Spyder RT rider reviews

[tigerknight]

Hey all, I've been watching the spyders on and off for a while and recently the RT popped into my radar (either they are brand new or the local dealer wasn't carrying any until just recently) and I was hoping to get some rider feedback on them.

It looks like it has all the right features on it, everything I'd WANT in a Goldwing trike just in a more stable tire configuration, without the additional cost of having to actually get it converted. However, I've heard hit/miss reviews about it from my usual motorcycle board - it's either glowing praise or stories that make it sound like it's in the shop more than the bad days of Harley Davidson.

It seems to me that some of these might be early model problems as they get their stuff together, but I was hoping to get some real/practical first hand rider experiences - good AND bad, uncolored by either rose glasses or 'friend of a friend's cousin had it break down EVERY DAY'.

[Questions]

If you are debating let me tell you to stop and go and get it. I had a harley for forty years and they are fine but the spyder is too.
YUMA SPYDER RIDER

[Oldmanzues]

I love my Spyder. I had a GS/RS then went to the RT. The Spyder is a little different, but I think it the best three wheeler out there. I have not had any real problems. Others will jump in here tell you the same, I do believe.
I still carry a GWRRA card, so I get Wing World mag. Take a look at all the things in there. I never owned a wing. I had a ST1100. I think it was only the 1500 Wings, but who else ever heard of carryinhg a spare alternator on trips ??
Good luck with your choice.
Oldmanzues

[tigerknight]

I'm on a '00 ST1100 ABS right now, actually. Love it to pieces (as evidenced by the odo being a hair's breadth off 100,000 and nearly all the miles are mine).

The spyder comes in as a possible motorcycle alternative for my housemate - who has a very short inseam and has a hard time with balancing the weight at a stop, and my dad - who is getting up there in years and wants a trike but I don't like the safety of a converted wing.

I'm seriously considering one for myself, as well - mostly because of the trailer and cargo capacity compared to my ST. But before taking the plunge I want to have the most complete info I can find - which includes real world maintenance and riding experience feedback from folks like on here. As you can see by my ST odo above, if I get this it's going to get some serious ride time.

[Dragonrider]

I've owned Hardleys, GWs, Hondas, Suzukis, Triumphs, Yamahas, even a Bridgestone. All were fun. All had an issue or two. None could carry what a Spyder can.

I bought an RS, before the RT came out - and hands down, the RT is the better ride (for me) - I owned a ST1300 for 200 miles & sold it, as I hated the riding position. The RS is the same, but there are a number of fixes that help that (none were good enough for me) problem. I have a hard time seeing the $10,000 difference between the RS and RT - even with the SE transmission - but, oh well...

I have always had two bikes in my stable, of late, either a Valkyrie or V-Rod. Currently, I only have the RT, and am pining for another V-Rod (this Spring) - neither bike can completely replace the other, but my SO will only ride on the RT, and the V-Rod is the ultimate solo bike (JMHO). However, if I was forced to only have one, it would be the RT, for two up pleasure (read between the lines here.. :) )

[NancysToy]

The Spyder RTS is the best ride I have ever owned (or currently own). It is the most comfortable, the least fatiguing on a long haul, the safest, the most visible, an so forth. It excels in many ways. For towing a trailer, riding two-up, or bad weather, it absolutely can't be beat! My BMW R1100RT sits in the garage most of the time, while I rack up the miles on my Spyder. It will spoil you. BTW, they are not brand new, 2012 is the third model year for the RT.

[Bob Denman]

Get in touch with George... (Big Red 1) He owns both an RTS and a converted GL...

[JCSMOKE]

This depends on how handy you are, if you do your own maint work on the bike the price is not that bad but if you have to take it into the shop the pricing can be as much as $180 for the oil change service. check with the dealer for what the prices are for standard services they perform. Another thing to think about is that if your dealer has not had the RT on the showroom floor up to now then they may not have had a bunch of them in the shop, and that makes your soon to be beloved spyder a guinnie pig for them to learn on.:yikes: Keep on doing your homework and good luck to you.

[ARtraveler]

:welcome:RT is a very fine ryde. It has all the amenities of the Goldwing. Suggest you do a test drive to see what you think.

RE: Good & Bad. You see issues with :spyder2: posted here--but they are less and less as time goes by. It appears that BRP is getting the glitches worked out on the machine. A lot of problems are caused by mechanics who do not know what they are doing or don't care. These places are now getting few and far between--but I suggest looking at the recommended dealer list that is on a thread on this site.

Personal experience: three :spyder2:'s: 2008 manual, 2009 SE5, 2010 RTS with all the bells & whistles. 60,000 combined miles and no major problems other than the recalls. I have a good dealer and their mechanics know the :spyder2: well.

[STUNMUN]

[QUOTE=tigerknight;408599]Hey all, I've been watching the spyders on and off for a while and recently the RT popped into my radar (either they are brand new or the local dealer wasn't carrying any until just recently) and I was hoping to get some rider feedback on them.

It looks like it has all the right features on it, everything I'd WANT in a Goldwing trike just in a more stable tire configuration, without the additional cost of having to actually get it converted. However, I've heard hit/miss reviews about it from my usual motorcycle board - it's either glowing praise or stories that make it sound like it's in the shop more than the bad days of Harley Davidson.

It seems to me that some of these might be early model problems as they get their stuff together, but I was hoping to get some real/practical first hand rider experiences - good AND bad, uncolored by either rose glasses or 'friend of a friend's cousin had it break down EVERY DAY'.[/QUOTE


In June I traded my much loved 07 Wing for an RT. The decision was gradual over a two year period of wondering if I could pick up the Wing and also what a small amount of sand in the road could do to me. After 35 motorcycles I have made the switch to something that has caused total obsession. Apart from the fact that I am mobbed everywhere I go, that people can't keep their hands off of my Spyder, that questions about it range from the bizarre to the ridiculous, that after 46 years of biking on just about anything with two wheels and having covered this continent from Mexico to Alaska, I can honestly say "Thank you Lord" for this contraption. I know that there are many machines out there worthy of accolades of durability, beauty, sound etc, but my Spyder with my questionable knees and desire to drive the safest motorcycle ever built keeps me pumped up. I watched a trike go over while manuvering at about 15 MPH and decided against triking my Wing. I have friends that have turned their attention away from biking due to their age or fear of an accident-pitiful. I don't want to do that. In conclusion, this ain't a car minus a tire or a motorcycle plus a tire. It is a whole new way of traveling.

I always seem to want to carry stuff so an RT was more suited for me. Good luck shopping.
]

[jeromeb]

I traded a 08 abs st 1300 in june for a rt s. I had put over 20000 miles on the st last year including a 8000 mile tour of the west. Prior to that I had put 50000+ miles on a 06 gold wing including long tours of all the states. The first week after the trade I thought I had made a mistake but after becoming familar with the trike and adjustments made i fell in love. I have 7300 miles on the rt with over 4000 miles in the blue ridge mts. I rode the blue ridge parkway both ways, the gap 4xs and feel I have put it through its paces. If my dealer had upgraded the BUDS system upon purchase as required I would totally happy, caused a half day in the shop for upgrades. Living in Ga. I ride most days and find the storage excellent for my shopping errands around town. A trip to Alaska is currenty in planning stages with my Harley riding bud with a return through some of our favorite riding roads in the west. I do not hesitate to ride the RT anywhere. My St lost ABS in CO last year and had the rear brakes lock up on a mountain road. I was 70 this week and don't have to worry about weak knees at a redlight or at the end of an all day ride.

I also traded my Tmax which i also toured on because it was lighter but felt the RT could replace both the tmax and st for short and long trips. I was right. Once you know how to pop the panels I find the mechanical parts not to difficult to work on.

Any time I want to see how far motorcycle technology has come, I ride my 1960 Cushman Super Eagle then ride the RT. I have had many bikes since the 50's and enjoy the RT the most. I don't worry about image or what others think of my ride, this coupled with age affects my thoughts.
Jerry

[Pennyrick]

I'm on a '00 ST1100 ABS right now, actually. Love it to pieces (as evidenced by the odo being a hair's breadth off 100,000 and nearly all the miles are mine).

The spyder comes in as a possible motorcycle alternative for my housemate - who has a very short inseam and has a hard time with balancing the weight at a stop, and my dad - who is getting up there in years and wants a trike but I don't like the safety of a converted wing.

I'm seriously considering one for myself, as well - mostly because of the trailer and cargo capacity compared to my ST. But before taking the plunge I want to have the most complete info I can find - which includes real world maintenance and riding experience feedback from folks like on here. As you can see by my ST odo above, if I get this it's going to get some serious ride time.

MY wife is now on her second RT and I continue to ride my RT. After 45 years of riding everything from Harleys to Hondas, Yamahas to Suzukis and almost everything in between these are by far the best riding experiences we have ever had!

They are not motorcycles.... they are a different experience... better stability.... more comfort.... less fatigue.... and they draw much more attention.

My last GL 1800 was triked. I liked it but the Spyder does everything better (except pull from 10 mph in fifth gear).

You have to ride a Spyder at least 50-100 miles to appreciate it. If you don't give it a chance then you will stay with your ST1100. Again.... it is NOT a motorcycle so it is difficult to compare. Yes, maintenance is expensive but most dealers are offering service packages that cut that expense in half. Service packages only make sense for those who actually put miles on the machine and it would seem that fits your needs.

[spyder3]

I've owned a 10 speed schwinn bike. That was my bike experience before buying the RT spyder.:roflblack:

It's tons of fun. :clap:

We need a "just do it" graphic for people who ask IF they should:clap:

[tigerknight]

This depends on how handy you are, if you do your own maint work on the bike the price is not that bad but if you have to take it into the shop the pricing can be as much as $180 for the oil change service. check with the dealer for what the prices are for standard services they perform. Another thing to think about is that if your dealer has not had the RT on the showroom floor up to now then they may not have had a bunch of them in the shop, and that makes your soon to be beloved spyder a guinnie pig for them to learn on.:yikes: Keep on doing your homework and good luck to you.

I do as much work at home as I have the tools for. On my ST this has been fluid changes (all types), carb sync, brake work, fairing work, electrical installs (gps, gerbing clothes, etc), and other smaller items. Tire work, major engine dis-assembly and the like I've taken it to a shop for.

How difficult is it to get at the various parts of a Spyder for doing the above listed home-maintenance? Considering the wheel configuration, what kind of lift would work best for it - wheel ramps for the front tires and then manual jack on the rear?

[zrc]

Hey Tiger, I have owned a Spyder since Oct. 15th. And I am mechanically challenged. However, this month I am performing 99% of my 12k milestone service by myself.

I have been able to locate all the parts / equipment / tools and other items to do this through this site and I am using how tos and videos here to guide me.

I ask tons of questions, I most likely look / sound like a newbie that is running into a wall and being dumb. Sometimes I remember to use the search, and sometimes I just throw something out there in a question that has been asked probably about 100000 times. But the community here seems supportive. The people around my area with spyders are very supportive, helpful, and nice.

So I cant speak to anything other than, while it is a wildly complex machine, with no fear anything is possible!

[samewok]

I have only had mine for a few months how but I love it an ride when every the temp is above 45.I have 3000 miles with one minor problem.:yes::clap:

[JCSMOKE]

I do as much work at home as I have the tools for. On my ST this has been fluid changes (all types), carb sync, brake work, fairing work, electrical installs (gps, gerbing clothes, etc), and other smaller items. Tire work, major engine dis-assembly and the like I've taken it to a shop for.

How difficult is it to get at the various parts of a Spyder for doing the above listed home-maintenance? Considering the wheel configuration, what kind of lift would work best for it - wheel ramps for the front tires and then manual jack on the rear?

The work at home is easy with the Spyder, the tupperware pops off easily and you can get to the parts you need to and the ones you have no need to really easily, but make sure your metric tool set is complete. If you have questions there are tons of folks on the forum here that will gladly give $.02 of advice for free, though the only guarantee on the advice given is that you get what you pay for and then some.

[Kraut]

Have you ever wanted something so bad you could taste it, and once you got it all you could do was stand there and grin at it? I grin at my spyder all the time. I have a 2010 RTSE with 3800 miles on it that I bought in June 2011. About 3000 miles are highway ryding with remainder being around town dryving. The Spyder is a complex, electrically engineered machine, but as of this afternoon no problems at all. IMHO much of the problems that people have are dealer set-up/service slop rather than BRP slop. My advice is to checkout out your dealer and the service shop before you buy-we have some real used car dealers out there. I bought my "Scooter" from the Whittier Fun Center in (where else) Whittier, California. The sales and service people are fellow riders, and the owner rydes the Spyder himself. In Summary: I love my ryde; my wife loves the ryde; I love the attention it attracts; I do not for one minute feel I should have bought something else.http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/images/icons/icon6.png:yes:

[Kraut]

[QUOTE=jeromeb;408664 Any time I want to see how far motorcycle technology has come, I ride my 1960 Cushman Super Eagle then ride the RT...

YOU STILL HAVE YOUR CUSHMAN??!! That is truly awsome! My first two-wheeler was a Cushman that I bought in 1961 when I turned 15. I rode that bloody thing everywhere.

[Fonz]

Had a Goldwing Trike, and to me I wouldn't trade my RT LTD for all the tea in China. I enjoy it so much, that I've decided to retire, and I own my own business. I'm selling the business and I'm going to enjoy the freedom of my ride, and the stability that only a:spyder2: brings. Plus my babycakes loves the attention she gets when she's riding shotgun. Buy the bike and stop playin lol

[ThreeWheels]

I'm on a '00 ST1100 ABS right now, actually. Love it to pieces (as evidenced by the odo being a hair's breadth off 100,000 and nearly all the miles are mine).

The spyder comes in as a possible motorcycle alternative for my housemate - who has a very short inseam and has a hard time with balancing the weight at a stop, and my dad - who is getting up there in years and wants a trike but I don't like the safety of a converted wing.

I'm seriously considering one for myself, as well - mostly because of the trailer and cargo capacity compared to my ST. But before taking the plunge I want to have the most complete info I can find - which includes real world maintenance and riding experience feedback from folks like on here. As you can see by my ST odo above, if I get this it's going to get some serious ride time.

I sold my Candy Glory Red ST1100 for a 2010 Timeless Black RT-SM5. Lots of problems with my RT. BRP and my Dealer have ABSOLUTELY 100% stood by the machine and BRP is always trying to improve. I'm thinking my problems were first year bugs. But there have been many of them.

I miss my ST1100. I wish I could have both.

Get a 2011, or better yet a 2012 RT. You'll surely miss most of the growing pains. Make sure you get the extended warranty.

As always, my free advice comes with a double your money back guarantee.

[StanProff]

Don't let any of the negative things you may read on forums about the Spyders (or any other vehicle for that matter) sway you away from a good machine. Lets face it, for every negative comment or problem you read about on a forum, there are thousands of Spyder riders out here that have no problems and put thousands of miles on their Spyders every year. Of course there are bugs with any new machine, but honestly, I have a 2010 RT S and gone across country and back with just over 7800 miles on it last year and all I have had to do is change oil. these are complicated machines but no more that the car you drive every day. For the safety, fun, stability, you can't go wrong. I am a motorcycle abuser, I have motorcycles in the garage and I hop on the Spyder every time I ride.
Poor motorcycles have to stay locked away and don't see the light of day. Just remember it is not a motorcycle or a Trike, It has it's own riding style that you will get use to and totally enjoy it. I have ridden bikes for 45 years and I am sold on the Spyder. I can't see that I would ever take one of my two wheelers on a long trip again.

good luck,
Stan

[Chazzman]

A new 2012 Rt Limited in the garage...not interested in 2 wheels anymore. Every time I stop I have an audience, the Roadster is a Unique machine, very comfortable and boat loads of fun... Just Awesome!

[Tin Can]

I have had my RT 20 days,( bought it Jan 6 2012 ) only time I rode it was from the dealer in Lexington KY to Louisville KY. Had a grin on my face the whole way home.:D I love working on bikes almost as much as riding them. I have already put Front, Mud Flap, and Saddle Bage Lites on from Custom Dynamics. And have a backrest from Utopia ordered, along with fog lights from the dealer and am looking forward to see about the highway pegs that Lamont is coming up with. So still have a lot of work to do ,but loving every minute of it. My wife and I are planning to ride to Spyderfest in april. I do the Run For The Wall so there will be another 3500 miles. I am sure we will get 10-12 thousand miles this year. The warmest day since I got the RT was today and it poured rain all day long. Oh well better days are coming. By the way, as mentioned before on this topic Spyderlovers.com is one of the greatest places to learn everything there is to know about any Spyder there is. :spyder2: RULE..

[StanProff]

I have had my RT 20 days,( bought it Jan 6 2012 ) only time I rode it was from the dealer in Lexington KY to Louisville KY. Had a grin on my face the whole way home.:D I love working on bikes almost as much as riding them. I have already put Front, Mud Flap, and Saddle Bage Lites on from Custom Dynamics. And have a backrest from Utopia ordered, along with fog lights from the dealer and am looking forward to see about the highway pegs that Lamont is coming up with. So still have a lot of work to do ,but loving every minute of it. My wife and I are planning to ride to Spyderfest in april. I do the Run For The Wall so there will be another 3500 miles. I am sure we will get 10-12 thousand miles this year. The warmest day since I got the RT was today and it poured rain all day long. Oh well better days are coming. By the way, as mentioned before on this topic Spyderlovers.com is one of the greatest places to learn everything there is to know about any Spyder there is. :spyder2: RULE..

It was 64 degrees here in East Tenn. yesterday, I went for a quick ride after getting home from work. This is a bike that you will grin when you ride, grin everytime you walk into the garage and just stand and look at it, grin everytime another two wheel biker starts checking it out a a gas stop and I would say I grin in my sleep about it. I have ridden bikes 45 yearsa and have two wheelers in my garage but the Spyder has really changed my game.

[mnefred]

Tiger, I'll echo most everything you see here. I put 10,000 on my 2010 in only eight months. All of that was local/comuting with no big road trips. I had quite a few problems, but almost all of them were fixed under waranty. From what I can tell most of the problems are not being reported on the '11s. My advice would be to go for an '11 or '12, and get the BEST extended waranty! nojoke