3 Wheels vs 2 Wheels - My Story

[jimcrom]

Why I am going to keep my spyder and not go back and ride two wheels.

A few weeks ago I was going home from work on two lane highway around 50-55 mph and it was starting to get dark. I work out at Fort Hunter Liggett, Fort Middle-of-Nowhere. As I look up ahead I see legs walking across the street. As I am slowing down I see two deer in my lane, one in the oncoming lane and one on the left shoulder. As I am slowing down, I can't find the horn, but it really doesn't matter as I am screaming louder than any horn, telling the deer to MOOOOVE and "go home". The two in my lane and the one in the oncoming lane got across and so did the one in the oncoming lane, as I swerved into the oncoming lane the one on the shoulder moseyed across the lane and as I passed the deer, I could reach out and grab its tail still screaming the entire way.

I know if I was riding two wheels I would have dumped it to avoid them. I remember a few years back the pics of someone who had just bought a new spyder on a Friday, had it painted over the weekend was was taking it to a buddy's house when he took out a big deer. In that case the bike was pretty well trashed and the deer was stewed venison. In that case I don't think the owner had anything other than a jammed hand/wrist.

Three wheels are definitely safer than two!

[ronrico]

Having been hit by a deer while on two wheels I totally agree with you. I am glad that you came through it safely.

[3 Wheel Addict]

Having rode 2 wheelers all my life I have also decided that my Spyder is the answer to keep riding yet increase my margin of safety. I think a person would be hard pressed to dump a Spyder, I think you would be thrown off before it would dump with you on it. Although fighting with a large animal such as a deer I'm not real sure your odds would be good regardless of what your on.

[Bob Denman]

Yup!
You lose agility; but gain stability!

[den1953]

I've been a licensed 2 wheel motorcyclist for nearly 44 years and have experienced all the joys, thrills & spills as well as couple of accidents while riding motorcycles. As I've aged my physical stength has diminished somewhat and my knees and lower back aren't what they used to be. I have been considering the move to three wheels for the last several years and have actually demoed a couple of Gold Wing trike conversions as well as a couple of Can Am Spyders. The conventional trikes take a lot more upper body strength to steer in tight situations but otherwise ride fairly comfortably. The power steering on the Can Ams plus having a real reverse in the transmission is a real advantage, not to mention the traction and stabitlity controls. Another reason is in being more visible and conspicuous in traffic with so many cagers being inattentive or driving distracted. The added security of not dumping a bike or getting high sided and just having more wheels under me when roads are slick or a tire goes is justification for getting one. I just turned 61 last Sunday, not really old yet but old enough to make the switch to a Spyder.

[Some Guy]

Over the years I've seen stories here about SpyderLovers hitting deer with their Spyders. The worst injury I can remember is a dislocated finger (screen name: BigArm). I believe none of the riders actually came off the Spyder.

Now, as for hitting wild turkeys, that's another story!

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ht=wild+turkey

[Dan McNally]

A guy recently posted photos at facebook on the Can Am Spyder Owners page of his Spyder after he fell asleep on it and went off the road into the median, last year. His cruise control was set at 70MPH at the time. He fell off the Spyder and broke a rib. They did a CAT scan at the hospital and discovered he had lung cancer, for which he was successfully treated. His Spyder? It remained upright and had to have the mud washed off of it!

[Some Guy]

A guy recently posted photos at facebook on the Can Am Spyder Owners page of his Spyder after he fell asleep on it and went off the road into the median, last year. His cruise control was set at 70MPH at the time. He fell off the Spyder and broke a rib. They did a CAT scan at the hospital and discovered he had lung cancer, for which he was successfully treated. His Spyder? It remained upright and had to have the mud washed off of it!

WOW! That just shows Spyders save lives in many ways!

[PW2013STL]

I've been a licensed 2 wheel motorcyclist for nearly 44 years and have experienced all the joys, thrills & spills as well as couple of accidents while riding motorcycles. As I've aged my physical stength has diminished somewhat and my knees and lower back aren't what they used to be. I have been considering the move to three wheels for the last several years and have actually demoed a couple of Gold Wing trike conversions as well as a couple of Can Am Spyders. The conventional trikes take a lot more upper body strength to steer in tight situations but otherwise ride fairly comfortably. The power steering on the Can Ams plus having a real reverse in the transmission is a real advantage, not to mention the traction and stabitlity controls. Another reason is in being more visible and conspicuous in traffic with so many cagers being inattentive or driving distracted. The added security of not dumping a bike or getting high sided and just having more wheels under me when roads are slick or a tire goes is justification for getting one. I just turned 61 last Sunday, not really old yet but old enough to make the switch to a Spyder.

This sounds like me - other then I am 62 Two years ago my wife and I took a east coast and Canada trip on my Harley and I did end up droping it one day in a parking lot when my wife was mounting. I just could not hold it up and lifting that 1000+# bike was more than I could do without help. While in Canada we saw a lot of 's on the road and I thought - no issues holding that up - plus I came across a number of pull offs that would have been great for taking pictures, but the uneaven down sloping gravel pull off stopped me from doing so. Again I thought that would not be a issue on a .

Long story short I sold that Harley and own a

[Rid'nrandy]

We used to travel on our Goldwing and trailer. We made many long trips and had great times, but as I get older I find that the stressful situations were becoming more numerous. This year we are making our first long trip on my wife's Spyder with trailer. We've covered over 2,000 miles so far while on our trip to Florida and the only stressful situation so far was when we went through Atlanta during rush hour (dang gps!). But, even that was nothing compared to what it would have been on the GW. I can remember all the times when it was torture holding in the clutch. I still have a couple of two wheeled bikes and plan to continue riding them, but the vacations will be on the Spyder for as long as we are able.

[ARtraveler]

I had many encounters with deer when living in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Close, but no hits I am happy to say.

Have had three moose encounters and one bear encounter here in Alaska. One moose encounter on two wheels, I had to change lanes quickly, and was thankful there were no oncoming vehicles. The other three encounters were on . All close, but no accident.

I do appreciate the stability, and the extra equipment on to help keep things under control.

[jimcrom]

Deer here on the central coast of California are not very big compared to the deer in Michigan where I lived and visit. Now the Tule elk out here are as big as cows and they are in herds on the post.

Another thing you need to watch for out here are the wild pigs.

I had many encounters with deer when living in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Close, but no hits I am happy to say.

Have had three moose encounters and one bear encounter here in Alaska. One moose encounter on two wheels, I had to change lanes quickly, and was thankful there were no oncoming vehicles. The other three encounters were on . All close, but no accident.

I do appreciate the stability, and the extra equipment on to help keep things under control.

[007james]

I hit my first Deer today on my 2012 Spyder RT. I was doing about 45-50, and it came out of no where! I never saw it at all until It tumbled in to the ditch after I hit it. It looked like both of its back legs were broken. I untangled its legs, but they were limp. It was scared. I calmed it down, and tried to help it up, but it could not stand up.it happened in between Roanoke and Bedford, VA. Could not get any help from Police or Animal Control on the phone. So had to leave the deer and limp home, 3 miles away on the Spyder. Broke lights, mirror, cracked plastic pieces, bent fender braces, and maybe the DPU damage, as the sterring malfunctioning, but never got any Orange Limp alerts. I am O.K. But the Spyder Season for me is over, because it will be a hassel getting Insurance Adjusting, and every thing fixed. I do not believe any Adjuster can estimate all the possible damage that only a Dealer can discover, after inspecting it. Had I been on a two wheeler, I'd surely be in the hospital. The deer never touched my body, and was deflected by the angled Frunk Hood. It never hit the wind screen but bent the heck out of the fender rods, and the tire is rubbing on the bent rod that I could not unbend. I am a few months short of 75, so would have surely dropped my prior Vulcan 1500 if I had been riding it. I went back with my truck looking for the deer, but it was gone. Hope it survives, and isn't suffering.

Deer here on the central coast of California are not very big compared to the deer in Michigan where I lived and visit. Now the Tule elk out here are as big as cows and they are in herds on the post.

Another thing you need to watch for out here are the wild pigs.

[jimcrom]

Today I hit my first pig. At least it was in the car. Put me in a ditch. Not sure how I would have come out on the Spyder .


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[Kwalsh]

Riding in upstate ny that is one of my real concerns, thankfully only a couple close calls on my bones or my spyder