Spyder in the wind

[J W Miller]

I have been reading this board for over a year and its great. Had much to do with purchase of an RT. How ever I never noticed any one mention just how poor the RT is just mild head winds and side winds. Is this just my bike or is every RT Spyder like this? I have tried every thing,Tire pressure settings,suspension adjustments both front and rear. I have had bike's for over 40 years and only a 72 Honda 350 was as bad as this unit. Love the Spyder but if I can not get this thing to do better in the wind going to have to part with it. Will go back to 2 wheels. Jw Miller

[Lamonster]

New front shocks make a world of difference. I would go with the Elka's or the 2011 RT shocks. Remember to relax your grip too. :doorag:

[bikeguy]

When I rode my RT home from the dealer in mild, 15 - 20 MPH, crosswinds I thought I'd made a terrible mistake because it was the worst thing I had ever ridden in the wind. Like you, I had more than 40 years experience on 2 wheelers and had spent a year or so on this forum so I was SURE that I knew how to ride the thing. Ten months and 12,000 miles later, that same RT is the best thing I have ever ridden in strong crosswinds and the only difference is my learning how it has to be ridden.

Not saying that your RT may not have handling problems. There have certainly been some on here that did. But teaching muscles trained on a 2 wheeler for years to relax and ease up on the bars is much more difficult than I thought it would be. And there is no substitute for logging miles. Most folks on here say that it took them 200 or 300 miles but I had 3,000 miles on mine before I felt completely comfortable in the wind.

As far as headwinds, it won't ever get any better. We're pushing a barn door down the road and nothing is gonna change that. It hurts speed and fuel mileage pretty badly.

Hope you get your problems solved. The RT is a great touring bike and lots of fun to ride.

Cotton

[DougB]

I had the same problems. The Elka shocks cured it.

[boborgera]

It never hurts to repeat this ; Relax your grip, don't fight it. Wind buffering is normal, Especially with two wheels being push by one.
It's the tail wagging the dog affect. Once you get used to it you won't notice it any more.
Hang in there :thumbup:

[Tonga]

New front shocks make a world of difference. I would go with the Elka's or the 2011 RT shocks. Remember to relax your grip too. :doorag:
Ditto !!!!:thumbup:

[J W Miller]

I do indeed practice on keeping my grip relaxed. I have 2000miles on this machine. I would not mind spending a few more $$$ On 2011 RT shocks . I am just not that sure it would fix the problem.Would be nice if 2011 shocks would make a big difference.Some of you have said it would and I have to value your answer on this. At this stage I just not sure. JwMiller

[SpyderDen]

I have the 2011 RT-S but not having rode any others, I will say that wind buffeting is still an issue. I just changed my shock preload from 3 to 4 and that did help. Rode to Daytona on Saturday with a fairly strong cross/head wind and do believe it helped greatly. I will try the 5 setting next.
:dontknow:

[TicketBait]

why don't you have another spyderlovers rider in your area that has an RT, switch rides for a day and see if it
is you, your set up or the bike. And you try out the other persons ride you will gain more insight.You say you
have tried different adjustments, but don't say what those are except in generalities. I know it can be frustrating
. But take this on as an adventure.You say you have
had bikes for over 40 years, well that is probably more a liability with this beast than a +. You are comparing
every riding sensation to what you previously knew. that's not gonna help. Change your attitude with riding
this bike. The suggestion of loosening your grip is only part of it. You have a greater fear possibly of being
blown over. Do you ride with a helmet? does it have a face mask?
The reason I ask is even those things
can create a different experience for each of us. For me one of my idiosyncrasies is Ihave to ride with gloves.
When I was in gusty winds yesterday, I was
riding with the face mask in down position, I was constantly lowering my windshield on the freeway, and also changing my foot
positions, and these things made my experience feel as though I was staying in control. And hey i got to the SuperBowl party intact.

Please keep us informed to your decision. Sometimes the answer is gonna be the hardest. Fixing your
habits to this 3 wheel machine.http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e240/TicketBait/smileys/SPYDER%20RTS/riding.gif

[Bob Denman]

I find that if I drop the windshield to its lowest position in crosswinds that also helps...

[J W Miller]

Front shocks on 5 tires, 20lbs air. Rear tire at 30lbs and air at next to highest setting. I have not checked rear shock setting HHMMM. All good advice fellows. JW Miller

[Bootie]

Also remember that when a crosswind hits you on a two-wheeler the vehicle automatically leans into the wind and you tend to crab into the wind as a result:lecturef_smilie:. On your Spyder, no such luck:(. It just takes some getting-used-to.:D

[bikeguy]

I do indeed practice on keeping my grip relaxed. I have 2000miles on this machine. JwMiller

If you have 2000 miles on the RT, you can probably forget most everything I said in my previous post. With that many miles it is doubtful that the problem is your riding technique. I have my shocks set on position 5, 17 - 18 PSI in my front tires, 26 - 28 PSI in the rear and 35 - 40 PSI in the rear air bag but that is different on the RT than your RT-S. I'd say Ticketbait's advise is very good if you can find someone who will swap rides for a bit. Then, based on what I've heard others say on the forum, I would have my dealer check the toe-in.

Cotton

[johnnyg]

Ditto !!!!:thumbup:
Learn to relax more an give it time, We have just over 13k on ours an love it. Rain,wind our[ strong winds ] the is :spyder2: the best ride yet. jc

[SpyderRider]

New front shocks make a world of difference. I would go with the Elka's or the 2011 RT shocks. Remember to relax your grip too. :doorag:

I agree whole heartedly with Lamont. I had done everything to attempt in improving my RT-S ride; inflated tires, ran stock shocks at 5...nothing helped till I installed the Elkas and replaced the stock sway bar with the Evoluzione. Wow what a different machine. :firstplace:

[NancysToy]

This may be a silly question, but have you had the DPS recall performed? many have reported less difficulty with the wind after they got the new steering box.

[J W Miller]

Yes it had latest DPS done before I took delivery of it. I have copy's of all service performed on it as it was a demo for 8 months.I have toe in gage so I will check toe-in and see what it is. JW Miller

[StriperKing]

I had rode high HP atv`s for the last several years so I was used to the feel of a bike and the feel of a Spyder (much like a sport ATV). Like you I did not like the feel of the Spyder at all, not that it was something totally new but just way to soft and spungy. That is why after 2000 miles you still feel that way if I had to guess. I love the Spyder so I had to do something. Like Lamont said the Elkas are the answer for me. It is like going from a 1977 Olds 98 to a Mustang GT. Here is my setup but I like all the sport feel I can get. Elkas up front set on 8 5/8" preload, 20 psi in front tires, 28 psi in back tire and air bag set at 60 PSI. I still want to get car tires to get the stiffer sidewalls but have not done that yet. Handles like a dream in wind, curves, etc. Without these changes I would have sold mine to but now I am a Spyderlover for life!:thumbup: