Transition from Two Wheeler to a Spyder

[MyEleanor]

I posted earlier about taking my first Spyder test ride. And the fact I want to test ride a 1330 to compare to the ST I rode last week. I have been thinking a lot about it and am curious about those of you who transitioned from a two wheeler to the Spyder. And why. For my part, I was in an accident - my first ever after riding for many years - a little over a year ago. After three months, I bought a new motorcycle to replace the BMW that was totaled. Since that time, I have only put about 2K miles on the new bike. Previous to the accident I was averaging 5 to 6K per year. I think the issue I am having is that I am not very comfortable on my motorcycle anymore. I don't feel uncomfortable per se, but it feels different. The feeling when riding a Spyder is completely different and I hope will allow me to go back to taking long rides and tours with my girlfriend and by myself. My question to you all is has this happened to others and if so, did going to the Spyder help you readjust to being comfortable riding again? As you are are doubtless aware, the average age of a Spyder rider is above that of a two wheeler. I know many transition to the Spyder due to age related issues. I am 51 and don't have any physical reasons why I can't ride a two wheeler. It's more in my head I guess. I just miss riding and as I said am hoping the Spyder will help.

Anything you all could share about your own reasons and experiences would be helpful. Thanks.

[Cruzr Joe]

No major accidents on two wheels

No disabilities

I ride a Spyder because i want to.

Cruzr Joe

[samewok]

i got mine because i liked it.

[Chupaca]

sold my wing trailer and all riding gear and resigned myself to being bikeless. Spent two years working on the fixer up my wife got us when she said she missed ryding. Decided I would get a bike but something different. I went from a sport wing to an RS. Was no problem we love it...even more with each ryde...
Gold Wing 002.jpg to 20141223_151919.jpg quite different...test them including the F3...

[chuck gross]

I was 51 when My Wife wanted to buy a can am spyder I had a Yamaha xt 225 and was looking at a larger bike BMW, gold wing, or harley
so after test riding the larger bikes and comparing them to the fun that my Wife and I were having on the 2011 RT it was a no brainer for me I put the big bike on the back burner and purchased a 2013 STL for my ryde and haven't regretted it for a moment.
I still have my 225 that I love for riding the dirt/gravel back logging roads.

[oldgoat]

I bought mine because I did not want to fall off my motorcycle/maxi scooter. Harder to fall off a Spyder.

[cuznjohn]

got mine due to feet problems and didn't trust holding up two wheels anymore and didn't want to stop riding

[STELLING MAN]

I got my after knee surgery about a year ago, I wish I had done It years ago..

[Bob Denman]

Well, it was an accumulation of health-related issues...
I could no longer trust my legs to hold a big bike up, and the Missus wasn't comfortable on the back perch of most of the manageable bikes.
We stopped in a Can Am dealership back in 2010...
When she saw the Spyders, she said,
"That could be like our GoldWing was, when we first got married!"

...And we've never looked back!

[dbaucum]

Wife and I have toured thousands of miles on Goldwings. I started getting uncomfortable on the wing when fully loaded and low speed situations. We bought the spyder and would never go back. We have gone into rough or steep incline areas we would never have tried on the Wing. This opened up more areas of travel. It's very nice not having to make sure an area is mostly level before parking and even nicer not having to put a side stand down. Stop and go traffic is a breeze now. By the way, I also have a Harley but still choose the Spyder more because it is so much fun to ride.

[blacklightning]

I posted earlier about taking my first Spyder test ride. And the fact I want to test ride a 1330 to compare to the ST I rode last week. I have been thinking a lot about it and am curious about those of you who transitioned from a two wheeler to the Spyder. And why. For my part, I was in an accident - my first ever after riding for many years - a little over a year ago. After three months, I bought a new motorcycle to replace the BMW that was totaled. Since that time, I have only put about 2K miles on the new bike. Previous to the accident I was averaging 5 to 6K per year. I think the issue I am having is that I am not very comfortable on my motorcycle anymore. I don't feel uncomfortable per se, but it feels different. The feeling when riding a Spyder is completely different and I hope will allow me to go back to taking long rides and tours with my girlfriend and by myself. My question to you all is has this happened to others and if so, did going to the Spyder help you readjust to being comfortable riding again? As you are are doubtless aware, the average age of a Spyder rider is above that of a two wheeler. I know many transition to the Spyder due to age related issues. I am 51 and don't have any physical reasons why I can't ride a two wheeler. It's more in my head I guess. I just miss riding and as I said am hoping the Spyder will help.

Anything you all could share about your own reasons and experiences would be helpful. Thanks.

I guess you could say that I fall into a similar category as you. I am 48, but have been riding only 8 years. During those 8 years, the spyder makes the 10th bike that I have owned. Most were sport bikes (zzr1200, zx14, zzr600, Suzuki katana, etc.), but 3 have been cruisers. I always felt more comfortable on a cruiser, but I still liked to burn up the curves with the ease of a sport bike. In sept. of 2014 I had my second minor accident on my zzr1200. This made me uneasy about sport bikes in general. Since the wife would never ride with me, I wanted to get something that she could possibly enjoy with me, and something that I would feel more comfortable on.
I truly considered the ST, because it seems to fit my riding style more, but I hated the high rpms that the 998 needs to run in. After trying the 1330 on the RT, I was sold. I enjoy it more each time I ride. I will probably get another 2 wheeled bike, but it will possibly be another cruiser. I say give them both a try, and get what feels good to you.

[Gumbeau]

Wife and I have toured thousands of miles on Goldwings. I started getting uncomfortable on the wing when fully loaded and low speed situations. We bought the spyder and would never go back. We have gone into rough or steep incline areas we would never have tried on the Wing. This opened up more areas of travel. It's very nice not having to make sure an area is mostly level before parking and even nicer not having to put a side stand down. Stop and go traffic is a breeze now. By the way, I also have a Harley but still choose the Spyder more because it is so much fun to ride.

I decided to buy my Spyder after over 30 years of no riding at all. The concept of the Spyder intrigued me, but the test ryde sealed the deal. I am 70 in April, no physical issues, no real reason for not buying a two wheeler, thank God, but after 30 years of not riding, the Spyder makes me "want" to ryde again.

[Big F]

I posted earlier about taking my first Spyder test ride. And the fact I want to test ride a 1330 to compare to the ST I rode last week. I have been thinking a lot about it and am curious about those of you who transitioned from a two wheeler to the Spyder. And why. For my part, I was in an accident - my first ever after riding for many years - a little over a year ago. After three months, I bought a new motorcycle to replace the BMW that was totaled. Since that time, I have only put about 2K miles on the new bike. Previous to the accident I was averaging 5 to 6K per year. I think the issue I am having is that I am not very comfortable on my motorcycle anymore. I don't feel uncomfortable per se, but it feels different. The feeling when riding a Spyder is completely different and I hope will allow me to go back to taking long rides and tours with my girlfriend and by myself. My question to you all is has this happened to others and if so, did going to the Spyder help you readjust to being comfortable riding again? As you are are doubtless aware, the average age of a Spyder rider is above that of a two wheeler. I know many transition to the Spyder due to age related issues. I am 51 and don't have any physical reasons why I can't ride a two wheeler. It's more in my head I guess. I just miss riding and as I said am hoping the Spyder will help.

Anything you all could share about your own reasons and experiences would be helpful. Thanks.

I rode two wheelers my whole life. Yes, I was a bit apprehensive with my first Spyder but after a few hundred miles that all went away. Now i'm on my 3rd Spyder (2014 RT LIMITED) and it feels like I've been riding a Spyder my entire life!!!!! the only real difference for me is to slow down on the curves. My woman and myself love our Spyder. see you all at Spyderfest the end of April.
THE BIG F

[NovaSpyder]

I bought a Spyder because I wanted it I have an ST1100 but it is a 2001 with over 150k and it was time for something new. I was looking at the ST1300, FJR, BMW's etc. started looking at the Spyder on the Internet, found Spyderlovers and decided I wanted a Spyder. I found a demo on Kijiji from a reputable deale, 2012 RT, but 1000 mi away. So I bought it without having sitting on one and flew to pick it up and drive it back. It was a blast from moment one. I am sure my ATV experience had a lot to do with me adapting fairly quickly. Since then I have upgraded to a 2014 RT

Though i still ride the ST1100, though not much anymore, I am more comfortable on the Spyder and I suppose part of that is a higher safety comfort level. I've been riding 2 wheelers for close to 40 years and no reason to stop other than I love the Spyder experience.

Good luck with your decision.

[flaggerphil]

I've been riding street motorcycles off and on since I was 17 in 1968. In 2011 I still owned and rode my Yamaha V-Star 1300T. That winter my wife and I were in St Maarten and, with some other couples, had rented Harleys to tour the island. We were out for over five hours and towards the end I was worried about my bad leg holding up in the stop and go traffic, bad roads and heat. I managed to keep everything up but when we got home we discussed it and decided that if we were going to continue riding two up maybe it was time to look at three wheels. We tested the RT, Harley trikes, Goldwing trikes, Victory trikes, and Star trikes and decided the Spyder was the way to go. Even though my wife thought the TriGlide was more comfortable she really liked the stability of the Spyder. We bought one and never looked back...my wife even got her endorsement.

At the time I was 61 and, yes, old injuries had a lot to do with it. But I enjoy riding too much to give it up and, to me, the Spyder was perfect.

[hchays]

I decided to buy my Spyder for a couple of reasons. First I have a bad knee and I wanted to buy something for a "long term bike". Second (and more to your point) I was riding home on a motorcycle in the rain and got ran off the road on a curve by a woman that was half way in my lane. I did $3,000 damage to the bike and I got tore up pretty bad, but luckily no broken bones. The woman never even touched her breaks... I felt the Spyder (although it wouldn't have helped in my situation) would be more stable in the rain and with gravel etc... I can tell you I miss riding a motorcycle sometimes, but I have been much more comfortable in adverse conditions riding my Spyder.

BTW.. I've been riding for over 20 years.

[ARtraveler]

Been riding since 1965. Had over 40 two wheelers ranging from 80cc to 2000cc. Bought my first in 2008 when they first came out. Then, I bought it because it was new and different.

Traded my last two wheeler in on the 2011 in 2012. Farewell Vulcan 900 LTD. This time, it was due to health and was becoming difficult to support the 750# with my gamey leg. Still into riding. Miss two wheels, but still lets me ride. I consistently ride 10K miles plus each season--March-October.

[Professor]

I've ridden 2-wheelers since I was 13. I am now 70. Most recently I was riding a BMW GTL, but began having balance problems and was diagnosed with a neurological condition - probably MS. I sold the Beemer and figured my riding days were over. At my wife's insistence, we went to see the Spyders a couple of days before Christmas. The result: a 2014 RTL. It is an impressive machine. I'm still having some difficulties getting used to the different way it handles in the corners, but getting better each ride. I've only been able to put 80 miles on it so far due to weather and being out of town.

[PistonBlown]

The excuse and lie I give to people is the 'old motorcycle injuries' one - saying I was having problems with my hip seizing up at traffic lights so decided a 3rd wheel was required. This is a lie, yes I have injuries but nothing that stops me riding bikes. I say this is it's an easy thing for people to understand.

I've always ridden and been passionate about motorbikes, in fact I didn't bother getting a car licence for several years after getting my bike licence. What I found is that I was taking more and more risks when I rode and was relying too much on experience to get out of trouble. Sooner or later it was going to go badly pear shaped as it had once before, but the next time it would affect my wife and young daughter not just me. I tried taming in my riding but just couldn't do it, the demon on my shoulder always got his way:-)

So the idea of the Spyder RS was to break this pattern. Here's something that's completely different to ride, something that I'd be starting from scratch but with the same sense of being as I get on a motorbike. It's not a compromise, like getting a sidecar, but something that's designed for purpose.

So has it worked? After 2 years of ownership I love riding my Spyder and couldn't imagine going back to 2 wheels. Yes I ride it fast but not with the same abandon as I used to ride bikes. The limits I press now are those of the Spyder's Nanny and not my own and that's far safer.

[PrairieSpyder]

I posted earlier about taking my first Spyder test ride. And the fact I want to test ride a 1330 to compare to the ST I rode last week. I have been thinking a lot about it and am curious about those of you who transitioned from a two wheeler to the Spyder. And why. For my part, I was in an accident - my first ever after riding for many years - a little over a year ago. After three months, I bought a new motorcycle to replace the BMW that was totaled. Since that time, I have only put about 2K miles on the new bike. Previous to the accident I was averaging 5 to 6K per year. I think the issue I am having is that I am not very comfortable on my motorcycle anymore. I don't feel uncomfortable per se, but it feels different. The feeling when riding a Spyder is completely different and I hope will allow me to go back to taking long rides and tours with my girlfriend and by myself. My question to you all is has this happened to others and if so, did going to the Spyder help you readjust to being comfortable riding again? As you are are doubtless aware, the average age of a Spyder rider is above that of a two wheeler. I know many transition to the Spyder due to age related issues. I am 51 and don't have any physical reasons why I can't ride a two wheeler. It's more in my head I guess. I just miss riding and as I said am hoping the Spyder will help.

Anything you all could share about your own reasons and experiences would be helpful. Thanks.

Unlike many here, I didn't have lots of motorcycle experience. About 15 years ago, with a friend's encouragement, I decided to buy a Suzuki Savage 650 and learn to ride it. Took the MSF course, and when I went to take the practical test at the county, I crashed it. Several years later I tried again and I took the MSF course again and passed and got my endorsement. But I was never comfortable riding. I had a Burgman, but decided my legs were too short. I bought a Yamaha V-Star 250 (not enough bike for touring), V-star 950 (weight and power scared me). I just never felt confident enough to ride. I know people who were in that situation and just kept trying and slowly progressed in proficiency and comfort. I didn't want to work that hard for something that's supposed to be fun. So I finally traded for a used 2011 Spyder RTS, and never looked back.

If you're not comfortable or not confident riding what you have, do try a Spyder. I think you'll like it.

[trikermutha]

I went from 2 to 3 wheelers back in my 30's and at one point had a two wheeler and a 3 wheeler..since then its all been 3 wheels since..
I got tired of putting my foot down in oil at a stop lights along with trying to hold up the bike when its windy out etc etc..

Went from the Harley Tri Glide to a 2014 Spyder and have not been happier..

But before you decide I recommend test driving different types of trikes to see if it is for you..

Good Luck

[robmorg]

Eric,

My story is very much like yours, but my "accident" was likely not as significant. I didn't start riding until I was in my 40's but since then I've enjoyed it a lot. I've always ridden larger cruisers. My last bike, which was my overall favorite, was a Yamaha Royal Star Venture - a large, tall touring bike, with a V-4 engine, that weighed over 900 lbs. with all the farkles I'd added. I bought it new in 2002.

I enjoyed long rides on that comfortable big bike, and sometimes, just for fun, rode that bike aggressively, often scraping the floor boards on the road. But as with most folks, as I got older, my legs and knees got weaker, and I started feeling a bit uncomfortable with such a big top-heavy bike, even though it fit me like a glove. About 18 months ago, I was making a slow U-turn at a back road intersection and came too close to the edge of the pavement. The bike started down and I couldn't get my foot off the floor board quick enough to catch it, so I went down with it. First time in my life I ever had an "accident" or put a bike down. Burned my leg on the hot engine, but my pride was hurt MUCH more!!

I'd had my eye on the Can-Am and had test driven one the year before. I liked it, but it felt "awkward" compared to my cruiser. But after the fall, I figured it was time. I gave my big Yamaha to my oldest son (who loves it as I did), and bought a 2013 Spyder RTL at "end of season" pricing. I've grown to love my RT. I was entirely comfortable with the ride after about 500 miles and the addition of a BajaRon anti-sway bar. (I'm a big guy, so I needed that extra stability in turns to counteract the centrifugal force.) Now, I simply love it and can't get enough of riding it. I also often ride it aggressively in the turns "just for fun", just like the Yamaha. Don't really miss the twisties on two wheels, like I thought I would.

[jerpinoy]

I am lucky and loved. I used to ride two wheel but no more. Like others suggestions take your time and test ride the few miles to support your decision. Good luck.

[MyEleanor]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, experiences and input. I rode many years ago and had a Kawasaki ZL1000 but had to sell. Then got married, had kids, etc. finally bought a house in 2007 and felt justified in getting a bike. Started after 15 years on a Kawasaki 900. Three years later went to a Victory Vision. I loved that 900+ pound behemoth but had to sell to pay off a divorce. Then I got a wild hair and had to have a BMW R1200RT sport tourer. I also loved that but had the accident on that and totaled it. I won't go into dirty details but after the accident at 70 on the freeway I found myself laying on the side of the freeway in great pain. It is that image I have a hard time ridding myself of. After three months of recovery I thought I should get back on the "horse" and did with a Victory Cross Country, another large cruiser. But now, as I explained previously, I don't feel that was the right decision. But I want to keep riding something. Enter the Spyder. Thanks again to everyone. I'll let you know what I decide.

[dlby]

Ive been riding since I was 8 yrs old
Bridgestone 90cc
Honds 305
Kawasak500 1st powerbike
Sportster
Goldwimg
Fatboy
Roadking
Ultra classic
Etc
After 52 years all sudden did not feel comfortable- hard to believe

350 miles on 2014 Spyder
I like it much
I do not feel at ease yet on it

Yet is the key word, I know it will come, but it was gone on two wheels.