Going from Goldwing to Spyder

[North]

Gooday,
I'm thinking of going from a 2007 Goldwing 1800 to a Spyder 2017. What will I gain/lose on the change over. How is the spyder in tight turns, highway passing at higher speeds?? And anything else you can enlighten me on.
Thanks,
Gary

[Pirate looks at --]

You will gain stability that you done have on two wheels. You will undoubtedly loose a bunch of buttons and switches you never used on your Goldwing. As for handling in the corners, you will struggle at first, as it is a whole different way to ryde. Once you get a couple thousand miles under your belt you will be pleased as to how well it handles in turns. As for passing, the Spyder can pass anything on the road with ease! Plenty of power to handle what you need!

[2dogs]

Read through the "Do's and Don'ts" on this site and most all your questions will be answered.

[Navydad]

I went from 40 years of touring bikes including a couple of Wings to a Spyder RT. My first thoughts were pretty much HOLY CRAP what have I done, this is not going to work!!! Well, after about a thousand miles it got better. After a year and a half and 22,000 miles we wouldn't go back to a two wheeled touring rig. We have put in several 500+ mile days on our RT and arrived much more relaxed than we ever have after a long day on two wheels. I am a junkie that still needs a two wheeled fix so I do have a motorcycle in the garage for that purpose, plus I occasionally get away for a few days alone and I take the motorcycle on those short trips. It is different and it will take some time.

[Chasinsparks]

I never had a Goldwing but had many cruisers and crotch rockets. I absolutely love the stability and comfort of my RTL.

What did I gain:

More muscles in my face from smiling everytime I go for a ride.

A lot of fans, people still love to come up and talk about the Spyder

A passenger, wife was not digging the two wheels, loves hanging out on the back.

Again the Comfort and stability.

After you put a few miles on and get used to the Spyder I feel you will really enjoy the ride.

Read the do and don't the men and women Spyder Riders on this site have put a lot information out there from experience. I thoroughly read and re-read and spent a lot of time on this board as a peeping tom, I feel it truly helped with the transition and made my riding more enjoyable.

[Grandpot]

I have a 2011 RTS with the 998 engine. When I'm doing 70 and want to pass, all I do is give it some throttle. Zooommm! I also have a Valkyrie. You won't be giving up anything. It's just different

[BajaRon]

Never had a Goldwing. My Valkyrie was as close as I ever got to one. But if your experience is like mine. You will hate your new Spyder at first. Your 2 wheeled brain will think you are on a motorcycle and it won't like what it does. It will feel twitchy and somewhat uncontrollable to you at first. But knowing that it is you and not the machine really helps a lot.

The 'Do's and Don't's' list people mention will help you over the learning curve more quickly. And this is the key. Some give up right away and never experience the great ride the Spyder provides.

Once you get the hang of it you will be really glad you did. It's a great experience and worth the effort.

Hopefully, you won't struggle like I did. Not everyone does. But if you do. Just take your time and you can always come back here for some specific answers if needed.

Good Luck! :thumbup:

[wingit3611]

The thing about a Spyder is if it is set up rite you will love it. (like riding on rails). If not set up rite it will dart around and you will hate it. Get an experienced rider to ride it. And ride one set correctly, rides like on rails.

[d.o.spyder-rts]

Not going into a lot of details, after being t-boned on my '05 wing in '09, I purchased my first spyder in 2012. You will find there is a learning curve. It took me around 500 miles to get used to riding the spyder. Like mentioned before, read the do's and don'ts for spyder riders in in the forum under the general tab. My current ride is a '16 RTS and I love it. Good luck with your decision. Dale

[fjray]

Don't sell the wing until you have spent a fair amount of time with a Spyder. The spyder is a fine machine and I can't say I totally regret owning it but we were never comfortable on it and after 15k and lots of upgrades it lives in the neighbors garage and we are back on a wing. The handling on the wing is effortless compared to the tricycle and if you have any upper back or neck issues you will find the Spyder challenging . If you can find one to rent for a long weekend or a whole week do it before buying. A test ride at the dealer doesn't mean squat. I still ride my old one on occasion but only solo cause my bride likes the wing better. Either way enjoy yourself.

[North]

You will gain stability that you done have on two wheels. You will undoubtedly loose a bunch of buttons and switches you never used on your Goldwing. As for handling in the corners, you will struggle at first, as it is a whole different way to ryde. Once you get a couple thousand miles under your belt you will be pleased as to how well it handles in turns. As for passing, the Spyder can pass anything on the road with ease! Plenty of power to handle what you need!

Thanks......... I ride two up often, the wing was just getting toooooo heavy in the slow riding, parking lots, etc. three wheels should sove this!!

[bscrive]

I have a 1800 Goldwing Valkyrie and my wife has a F3S. She keeps up to me just fine and passes anything out there pretty much as quickly as I do.

[cheska]

North go to the bottom of the Forum page look for chapters and groups. Click on Canada. Scroll through the posts you should be able to find some local information and maybe talk to some local folks. Good luck both wife and I had our own plus I have had 2
sidecar units and 2 back wheel trikes now the spyder its the best so far. Bob

[sylvester]

After having nothing but wings since 1975 and a million plus miles i would never go back to 2 wheels i only had a hard time for the 1st 50 miles after that it was a piece of cake. Went from a 02 wing to an F3 limited and never looked back, even with several heart surgeries i still managed to put 7000 miles on my 17.You won't regret it

[C. Lee]

I went from an 05 goldwing to a 16 RTL and the only thing I don't like is the helmet storage. I could fit 2 helmets in the goldwing trunk but on the RTL they don't fit in the trunk. There is a hook under the seat for the d ring chin strap but my helmets don't have a d ring, so I am left with taking them inside with me or trying to fit them in the frunk which is challenging with a communicator attached. Other than that issue, I wouldn't change back for the world, we absolutely love it and should have changed years ago. Chris

[gerald37]

I have had mind for one year now. Put about 16,000 miles on it. I have been riding motorcycles for over 63 years now. I traded a 2015 Goldwing for a 2015 Can Am Spyder RT. The first two weeks I thought I had made a real mistake. It takes quite a bit of riding to get use to it. After getting it aligned and just small adjustments like tires balanced, belt adjusted correctly and learning how to corner it. I love it now. I just got back from a trip to Sturgis. Five days I rode it 1900 miles. It was a little over 1000 miles round trip and about 800 miles in the Black Hill. After learning how to ride I feel I can corner it as fast as I could my Goldwing F6B. As far as passing vehicles I have had no problem. The speed limit on interstate 90 across South Dakota is 80 miles per hour and I had my cruse set on 82 all the way except west of Murdo where there was construction. At 82 on the Spyder's speedometer my GPS shows 80 miles per hour. To me it is just as comfortable to travel on as any of me 3 Goldwing's I have had. Where I really noticed it was riding in Sturgis, stop and go with all the bikes not having to but your foot down and holding the bike up. Younger I never noticed but when you get older there is a lot difference.

[canamjhb]

I still have an 1800 wing. My experience mirrors BajaRons. It has taken me over 15K miles to really become comfortable switching back and forth. Riding the Spyder requires more use of upper body strength coupled with learning an entirely different cornering technique. I have more than a few hundred thousand miles on wings and can regularly drag the hard parts in corners at both low and high speed. I doubt I will ever be able to match my riding abilities on the Spyder. But, I can now out corner my old buddies who ride GW trikes...... no contest. Three wheels -vs- two means there are times when road tracks and bumps are felt a bit more. The Spyder is more stable in poor conditions such as high winds and questionable roads. As for power, the Spyder is adequate. It is heavier than the Wing and has less power so acceleration and passing are not as spirited. But the Spyder is OK. It's a lot more fun and less stressful tooling around town and sightseeing in new areas. Today, if I had to pick either the Spyder or the Wing, I would go with the Spyder. Overall less stressful and more smiles, even if I may be a bit slower. Hope this helps.....

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: All the above have added some good points. Bottom line--I am thinking the only thing you will miss is putting your foot down to hold up the Wing.

The :f_spider: is efficient in everything else. :yes:

[gerald37]

Never had a Goldwing. My Valkyrie was as close as I ever got to one. But if your experience is like mine. You will hate your new Spyder at first. Your 2 wheeled brain will think you are on a motorcycle and it won't like what it does. It will feel twitchy and somewhat uncontrollable to you at first. But knowing that it is you and not the machine really helps a lot.

The 'Do's and Don't's' list people mention will help you over the learning curve more quickly. And this is the key. Some give up right away and never experience the great ride the Spyder provides.

Once you get the hang of it you will be really glad you did. It's a great experience and worth the effort.

Hopefully, you won't struggle like I did. Not everyone does. But if you do. Just take your time and you can always come back here for some specific answers if needed.

Good Luck! :thumbup:

This is all true. BajaRon sounds like I felt when I first got my Spyder. If I would have rented one for a weekend I would never own one now. It does take a little time. The one I purchased needed aligned, different tires, wheels balanced and big change was Ron's sway bar. When they are setup right and you put a thousand on one you will love it.

[Y-me]

Not sure if its is an issue for many but as the Spyder stands on its own you never have to consider its weight like you wold on a big bike like the Wing.

[Jim&Teresa]

Like others have stated, it takes awhile to get the "character" of a Spyder....it's an awesome bike and we have almost 50,000 miles on our 2014 RT Limited. We also have had many two wheelers and currently own a 2015 40th Anniversary Gold Wing....

I think BOTH of these bikes are AWESOME touring machines. When I ride the Spyder, my worries are less due to the no tipping over, ease of riding in stop & go traffic, etc. We will continue to buy Spyders as time goes on, however, as I'm getting up there (in my 60's), this will be my last Gold Wing.

Enjoy your Spyder, read the references stated by others (such as Do's and Don'ts), take your time to understand this fine machine. It will take a few months of riding before you fully appreciate the Spyder...a big change from the wing....when I first bought our first Spyder RT (2012), I kept reaching for the front brake on the handlebar :yikes:....takes some time for the learning curve.

Safe travels.....

[Mazo EMS2]

We had a Honda ST1300. I of course loved it being a strong, fun 2 wheeler...however, my wife never felt "safe" on it, there fore we rarely rode together. No, it's a whole new ball game. Stability and confidence, less stress...etc....I gained a happier wife who loves to ride now. I think you'll find that you ride the Spyder for more every-day type of errands or short trips, just because of the benefits that folks have listed. A happy passenger sure does help:yes:

[Warlock]

I just went from a Goldwing 2 years ago to a GS Spyder and back to the Goldwing. Loved the Spyder but rode it till I healed completely up. Just went back to a Goldwing. Nothing wrong with a Spyder but I missed 2 wheels. Just got back from one of my local routes I run for therapy. About a 135 miles round trip with some nice curves and all back roads. Did this same route several times on my Spyder and didn't realize how much work it is to handle the Spyder vs the Goldwing. I'm not tired at all. Now the GS doesn't give the same ride as the RT does. I ride pretty aggressive all the time. On straight up riding the RT rides as good as the Goldwing. But in curves you will work more handling the RT where it is less on the Goldwing. Both has good and bad points and you will have to weight them out and see if it fits you. Like someone else had stated don't get rid of the Wing just yet. I will one day be back on 3 wheels and after riding the Spyder and the conventional trike the 2 wheels up front is way ahead of the other. My plans are to one day to put the reverse trike kit on my Goldwing.
David

[kevin_from_ny]

Gooday,
I'm thinking of going from a 2007 Goldwing 1800 to a Spyder 2017. What will I gain/lose on the change over. How is the spyder in tight turns, highway passing at higher speeds?? And anything else you can enlighten me on.
Thanks,
Gary Im also going from a Goldwing....but im going to keep the wing..

[honda]

I too bought a Spyder after a Goldwing . It takes miles to get used to it but its worth it. The first few miles are different but will fun and less stress . Good luck

[SpyderConvert]

Take a look at this......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mulK8BnPXAY

[Mr. White]

I triked my '02 Wing in '05. Bought my first Spyder in '11. As several have said it takes a while to get used to the Spyder. Hey, they are different rides. I kept my Wing and ride it, but not as much as my Spyder. I love both of them.

:spyder2:

[Peteoz]

The handling on the wing is effortless compared to the tricycle and if you have any upper back or neck issues you will find the Spyder challenging

Ray, that’s a rather sweeping claim. I, for one, have upper back and neck issues and do not find the Spyder challenging. In fact, my neck and shoulders feel much better after a day on the Spyder than they ever did on the Victory Vision. It could well have been seating and bar positioning that caused your Spyder issues, not the handling.;)

Pete

[Pallidus Aranea]

After just over three months and 6000 miles on my 2018 RTL, I will honestly say that I still have some 'confused signals" about it.

First - I am just thankful to be riding again. I do like riding the Spyder and maybe more importantly, so does my wife. She was never comfortable on my old bike (understandable - the VROD is truly a 'one-up machine"). For me the adjustment to riding styles is complete. I comfortable in every riding situation that I have encountered - from twisty mountains to high speed interstate cruising - from avoiding the idiots with cell phones to avoiding debris falling off of a truck. Once I became accustomed to the different style of riding - it has been great. I have always been someone that has been "performance" and "quality" driven. I like the performance - I can still rip around corners - still go fast - just differently. Quality - so far so good (as I knock on the wooden desk). Fit and finish seem to be good.
My negative is a personal one - as stated above - if you have neck and upper back issues - Beware that they will be worse. My neck / head were more comfortable riding like a folded taco (forward controls) on the VROD than the posture and riding style the Spyder forces. It isn't buffeting - just different riding.

I would still give the Spyder an 8 of 10. It will take time to get the last stars for maintenance and durability.