SPYDER VS. GOLDWING GL1800

[Motogordo]

54827Oct. 4, 2012
(SPYDER RTS/SE5 VS. GL1800 TRIKE)

I am now a member of Honda Goldwing Trikes. I purchased a 2005 GL1800 Lehman Monarch II trike a couple of months ago. On that site I am reading a ton of articles comparing the Canam and the GL1800 Trike. I had a 2011 RTS/SE5 for a year and put about 5,000 miles on. I purchased it from "East Coast Cycle Center" Bensalem,Pa. I loved the Spyder. I felt very secure and safe with the two wheels up front and the big big wheel in the back. The semi-automatic shift was fantastic. It was smooth as silk. I would back off the throttle when I would shift and it was perfect every time. I had NO problems with the Spyder at all. Yes, it is expensive to have the maintenance done at a dealer, but that is because there is sooooo much Tupperware to remove in order to have normal maintenance done. Aside from that, I didn't have any computer problems at all. Maybe I was lucky or maybe I had a good and knowledgeable dealer to service and setup the bike. I just wanted to put this article on this site since I was on the site for an entire year and posted lots of articles. The only reason I traded in the Spyder was because I went to the dealer just to say hello to the guys there and saw a 2005 GL1800 Lehman Monarch II Trike that was just traded in because the owner was unable to ride anymore due to medical problems. I have never seen so much BLING on this burgundy trike. I fell in love with it and drove it away a couple of hours later. I love this trike and I also LOVED the Spyder. It's just whatever floats your boat. By the way, I also have a 2011 Harris Flotebote Pontoon.

Motogordo:spyder2:

P.S. I actually love the 4 storage areas on the Spyder better then the 2 on the Trike. I could carry much more on the Spyder, but I don't go very far so it really won't matter too much.

I do remember one thing I had the dealer do for me, which was to raise the front shocks up to 5 which made the ride much much better.

[SpyderAnn01]

That is a nice looking Goldwing.

[spyder3]

hey gordo,

i think i saw you cruising down rt 130, didnt know you werent on the spyder any longer. good luck with the new ride.

john

[Motogordo]

hey gordo,

i think i saw you cruising down rt 130, didnt know you werent on the spyder any longer. good luck with the new ride.

john

10/4/12

I am always riding down Rt. 130 . LOL
email me : :yes:glief6@comcast.net

[Bob Denman]

That is one very sweet-looking ride! :2thumbs:
So... Are you now considered to be a "Wing Nut"? :shocked: :roflblack: :thumbup:

[Motogordo]

That is one very swetet-looking ride! :2thumbs:
So... Are you now considered to be a "Wing Nut"? :shocked: :roflblack: :thumbup:

10/4/12

I went from a Spyder to a Wingnut........ I love variety, so I never know what I am going to have in my garage from day to day. LOL

Motogordo

[ARtraveler]

:congrats: on the new ride. :thumbup:

[Mr. White]

Punkin', my '02 Motor Trike, sure looks shabby next to your new ride. If this is your first 1800, I think you will enjoy the smoothness of the engine and controls. It is a different ride of course, but you will also feel very safe with the double rubber on the rear.

Punkin' enjoys his role of backup to Big Red 1 and I have caught him making fun of his "barn buddy" as he was out of commission for over six weeks waiting repair for an ECM and throttle body. He is doing well now and I hope he stays healthy.

My Wing has never been in the shop in his 11 years. With only 62,000 miles on him, I won't live long enough to wear him out.

There will always be a Gold Wing trike in my barn, a Spyder, I am not too sure. Enjoy.

:spyder2:

[Dragonrider]

I'm a tall guy, and I loved my GL1500. After I sold it, I put 150 miles on a demo GL1800 - wouldn't give a dime for one. I went for the BMWK12 instead, and loved it. I am seriously considering converting it to a trike, but can't have two three wheelers in the garage at the same time - and my Spyder RT has yet to hiccup….

All of my riding is on "mountain" roads, and I avoid the superslab whenever possible. The K12 was a star on the back roads, but the standard trike style really doesn't offer the security of the Spyder, where I ride. So as long as the Spyder is reliable...

[Bob Denman]

Punkin', my '02 Motor Trike, sure looks shabby next to your new ride. If this is your first 1800, I think you will enjoy the smoothness of the engine and controls. It is a different ride of course, but you will also feel very safe with the double rubber on the rear.

Punkin' enjoys his role of backup to Big Red 1 and I have cought him making fun of his "barn buddy" as he has was out of commission for over six weeks waiting repair for an ECM and throttle body. He is doing well now and I hope he stays healthy.

My Wing has never been in the shop in his 11 years. With only 62,000 miles on him, I won't live long enough to wear him out.

There will always be a Gold Wing trike in my barn, a Spyder, I am not too sure. Enjoy.

:spyder2:
Glad to hear that they've quit their squabbling! :2thumbs: Did I hear that you guys are going to be seeing a big drop in temperatures soon? :shocked:

[Motogordo]

Punkin', my '02 Motor Trike, sure looks shabby next to your new ride. If this is your first 1800, I think you will enjoy the smoothness of the engine and controls. It is a different ride of course, but you will also feel very safe with the double rubber on the rear.

Punkin' enjoys his role of backup to Big Red 1 and I have cought him making fun of his "barn buddy" as he has was out of commission for over six weeks waiting repair for an ECM and throttle body. He is doing well now and I hope he stays healthy.

My Wing has never been in the shop in his 11 years. With only 62,000 miles on him, I won't live long enough to wear him out.

There will always be a Gold Wing trike in my barn, a Spyder, I am not too sure. Enjoy.

:spyder2:

10/5/12

How are you doing Big Red ? I always see your posts and enjoy reading them when I had my RTS/SE5. I have had ALL the GL's made, from the 1,000cc all the way up to the 1,832cc. I am very familiar with them and always enjoyed them. I bought the RTS last year and enjoyed every minute of it for the 5,000 miles I put on it. I love to trade and buy new things all the time. I LOSE money on every single deal, but I make it up in VOLUME. LOL. The RTS was cool and fun to drive. I was slightly concerned with how high you have to rev the engine to make it feel smooth. I always shifted up just over 3,000 rpm and it was smooth as silk. When I ride down the highway I would try to get the rpm's closer to 4500 rpms. I never speed on my cycles so in order to get to 5000 rpms I would have to go over the speed limit somewhat. I always felt that there were too many vibes at the lower speeds. However, I still loved the bike. The only reason I bought the 05 Trike was that it caught my eye and I said, " I want this bike". I never NEED anything I buy, I just WANT them. LOL. I almost forgot how the RTS rides compared to the Wing. I would have to ride both of them from the dealer to remember how the Spyder handled compared to the Wing.
Motogordo:ani29:

[spyder3]

Got to meet gordo and see his ride today. Beautiful bike with alot of detail, but I wouldnt want to be the person that has to clean it. ALOT of chrome!!:roflblack:

nice meeting you today gordon.

talk soon

john

[Mr. White]

Glad to hear that they've quit their squabbling! :2thumbs: Did I hear that you guys are going to be seeing a big drop in temperatures soon? :shocked:

Bob, it looks grim for South Texas weather in the morning. It is forecast to get down to 59 degrees @ 0730 when I leave for our Saturday ride. I guess I will wear the liner in my Joe Rocket jacket and remove it on the way home. We will ride 75-80 miles or so and end up at a great Mexican cafe named Mague's in Bulverde, TX.

We are now in our "perfect" riding weather...50's early and low 80's in the afternoon. When we switch to CST in November we will go to our "lunch" rides. We cover longer distances during the cooler weather. In Nov. we will go to Shiner, TX, home of the Spoetzl Brewery. We will take a tour of the brewery, a very small but successful business. I am glad they limit their free samples to four 4oz cups (not full) ha ha, eat lunch and head home.

BR1 is doing much better with his new throttle body. I have pushed him pretty hard the last few days and he has performed well. He poked Punkin' when we got back saying "I bumped 8,000+ rpms a few times today, and loved it. What would happen if you hit 8 grand fat boy?" Punkin' fired up his engine and with the Cobra's on him, he gave BR1 a couple of ROOOOMMM ROOOOMMM's and went over in the corner and would not talk any more....I do hope they get along better.....

:spyder2:

[spyder3]

:roflblack::roflblack: You crack me up George.

[Bob Denman]

Boys will be boys... :D
Tell them to settle down or you'll trade them both in on "Thee that shall not be named..."54952

[Mr. White]

After I fed the animals, I went out to the barn to plug BR1 into his charger so he would be strong in the morning for our ride. I did not make any noise when I went in the side door and overheard Punkin' talking to BR1 in a low voice. I heard him say "So, you turned over 8,000 rpms on your ride today...you showoff....you were exceeding the speed limit at those rpms!" "I run 3,000 rpms and am going 69 mph by George's GPS." BR1 said "Oh no, we were west of Kerrville where the speed limit is 80 mph so I was just a little over the limit!" But George said the DOT is going to raise the limit to 85 one of these days. I then heard Punkin' say I would not be breathing hard at 85 but you would sound like a out of tune Ducatti....they heard me and quit talking....things might be getting worse....what to do, what to do.

:spyder2:

[Champagne]

54827Oct. 4, 2012
(SPYDER RTS/SE5 VS. GL1800 TRIKE)

I am now a member of Honda Goldwing Trikes. I purchased a 2005 GL1800 Lehman Monarch II trike a couple of months ago. On that site I am reading a ton of articles comparing the Canam and the GL1800 Trike. I had a 2011 RTS/SE5 for a year and put about 5,000 miles on. I purchased it from "East Coast Cycle Center" Bensalem,Pa. I loved the Spyder. I felt very secure and safe with the two wheels up front and the big big wheel in the back. The semi-automatic shift was fantastic. It was smooth as silk. I would back off the throttle when I would shift and it was perfect every time. I had NO problems with the Spyder at all. Yes, it is expensive to have the maintenance done at a dealer, but that is because there is sooooo much Tupperware to remove in order to have normal maintenance done. Aside from that, I didn't have any computer problems at all. Maybe I was lucky or maybe I had a good and knowledgeable dealer to service and setup the bike. I just wanted to put this article on this site since I was on the site for an entire year and posted lots of articles. The only reason I traded in the Spyder was because I went to the dealer just to say hello to the guys there and saw a 2005 GL1800 Lehman Monarch II Trike that was just traded in because the owner was unable to ride anymore due to medical problems. I have never seen so much BLING on this burgundy trike. I fell in love with it and drove it away a couple of hours later. I love this trike and I also LOVED the Spyder. It's just whatever floats your boat. By the way, I also have a 2011 Harris Flotebote Pontoon.

Motogordo:spyder2:

P.S. I actually love the 4 storage areas on the Spyder better then the 2 on the Trike. I could carry much more on the Spyder, but I don't go very far so it really won't matter too much.

I do remember one thing I had the dealer do for me, which was to raise the front shocks up to 5 which made the ride much much better.


I've seen you yesterday at East Coast cycle I ask you about cleaning all that chrome. That is a beautiful bike I'd wish you the best of luck be careful and God bless

[Mr. White]

Motogordo writes: I was slightly concerned with how high you have to rev the engine to make it feel smooth. I always shifted up just over 3,000 rpm and it was smooth as silk. When I ride down the highway I would try to get the rpm's closer to 4500 rpms. I never speed on my cycles so in order to get to 5000 rpms I would have to go over the speed limit somewhat.

On our ride to breakfast this morning, I fell in behind the leader. He rides a ST1300 so we smoked along the hill country roads. I looked at my rpm's a few times and at 4950, I was doing 70mph by my GPS. On some straight roads, I bumped 6,000, which was in the 80's....Our usual lead, a HD, was at his monthly HOG meeting and is a little more conservative.

Anyway, Gordon, I don't worry about the rpm's much....the rev limiter starts cutting out at 9,200 even though the red line is 9,000. I ride to keep up as needed, rpm's be damned...the Rotax is a high rev engine and seems to love running in the 7-8,000 area, which is too fast for me so I don't do it often.

When cruising the Interstate, I set my cruise control on 5,050 rpm, which is tad over 70 and a sweet spot for BR1. I now up that rpm some as the IH one mile from my home was raised to 75 recently. Thirty miles further west, they upped it to 80, with rumor of 85 soon.....kinda scary when an eighteen wheeler pases you and you are doing 82 or so....yeeee haaaaa

While on my way to Sunday breakfast in Bandera, TX. I fell in behind several of the San Antonio Sport Riders club....a crotch rocket group, mostly expert riders....after a whle in the twisties, BR1 said "Okay, Fat Man, slow down, the way we are riding you would think you were 70 years old again..."

:spyder2:

[Motogordo]

That is one very swetet-looking ride! :2thumbs:
So... Are you now considered to be a "Wing Nut"? :shocked: :roflblack: :thumbup:


Nov. 5, 2012

ABSOLUTELY

[dave01]

Nov. 5, 2012

ABSOLUTELY
+2 on that one. lol

[Bob Denman]

So when you guys are putting together a group ride; Do you yell "Grabs your Wings and Nuts and let's go!", when it's time to hit the road?? :roflblack: :joke:

[bertmc]

Punkin', my '02 Motor Trike, sure looks shabby next to your new ride. If this is your first 1800, I think you will enjoy the smoothness of the engine and controls. It is a different ride of course, but you will also feel very safe with the double rubber on the rear.

Punkin' enjoys his role of backup to Big Red 1 and I have caught him making fun of his "barn buddy" as he was out of commission for over six weeks waiting repair for an ECM and throttle body. He is doing well now and I hope he stays healthy.

My Wing has never been in the shop in his 11 years. With only 62,000 miles on him, I won't live long enough to wear him out.

There will always be a Gold Wing trike in my barn, a Spyder, I am not too sure. Enjoy.

:spyder2:

I see from your pictures you wear the same riding suit on both bikes. Is it Kevlar?

[Buttsy]

I see from your pictures you wear the same riding suit on both bikes. Is it Kevlar?

:roflblack:........smartass

[Mr. White]

I see from your pictures you wear the same riding suit on both bikes. Is it Kevlar?

Naw, I wear a Joe Rocket summer jacket. I also have a liner when it gets below 60 or so....it was 86 this afternoon so I did not need the liner....if you are talking about shirts, they are a slightly different pattern. I wear a short sleeve shirt under my Joe Rocket....cooler....

:spyder2:

[dave01]

So when you guys are putting together a group ride; Do you yell "Grabs your Wings and Nuts and let's go!", when it's time to hit the road?? :roflblack: :joke:
Lets go. I, and the wing, will be ready.

[Spyder-Bob]

Very nice good luck with her

[liketoride2]

Motogordo, now that you have time on both the Spyder and a traditional trike, how would you compare the steering of the two?

I have never ridden a traditional trike but have friends who have and they describe the trike steering as very heavy, so much so that doing a quick emergency avoidance maneuver is impossible, or nearly so, and very different than our Spyders.

I would be very interested in your assessment. Thanks.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

[AbNormy]

So you gonna go to a WingDing next year?

[boborgera]

Motogordo, now that you have time on both the Spyder and a traditional trike, how would you compare the steering of the two?

I have never ridden a traditional trike but have friends who have and they describe the trike steering as very heavy, so much so that doing a quick emergency avoidance maneuver is impossible, or nearly so, and very different than our Spyders.

I would be very interested in your assessment. Thanks.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net (http://www.rtwrider.net)


I had a Spyder for 3 years, And now a Tri Glide for just over a year, Yes the steering is much heavier than the Spyder's, But you get used to it . I did put a 1 and 1/4 inch lift on the back air suspension and that simple 1/2 hour job lighten it quite a bit. If you need power steering for one reason or another then' a Tri Glide isn't for you. Also i haven't had any problems with emergency maneuver's. :dontknow:

[Mr. White]

Motogordo, now that you have time on both the Spyder and a traditional trike, how would you compare the steering of the two?

I have never ridden a traditional trike but have friends who have and they describe the trike steering as very heavy, so much so that doing a quick emergency avoidance maneuver is impossible, or nearly so, and very different than our Spyders.

I would be very interested in your assessment. Thanks.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net (http://www.rtwrider.net)

My Wing has a 4.5 degree triple tree on it and at very low speeds the Spyder is easier...after 30-40 mph, not much difference....I can make an emergency avoidance maneuver easily with either scoot. I did one today on my Spyder missing a large piece of wood in the road and on my Wing two weeks ago avoiding a deer....no problem....

:spyder2:

[liketoride2]

Thanks to both of you for your input on the steering of the two machines. It seems that while the Spyder is the better steering of the two it isn't a deal breaker either way.

Btw, especially since it's Veterans Day tomorrow, George thank you for your service to our country.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net

[Mr. White]

Thanks to both of you for your input on the steering of the two machines. It seems that while the Spyder is the better steering of the two it isn't a deal breaker either way.

Btw, especially since it's Veterans Day tomorrow, George thank you for your service to our country.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrider.net (http://www.rtwrider.net)

Mike, the "rake" kit (actually it changes the trail) makes the Wing easier to steer. The steering is not a deal breaker. I like both my scoots and kept both...If on a long trip, I take my Wing. Just my personal preferrence....

I was in the USAF 29 years. They sent me to college, a masters degree along with a commission. I got to travel and live in several counties (ours is the BEST!) and enjoyed my service. (80% good, 20% bad).

:spyder2:

[liketoride2]

Mike, the "rake" kit (actually it changes the trail) makes the Wing easier to steer. The steering is not a deal breaker. I like both my scoots and kept both...If on a long trip, I take my Wing. Just my personal preferrence....

I was in the USAF 29 years. They sent me to college, a masters degree along with a commission. I got to travel and live in several counties (ours is the BEST!) and enjoyed my service. (80% good, 20% bad).

:spyder2:

Yes, I believe our country is the best and people like you have helped make it that way. I'm currently reading a biography of George Washington and appreciate anew the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women who have served in our military services, right from the founding of our country and even before since the Revolutionary War actually began before our Declaration of Independence. Our founding fathers were great men who changed the course of history for humankind forever, and it is an honor to have followed in their footsteps as you have.

If your travels ever take you to south eastern Idaho please contact me and stop by our home here (there is contact information on my website). Perhaps we can ride our three wheelers and I can show you some of our local spectacular scenery.

Mike
Idaho
www.rtwrder.net

[Mr. White]

Thanks for the invitation. I will keep the information. However, it makes me nervous if I leave Texas...ha ha

:spyder2:

[Dragonrider]

Idaho is a wonderful place to ride - while it can be hot in the summer (100 or so) high humidity is 40%, and other than I84, traffic is minimal (barring the occasional tractor). It has two distinct riding portions, Texas like (flat, hot, dusty), and green, cool, and lots of twisties. Bugs are usually minimal too - you can actually see though a windshield after a summer evening ride in Idaho….. It is also a "fur piece" from the Left Coast too…

[Chazzman]

I had two 2012 RT limited Spiders, the first one had electrical issues at 200 miles I was offered my money back or a replacement. I took the replacement. The second one was great with no problems... We were planning on moving and I put the Spyder for sale, we ended up not moving and I decided to give up riding after 43 years, 42 on two wheels. I did loose confidence in my RT due to lack of dealership training across the country, too may electronics on the RT and felt uncomfortable even on 2 day trips. I was afraid I would end up stranded and no reputable dealers close by.

I have since purchased a 2012 GL1800 trike, the rear end went out at 260 miles because no one, the manufacture or the installer checked the oil, it had none, could have gotten me killed at 70MPH on the interstate and the rear end locks up. There were lot's of other issues with it, not the bike but the trike kit, it was purchased back.

I now have another GL1800 CSC Viper that I am very happy with. The GL1800 is a really good bike, but of course it was made for two wheels not three. The Spyder is designed for 3 wheels by Can-Am a very big plus. The Harley Tri-Glide is also build by the MO CO.

For me and my wife the CSC is more comfortable and the GL1800 is a great touring bike, easy to maintain and cheap to keep.

What I miss the most is all he great folks on this board, best people in the world.... :D May have to buy me an RS!

[Mr. White]

I am sorry to hear of no oil in the differential...criminal! My Wing has 65K on it and runs very well. No problems in all of these years. I love both machines and ride both...If on a long trip, I take the Wing...I am more comfortable that it will get me there and back. However after a new ECM and throttle body, my Spyder seems to run better...maybe I just want it to...You will love the CSC...

:spyder2:

[Mr. White]

I have been riding BR1 nearly all the time. I want to see if it will run okay after the ECM and throttle body repalcements. It seems to run better since these items were installed. I am enjoying BR1 more now and it is a push between him and Punkin'. Both are keepers. As you know, I was very dissapointed with BR1 for a long time, but he is winning me over. Took a nice ride today with my friends and he ran very well....

:spyder2:

[retired1]

It's great to hear that you're gaining more confidence in BR1, I hope that continues.You deserve that!

[Mr. White]

It's great to hear that you're gaining more confidence in BR1, I hope that continues.You deserve that!

Oh, yes, me too. My confidence grows daily. It is a well thought out machine, but the more complicated it is, the more things to go wrong. I am pleased at the present. I am very used to my error free Wing...12 years and never been in the shop other than normal maintenance.

What part of Illinois, I was born and raised in Southern Illinows, Benton....

:spyder2:

[retired1]

Exit #19 on I-80, then 11 miles So. on Rt.82 to Cambridge.