OK... I'm In. 2016 RTS SE6 w/2,500 miles

[FastOldGuy]

And without riding one, I bought a Spyder. (Will pick it up Saturday.) At 64 my knees are about gone. I have a 2018 HD StreetGlide, riding it with my GF on the back wears my knees out. She has her boat for sale and started the "When I sell my Boat... HD Triglide" thing. After owning Harleys since 1974 I'm just not loving a HD Triglide thought. My 2018 M8 Runs HOT and on a Trike, it's going to be Hotter (IMO) and I'm not paying $35,000.00 for something I ain't in Love With. Going through all this led me to Spyders. I didn't want to buy a Brand New one and decide I didn't like it and then take a deprecation hit so I figured I'd look for a USED one. Going to the Local Stealer they had a '16 R3T used but were not very negotiable. From a $14,900 asking price to out the door at $16,500. I said "Le'me Think Aboutit". I'm sure Salesmen that hear that know its Adios! I've found the 2016 locally with 2,500 miles and some extras so I went to see it this morning and made a deal on it. (I have no way to haul it and no driver.) The old guy that bought it passed away and his wife finally decided to sell it (but she started off HIGH $18,500). I offered 14ish and she said "OK". So I'll go back Saturday with my GF to bring it home. At this point I'm unsure about selling the 2018 HD, if I ride it by myself my knees don't take so much abuse.

The 2016 RTS has a few options on it, Passenger Arm Rests, Key Holder w/hole, phone holder and drink cup holder... Helmets and Cover. Looking it over I don't see a mark on it anywhere and the tires still look brand new.

I've owned an old BMW with a sidecar so I have an understanding of how being on 3 wheels feels but from everything I've seen and watched "Weird As F'k" is what I've heard on Spyders. I'm sure it's just getting used to.

Ideas, Thoughts or Comments are Appreciated.

[CopperSpyder]

Wow. If you plan on riding it go slow and easy for a bit pay attention. They are different at first then 2 wheels. Once you get use to it I think you will love it, coming to a stop and not have to put your foot down. The bike will hold you up not you hold it up. Good Luck with the new Ride and :congrats:

[Mazo EMS2]

Sounds like you made a good find. Yes, it'll be a totally different animal than a two wheeler or even a traditional trike. No comparison. Be careful on it. Remember Spyders need to physically be steered around corners. Two wheelers are steered more with leaning, Spyders require you to turn the bars. You might even hate it and regret the purchase at first..some do, but after a few hundred miles their minds change and things work out. Read the do's and donts here on the site up at the top of all the forum categories. There is a ton of good advice in there. Relax with a light grip, push and pull equally on the bars at first in the corners, use your outer foot to apply a little pressure in the curves, and keep your eyes up and forward to where ya wanna go, not where you are....just like the two wheelers. You'll be fine!!!! Remember, there is no comparison between two and 3 wheels, so don't let the Spyder surprise you. Put a couple hundred miles on it before you second guess anything at all.....other than possible mechanical issues of course...lots of good advice here about any of that as well. I learned everything about my Spyder RT and Ryker here on this site

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: and :congrats: on your new find.

Here is a good read about spyder operation.

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?41346-quot-Do-s-and-Do-Nots-quot-for-new-Spyder-owners

[JayBros]

Read the Do's and Do Not sticky and remember it may take 1,000 or so miles to feel comfortable with it; it's nothing like a bike with a sidecar except for the number of wheels. Heed Mazo's advice.

[larryd]

Just give the Spyder a chance...Usually takes a thousand miles or so...It will keep you riding till the end...You'll never go back...larryd

[FastOldGuy]

Unsure how to delete a Duplicate

[FastOldGuy]

I've already read the Do's and Do Not's and read through the Owners Manual. After watching a couple of video test rides I'm a little Freaked about riding it home. I'll only have a mile before I hit the By-Pass around Myrtle Beach and then 20ish miles on H-31. I'd like to play in a parking lot for a few minutes before hitting the highway (and 65 mph). I haven't told the GF yet, I'm sure she still wants a Harley Triglide. Hopefully after she rides it she'll forget about the TriGlide.

I have read don't back off the throttle when shifting the Auto's? (Let's see if I can post a pic.)

180700180701

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Wow. If you plan on riding it go slow and easy for a bit pay attention. They are different at first then 2 wheels. Once you get use to it I think you will love it, coming to a stop and not have to put your foot down. The bike will hold you up not you hold it up. Good Luck with the new Ride and :congrats:

:agree: with the above 110% ..... I was also a loooooooooooooongtime Mtc. / GW rider .... the best advice I can give you is the manager at the dealership told me ..... Drive it just like you would your car !!!! ..... Use the steering - gently , it is power steering and takes very little effort to use ..... the brakes are fantastic so don't slam your foot down ..... If at all possible plan to spend some time learning the Spyder in a parking lot , before you leave the dealer ............. also :congrats: & :welcome:

[SpyderAnn01]

I've already read the Do's and Do Not's and read through the Owners Manual. After watching a couple of video test rides I'm a little Freaked about riding it home. I'll only have a mile before I hit the By-Pass around Myrtle Beach and then 20ish miles on H-31. I'd like to play in a parking lot for a few minutes before hitting the highway (and 65 mph). I haven't told the GF yet, I'm sure she still wants a Harley Triglide. Hopefully after she rides it she'll forget about the TriGlide.

I have read don't back off the throttle when shifting the Auto's? (Let's see if I can post a pic.)

180700180701

Definitely do not roll off throttle when you upshift. A light touch on the bars should be all you need, a death grip will make the Spyder fight you back. Relax and give it a chance, I think you will love it.

[Peter Aawen]

Unsure how to delete a Duplicate

Sorry, but You can't! :lecturef_smilie:

Too many post/thread deletions can hurt the Forum's standing with all the web search engines, and there was a time that was threatening the Forum's viability and continued existence; so rather than shutting it down, that particular option was removed and now users can't delete their own posts after the fact - but you can ask one of the Moderators to look at it for you & see what we can do (just look for a green username like mine, to the left.) :thumbup:

Taking this just a little further - At the moment, people still have some access access to edit their own posts (as it looks like you've done above ;)) but that too is becoming an issue when posters either substantialy change or gut the entire contents of a post after it's been 'crawled' & identified by the various search engines out there, and too many users doing that will also threaten the future of the Forum!! :shocked: So please, if you can't restrict yourself to making minor edits within just a few minutes of posting, don't do that either, or there's a good chance that edit feature will be removed as a first/preferred option over shutting down the Forum completely!! But if we, the users here, do too much of that sorta stuff and basically make it a non-viable proposition for the owner here to keep funding the Forum, you ALL know what's likely to happen in the long run!! :banghead:

So PLEASE everybody, think carefully before posting anything, cos you can't & shouldn't remove it afterwards; and always preview/re-read your posts before hitting the submit button, so that you don't need to make (too many?) edits after posting also! Doing those few little things will help keep this Forum going and viable into the future! :ohyea: :2thumbs:

[PMK]

Sorry, but You can't! :lecturef_smilie:

Too many post/thread deletions can hurt the Forum's standing with all the web search engines, and there was a time that was threatening the Forum's viability and continued existence; so rather than shutting it down, that particular option was removed and now users can't delete their own posts after the fact - but you can ask one of the Moderators to look at it for you & see what we can do (just look for a green username like mine, to the left.) :thumbup:

Taking this just a little further - At the moment, people still have some access access to edit their own posts (as it looks like you've done above ;)) but that too is becoming an issue when posters either substantialy change or gut the entire contents of a post after it's been 'crawled' & identified by the various search engines out there, and too many users doing that will also threaten the future of the Forum!! :shocked: So please, if you can't restrict yourself to making minor edits within just a few minutes of posting, don't do that either, or there's a good chance that edit feature will be removed as a first/preferred option over shutting down the Forum completely!! But if we, the users here, do too much of that sorta stuff and basically make it a non-viable proposition for the owner here to keep funding the Forum, you ALL know what's likely to happen in the long run!! :banghead:

So PLEASE everybody, think carefully before posting anything, cos you can't & shouldn't remove it afterwards; and always preview/re-read your posts before hitting the submit button, so that you don't need to make (too many?) edits after posting also! Doing those few little things will help keep this Forum going and viable into the future! :ohyea: :2thumbs:

To the original poster, cool you bought it, white is the nicest color...as for riding, be confident as it is a very easy machine to ride. When we purchased ours, I rode a few miles along a varied speeds, up to 50mph road to the highway, then had to ride 3 hours on the highway, with a bunch of it in the rain and at night. Be safe but confident. As for shifting, try it old school slightly backing off to see how it reacts. Will not hurt anything. Then try steady underload throttle upshifts, should be very smooth.

[PMK]

Sorry, but You can't! :lecturef_smilie:

Too many post/thread deletions can hurt the Forum's standing with all the web search engines, and there was a time that was threatening the Forum's viability and continued existence; so rather than shutting it down, that particular option was removed and now users can't delete their own posts after the fact - but you can ask one of the Moderators to look at it for you & see what we can do (just look for a green username like mine, to the left.) :thumbup:

Taking this just a little further - At the moment, people still have some access access to edit their own posts (as it looks like you've done above ;)) but that too is becoming an issue when posters either substantialy change or gut the entire contents of a post after it's been 'crawled' & identified by the various search engines out there, and too many users doing that will also threaten the future of the Forum!! :shocked: So please, if you can't restrict yourself to making minor edits within just a few minutes of posting, don't do that either, or there's a good chance that edit feature will be removed as a first/preferred option over shutting down the Forum completely!! But if we, the users here, do too much of that sorta stuff and basically make it a non-viable proposition for the owner here to keep funding the Forum, you ALL know what's likely to happen in the long run!! :banghead:

So PLEASE everybody, think carefully before posting anything, cos you can't & shouldn't remove it afterwards; and always preview/re-read your posts before hitting the submit button, so that you don't need to make (too many?) edits after posting also! Doing those few little things will help keep this Forum going and viable into the future! :ohyea: :2thumbs:


This should be copied and posted as a sticky topic.

Personally, I have mixed opinions regarding deleting entire posts. Ultimately though, if a website is worthy it should be able to survive regardless of deleted posts. Search engine hits obviously matter behind the scenes.

[lwedwards]

I was like you only a little older, the wife was afraid to ride with me on the Harley due to bad knees. We had looked at a used 2011 Spyder RT Limited and going to purchase it but I got into an accident with my truck and it was totaled so we had to purchase a new truck. Also a year later I looked on line and there were a lot of rebates on the 2019 Spyder so we went and looked at one and made a deal on a new 2019 Spyder RT Limited pearl white. I went to pick it up two weeks later and had never ridden one and it was totally different. I had a little over 60 miles to go home, some back roads and some freeway but I learned a lot on the way home. It's been almost 7 months and a little over 8,000 miles and the wife and I love it. It rides different than two wheels but it is a lot more fun and the wife can take over and give me a break every once in awhile.

[JayBros]

I agree with Mike; do spend some time practicing in a parking lot and remember from the Sticky, you don't counter-steer. You list your area as N Myrtle Beach' why not just take U.S. 17 home? Yes, it may be more stop and go but it might be less stressful. Tell your GF that some Spyder owners who've also owned Triglides say they drive like dump trucks.

[StanProff]

I've already read the Do's and Do Not's and read through the Owners Manual. After watching a couple of video test rides I'm a little Freaked about riding it home. I'll only have a mile before I hit the By-Pass around Myrtle Beach and then 20ish miles on H-31. I'd like to play in a parking lot for a few minutes before hitting the highway (and 65 mph). I haven't told the GF yet, I'm sure she still wants a Harley Triglide. Hopefully after she rides it she'll forget about the TriGlide.

I have read don't back off the throttle when shifting the Auto's? (Let's see if I can post a pic.)

180700180701.
I have 10 years Spyder riding experience and over 50 years on various 2wheelers. I still own a half dozen bikes and on my third spyder. The spyder is my “go to” ride.
Do not worry about letting up on the throttle. Simply not necessary. Driving your car you don’t let up on the gas to let the automatic change gears do you? At 3000 rpm or so, tap the trigger with your thumb and it’s done. As you get used to it wind it up to 4 , or 5 thousand rpm and never let up on the gas, tap the trigger and it is awesome.
On the road I am sure you’ve read that you use a relaxed grip on the handlebars . If you hold to tight you will weave all over the road. Just relax. As you said, go to a big empty parking lot or school lot and practice practice practice till you get comfortable changing gears and make some big figure 8 loops in the area. You will be fine!

[ARtraveler]

I've already read the Do's and Do Not's and read through the Owners Manual. After watching a couple of video test rides I'm a little Freaked about riding it home. I'll only have a mile before I hit the By-Pass around Myrtle Beach and then 20ish miles on H-31. I'd like to play in a parking lot for a few minutes before hitting the highway (and 65 mph). I haven't told the GF yet, I'm sure she still wants a Harley Triglide. Hopefully after she rides it she'll forget about the TriGlide.

I have read don't back off the throttle when shifting the Auto's? (Let's see if I can post a pic.)

180700180701

The HD Triglide rides more wonky than the Spyder. Two wheels in the front are more stable than one. A big secret is don't try to over control at first. Most do.

I have always told people...pretend there are eggs between your hands and the grips. Don't break the eggs. A short push/pull action on the handlebars works wonders.

A little bit of parking lot also does not hurt. RE: demo rides....most I have seen on videos are people doing crazy things with the Spyder. Save that foolishness for when you are comfortable with the machine. The learning curve takes most people about 500 miles. I was stupid...it took me about 1500 miles before I felt good about it.

Six Spyders later, and almost 160,000 Spyder miles...I think I am getting the hang of it now.

[AeroPilot]

All good comments on getting used to the Spyder and taking it easy for 1000 miles or so. If you have experience on a 4 wheel ATV, its more like that and you may be able to relax your grip a little easier as the Spyder moves under you a little differently.

I moved from a Road King to the RT, and still remember the first 25 mile ride home and thankfully it was secondary roads, and I was varying the speed as it was new as well. It will become more comfortable with time. With hot weather coming on, I sure dont miss the hot air cooled 97 cuin baking my legs or the stop and go traffic. That and the movable windshield makes it nice. 70k miles on Spydees & rollin'

Have Fun with your new Ryde!!

[2RTsGV]

I agree with Mike; do spend some time practicing in a parking lot and remember from the Sticky, you don't counter-steer. You list your area as N Myrtle Beach' why not just take U.S. 17 home? Yes, it may be more stop and go but it might be less stressful. Tell your GF that some Spyder owners who've also owned Triglides say they drive like dump trucks.

??? what drives like a dump truck .. the Spyder or the Tri-Glide?

[JayBros]

??? what drives like a dump truck .. the Spyder or the Tri-Glide?

Tri-glide

[StanProff]

Tri-glide
Nothing against trikes in general, I’ve never owned one but I did test drive a wing trike. Not good for me, the front pushed and didn’t steer well. My wife said it rode hard as a rock. Let,s face it,,,the spider is designed from the ground up to be what it is. It is not a “kit”. Phycis is against a typical trike. Remember the Honda 3 wheel ATV? Discontinued due to safety issues from “tipping” .

[Revalden]

And without riding one, I bought a Spyder. (Will pick it up Saturday.) At 64 my knees are about gone. I have a 2018 HD StreetGlide, riding it with my GF on the back wears my knees out. She has her boat for sale and started the "When I sell my Boat... HD Triglide" thing. After owning Harleys since 1974 I'm just not loving a HD Triglide thought. My 2018 M8 Runs HOT and on a Trike, it's going to be Hotter (IMO) and I'm not paying $35,000.00 for something I ain't in Love With. Going through all this led me to Spyders. I didn't want to buy a Brand New one and decide I didn't like it and then take a deprecation hit so I figured I'd look for a USED one. Going to the Local Stealer they had a '16 R3T used but were not very negotiable. From a $14,900 asking price to out the door at $16,500. I said "Le'me Think Aboutit". I'm sure Salesmen that hear that know its Adios! I've found the 2016 locally with 2,500 miles and some extras so I went to see it this morning and made a deal on it. (I have no way to haul it and no driver.) The old guy that bought it passed away and his wife finally decided to sell it (but she started off HIGH $18,500). I offered 14ish and she said "OK". So I'll go back Saturday with my GF to bring it home. At this point I'm unsure about selling the 2018 HD, if I ride it by myself my knees don't take so much abuse.

The 2016 RTS has a few options on it, Passenger Arm Rests, Key Holder w/hole, phone holder and drink cup holder... Helmets and Cover. Looking it over I don't see a mark on it anywhere and the tires still look brand new.

I've owned an old BMW with a sidecar so I have an understanding of how being on 3 wheels feels but from everything I've seen and watched "Weird As F'k" is what I've heard on Spyders. I'm sure it's just getting used to.

Ideas, Thoughts or Comments are Appreciated.

What a deal!! You stole that thing. :clap: Once you get the hang of it you're going to absolutely love it. Just be aware that the Nanny won't let you do anything that will hurt her, usually. If cornering too hard it will slow you down. But it will corner much better than a traditional trike. :welcome:

[stmike 1800]

The funny part is to start the bike ,it is a ritual .I drove a lot of ATV 's ,and did not find the spyder intimating . I still miss my goldwing but it was getting heavey ,never dropped the spyder yet .:thumbup:

[gg194]

Also new to Spyder riding and only rode mine about 150 miles so far. Find that I'm much smoother on turns to the right than turns to the left. Will take a little time.

[h0gr1der]

First time I rode a Spyder was when I picked it up at the dealer. If you've ever rode a 4 wheeler (whatever they call them nowadays) it drives exactly the same (to me). The drive it like a car is excellent advice coming off of a bike, makes the most sense to a newb. Congrats on the new ride!

[Peacekeeper6]

And without riding one, I bought a Spyder. (Will pick it up Saturday.) At 64 my knees are about gone. I have a 2018 HD StreetGlide, riding it with my GF on the back wears my knees out. She has her boat for sale and started the "When I sell my Boat... HD Triglide" thing. After owning Harleys since 1974 I'm just not loving a HD Triglide thought. My 2018 M8 Runs HOT and on a Trike, it's going to be Hotter (IMO) and I'm not paying $35,000.00 for something I ain't in Love With. Going through all this led me to Spyders. I didn't want to buy a Brand New one and decide I didn't like it and then take a deprecation hit so I figured I'd look for a USED one. Going to the Local Stealer they had a '16 R3T used but were not very negotiable. From a $14,900 asking price to out the door at $16,500. I said "Le'me Think Aboutit". I'm sure Salesmen that hear that know its Adios! I've found the 2016 locally with 2,500 miles and some extras so I went to see it this morning and made a deal on it. (I have no way to haul it and no driver.) The old guy that bought it passed away and his wife finally decided to sell it (but she started off HIGH $18,500). I offered 14ish and she said "OK". So I'll go back Saturday with my GF to bring it home. At this point I'm unsure about selling the 2018 HD, if I ride it by myself my knees don't take so much abuse.

The 2016 RTS has a few options on it, Passenger Arm Rests, Key Holder w/hole, phone holder and drink cup holder... Helmets and Cover. Looking it over I don't see a mark on it anywhere and the tires still look brand new.

I've owned an old BMW with a sidecar so I have an understanding of how being on 3 wheels feels but from everything I've seen and watched "Weird As F'k" is what I've heard on Spyders. I'm sure it's just getting used to.

Ideas, Thoughts or Comments are Appreciated.

Pretty gutsy purchasing a Spyder blindly.

Me, I wanted to know what it felt like taking one through its paces. So when we went to Las Vegas, we decided to do a tour with Las Vegas Spyder Tours. (https://lvspydertours.com).

Best thing I ever did.

We took it an RS on a 60 mile/2.5 hour test ride. From 25 mph city driving to 85 mph blasts down an interstate, with some canyon riding in between.

We loved the Spyder enough to buy one for ourselves.

So if you are cruising this Spyderlovers and are thinking of buying one for yourself, I suggest you do something similar.

BTW, good luck on your "new" Spyder !!

[redrazor]

:agree::2thumbs:

[davev1pa]

At 62 I purchased my 2012 RTL spyder with 3400 miles in Mar 2020..Wow it's been great with 5100 miles now and just a relief and pleasure to ride. Lots to learn yet but absolutely looking forward to travels. Just put the hitch on today (15 minutes). My shoulders forced me into getting off my Victory Vision with my wife on back. But I can't do a trike
#1. Way too much $$
#2. Trike is Not quite kewl -nuf said.
#3 Safety -no comparison between trike and Spyder. The dynamics are in spyders favor.
I think ur girlfriend is going to love this bike. My wife is driving all over the high school parking lot and loving it. She has never driven a motocycle. I may have one regret ...if she falls in love with driving the spyder...I'll have to get another!!

[gg194]

At 62 I purchased my 2012 RTL spyder with 3400 miles in Mar 2020..Wow it's been great with 5100 miles now and just a relief and pleasure to ride. Lots to learn yet but absolutely looking forward to travels. Just put the hitch on today (15 minutes). My shoulders forced me into getting off my Victory Vision with my wife on back. But I can't do a trike
#1. Way too much $$
#2. Trike is Not quite kewl -nuf said.
#3 Safety -no comparison between trike and Spyder. The dynamics are in spyders favor.
I think ur girlfriend is going to love this bike. My wife is driving all over the high school parking lot and loving it. She has never driven a motocycle. I may have one regret ...if she falls in love with driving the spyder...I'll have to get another!!

May be in the same boat, took my wife for a ride yesterday and she's considering getting a 3 wheel endorsement on her license.

[FastOldGuy]

Pretty gutsy purchasing a Spyder blindly.

Me, I wanted to know what it felt like taking one through its paces. So when we went to Las Vegas, we decided to do a tour with Las Vegas Spyder Tours. (https://lvspydertours.com).

Best thing I ever did.

We took it an RS on a 60 mile/2.5 hour test ride. From 25 mph city driving to 85 mph blasts down an interstate, with some canyon riding in between.

We loved the Spyder enough to buy one for ourselves.

So if you are cruising this Spyderlovers and are thinking of buying one for yourself, I suggest you do something similar.

BTW, good luck on your "new" Spyder !!


No big concern on buying a Spyder Blindly. I've bought cars all over the East Coast and Never driven them. (Last was a C7 Corvette in Florida.) Mail the Check/Transfer the $$$$$, Fly and Drive it home. Spyder wise, if I got it and didn't like it. SELL IT. I could have rode it before I paid the Seller, still no concern. It's a 3 wheel "thing" it's not going to handle like a Motorcycle. I've owned 1 BMW R75/6 that had a Sidecar. Different but similar. I also looked at the mileage on a 100+ used Spyders, some are 40,000+ and some are like the one I bought (low mileage). I spent a lot of time reading here.

[Oldtimer51]

I purchased MY 2011 In DFW in February with 3500 original miles. Never driven a Spyder. Only two wheeled Japanese Bykes. Completed the deal at the dealer . Aired up the front and rear tires and drove 250 miles back home. I few differences and getting accostumed to the lack of front hand brake but I drove it like I stoled it. 90mph in some places and it fast fun. So, far we have put almost 4000 miles extra and my wife is learning to drive the Spyder now and waiting for the offical driving class to open again. We ride together now and she never got close to my two wheel 2003 Yamaha FJR. Spyders are fun but have some technical and mechanical issues that I would hope #BRP would be willing to help the USED SPYDER buyers but I guess that it you got a good one then you will be Ok and you will have fun. Enjoy the rides. It is not that difficult!181058