feeling unstable

[SailnDive]

We had a great ride yesterday! But I have to admit that I still feel some uneasiness when cornering with the Spyder. I'm much more secure on my 2 wheeler Shadow in the corners. I've ridden the Spyder enough now that I would hope that this feeling would have gone away. I end up cornering way slower than I would with the 2 wheeler. I drove formula racing cars for years so I am comfortable in corners right on the edge control...but not on the Spyder. I guess I can partially attribute this to old age. I'm also a skydiver that has severe fear of heights when I don't have a chute on. Never while making a jump from a plane or BASE. We plan to ride a lot this summer and I want it to be stress free.

[BajaRon]

Many of us have had this same experience. There are a number of things you can do to your Spyder to make it handle like a go-cart. It is actually pretty amazing how much difference a few changes can make. Especially if you are riding 2 up.

This is the reason I started making the sway bar kit. I was very impressed by how it stabilized my Spyder in a number of ways. Not just in the curves as I'd expected. But in strong cross winds, when passing large semi's on the freeway, and more.

Upgraded shocks will also give you greater control over the Spyder.

Laser Alignment can also make a great deal of difference.

Don't give up. Your dream ride may be just a mod or 2 away!

[SailnDive]

I have your Sway bar Ron. It did help.

[yellow peril]

I too had the problem with cornering. I rode two wheels for close to fifty years and I found that I had to stay away from riding the two wheels because old traits of riding came back and they just don't work with the spyder. I have about 2500 miles on the one I bought and still sometimes try to use the old riding habits, not only in the corners but with braking and shifting. I have a SE-5 so no shift lever,no brake lever.
Give it time and things will begin to be better. Its hard to break old habits.
dave

[Mazo EMS2]

Everything suggested....and....experiment with tire pressures as well. Make sure those fronts are as close to being the same as you can get 'em. Everyone has their opinion on pressures, because that's where they find the "sweet spot" for THEM. I try different pressures every couple months just to see how the Spyder reacts. For my first ride...today actually, I have my fronts at 18.5psi and the rear at 25psi. Another thing is grip, and of course the urge to lean. You still lean on the Spyder, but I find that using my feet is just as important. Don't forget to push down with that outside foot in the corners, as it will give YOU a more stable feeling. Just a couple other things to ponder while ya ride.....

[TIMMB]

Steer with your palms don't grip with your hands! The difference is amazing. One hand not fighting the other even though you're not consciously doing that. Always look through the corner where you want to be not where you are. The two biggest things that will make you smoother and faster

[Mad Mac]

After riding M/C's for 47+ years, I had a little issue with the handling of the Spyder. I found myself going into a corner and throwing my weight into it like I would a bike, and yes I have "dragged a few knees" in corners in my time, what I found that helped me out, was to look way ahead in the turn and adjust my lean/grip accordingly, plus adding throttle more smoothly, helps the transition. I had a heck of a time getting use to the "throttle-by-wire" system, to me , they don't have a lot of "feel", until you get used to them. It does not take as much effort as one might think, to turn a Spyder. I have a few years of riding a snowmobile, so that helped me out also. I have Ron's sway-bar and it has helped immensely when 2-up. Good luck and give it time, it will all fall into place sooner than you think. Mac

[gerald37]

I felt like you for the first 2000 miles. I have been riding on two wheels for over 60 years and have learned you do ride altogether different. l Now am taking corners just as fast as I did on my F6B. I now feel real comfortable riding at about any speed. I am probably riding a little to fast. What really help me was when I put new car tires on, aligned it, put Doc's belt tension-er on balanced the front tires and centralmatic balance er on the rear. At 80 mile an hour I can put two fingers on one of the handle bars and it goes straight on the highway and is real smooth. Going into corners I have no problem the bike will shut down if you are going to fast. I do ride alone and weight 150 lbs. so I don't feel as I need the sway bar but if I was riding two up or weighted over 200 lbs. I would try the sway bar and I might even put one on because I do ride pretty aggressive. I really did not want to give up my two wheels but touring bikes were just getting to heavy to handle. I would not think of going back right now and I am pretty strong for my age.

[Chupaca]

I would suspect that you are comparing too much instead of ryding it's ryde. Being as different as they are and coming form a spirited two wheeler background as you do it does take more time to undo and relearn as those coming from nowhere and learning for the first time. It will come when you relax and enjoy the spyders capablilities...

[MR. H1956]

It just takes some time. Relax and enjoy the ride. The more you set there and think about what your doing the more you'll fight the handle bars. I did the same thing till I relaxed and started riding and not fighting it. Now I catch myself riding with my hands just laying on top of the handle bars until I need to slow down or stop.time will tell. Happy Trails. Ride Safe Ride Often.

[SailnDive]

I just got a message suggesting that toe may be something to consider. Guess I may take a closer look at the suspension geometry. You do not need a laser to properly adjust a suspension.

[Capt. Bob]

A very simple fix that made fast cornering better other than my Ron Bar and a 2-up rear shock was to add some Spyderpops foam grips. The stock grips IMHO are way too small and cause the ryder to use a stronger grip than is necessary. When I added the foam grips, I was able to use a much lighter and more surgical touch with the steering inputs and this added great confidence. Like yourself with high performance machinery, I currently do autocross in a very high performance car but found the steering was just too touchy on the Spyder. Can't downplay the added confidence that the Ron Bar added to decreasing body lean. As Baja Ron pointed out, I got a True Laser Track rear tire alignment and the F3-S tracks incredibly straight which helps point the trike where you want it more easily.

[Highwayman2013]

I just got a message suggesting that toe may be something to consider. Guess I may take a closer look at the suspension geometry. You do not need a laser to properly adjust a suspension.

The reason that laser alignment works so well is it not only sets the toe but does it off the rear tire instead of the frame. Making sure the belt is running in the proper place is the first step. Can you do this without lasers? Yes. I do not have the patience to do that so I paid for the service. My 2016 F3L was crabbing down the road. Here's info: http://www.spydercomfort.com/

[Capt. Bob]

I just got a message suggesting that toe may be something to consider. Guess I may take a closer look at the suspension geometry. You do not need a laser to properly adjust a suspension.

SailnDive, True Laser Track in WV is located at:

All Seasons Powersports
Mineral Springs WV (304) 483-7751 ask for service

While it is true that you can use other methods to get an alignment on a Can-Am Spyder, the True Laser Track system was originally developed for race cars and then migrated to Can-Am products. The fellow that performed my True Laser Track alignment in Folkston, GA is a former submarine inertial guidance technician and I found the precision of the alignment process to be nothing short of amazing as I watched and even partially assisted in the use of the proprietary system. The difference in handling was noticeable as I had all new rubber installed on a used F3-S from the selling dealer who did not perform a laser alignment.

I personally am glad that I used a True Laser Track vendor because I suspect that there alignment process of the rear wheel aligned with the front wheels was the critical factor in getting exceptionally precise alignment. The procedure yielded noticeable improvements in handling. As a former professional pilot, I am extremely sensitive to control inputs and the benefits were immediately noticeable.

As I had mentioned in a previous post a couple of posts up, I think that the combination of many little additions and adjustments to the Spyder has yielded a significantly great confidence inspiring ryde. If I had to subjectively weight the various changes, I would rank them:
1. Ron Bar antisway bar
2. Spyderpops foam grips
3. True Laser Track alignment
4. 2-up rear shock
5. Installation of floor boards as opposed to foot pegs
6. Cannonball Seat upgrade

As others have mentioned, the lighter the grip, the better the steering. The only wicked aspect of the Spyder that I don't like is the significant "bump steer" that can occur with road surfaces meeting at different camber angles and the propensity of the trike to be significantly affected by the camber of the road surface where it wants to track with the slope of the road.

[BigGuy66]

..from my dealer - PUSH with the outside hand, don't PULL with the inside hand... made a difference for me. This would be similar to using your palms only. You have to push rather than pull.

[trikermutha]

I am assuming when you feel "Uneasiness" on curves it feels like you are going to roll the Spyder?

Its amazing what tire pressure ,car tires, Rons bar, Rons shock adjusters will do for the ride.

I think the big difference was the tire pressure and went to car tires,next would be Rons bar and shock adjusters.

I dart across the Hwy with little effort now.

Good Luck.

[UtahPete]

We had a great ride yesterday! But I have to admit that I still feel some uneasiness when cornering with the Spyder. I'm much more secure on my 2 wheeler Shadow in the corners. I've ridden the Spyder enough now that I would hope that this feeling would have gone away. I end up cornering way slower than I would with the 2 wheeler. I drove formula racing cars for years so I am comfortable in corners right on the edge control...but not on the Spyder. I guess I can partially attribute this to old age. I'm also a skydiver that has severe fear of heights when I don't have a chute on. Never while making a jump from a plane or BASE. We plan to ride a lot this summer and I want it to be stress free.

I don't know which machine you have. We have two 2014 RTs. Bone stock, my RT can be pushed through corners with a lot more confidence than you would think. I've chased 2-wheelers and aggressively-driven Spyders through the twisties much faster than I would have thought possible. The limitation is in your head, not your bike.

[RedRockSpyder]

Just got back from our first ride of the season. Last year after purchasing our RT Limited in the early fall we rode about 1000 miles before winter. We live in Southern Utah at 7500’. I was always uncomfortable in the curves...It got better, but I hoped With more miles I’d feel more comfortable. Over the winter I bought a few accessories including a Ron Jon sway bar and foam grips. Don’t have the bar installed yet..but the grips made a ​huge difference today!. No more death grip and it’s more natural to have a soft touch. Can’t wait to install the sway bar. Looking forward to a great Southern Utah season!

[Fat Baxter]

Physically leaning on a Spyder is not unique -- sidecar pilots have to lean, too. So think of your Spyder as a sidecar rig but with symmetrical thrust and braking. (On a side car rig, the sidecar, when starting from a rest, tends to pull the rig to the right due to inertia, and under braking, wants to stay in motion and pulls the rig to the left.) And because of the weight distribution, a sidecar pilot has to lean a lot.

The one thing I found that really improved the ride was a new set of front tires. I put some Kuhmo's on, and the difference was dramatic!!!!! I'm talking day-and-night different! Browse through the (very) numerous tire threads on this site, and you'll find near-universal agreement that the stock Kendas are horrible. I don't know if Kenda ever got its act together, but when I bought my new 2014, the fronts had a reputation for being out-of-round and belt separations, while the rear was renown for short life. And almost any tire you buy will be less than what the dealer charges for Kendas. My experience with new tires was so profound that I recommend you not wait for the stock tires to wear out, but to replace them as soon as you can. Why prolong the misery of riding with crappy tires?

[gerald37]

Physically leaning on a Spyder is not unique -- sidecar pilots have to lean, too. So think of your Spyder as a sidecar rig but with symmetrical thrust and braking. (On a side car rig, the sidecar, when starting from a rest, tends to pull the rig to the right due to inertia, and under braking, wants to stay in motion and pulls the rig to the left.) And because of the weight distribution, a sidecar pilot has to lean a lot.

The one thing I found that really improved the ride was a new set of front tires. I put some Kuhmo's on, and the difference was dramatic!!!!! I'm talking day-and-night different! Browse through the (very) numerous tire threads on this site, and you'll find near-universal agreement that the stock Kendas are horrible. I don't know if Kenda ever got its act together, but when I bought my new 2014, the fronts had a reputation for being out-of-round and belt separations, while the rear was renown for short life. And almost any tire you buy will be less than what the dealer charges for Kendas. My experience with new tires was so profound that I recommend you not wait for the stock tires to wear out, but to replace them as soon as you can. Why prolong the misery of riding with crappy tires?

You are sure right on the tires. I think that is where a lot of problems come from. Maybe some of the Kenda's are better than others but I put on Federals and they really balanced up well. I have a General on the rear with the Centralmatic balance-er. I do have the Centralmatic balance-er's for the front but I don't feel I need them since I had a tire shop balance them.

[SpyderAnn01]

What is your passenger doing in curves?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

But I have to admit that I still feel some uneasiness when cornering with the Spyder. I'm much more secure on my 2 wheeler Shadow in the corners. I've ridden the Spyder enough now that I would hope that this feeling would have gone away. I end up cornering way slower than I would with the 2 wheeler. I drove formula racing cars for years so I am comfortable in corners right on the edge control...but not on the Spyder.

OK, are you trying to ride the Spyder through curves like a race car, or a two wheeler? If like a two wheeler that is your problem. Handle it more like the race cars you are used to and I'll bet you'll find it corners much better!

[canamjhb]

..from my dealer - PUSH with the outside hand, don't PULL with the inside hand... made a difference for me. This would be similar to using your palms only. You have to push rather than pull.

Now to add a bit of confusion..... I tried PUSHING with little success. Now, I am PULLING with the inside hand and find it very much more stable. The Pulling action actually places your CL of gravity more towards the inside of the corner. Try pulling with the inside hand while pushing down on the outside foot and bracing your inside knee hard against the bike. While doing all this, lean into the corner and look well through it. Works for me. But I am up for change if I'm doing it all wrong..... I've had an especially hard time converting from 2 to 3 wheels. But using what I described, I now can go back and fourth without a problem......

[Peter Aawen]

That PULL not PUSH thing is what works for me too, and I've been passing it on to a lot of the local ryders who are either having these 'unstable feeling' concerns in their transition from 2 to 3 wheels or to those who simply want to go faster now that they are a bit more comfortable on 3 wheels - with pretty much a 100% success rate!!

So I'd agree with canamjhb and suggest that if you want to get rid of the 'unstable feeling' when ryding your Spyder, lean IN & forwards into the corner & PULL with your inside hand rather than pushing with your outside hand!! And use your outside foot to brace & help you move your weight across & down in towards the apex of the corner if you need a bit more stability or just want to ryde smoothly & maybe even faster thru the corner!!

[fjray]

A lot of good ideas from experienced folks. I tried all the above and gave it 15k but my copilot and I never felt comfortable on the tricycle . We returned to a wing and are comfy again. Spyder had a lot of good features but it's not the magic bullet for everybody so if it isn't working for you move on.