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Spyder RT S vs Gold Wing
First post here, just wondering, anyone on the forum move from a GW trike to a Spyder RT S? I ride a 2005 with 2012 Road Smith conversion, so just thinking out loud if maybe a change is in store for me. Getting long in the tooth, thinking the RT S may be a smoother ride for me and my lady.
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Very Active Member
I've never owned a Gold Wing but try the Spyder and compare them yourself. If you're cautious, leave your check book at home the day of the test ride.
Artillery lends dignity to what would
otherwise be a vulgar brawl.
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Cognac 2014 RT-S
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That's my plan, just fishing for a thought or two from others that have done the switch that I might consider on a test ride.
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Very Active Member
10 yr Gold w rider
30 HD ultra
2Yr rtse6 Spyder
Loved all of them
The Spyder is a great 3 wheeler.
I love R&R put another dime in the jukebox baby!
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Very Active Member
Had a Wing, but the 2 wheel variety. Have ridden a trike version. Spyder is MUCH more responsive, and will take a little
getting used to, but is totally worth the effort. My RT rides just great, and you will like the fly by wire throttle, and some other
things too. Probably won't be so crazy about storage, especially if you want to stow 2 helmets of any size, or even 1 largish one.
Flatlander, Navy Veteran, Widower
Loved my 2014 RTS SE6 Pearl white
but have a new love now,
my 2017 RTS SE6 Champagne metallic (Champ)
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Very Active Member
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Active Member
I had 3 GW's.... a new red '75 GW that I added what bolt-on dress parts were available back in that era... white Vetter Windjammer fairing, some white bolt-on saddle bags, bolt-on footrests on bolt-on crash bars, thumb-lock cruise lever on handlebar, maybe some minor stuff/ A real 'dresser' eh?
Next, a new black (the only color) '80 GW Interstate... can't remember adding much if anything to it... short footnote: initial break-in ride from Columbus, Ohio to Baltimore Maryland... stopped for lunch... parked on center stand on a nice really black new looking parking lot... it was in the heat of summer and it was really hot... by the time me and my co-rider (who ever she was ;>) got saddled up, the rest of the group had taken off.... couldn't get the darned center out of the blacktop... it was so hot, and evidently
the asphalt was so new and soft, that the centerstand had sunken into the pavement a good 6 inches or so, until the stand's crossmember stopped it. While standing alonside the bike, tried rocking the bike from from front-to-rear and side-to-side... finally side-to-side won and broke it loose from the pavement... and yanked the handlebars out of my hands and down the bike went on its side! Wrestled it upright and pushed it out onto good pavement. The fall had broken the ride side fairing mirror off! Small price to pay for all that fun!! I looked at my co-rider and said "Well, it's not new anymore, so get on and we can really RIDE now!" Loved that bike! Was temped to buy it back several times.
Next up, a new '86 NW SE-i.... can't remember doing much customization on it, it was already decked out by Honda... it was the best ride of the three not the best handling (for me), the '80 gets my tropy for that... it was a perfect 'fit' for me.
To 'answer' your question, test ride a few brands to get a feel for each them, I've looked at the current GW's but haven't ridden any other than a test sit in the showroom. The new GW breed is even larger. But if I could get my hands on a well maintained '80 GW, I'd be tempted to go back to it... I'm now 70 and 155 pounds and darned arthhritis (which is why I switched to a new 2012 Spyder) or not!
Ryde on!
2012 Spyder RT-S SE5 Blue
Can Am: Floorboards, Tri-Axis handlebars, Comfort Seat, Front/Side/Rear cargo travel bags
Vendors: Air Hawk2 seat air cushion, Adjustable Side Window Deflectors, slip-on grip covers, RAM GPS mount & a short RAM socket arm... with a bicycle handlebar bell mounted to it - a carryover from my 2-wheeling days, it was great for getting your ridng buddy's attention when stopped at a traffic light
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Wing trike vs Spyder RT
Originally Posted by bikerbillone
First post here, just wondering, anyone on the forum move from a GW trike to a Spyder RT S? I ride a 2005 with 2012 Road Smith conversion, so just thinking out loud if maybe a change is in store for me. Getting long in the tooth, thinking the RT S may be a smoother ride for me and my lady.
Put 45,000 on a 02 Wing with a 06 CSC Conversion and have been riding a 2013 RT limited for nearly 2 years. Their are equally comfortable, but the Wing handled much better, was easier to work on, got a little better mileage and is eaiser to get parts and accessories. Perhaps there have been improvements since 2013, with the engine change and some suspension changes. My wife and I both preferred the Wing, overall.
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Very Active Member
Originally Posted by bikerbillone
First post here, just wondering, anyone on the forum move from a GW trike to a Spyder RT S? I ride a 2005 with 2012 Road Smith conversion, so just thinking out loud if maybe a change is in store for me. Getting long in the tooth, thinking the RT S may be a smoother ride for me and my lady.
Your question has been discussed many times here on SL forum. Go to the search page http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/search.php and put Goldwing in the search box. Change the criteria to search titles only. I just came up with 58 hits doing that. Something like a third to half of them deal with the question of moving from a Goldwing to a Spyder going back several years. Several of them discuss moving from a 'wing trike. You'll glean a lot of info and thoughts by scanning through them.
2014 Copper RTS
Tri-Axis bars, CB, BajaRon sway bar & shock adjusters, SpyderPop's Bumpskid, NBV peg brackets, LED headlights and modulator, Wolo trumpet air horns, trailer hitch, custom trailer harness, high mount turn signals, Custom Dynamics brake light, LED turn signal lights on mirrors, LED strip light for a dash light, garage door opener, LED lights in frunk, trunk, and saddlebags, RAM mounts and cradles for tablet (for GPS) and phone (for music), and Smooth Spyder belt tensioner.
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Active Member
Spyder RT S vs Gold Wing
I had a new 2006 Goldwing 1800 with a Motortrike kit on it , Raked front end and just about every accessory you could put on it. Sold it last October, bought a new Vulcan Voyager with a CSC kit , awesome looking bike but made me remember why I went away from a V-twin and wife hated it. She loved the Goldwing, I loved the Goldwing but after about 10 years I got tired of it even though it only had 26,000 miles on it. The Vulcan Kawasaki Voyager trike was a BAD, costly senior moment but my Spyder RTS is the best bike out of many that I've ever owned thus far with 6,000 some miles on it since spring. Won't go back even though I do miss a few things about the wing....Love my Spyder, no regrets! There's always trade - offs. My wife thinks they are ugly but can overlook that because of the ride which other than the seat she likens to the wing. The seat will be a Russell by spring so I guess she will like everything about it but the looks.. safe riding!
Last edited by trikerbiker645; 10-21-2016 at 10:45 PM.
Baja Ron sway bar, Spyder Dock, Highway Brackets,Trident pegs, Spyder Decals, Signal Mirror led strips, Utopia backrest, 5 pc. Hopnel liner set, cargo nets side/rear doors. Mesh bag front trunk, foam grips, spare trunk key, passenger armrests/storage pouch's, ram mounts/GPS, Drink holder,Phone, Passenger clamp-on drink holder, rear trunk tap light, custom plate frame, spyder fastener bolts, adjustable lower mirror wind deflectors, F4 Customs windshield -wide,tall,clear,vent,Chrome Spyder grill.
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Active Member
If you can't leave the gold wing (just love the wing), motor trike now offers a reverse trike conversion kit for the gold wing. It doesn't have all of the computer safety features that you find on the Spyder but from what I hear, it is an awesome ride, great handling, very responsive, and just as stable as the Spyder in the corners. It may not be the prettiest of style, but you have your 1800 GL Gold Wing between your legs.
Oh yeah, downside you're spending about $38k for that ride (new).
Brian Kay - Kennesaw, GA
2014 RT-S SM6 Pearl White (KHAOS)
TricLED 3rd and 4th Brake Lights - TricLED Turn Signals - TricLED Side Fender Lights - Airhawk R Seat Pad - Smoothspyder Belt Tensioner - JT's Dash Mount - JT's USB and 12v Power Unit - Stebel 139dB Multi Sound Horn - Lamonster NBV Highway Pegs - BRP Adjustable Wind Deflectors - Cal-Sci Stock Extra Wide Windshield - Baja Ron Sway Bar - WrapMySpyder 1330 Triple decals - Ultimate Tallboy Seat - BRP Sat Radio - ELKA Stage 2 Front Shocks
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Yes
Originally Posted by bikerbillone
First post here, just wondering, anyone on the forum move from a GW trike to a Spyder RT S? I ride a 2005 with 2012 Road Smith conversion, so just thinking out loud if maybe a change is in store for me. Getting long in the tooth, thinking the RT S may be a smoother ride for me and my lady.
I rode a gold wing 2005 trike for over 7000 miles I now ride an RT Limited.
I miss my gold wing trike but due to arthritis and surgery on my hand to remove a bone shifting or pulling the clutch in was very painful especially in town.
I now ride a 2015 RT and the difference is night and day. I simply have to push a little lever with my thumb to shift up and shifting down is automatic plus it's has power steering.
So I loved my gold wing trike and I love my Spyder. The main disadvantage is not having the storage I had with the gold wing trike with a Lehman conversion .
I know some people have tried to convince others the Spyder holds as much as a Goldwing trike, I personally know that is not true in my case. It could be due to the extra large opening of the Lehman, which has a huge area where I could place a full size carry-on much bigger than what comes with the Spyder plus a rolling duffel bag. Thank goodness my man have has A trailer he pool with his Gold wing trike.
I highly recommend the spider especially if you have a trailer but if you are going to be making long trips you not need that much storage .
Good luck and enjoy if you do get a Spyder .
WNGLADY
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Active Member
Brian Kay - Kennesaw, GA
2014 RT-S SM6 Pearl White (KHAOS)
TricLED 3rd and 4th Brake Lights - TricLED Turn Signals - TricLED Side Fender Lights - Airhawk R Seat Pad - Smoothspyder Belt Tensioner - JT's Dash Mount - JT's USB and 12v Power Unit - Stebel 139dB Multi Sound Horn - Lamonster NBV Highway Pegs - BRP Adjustable Wind Deflectors - Cal-Sci Stock Extra Wide Windshield - Baja Ron Sway Bar - WrapMySpyder 1330 Triple decals - Ultimate Tallboy Seat - BRP Sat Radio - ELKA Stage 2 Front Shocks
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Rode a 2003 Goldwing with a DFT trike conversion for almost seven years and sold it 2 years ago. Had the 2014 RT Limited for 2 years now. At first I thought I'd messed up, but after a couple of mods like Tri-Axis bars and Russell seat, I don't want to go back. I loved the Goldwing, but now I love the Spyder more: better ride, better handling, better economy and better cool factor. The handling took some getting used to. Steering is sensitive and some call it "twitchy" or "squirrelly", but I call it tight and sports car-like and responsive. Just get ready for a whole new experience in motorcycling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mark in GA
2014 Cognac Spyder RT Limited - SOLD
2014 Cognac RT-622 Trailer - SOLD
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I can't offer any experience to your question so
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Very Active Member
I have built a couple of trikes for friends and they scare the crap out of me. I always have this vision of them going over just like a kids trike or the old 3 wheel ATVs did. My RTs have never given me that feeling. It did require the requsite 500 miles of riding to feel totally comfortable on the first one. The second (1330 RT-S) is a bit more stable and may not have required as many miles of acclimation.
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Very Active Member
Hey fancy meeting you over here. Welcome to the best site on the 'net for Spyder information and great people. You should repost some of the concerns you had over on Trike Talk over here. There should be some good discussion.
Happy TRAils/NSD
Paul
2012 RT L
AMA 25 years Life Member
TRA
PGR
Rhino Riders Plate #83
Venturers #78
TOI
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Hi Peg, I drop in from time to time to read the good, the bad, all of it.
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If you do decide to jump ship..plan on the TriAxis bars to start with.
You may not like the way the bars are positioned. Sway bar would be next..MAke sure dealer Rolo Aligns before taking delivery .
These are the top things most have done.
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Very Active Member
Baloo is my name. Spyders are my game. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, I mean a doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee-dee-doo. And, well, now. Ha ha! What have we here?
2020 Petrol Blue Metallic RTL
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Good break down Tango, I know getting all the tupperware off the Spyder is a challenge even for a simple oil change, but that improves with experience as I read the comments. Ever do a air filter change for a GW, egads, I don't think think that ever improves with experience, oil change, pretty simple.
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This will give you an idea on Tupperware removal
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fellow members
Some on the forum is close by to the gent please head over and let him ride yours...
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Active Member
spyder vs goldwing
I do love my Honda 1800 (Motor Trike) BUT I do love the smoothness of the Can-Am, The feeling of stability it gave. The suspension was way better. The lack of clutch (arthritis in my fingers) sure makes it easy The trip-matic shifting up and down was like instant, no need to even let of the gas The ABS integrated breaking -- this thing REALLY stops. The dynamic Stability Control is supposed to keep you out of trouble in different 'events' Not sure I ever want to test that. Passenger ( my Wife) felt more secure, and stable) Storage capacity is about the same, It does not have a CB capability however. Motorized windshield really gets rid of any winds, (and rain I suppose). On two lane roads with the crown, it took no , constant effort of pushing to keep it straight. Way less effort in turns (power assist steering) Not a physical a ride.
And according to the literature - the Physics involved with two wheel up front - make it a safer and a more controlled ride. Cons - No front brake lever.P1000767.jpg
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