lonestarmedic
03-17-2013, 04:15 PM
Waited a couple days to write this and think. We went to the South Texas Motorcycle Show and test rode a 2013 RT-Limited.
The wife chose an RT with the floorboards all the way down to best fit her 5'10" frame. I am 5'9" and a pinch. So she is an
inch taller than me. Initial seating position was good. I think she needs a bit more room forward and aft. With her on board,
I was a bit farther forward than when solo. The adjustable bars would be a big help there. My feet were able to find good
position on the floorboards. If it were pegs, I would have been cramped. So here are the main items we liked:
1) The SE transmission is great for two up. Take-off is smooth and the shifting crisp. I held the RPM at about 4000 when
possible. Tried not to drop below that. I manually downshifted almost all of the time. This was to mainly test the
clutch and shifting. All was very good without jerking.
2) The engine pulled very well when kept in its powerband. Between the 2 of us we are a 500 lb. load! When cruising the
engine did not truly sound any "busier" than our usual Yamaha V-4. I was not able to hit it really hard but I suspect
the accelleration will be very good.
3) Steering was easy and precise. My wife said it felt like I was "oversteering" on purpose. That is going into a corner
farther than normal then turning sharper. I guess it is possible, but I wonder if it was the lateral forces that gave her
the impression. She did not really lean into the turns with me and I could feel her shift behind me a bit. Never threw
off my turning, but I felt the weigh shift. Never feel that on two wheels.
4) Passenger comfort. Plenty of legroom and she has almost a 34" inseam. Seat could be wider to
suit her. She never felt like she was going to tip off or that anything was unstable. Noise level was no more or less
than our V-4. Biggest point here is no RPM based drone. No excessive heat from exhaust or engine on her legs. Of
particular interest is she felt no head buffeting or wind push from front, sides, or the back. She noticed that she
did not look over me like she does with our Corbin on the Yamaha. So the step in the seat is not as much.
5) I do not know where the shocks were set. But I put the rear suspension to one step below maximum. I think it
could have been set lower. It took road irregularites well.
6) I believe that it needs a stronger sway bar. With both of us, luggage full, and a good set of twisties I believe that
it would prove to be a bit sloppy.
7) A Spyder will never replace my enjoyment of running two wheels. But for a long vacation, I think we would be
less tired at the end of a day. We were commenting that the buffeting from cross-winds and semi trucks would
be a lot less on the Spyder. We never felt the usual movement that comes from a vehicle passing us.
8) For those who regard the Spyder as a compromise from a two-wheeler I suggest you look at it from a different
perspective. It is a three-wheel open air vehicle. It will require learning to operate it. Once the operation becomes
second nature, I suspect that one could be just as agressive in the twisties as any touring bike. And possibly keep
up with some of the sport-tour machines.
9) The unique nature of the Spyder makes it just as much fun to operate as any motorcycle. Drive it with an open
mind and do not compare the handling to a motorcycle. I have been on two wheels for over 35 years and I had
to work hard to drop my pre-conceived notions.
10) The wife says she will be owning one before I do!!
JB
The wife chose an RT with the floorboards all the way down to best fit her 5'10" frame. I am 5'9" and a pinch. So she is an
inch taller than me. Initial seating position was good. I think she needs a bit more room forward and aft. With her on board,
I was a bit farther forward than when solo. The adjustable bars would be a big help there. My feet were able to find good
position on the floorboards. If it were pegs, I would have been cramped. So here are the main items we liked:
1) The SE transmission is great for two up. Take-off is smooth and the shifting crisp. I held the RPM at about 4000 when
possible. Tried not to drop below that. I manually downshifted almost all of the time. This was to mainly test the
clutch and shifting. All was very good without jerking.
2) The engine pulled very well when kept in its powerband. Between the 2 of us we are a 500 lb. load! When cruising the
engine did not truly sound any "busier" than our usual Yamaha V-4. I was not able to hit it really hard but I suspect
the accelleration will be very good.
3) Steering was easy and precise. My wife said it felt like I was "oversteering" on purpose. That is going into a corner
farther than normal then turning sharper. I guess it is possible, but I wonder if it was the lateral forces that gave her
the impression. She did not really lean into the turns with me and I could feel her shift behind me a bit. Never threw
off my turning, but I felt the weigh shift. Never feel that on two wheels.
4) Passenger comfort. Plenty of legroom and she has almost a 34" inseam. Seat could be wider to
suit her. She never felt like she was going to tip off or that anything was unstable. Noise level was no more or less
than our V-4. Biggest point here is no RPM based drone. No excessive heat from exhaust or engine on her legs. Of
particular interest is she felt no head buffeting or wind push from front, sides, or the back. She noticed that she
did not look over me like she does with our Corbin on the Yamaha. So the step in the seat is not as much.
5) I do not know where the shocks were set. But I put the rear suspension to one step below maximum. I think it
could have been set lower. It took road irregularites well.
6) I believe that it needs a stronger sway bar. With both of us, luggage full, and a good set of twisties I believe that
it would prove to be a bit sloppy.
7) A Spyder will never replace my enjoyment of running two wheels. But for a long vacation, I think we would be
less tired at the end of a day. We were commenting that the buffeting from cross-winds and semi trucks would
be a lot less on the Spyder. We never felt the usual movement that comes from a vehicle passing us.
8) For those who regard the Spyder as a compromise from a two-wheeler I suggest you look at it from a different
perspective. It is a three-wheel open air vehicle. It will require learning to operate it. Once the operation becomes
second nature, I suspect that one could be just as agressive in the twisties as any touring bike. And possibly keep
up with some of the sport-tour machines.
9) The unique nature of the Spyder makes it just as much fun to operate as any motorcycle. Drive it with an open
mind and do not compare the handling to a motorcycle. I have been on two wheels for over 35 years and I had
to work hard to drop my pre-conceived notions.
10) The wife says she will be owning one before I do!!
JB