FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MY NEW ST-S

[JKMSPYDER]

Fellow Spyderlovers, I returned from my dealer in GA to Murphy, NC on my new ST-S earlier today. It was a 90 mile trip and I wanted to give first impressions.
First of all I love it, but as a newbie it is going to take some getting used to. My biggest problem is hesitation in turns at low speed. I keep thinking the Spyder is going to flip or throw me off. When I make a 90 degree left or right turn from a stop, I am very hesitant and sometimes while turning, my right hand will roll the throttle a little too much up or down and then I jerk. I am just going to have to keep practicing. Also, on the two lane road I was on part of the way, I was very hesitant in the turns at 35, 45, and 55 mph. Again, I felt like the Spyder would flip. My dealer told me it wouldn't, so I have to learn this. My wife followed me back in her car and said I was a wimp going around the curves. She said that if anyone else had been behind me, they would have run over me. (She is probably right!!) Once on the 4 lane, I didn't seem to have a problem on the curves at 55 to 65 mph. Am I assuming right that if a curve has a speed limit posted for a car, that the Spyder can do it and the Nanny won't kick in and the Spyder will make the turn effortlessly?

I did get a lot of wind buffeting at highway speeds, but it was not like I was getting buffeted, I could just hear it. I'm glad I wore ear plugs. We stopped about 3/4 of the way home due to my right hand getting a cramp in it. I guess I was unconsciously giving the bars the dreaded "death grip" but didn't realize it. After a few minutes of rest I got back on and didn't have any more hand cramps. As for the buffeting, I had the windshield all the way up and the air was passing over my head. I'm 5' 10". The ST comes with adjustable wind deflectors, but the manual gives no clue on how to adjust them.

The SE5 transmission is wonderful!! Following the "do's and don'ts" on the forum, the shifting was smooth as glass. I did not roll off the throttle when upshifting and would barely notice it. Upon downshifting, I would roll off the throttle a little bit, and again the shifting was smooth. On the four lane I set the cruise to 65 and stayed in fourth gear at 5600 rpm. Even with ear plugs, the engine sounded great. It didn't sound like the revs were too high, or if it was lugging. The cruise also keeps the speed right on where you set it and the rpm's don't vary by 100 up or down. Love the cruise! I can't see ever using 5th gear unless I'm going over 65. Anyone want to chime in on this observation?

At low speeds while turning in a curve, the ST-S did have a tendency to wander a bit but this could be due to my inexperience and bad throttle management. I'll check the tire pressures when cold. BRP recommends 15 in front and 28 in rear. Does anyone suggest higher pressures to counter wandering? (Maybe I imagined it anyway.)

The temp. was 48-50 degrees with light winds. I was very warm, but I had on a lot of clothes. I had heated grips added as an option, but didn't need them today with my gloves on. The seat was comfortable but more miles will determine if my fanny needs a new seat. A driver's backrest is a definite, though. The seat was actually warm. When I got back to Murphy I filled up and I could feel the heat under the seat when I raised it. It's nice in this weather, but could be a problem when warm weather gets here.

I'll probably think of some more things later, but wanted to give first impressions while fresh on my mind. I know I made the right decision and I'm going to love my Spyder. Please jump in and give me your thoughts, suggestions, etc. My cranium is open and I want to soak it all in!!!

John Mattox
A happy Spyder Rider!!

[SpyderAnn01]

Congratulations on getting it home! First off on the windshield try lowering it and the buffeting from behind should go away. I am also 5'10" and I ride my RT with the windshield 1" from the lowest setting. I found that with it all the way up I could really feel the wind on my back and the back of my head.

Second, you won't fall off! When you are turning it helps to kind of hug the tank with your legs. Ease up on the death grip too. Practice and you will get comfortable in no time.

[Blue Star]

:congrats: on your ST. Lean into your turns, as the force of the turn will pull/push you around. You lean to counter the centrifugal force, and not to turn the bike.


Fellow Spyderlovers, I returned from my dealer in GA to Murphy, NC on my new ST-S earlier today. It was a 90 mile trip and I wanted to give first impressions.
First of all I love it, but as a newbie it is going to take some getting used to. My biggest problem is hesitation in turns at low speed. I keep thinking the Spyder is going to flip or throw me off. When I make a 90 degree left or right turn from a stop, I am very hesitant and sometimes while turning, my right hand will roll the throttle a little too much up or down and then I jerk. I am just going to have to keep practicing. Also, on the two lane road I was on part of the way, I was very hesitant in the turns at 35, 45, and 55 mph. Again, I felt like the Spyder would flip. My dealer told me it wouldn't, so I have to learn this. My wife followed me back in her car and said I was a wimp going around the curves. She said that if anyone else had been behind me, they would have run over me. (She is probably right!!) Once on the 4 lane, I didn't seem to have a problem on the curves at 55 to 65 mph. Am I assuming right that if a curve has a speed limit posted for a car, that the Spyder can do it and the Nanny won't kick in and the Spyder will make the turn effortlessly?

I did get a lot of wind buffeting at highway speeds, but it was not like I was getting buffeted, I could just hear it. I'm glad I wore ear plugs. We stopped about 3/4 of the way home due to my right hand getting a cramp in it. I guess I was unconsciously giving the bars the dreaded "death grip" but didn't realize it. After a few minutes of rest I got back on and didn't have any more hand cramps. As for the buffeting, I had the windshield all the way up and the air was passing over my head. I'm 5' 10". The ST comes with adjustable wind deflectors, but the manual gives no clue on how to adjust them.

The SE5 transmission is wonderful!! Following the "do's and don'ts" on the forum, the shifting was smooth as glass. I did not roll off the throttle when upshifting and would barely notice it. Upon downshifting, I would roll off the throttle a little bit, and again the shifting was smooth. On the four lane I set the cruise to 65 and stayed in fourth gear at 5600 rpm. Even with ear plugs, the engine sounded great. It didn't sound like the revs were too high, or if it was lugging. The cruise also keeps the speed right on where you set it and the rpm's don't vary by 100 up or down. Love the cruise! I can't see ever using 5th gear unless I'm going over 65. Anyone want to chime in on this observation?

At low speeds while turning in a curve, the ST-S did have a tendency to wander a bit but this could be due to my inexperience and bad throttle management. I'll check the tire pressures when cold. BRP recommends 15 in front and 28 in rear. Does anyone suggest higher pressures to counter wandering? (Maybe I imagined it anyway.)

The temp. was 48-50 degrees with light winds. I was very warm, but I had on a lot of clothes. I had heated grips added as an option, but didn't need them today with my gloves on. The seat was comfortable but more miles will determine if my fanny needs a new seat. A driver's backrest is a definite, though. The seat was actually warm. When I got back to Murphy I filled up and I could feel the heat under the seat when I raised it. It's nice in this weather, but could be a problem when warm weather gets here.

I'll probably think of some more things later, but wanted to give first impressions while fresh on my mind. I know I made the right decision and I'm going to love my Spyder. Please jump in and give me your thoughts, suggestions, etc. My cranium is open and I want to soak it all in!!!

John Mattox
A happy Spyder Rider!!

[SPYD3R]

John...........
RELAX....... all good things take time.... it'll take you a hundred miles or so to get completely comfortable with your new ryde.... i would suggest you NOT :lecturef_smilie: ryde in heavy traffic areas, or in congested areas until you feel more comfortable on your new SPYD3R...
once you've perfected the operation of this beast, you'll be in 7th Heaven like the rest of us....
relax and enjoy....
59546

[BajaRon]

Very typical. Soon your wife won't be able to keep up with you... It only gets better.

Oh, and your dealer is right, the Spyder won't flip over.

[Dizneyman]

John...firs of all congtrats to you!! After a few hundred miles you will be amazed how well that bike handles. As others have said, relax your grip. What I did was go in a large parking lot, got going about 40, and let go of the handle bars and saw how well it tracked. Then I just loosely grabed the grips more to hold on then to control the bike. After this felt comfortable, I started making some fast turns in parking lot. After about 45 minutes of this practice, I was on the road have ing fun.

Enjoy the Ryde!! :congrats:

[JKMSPYDER]

Thanks everyone for the support and suggestions. I'm drinking it all in. Keep 'em coming. I remember the famous line from Woody(John Travolta) in the movie "Wild Hogs": "I just want to ride!!!!"

[FaranH]

Also, on the two lane road I was on part of the way, I was very hesitant in the turns at 35, 45, and 55 mph. Again, I felt like the Spyder would flip.

First - congrats on the new ride! You're gonna love it and it just gets better with practice. :doorag:

My first day riding had a lot of lower speed curves and I was given two pieces of good advice. First has already been mentioned which is to lean into the direction of the turn (like you might on a 4-wheeler). Sometimes at higher speeds and tighter curves you'll want to brace with your inside knee and slide your backside to the inside of the seat in the direction you are turning.

Also, on turns use one arm as a fulcrum to "pivot" rather than using both arms to turn the handlebars. For me it's the inside arm that "pulls" one handlebar while the other arms just stays straight on the outside handlebar. But if I've been riding twisties a lot, I may switch up and "push" with the outside arm straight and let the inside arm just bend and ride it out. I hope that makes sense. It helped me a lot because it wasn't my natural tendency.

Post some pics when you can!

[JKMSPYDER]

Faran, thanks for explaining about pivoting the arm. That makes since to me and I will try it tomorrow. How do I post a pic? Is there somewhere on this forum that explains that?;)

[StanProff]

Did you have any Spyder experience at all before the ST? You didn't mention if you've ridden two wheelers before either. Best advise is to go to a large parking lot, at a school maybe, after hours maybe and practice figure eights and stopping etc.
As said before on the thread, it will take many miles to totally be comfortable with the spyder. Some folks do fine in a couple of hundred miles and others (such as myself) gained a lot of confidence after about a thousand or so. I have and have had two wheelers all my life, I had to control the urges of counter-steering and such that is normal on a two wheeler. You wil get it and love it. Just be careful and take it slow.

[ARtraveler]

It sounds like you are catching on quickly. Practice, practice, practice will get you where you want to go quickly. I drove two wheelers for over 40 years before getting on the :spyder2:. I too felt like it would flip over at first. No such thing even came close to happening, and I have never activated the nanny due to going around curves.

Overcontrolling and the death grip are what makes the :ani29: feel squirrly. This will diminish as you get more familiar with the :spyder2:.

After you get confident, you will find you can take curves at 15 to 20 more than posted (did I say that? :roflblack:)--but, make sure you are driving within your safety limits.

Keep us posted as you continue on your adventure.

[eddieshep999]

Faran, thanks for explaining about pivoting the arm. That makes since to me and I will try it tomorrow. How do I post a pic? Is there somewhere on this forum that explains that?;)

Ref Posting Pictures this should help

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?32274-Posting-Pictures-from-your-hard-drive-on-this-board

Eddie Sheppard
Reading UK

[granpa in Cincy]

Pump those front tires up to 18 or 20 lbs. and you will probably like the difference! ;)

[Bob Denman]

Glad to see that you're already having a blast! :2thumbs:
As time allows for familiarity to set in; it's only going to get much, much better! :ohyea::ohyea::ohyea::ohyea::ohyea:

[MarkLawson]

Where in Georgia did you get your ST?

[EzeSpyderGA]

John, I sounds like you survived the ride home and :congrats: on your new ride. I can just see you running up the Ocoee through all those curves and enjoying every minute of the ride. We are looking forward to this spring when we can hook up with you and do some riding around the Murphy area.

[JKMSPYDER]

I bought it at Extreme Propulsion in Cartersville. This was based on the recommendation of several people on this forum. I have enjoyed my experience there so far.

[jerpinoy]

:agree: to all nice and helpful comment from :spyder2:lovers.:congrats:

[bobbobtar]

Tire pressure? I think most of us are anywhere from 15-20 psi in the front and 25-30 psi in the rear also depends on the weight you will be carrying ( two up, bags full, pulling a trailer ) I run front 18 rear 28 and pretty much stay with those numbers.

[cjackg]

I bought it at Extreme Propulsion in Cartersville. This was based on the recommendation of several people on this forum. I have enjoyed my experience there so far.
:thumbup: Congrats on the new ST! DK & Sharon at E/P are the best dealer I have worked with anywhere in the South.

I ride over your way often so we'll have to get together soon.

Jack

[thehawk]

I agree with Faran ... I use my outside arm to push against the handlebar which also counterbalances the tendency of the natural forces of the curve. I sometimes lock my elbow and enjoy the scenery and feelings of the forces. As stated ... 15 - 20 MPH over the rating on highway curves with a good road is comfortable for me ... i adjust accordingly for slower curves.

Welcome to the 'hood!

thehawk

[Motorcycledave]

Hi JOHN
After 56+ years on 2 wheels I also got a Spyder and I thought I knew everything there
is to know about riding but not so... here is my post from my first ride... Enjoy
and oh yea I'm still learning..

Hi Everyone
I have had a bunch of you want me to report on what I (being a motorcyclist for 56 years ) think of the new ride I
just bought... Not wanting to spend 30K on an experiment, I bough a used machine in almost new condition.
The reason I did this is... I have had my knees replaced with new ones and also was run down by a drunk driver
while on my ST1100 and big damage to my right shoulder.... so my wife using that information and my age 70 feels
I need more than 2 wheels...bah humbug I say, but to keep happiness in the family I decided to buy a
CanAm Spyder RS/SE5,
It has almost the same exact seating to handlebar position as an ST has....
I bought it used from an owner in Rio Linda CA. for 10K it had 9,206 miles on the clock when I got it.
Being a very experienced motorcyclist that I am I got right on and down the road I went heading home about 70
miles to the south on Hwy 99... with my wife following me. EVERYONE was so nice to wave at me...most with their middle
finger and pass and honk all the while my wife is blinking her head lights and such at me. I continued about 30 miles south
to Lodi, CA to a Starbucks just off the freeway where at that point my wife began to tell me what a hazard I was to every living thing including myself on that damn thing....
I was riding in my lane like I would on a bike with the left front wheel hanging out over the line, it's wider than you think.
If you grip the bars like you would on a motorcycle and counter steer like you would you will make everyone around you very unhappy as well as scare the hell out of yourself... THIS IS NOT A MOTORCYCLE !!!!
I finished my iced coffee and headed home on back roads NOT the freeway. I read the owners manual and watched the video/CD of how to ride the thing and I know now what I was doing wrong.... everything.
Do not counter steer or try to counter steer... when turning lean into the turn and use the old push push method
Do not hold on to the bars and grip them tightly. sit back relax and drive it like a car...
it has power steering and power ABS brakes that work fantastic.
I spent the next few days out riding around on every type of road fast slow twisties up hill and down getting acquainted with how it handles and such.... So now my take..
If you have never ridden a motorcycle you could get right on and go just fine but if you have redden a motorcycle you better when you ride one of the Spyders... forget most everything about how to ride because it will mess you up plenty.
the ride and handling is smooth and secure cornering is great. It's very powerful the Rotax engine is super and it likes to rev high. There is more storage than any of my GoldWings the touring model has even more storage than the RS.
All in All it super fun and very different than any bike I have ever owned.... I plan on riding it plenty but fear not
I will NOT PART WITH MY BELOVED ST1100....
Ride Safe
Dave
motorcycledave@mac.com

[wildtexasrangr]

:welcome: and again Congrats again !!!

[weapon]

:thumbup:
All good advise above.

Enjoy.

[Lamonster]

Lots of good advice above. Relax your grip and enjoy the ride. :doorag:

:welcome:

[JKMSPYDER]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I left work at 4:30 today and rushed home knowing I had about an hour of daylight left. Got on my riding clothes and the Spyder and I took off! I rode for about 30 minutes with most of it spent in an abandoned ACE hardware parking lot practicing my turns. I found that if I used my left arm to pivot and just let the right arm and hand follow, I was more comfortable and faster in the turns. For a left turn, I would let the left arm pull and for a right turn I would let the left arm push. Right
arm and hand just kept a light grip on the handlebar. Hope this makes sense.

[Ken Thomas]

It sounds like you are catching on quickly. Practice, practice, practice will get you where you want to go quickly. I drove two wheelers for over 40 years before getting on the :spyder2:. I too felt like it would flip over at first. No such thing even came close to happening, and I have never activated the nanny due to going around curves.

Overcontrolling and the death grip are what makes the :ani29: feel squirrly. This will diminish as you get more familiar with the :spyder2:.

After you get confident, you will find you can take curves at 15 to 20 more than posted (did I say that? :roflblack:)--but, make sure you are driving within your safety limits.

Keep us posted as you continue on your adventure.

:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflb lack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:: roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflbl ack::roflblack::roflblack:REALLY !!!!:yes::thumbup:

[Ken Thomas]

All GREAT information.

ENJOY!!!

:clap::agree::spyder::cheers: