Riding double, RS vs RT

[cjackg]

I am a new member and about to buy our first Spyder. At first we thought we wanted an RT but after a lot of research we think we might be happier with an RS. Our trips will all be less than a day, and we like the performance of the RS better. We care more about handling and performance than the audio & luxury offered by the RT. We will be riding a lot in the NC and TN mountains.

However, we will be riding double much of the time and do have some concerns whether the RS will offer the passenger as much basic comfort & safety as an RT. I see there are various backrests and side bags available for the RS but dont know how much these differ in terms of enhancing passenger comfort. There also may be other comfort related accessories we should consider with the RS.

Any input that will help us sort through all this will sure be appreciated.

[draboo]

We have an early RS. Getting the rear peg extensions was a huge plus. Also I would invest in a different seat. I recommend a Russell Day Long, but there are many to choose from out there. We bought the Can Am Comfort seat and wish we would have waited for a Russell.

The BRP backrest works great,also. But,again, there are many aftermarket options out there to choose from.

[VaughnCat]

We have the RT & RS. Both have Corbin seats and one removable back rest. Since March, I've put on thousands of miles behind Vaughn on the RT riding 2 up but last week was the first time we rode 2 up on the RS. And I have to say it wasn't at all what I expected (or feared). Even doing 80 down the freeway . . . . guess I was expecting to feel really exposed without all that Tupperware, but it wasn't like that at all.

We have the fully adjustable KewlMetal risers, SFB floorboards, Givi bags, extended passenger foot rests and an interchangable Corbin back rest, and so far as comfort, the RS is just as comfortable for me as the passenger as it is for me as the driver.

Personally, as a passenger, I still prefer the 'luxury' of the RT (probably because of the fuller back support) . . . but if you're looking at the fun factor, you certainly won't be disappointed with the RS!:yes::yes:

If he knows you're serious, your dealer should give you the opportunity to give both a good test run.

Give'em a try....... and let us know what you decide.

Have fun! :clap:

Cat :doorag:

[stormtrooper]

Ride double all the time not a problem on the RS :thumbup:

[SpyderGirl]

We have logged nearly 30K miles on my RS, most of it two-up. One trip was 6,200 miles. No problems. Just look at my mod list to get an idea of what I did to make it comfortable for the long haul... saddlebags, heated seats, risers, armrests, windshield, and rear trunk to name a few. :2thumbs:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs004.ash2/33543_1564418784062_1043132690_31596469_7232210_n. jpg

[Dudley]

When we got our 2008 SE5 it didn't take us long (1000 miles) to realize that it was very lacking for our comfort zone. $2300 later it's not nearly as comfortable as the RT. Depending on your comfort zone, I would highly recommend you do some deep thoughts on which you buy. If you plan on doing add-ons like we did, I would recommend one of the RTs.
My wife and I ride 2-up everywhere the Spyder goes (43,000+ miles). We toured the US last summer, 13,624 miles (see map). We could never had done it on pure stock.

[bikeguy]

My wife and I ride a base RT. It is the best 2-up machine we have ever had. We both find it very comfortable. Our longest day to this point has been a little over 400 miles and that was no problem with only Alaska Leathers sheepskin pads added to a totally stock machine. Our only ride on an RS was a short demo ride but my wife made up her mind that we would have to have some serious mods before riding very far on the RS. That said, I'm sure the RS could be made very comfortable with the right mods.

Cotton

[bone crusher]

Upgrading the seat is necessary....I have the Comfort Seat...works great...not sure many need to spend all the extra money for Corbin or others...

I would recommend getting handlebar risers and side bags...

[fastfraser]

I have spent a pocket full of money trying to make a RS into a RT . I would go for the RT right out of the gate if it was available when I got the RS. We have about 25,000 miles on the RS now with about 3/4 of that riding 2-up and some of that hauling a trailer. If you decide on a RS remember you can't make it a RT and will loose a fortune if you want to trade latter down the road . The RT gives you unparalleled passenger comfort !

[pjp623]

We have an RS and ryde 2-up all the time. My wife finds it very comfortable and secure and that's without doing any seat of foot peg mods. If you're unsure which way to go, RS vs RT, take your time before deciding. Don't try to turn an RS into an RT.
Good luck.:thumbup:

[teacherbob]

I have spent a pocket full of money trying to make a RS into a RT . I would go for the RT right out of the gate if it was available when I got the RS. We have about 25,000 miles on the RS now with about 3/4 of that riding 2-up and some of that hauling a trailer. If you decide on a RS remember you can't make it a RT and will loose a fortune if you want to trade latter down the road . The RT gives you unparalleled passenger comfort !

Ditto.

[cjackg]

I have spent a pocket full of money trying to make a RS into a RT . I would go for the RT right out of the gate if it was available when I got the RS. We have about 25,000 miles on the RS now with about 3/4 of that riding 2-up and some of that hauling a trailer. If you decide on a RS remember you can't make it a RT and will loose a fortune if you want to trade latter down the road . The RT gives you unparalleled passenger comfort !

I can see the RT clearly offers more pure comfort, but wouldnt you miss the RS performance & handling ? The RT sure does seem like a heavy machine.

[Dudley]

I can see the RT clearly offers more pure comfort, but wouldnt you miss the RS performance & handling ? The RT sure does seem like a heavy machine.

If you're looking for 2-up comfort, get the RT. If you're looking for riding on the edge, get the RS. If you're going to put mods on the RS to try and make it like an RT, you are wasting your money. It will never have the comfort of an RT. In the end, you have to decide. We all have our opinions, but only you can know what you really want.

[ARtraveler]

In my opinion, Dudley hit the nail on the head. My experience exactly. Had 08 and 09 RS. Made both of them into RT's. Lost a ton of money on my 08 as a trade for the RTS. We still have the 09 RS but don't ride two up on that one any more. Mods definately do not add much if any value to the package. The RTS is a much better two up, touring machine out the the box. However, I did add a Corbin seat and some additional driving lights (dayrunners) as well as glo-ryders. Other than that, I have left the RTS stock and am very happy with it. If I ever trade it off--I will remove the Corbin seat and put the original seat w/Utopia backrest back on.

[RJB]

I have an RS and did spend quite a bit making it comfortable for 2-up riding. But I consider handling to be as important as comfort, and would question those with the RT if it corners as well as the RS.

[cjackg]

I have an RS and did spend quite a bit making it comfortable for 2-up riding. But I consider handling to be as important as comfort, and would question those with the RT if it corners as well as the RS.

Maybe some of you that have, or had, both an RS and an RT can give us a concise opinion as to the handling & performance comparisons without regard to comforts. Also, any notes on fuel usage between the two.

[Lamonster]

Maybe some of you that have, or had, both an RS and an RT can give us a concise opinion as to the handling & performance comparisons without regard to comforts. Also, any notes on fuel usage between the two.
I have no problem keeping up in the twisties on the RT. Fuel mileage is a little better on the RS but if I was mostly going to be riding two up it would be on the RT hands down.

[dave01]

I have no problem keeping up in the twisties on the RT. Fuel mileage is a little better on the RS but if I was mostly going to be riding two up it would be on the RT hands down.

Completly agree. I had the RS and now the RT. Straight line, my RS was quicker but with the swaybar, the RT does just fine in the mountains and the Florida twisties, aka highway offramps.

[harddrive]

:2thumbs: this is a great thread. You guys answered my wondering how the comfort level differed for the RS and the RT. My wife and I ride 2 up on our 08 Spyder RS and it would be hard to ride a lot of miles in a day. One day, I will go look at a RT, but I am scared that when I do, I will bring it home...:yes:

I had the same feeling about riding a lot of miles on an Electra Glide classic I sold, but rode it to Daytona in March with out any problems, over 2300 miles round trip. Maybe we will get there on the Spyder...:clap:

We have spent a small fortune already trying to make it more comfortable and it is getting there. The corbin seat and back rest helped a bunch...

[bikeguy]

I have no problem keeping up in the twisties on the RT.

We don't have many twisties in this part of Texas but we were recently riding around Taos, New Mexico and got the RT into some pretty good twisties. I was riding 2-up and was third in line behind 2 BMW riders who set a pretty good pace and I had no problem staying up. Now, I'm not in Lamonster's category and we weren't riding a MotoGP pace but I was glad to see that I could keep up with a couple of pretty good riders. One of these days I will get a swaybar and improved shocks for the RT, but, for now, it's doing okay like it is.

Cotton

[vtspyder]

My wife has the RS SE5 and we ride 2up on that. She feels very comfortable on the back and that's without a seat back although one is on the way from Corbin. She is also riding it solo and said she like it much better than the RT. She said the RT felt huge with all the plastic around her. We both have RS's and I think if we were to ride 2up all the time the RT would be better. Good move in giving it some thought. Best of luck in your decision.

[cjackg]

I am a new member and about to buy our first Spyder. At first we thought we wanted an RT but after a lot of research we think we might be happier with an RS. Our trips will all be less than a day, and we like the performance of the RS better. We care more about handling and performance than the audio & luxury offered by the RT. We will be riding a lot in the NC and TN mountains.

However, we will be riding double much of the time and do have some concerns whether the RS will offer the passenger as much basic comfort & safety as an RT. I see there are various backrests and side bags available for the RS but dont know how much these differ in terms of enhancing passenger comfort. There also may be other comfort related accessories we should consider with the RS.

Any input that will help us sort through all this will sure be appreciated.


When we started this thread we hoped for some good input, but had no idea we would get so many diverse and helpful comments. After listening to all of these, and recently doing our first road tests, we are about to proceed with purchase of a 2010 .... RT-SE5 !

We really liked the RS, and found amazing deals on some nearly new '09s, but after my wife spent some time on the back of the RT, there was no question as to comforts and security for the passenger.. particularly for us over-60 folks...

We have looked all over for a 2010 RT-SE5 and finally found several. We're close to finalizing on a barely used Silver one, but also found two brand new 2010-RT SE5s that are available if anyone else is looking for one.

We want to thanks everyone that contributed to this thread for all the very helpful comments that helped us along the way to making a decision.

Jack & Nancy

[VaughnCat]

:congrats:

We'll be looking forward to your posts as you being your Spyder adventures! :clap:
Ryde safe!

Cat :doorag:

[OldDog]

The thread is very much appreciated. These are the comments for which I'm looking. There's a Spyder in my Future.

Old Dog

[cjackg]

After all the research and shopping, We are now the excited owners of a nearly new Silver 2010 RT AC SE5 Spyder that we bought through a distress sale. After we took delivery we dropped it off at Alcoa Good Times for service and were able to pick it up this afternoon after the initial service and several recall services including the DPS were completed. Rode it 95 miles from there to Chattanooga without a hitch but lots of admiring looks!

Now we will be starting on several key upgrades getting ready to do some fall rides in the East Tennessee / N.Carolina mountains.

Just want to mention again, during our recent widespread shopping we saw 2 new (hard to find) 2010 RT SE5s at a Tennessee dealer that is offering a fair markdown from list... PM me if interested...

[VaughnCat]

:congrats::clap::2thumbs:


After all the research and shopping, We are now the excited owners of a nearly new Silver 2010 RT AC SE5 Spyder that we bought through a distress sale. After we took delivery we dropped it off at Alcoa Good Times for service and were able to pick it up this afternoon after the initial service and several recall services including the DPS were all completed. Rode it 95 miles from there to Chattanooga without a hitch but lots of admiring looks!

Yes, Alcoa Good Times is just as good as we have heard!

Now we will be starting on several key upgrades getting ready to do some serious fall rides in East Tennessee. Pictures of our new RT coming soon...

Just want to mention again, during our recent widespread shopping we saw 2 new (hard to find) 2010 RT SE5s at a Tennessee dealer that is offering a fair markdown from list... PM me if interested...

[SpyderGirl]

:congrats: and welcome

Happy Spydering!!