so much I thought the Spyder would be my #2 ride after the thrill wore off.
Well, I suppose I was right. The thing is, it's been 3 years now and the thrill is bigger than ever! I haven't ridden my M109R in over a year!
So, as soon as I get tired of the Spyder, I'll be back on the M109R.... Just have no idea when that might happen!
After an accident where I went off the road, through a barbed wire fence, and down into a ravine on my Ninja 250, I decided that I am much happier on my Spyder. Since then the only other two wheelers I have had were dirt bikes. Now all I have are Spyders (a GS and a RT-S). I got tired of being blown all over the road on my two-wheeler and not being able to relax and enjoy the ride because I was constantly fighting the wind. It was just too much like work riding my two-wheeler, the Spyder definitely works best for me. Like I said before, anything that puts the wind in my face and my knees in the breeze.
We are a happy THREE Spyder family!
My Rides: 2008 Quantum Blue Premier Edition Spyder GS SM5 (#1344)
2015 Pearl White / Red Can-Am Spyder F3-S SM6
2016 Intense Pearl Red Can-Am Spyder F3-T SE6
2019 Chevrolet Volt (ER-EV)
2003 Jeep Wrangler Sport X 4.0L I-6
I've ridden 2 wheelers my entire life, basically Yamahas, starting with the 200 and climbing through the ranks to an 850. My last bike was a V Star 650 Classic but after 2 knee replacements and a bum hip, I started getting real nervous about the falling over thing. I have some of the older style artificial knees and the reaction time is not the same as the original for sure. When it takes longer to get the foot down, it can cause troubles.
After I saw the sportster model come out, I simply bided my time (I'm a touring bike kinda' person), because I knew they'd come out with the RT. I've ridden more in the last year on the RT then I rode in the last decade on my 2 wheeler and love every minute of it.
I still have 3 bikes that don't have 3 wheels, but the RoadGlide is for sale. Breaks my heart to think I've got it up for sale, but with 8 vertebrae welded together and arthritis here and there, mainly the right hip, I felt I should do the trike thing. A friend mentioned that if he ever had to go to a trike, the Spyder is the way he'd go. I took his advice and looked at an RT and bought it that day. I think the RT is a marvelous bike, but will still be riding my Hondas - a '86 Helix 250 and a '83 Magna 750, which is the most fun I've ever had with my pants on. Well maybe not quite, but it's a marvelous bike and the Helix still gets 65 or so miles and smiles per gallon and there have been 50 years worth of flying in between too. So, nothing to complain about. Probably done 80 or a hundred airshows flying Hueys and the Bell 47/ OH-13, plus 43 years in the military flying Sikorskys and Bells. Got my wings in Pensacola 50 years ago yesterday. Wonder where the time went??
God bless America, and if you think that's too political, move to some other country and give it a try.
Decided on a Spyder after my second surgery for a hernia. It became difficult to hold up a full sized bike with my wife on the back (and she's tiny). As a matter of fact, the salesman called literally as I was being wheeled into the operating room for repair, to make sure I was committed to the bike he was about to buy from another dealer. My wife handed me the phone and I told him we would buy it, and moments later they wheeled me into surgery with a smile on my face.
Also have a BMW 1200GS. I really enjoy the low level of traffic on dirt roads and the rural scenery. My wife loves that, too, so we still ride two-up on dirt roads. As a matter of fact, the BMW is the bike we'll have with us in Colorado as we had already planned an extended vacation there before they announced the owners' event, including lots of dirt roads. Sure wish the Spyder was suitable for dirt roads!
I STILL HAVE TWO WHEELERS SUZUKI V-STROM 1K, KAWASAKI VERSYS, AND OTHER OLD DIRT BIKES. MY WIFE RECIEVED HER MOTORCYCLE ENDORSEMENT A FEW YEARS BACK AND BOUGHT A SUZUKI 08
C50 IT STILL ONLY HAS 1300 MILES (FOR SALE). I THINK SHE RATHER BE RIDING TWO UP SO SHE CAN LOOK AROUND OR GOT SPOOKED. SO WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SAT ON THE RT AND WERE COUGHT IN THE WEB, DECIDED TO SELL THE
GOLDWING AND HERS. AND GET THE SPYDER RT-S SE5 WE BOTH LOVE IT. THE RIDE IS MORE RELAXING. THE ONLY CON FOR ME IS WHEN SHE DRIVES AND I'M ON THE BACK SEAT SHE THREATENS TO GET ME A PINK T-SHIRT WITHI'M HER BIKER BITCH ON THE FRONT, IT'S STRANGE BEING ON BACK. THE ADVENTURE BIKES ARE FOR THE OFF THE BEATEN PATH IT'S AMAZING
WHAT YOU SEE WHERE YOU WON'T RIDE YOUR STREET BIKES. THE THOUGHT I WAS MISSING SOMETHING AND I WAS.
WITH ALL THE BIKES, WE HAVE THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS. SO FOR US NOT HEALTH RELATED BUT SAFE STABLE RIDING.
I have a 1975 BMW R90/6 that's still fun to ride and a couple of dirt bikes I still ride. I sold my BMW R1100RT a while back because we just weren't riding it any more. Every time we rode, it was on the Spyder RT. I can still ride two wheels but I seriously doubt that my wife and I will ever take another 2-up trip on two wheels. The RT is more comfortable on the road and much more stable when stopping in gravel parking lots full of loose rocks and holes. My R1100RT was a handful at low speeds or when stopping 2-up. I rode a friend's conventional trike and didn't feel comfortable on it. Granted, one ride wasn't much of a test, but I rode a Spyder GS and immediately felt comfortable. When the RT's came out, I ordered one. My wife and I are both very happy with the Spyder.
Suzuki M109R. I didn't get the Spyder because I could not or didn't want to ride 2 wheels anymore. Matter of fact, I liked my M109R so much I thought the Spyder would be my #2 ride after the thrill wore off.
Well, I suppose I was right. The thing is, it's been 3 years now and the thrill is bigger than ever! I haven't ridden my M109R in over a year!
So, as soon as I get tired of the Spyder, I'll be back on the M109R.... Just have no idea when that might happen!
I had a 1500 Vulcan, (one of my boys now has it) I also have an 09 Triumph America, beautiful bike and I love it, A couple of older hondas, and a Honda magna that is awesome. Problem is they never get out of the garage since the Spyder came to visit. I know exactly what your saying. I bet this applies to a lot of people.