Slingshot

[Marr]

I’ve owned 2 RT’s, an 11, and a 17. Loved both very much. Traded 11 for 17. Never had an ounce of trouble with 11. 17 has been nothing but trouble. Had it for a year and a half, been in shop half that time. Park brake acted up first week or so I had it, then straightened up for 6 months, then problem came back, had trouble with reverse button, computer went out, right cluster on handle bar had to be replaced. After getting all that fixed, thought and hoped everything and all my troubles were fixed and over. Went to Maggie Valley last week, noticed it was making an unusual noise, had rear tire put on, they said, uhoh, you have red dust on front pully. I was 500 miles fro home with a front pully problem. Didn’t even get to ride in mountains. They said it might get you back home, maybe not. Wife and I rented a slingshot there to ride in mountains, and see how it rode. Both of us liked it, RT did make it back home. Went to dealer that sold Canams and Slingshots. Wound up trading for one, my trust in Canams wasn’t there anymore. The 11, was flawless, the 17 was a never ending problem. I’m sure it’s not all, just that I got a bad one, we like to travel on it, and couldn’t trust taking it very far anymore. Maybe a Slingshots not going to be the right answer, maybe they aren’t anymore reliable, I’ll find out I guess. Sorry so long and windy. We liked the RT, just couldn’t trust it anymore

[Chupaca]

Sorry to hear of your unfortunate experience with your second spyder RT. Understandably you can no longer ryde worry free along the highway and hope the slingshot will be mechanically better but it is a different ryde. Maybe after a time and some changes in the upcoming models you will give it another try. Good luck with your new ryde ....I do wave at slingshots...:roflblack:

[ARtraveler]

The trust issue can be a real problem. Many are spooked by it. The slingshot is an interesting vehicle. We have not heard anything bad about them...so wishing you the best with yours. :yes:

[Wahrsuul]

Well, that sucks, sorry the '17 didn't work out for you. My '14 has had an issue or two, but since I bought it used, I've no idea if it's Can-Am or PO caused. I looked at the Slingshot, but the wife wasn't sure she'd be able to climb in and out, and there's NO storage on those things. On the other hand, they're really big on power/torque, and have less of a nanny system.

[2dogs]

Not that many spyers in my neck of the woods, yet. Use to be that folks would come up to me when I was parked somewhere and say, "that sure looks like fun, how do you like it?" I'd respond with, "yea it's great," and the conversation would go on from there. Now it seems, just about half of my contacts come up and say, "I've been seeing a few of these around, how do you like yours? Having any troubles with yours?" So; the reputation is clearly out there and it's not doing any good for the mother company. By the way, BRP is not the only company gaining a bad rap. My friend along with along with another local Harley owner recently finished a court settlement where they sued HD under California's "Lemon Law." As a result, my friend kept his trike along with the conditions agreed upon in court. The other gentleman turned his trike back over to HD and took the money and ran with it.

[bikerbillone]

As someone mentioned, lose trust in the machine, and you're done. Much of the problem is with BRP, they refuse to take control of problems and dealers. A great product with very little customer support. Sadly, it won't change.

[trikermutha]

Like to hear more how you like the Slingshot.

[2dogs]

As someone mentioned, lose trust in the machine, and you're done. Much of the problem is with BRP, they refuse to take control of problems and dealers. A great product with very little customer support. Sadly, it won't change.

Its' tough enough to get customers, but when you loose one it's near impossible to get them back.

[ulflyer]

On my second Slingshot, with a Vanderhall in between. Current Sling is an 18 purchased early last year and never been to dealer for warranty or any issues. Seems they've got the bugs worked out. I wouldn't hesitate to get a Can Am, having had a '11 and '14, both of which had some relatively minor issues which were well taken care of by dealer. Back pain is what put me in a car like seat.

[Woodaddict]

sorry to hear about 17 problems. never thought to buy a slingshot, only like the look of them. cool.

I wouldn't buy one cause I don't like to be so low to ground in an open air thing. if it rains, might get splashed by other vehicles. or any accidents, your down real low

[trikermutha]

Sorry but wouldn't you get wet and splashed on when riding on a Spyder. :dontknow:

Have a accident on a Spyder would be more damaging than the Slingshot IMO

[Woodaddict]

i'm talking about the "down low splash" would be worse sitting so low. more grit flying out from a nearby tire. Oh, maybe you just don't ride them in rain!!

[canamjhb]

I went on a Slingshot forum today to lurk about. The SS forum is full of people complaining about body panels not fitting, poor hood latches, cockpit heat, very poor radio reception, belt noise, clunking and vibration in driveline, and lack of support from Polaris and dealers. Looked awfully familiar..... Jim

[wmh9680]

We looked at the Slingshot but tooo low to the ground, like a gocart, The are sharp looking but takes up as much or more in my garage (19x20) with 2 cars and my Spyder. Mike

[wmh9680]

Saw the Vanderhaul in Hawaii, sharp--different

[Mikey]

Before I would go to a slingshot, I would put my butt in a nice little convertible sports car!!! They cost the same and you don't have to turn yourself inside out to get into it!! :2thumbs:

[AVBIZ]

Before I would go to a slingshot, I would put my butt in a nice little convertible sports car!!! They cost the same and you don't have to turn yourself inside out to get into it!! :2thumbs:

ThinKing the same- a nice vintage convertible

[bikerbillone]

Cute little Miatta sort of fits that description.

[troop]

Looked at both, rode/drove both and actually sold both a few years ago. I found the Slingshot to be a crude machine. Creaks/rattles/poor fit/unpolished. For the $$ though, it seemed like more of a no brainer over the Spyder. That said, the Slingshot takes up as much space as a automobile in the garage. As said above, find a good deal on a Miata. The Spyder has a more open air, motorcycle feel. When you ride with your two wheel buddies, you can actually park in a motorcycle spot, albeit just a touch more space. You don't have to look around for a auto stall. If physical limitations require a Slingshot, hell, go for it. I still prefer the airiness feel of the Spyder. As far as service issues, I don't feel like theirs a heck of a lot of differences between BRP/Polaris. My store was able to get support equally between the two.

[UtahPete]

I've never understood the appeal of a Slingshot.

[bikerbillone]

Agree, if I just got out of the three wheel business, I'd find a nice rag top Miata to get the outside exposure. Those new one's are a sight to behold, but I reckon it would be a bit harsh on the budget.

[wmh9680]

Looked at both, rode/drove both and actually sold both a few years ago. I found the Slingshot to be a crude machine. Creaks/rattles/poor fit/unpolished. For the $$ though, it seemed like more of a no brainer over the Spyder. That said, the Slingshot takes up as much space as a automobile in the garage. As said above, find a good deal on a Miata. The Spyder has a more open air, motorcycle feel. When you ride with your two wheel buddies, you can actually park in a motorcycle spot, albeit just a touch more space. You don't have to look around for a auto stall. If physical limitations require a Slingshot, hell, go for it. I still prefer the airiness feel of the Spyder. As far as service issues, I don't feel like theirs a heck of a lot of differences between BRP/Polaris. My store was able to get support equally between the two.

There are numerous accommodations that can be made to the Spyder for those that have limitations, no reason not to enjoy if you can are are able. Mike

[donhy]

Slingshot cost more than a nice used convertible i.e Miata, less fuel efficient, twice as much on insurance depending where you live, less safety features and the list goes on, it never appealed to me. At least with spyder im not losing the open air feeling.

[bayoubill]

i had a 96 miata, it was fun but hot and crowded, no air gets down in there and you burn up in the summer, and its so crowded you can't move around at all so a long trip got very uncomfortable, speaking of the slingshot i have never even sat in one but i had a victory crossroads from 2011 till 2017 and the parts and service was exactly the same as a spyder, i had to wait for weeks for the backrest i bought with it and i had to go down almost to atlanta to get a stage 1 tune done, then when sales weren't up to snuff they just dis-continued the brand all together, they said parts would be available for 10 years but they were hard to get before they stopped making them, the bike was great but i sold it for peanuts when they were dis-continued before parts and service went away.

[Gwolf]

Post deleted

[Gwolf]

I looked a Slingshot before buying the Spyder. I couldn't get used to feeling of being trapped inside the thing if somebody T-boned me.
It did happen to me once on a 2 wheel bike. Maybe you don't stand any better chance on a Spyder, but at least you get knocked off
of it if you are hit from the side. You could possibly even jump or roll off if you had enough warning. The trapped feeling sitting in the
Slingshot was something I don't think I could get used to. Also they have a bucket seat and a steering wheel. No matter what the state
says, that does not mean motorcycle to me. If ever I can no longer ride a motorcycle of any kind I think I would go to something like a
restored C-J5 that had the fold down windshield. Owned one long ago and a judge awarded it to my ex-wife's boyfriend.

[Don K]

I’ve owned 2 RT’s, an 11, and a 17. Loved both very much. Traded 11 for 17. Never had an ounce of trouble with 11. 17 has been nothing but trouble. Had it for a year and a half, been in shop half that time. Park brake acted up first week or so I had it, then straightened up for 6 months, then problem came back, had trouble with reverse button, computer went out, right cluster on handle bar had to be replaced. After getting all that fixed, thought and hoped everything and all my troubles were fixed and over. Went to Maggie Valley last week, noticed it was making an unusual noise, had rear tire put on, they said, uhoh, you have red dust on front pully. I was 500 miles fro home with a front pully problem. Didn’t even get to ride in mountains. They said it might get you back home, maybe not. Wife and I rented a slingshot there to ride in mountains, and see how it rode. Both of us liked it, RT did make it back home. Went to dealer that sold Canams and Slingshots. Wound up trading for one, my trust in Canams wasn’t there anymore. The 11, was flawless, the 17 was a never ending problem. I’m sure it’s not all, just that I got a bad one, we like to travel on it, and couldn’t trust taking it very far anymore. Maybe a Slingshots not going to be the right answer, maybe they aren’t anymore reliable, I’ll find out I guess. Sorry so long and windy. We liked the RT, just couldn’t trust it anymore

Hey congratulations on your new RYDE.
Polaris Slingshots are cool/ interesting.
My wife owns her Spyder STS and I owned a Spyder RTS .
I really like and appreciate the Slingshots.
Now-I was seriously considering changing to the Slingshots myself-because of the service after the sales on both of our Spyders.
But I have come to realize that it is the same regardless of the manufacturer.
I also am in Virginia.
The dealership that we were dealing with no longer carry the Slingshots because according to them-Polaris was terrible to work with. They would not back up their own products. The dealership said it was very hard to get replacement parts.
And evidently there is a big problem with the Slingshots catching on fire and burning up.
Don’t take this as me slamming Polaris because I am not.
As I said earlier I was seriously wondering getting a Slingshots.
Hopefully this will be a heads up.
Just check into it and be aware.
Because of the service we were getting after the sales.-
I discontinued my relationship with that local dealership and went out of our area and traded my 2015 Spyder RTS in on a 2019 Spyder F3 Limited.
Enjoy the RYDE regardless of your choices guys.

[billythekidd]

Welcome to the SS world. I have both, a 2018 RTL and a 2019 Slingshot SLR. I drove the SS home from Georgia to Colorado to get used to it. :) The two are not even comparable so all the defenses for the Spyder need not be there.
I am older than some and younger than others and I have no problem getting in or out of the SS (also do not have any problem getting on or off the RTL). It does sit low to the ground and has a ton of power, 173Hp and weighs 1750 Lbs without my butt in it. As far as the getting splashed it is a little bit wetter than the RT as you do not have as much air moving around to dry you off (like sitting in a convertible with the top down). But as for more stuff hitting you... have not noticed that.
I saw someone mention gas mileage... as has been stated here a bunch of times regarding the Spyder... "I didn't buy it for the gas mileage". That being said, if I do not put my foot into it all the time I get about 32mpg on the road and 30 in town.

There is more noise from the drive train of the Sling...(but I do not get the high pitch noise I get with the RT) it has to do with the angle drive... Once I changed the fluid the noise went away for the most part. If one lurks around the forums you will see all the complaints regarding the SS just as you do on the Spyder forums. The good and fun things do not get as much attention as the problems.... as was stated... sounds familiar. For storage, aftermarket is alive and well and makes the Spyder world look like a deal... Ex.. Corbin makes "saddlebags" which really look nice, but cost about $3500. There are solutions much less expensive... but that was just an example...

I find myself taking the SS more than the Spyder because (no offense meant to anyone) it is more fun. Recently coming home from Gunnison, CO and going over Monarch Pass (going up) where the speed limit is 35mph to 45mph... 70 and 75 were just plain fun and it held the road just like a sports car. To that end, I do consider it a car and not a bike like Polaris sells it. My understanding is they sell it as a bike so it does not have to meet car safety standards...For those who said they would rather have a Miata... well there is no comparison between the Miata and the SS either. The SS is just a bit more real feeling. The SS also has the Polaris Ride command unit which has all the features of the Can-Am Dash (except the Ride command is touch screen)... other than third party apps. Built in GPS, bluetooth, and massive stats for the machine. It connects to the mobile app just like the RT but gives you info... like recall and maint. schedules and the like. The main thing is that it is ready before you are ready to ride... no wait and you can update it yourself, no need to go to the dealer for updates. The 2020 SS is rumored to have a new power plant and will have an automatic trans... (I am guessing to get more people to look at them).

A word of advise... it does have a problem with hydroplaning... so if you get caught in a heavy rain with water sitting on the road... Slow down. It is not a problem with the machine, but the the size of the tires they put on it...

For reference (because I am sure someone will want to know) I have had 4 RT's, 2011, 2012, 2014 and the 2018. I like the RT no doubt and have well over 100k between the four. Problems... 2011 lots even left me stranded... 2012 a few fixe under warranty... 2014 one..DESS also fixed under warranty.. So far none on the 2018 but only have about 4k on it.

They are both great and fun machines, but other than both having 3 wheels there is no similarity.

[Tango]

Spyder vs. Slingshot? To me it boils down to motorcycle vs. car. Motorcycles have handlebars, cars have steering wheels. What are you looking for? :thumbup: Tom :spyder:

[ulflyer]

As the old saying goes "don't knock it if you haven't tried it!" or "diff strokes for diff......"

[trikermutha]

Welcome to the SS world. I have both, a 2018 RTL and a 2019 Slingshot SLR. I drove the SS home from Georgia to Colorado to get used to it. :) The two are not even comparable so all the defenses for the Spyder need not be there.
I am older than some and younger than others and I have no problem getting in or out of the SS (also do not have any problem getting on or off the RTL). It does sit low to the ground and has a ton of power, 173Hp and weighs 1750 Lbs without my butt in it. As far as the getting splashed it is a little bit wetter than the RT as you do not have as much air moving around to dry you off (like sitting in a convertible with the top down). But as for more stuff hitting you... have not noticed that.
I saw someone mention gas mileage... as has been stated here a bunch of times regarding the Spyder... "I didn't buy it for the gas mileage". That being said, if I do not put my foot into it all the time I get about 32mpg on the road and 30 in town.

There is more noise from the drive train of the Sling...(but I do not get the high pitch noise I get with the RT) it has to do with the angle drive... Once I changed the fluid the noise went away for the most part. If one lurks around the forums you will see all the complaints regarding the SS just as you do on the Spyder forums. The good and fun things do not get as much attention as the problems.... as was stated... sounds familiar. For storage, aftermarket is alive and well and makes the Spyder world look like a deal... Ex.. Corbin makes "saddlebags" which really look nice, but cost about $3500. There are solutions much less expensive... but that was just an example...

I find myself taking the SS more than the Spyder because (no offense meant to anyone) it is more fun. Recently coming home from Gunnison, CO and going over Monarch Pass (going up) where the speed limit is 35mph to 45mph... 70 and 75 were just plain fun and it held the road just like a sports car. To that end, I do consider it a car and not a bike like Polaris sells it. My understanding is they sell it as a bike so it does not have to meet car safety standards...For those who said they would rather have a Miata... well there is no comparison between the Miata and the SS either. The SS is just a bit more real feeling. The SS also has the Polaris Ride command unit which has all the features of the Can-Am Dash (except the Ride command is touch screen)... other than third party apps. Built in GPS, bluetooth, and massive stats for the machine. It connects to the mobile app just like the RT but gives you info... like recall and maint. schedules and the like. The main thing is that it is ready before you are ready to ride... no wait and you can update it yourself, no need to go to the dealer for updates. The 2020 SS is rumored to have a new power plant and will have an automatic trans... (I am guessing to get more people to look at them).

A word of advise... it does have a problem with hydroplaning... so if you get caught in a heavy rain with water sitting on the road... Slow down. It is not a problem with the machine, but the the size of the tires they put on it...

For reference (because I am sure someone will want to know) I have had 4 RT's, 2011, 2012, 2014 and the 2018. I like the RT no doubt and have well over 100k between the four. Problems... 2011 lots even left me stranded... 2012 a few fixe under warranty... 2014 one..DESS also fixed under warranty.. So far none on the 2018 but only have about 4k on it.

They are both great and fun machines, but other than both having 3 wheels there is no similarity.

Semi Auto maybe on a 2020 Slingshot coming???

[billythekidd]

From the video at the owners meeting, they showed a new engine and a quick shot of the interior with the same type of controls on the steering wheel that most cars have. Also in that shot it looked to be an automatic shifter in the console instead of the 5 speed. Semi Auto would be nice... with a paddle like the Spyder.

[Marr]

So far so good, whole new ride. Gonna take a little getting used to, but DW loves it, and I’m liking it better every day.