Quote Originally Posted by Easy Rider View Post
BUT I'm not sure I agree with using the "cruise control" for anything other than cruising.....long (mostly) straight road at constant speed.
Putzing around with it in short term situations like a steep hill just seems to me like a distraction that you don't really need.

To each his own, I guess.
In a sense it is, "To each his own", but nevertheless it is a discussion that just might be worthwhile having. I guess we see the use of cruise control in different lights. As I said I use it as much as I can, even on city streets. The number one reason is that, as I see it, driving at a steady speed enhances the safety of everyone on the road. Whether it's in the car or on the Spyder I have trouble keeping a steady speed, especially if the road is up and down. What would be better is if everyone drove at the same steady speed but that of course that will never happen. If I'm staying at a steady speed at or just above the posted speed limit (usually about 4 - 5 above) I don't need to worry about getting a speeding ticket. On a hill the CC keeps me from slowing down and causing a driver behind me to get irritated, and then compensating by speeding up and further aggravating the guy behind me. For me, when I use CC I minimize the distraction of speed control and can devote more attention to all other aspects and distractions of driving. I see it as a safety feature, not a convenience feature. Most of the time the Spyder CC does a damn good job of keeping the bike at a steady speed, even downhill, sometimes by using a lower gear.

As others have said, out on the open straight road I tend to be a 'creeper' in both directions, up and down. CC mitigates that problem. But there is the offsetting danger of using CC and that is complacency, especially on the open road. CC makes it a lot easier to sight see while driving, and that can lead to bad results if one does it too much and doesn't pay attention to the road ahead.

Cruise control is a tool to aid in driving safely. Use it however it works best for you.