Year & mileage

[C. Lee]

Good morning everyone, I am new to this forum as I am considering the purchase of a spyder. I currently ride an 05 Goldwing however, I need to switch to 3 wheels for health reasons. While goldwings are very reliable how do the spyders compare. I know goldwing riders that have 500,000 miles on their rides. Will the spyders give comparable service & reliablity? My question is this, how many milege do you have and what year is your spyder? Thanks for the help. Chris

[Bob Denman]

:welcome:
Let's face it; trying to beat the reliability records of a GoldWing will be a losing battle for EVERY other bike! nojoke

That having been said; the Spyders keep getting better and better! There are several out there now, that are well over 100,000 miles. I know of at least one, that has never even had the valve covers off of it in that time.
The 'Wings have been chasing horizons for over 40 years now... :bowdown: It will take a LOT of time for anyone to match their records.

[vided]

:welcome:
Let's face it; trying to beat the reliability records of a GoldWing will be a losing battle for EVERY other bike! nojoke

That having been said; the Spyders keep getting better and better! There are several out there now, that are well over 100,000 miles. I know of at least one, that has never even had the valve covers off of it in that time.
The 'Wings have been chasing horizons for over 40 years now... :bowdown: It will take a LOT of time for anyone to match their records.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQ7oZdhLEE&feature=youtu.be

[Mr. White]

I don't know how many miles you plan on riding in a year, but few can wear out a Gold Wing. I ride with a friend who has 300K on his second Wing and had 250K on his previous Wing. He has had no trouble with either. I only have 70K on my Motor Trike but have had it since new in Nov.'01 (triked in '05). My Wing has never been in the shop and I have to beat it with a stick to get to shut off after a ride. My 2014 Spyder is my second and a great ride. I love both of these machines. You won't be disappointed in either one. Have fun.

:spyder2:

[robmorg]

Let's face it; trying to beat the reliability records of a GoldWing will be a losing battle for EVERY other bike! nojoke

That having been said; the Spyders keep getting better and better! There are several out there now, that are well over 100,000 miles. I know of at least one, that has never even had the valve covers off of it in that time.
The 'Wings have been chasing horizons for over 40 years now... :bowdown: It will take a LOT of time for anyone to match their records.
First, welcome to the forum. :2thumbs:

I agree with what Bob Denman said above. It's very difficult to compare a Spyder to a Goldwing. The Spyders have only been on the market since 2009, although BRP has been making recreational vehicles and engines for many decades (off-road 4-wheelers, snowmobiles, sport watercraft, and engines for all of them, plus Evinrude marine engines). The Rotax V-twin engine has been used world-wide with exceptional reliability for many years. The new 1330 in-line 3 cylinder they made for some 2014 and later models seems to be just as reliable, if not more so. If you look at Consumer Reports, you will see a higher incidence of service calls on Spyders than many other motorcycles, but that is misleading. Not only is the Spyder relatively new, but it has many complex safety systems, like those common to late-model automobiles, that are simply not found on any other motorcycle. And as Bob says, they are getting better every year. The vast majority of Spyder owners enjoy trouble-free experiences similar to that of any other well made motorcycle.

As for trikes, my suspicion is that Spyders are just as reliable, if not more so, than any other trike on the market - factory made or conversion kit. But most will agree that, with the two wheels up front, they are much safer, much more stable, more maneuverable, and much more fun to ride than any other trike.

Go test ride one or two, and see what you think. :thumbup:

[BamaJohn]

:agree::agree:
:welcome:
Let's face it; trying to beat the reliability records of a GoldWing will be a losing battle for EVERY other bike! nojoke

That having been said; the Spyders keep getting better and better! There are several out there now, that are well over 100,000 miles. I know of at least one, that has never even had the valve covers off of it in that time.
The 'Wings have been chasing horizons for over 40 years now... :bowdown: It will take a LOT of time for anyone to match their records.

Having owned 4 Goldwings and 2 spyders I agree that nothing beats Honda for reliability. Spyders are VERY complex motorcycles but they are truly FUN to ride! My advice is to buy the newest model you can afford, and certainly a 1330 engine if possible. Then ride and grin...repeat daily!
jb

[PrairieSpyder]

:welcome:

[pegasus1300]

2012 Spyder RT Limited, 16,089. Most machines will break down. Most machines will have a a service life far longer then the owner will want to keep them. Spyder is as good as any and better then some.

[MikeT]

I've owned 3-HDs('96-'09), 2-GL1800 Trikes('06-'15), and 1-RT Limited('15-present). Can't add more to what has already been said about the Goldwing. When you convert them to a trike there can be issues related to the trike kit's install and the shorter warranty period.
Because of work induced arthritis in my hands, I went to a '15 RT Limited. As has been mentioned, the SPYDER is a more electronically complex vehicle because of all the safety features and engine monitoring. More complexity always exponentially increases the chances for issues. It's just something you have to accept, along with the small size of the dealer network compared to other MC brands. Outside of the terribly unprofessional out of state delivery experience, my RTL has been trouble free in its first 2500 miles. Lots of other 1330 riders have put lots more miles on them with no problems. 2016 will only be the 3rd year for the 1330 triple motor, so there probably aren't many with over 100,000 miles on them. I opted for, and would suggest the purchase of, the additional BEST extended warranty for peace of mind at least for 5 years. Depending when you by there may be some extended warranty added to the deal. I like the fact that the SPYDER is covered under ONE warranty.
Once I got over the learning curve of 2-wheels in front, shock setting's and tire pressures' sweet spot for our riding style, it has been a blast to ride and drive. It's lighter than my GL1800 trikes, and with the SE-6 tranny, there's no clutching. I know many don't like the lack of an independantly operated front brake; but I find the single foot brake a blessing. Looking forward to much more riding this riding season.
Good Luck

[Chupaca]

Considering that the spyder has only been around since 08, and that is the sport model, there is not enough to compare. The RT came along in 10 so even less time yet it would be the closest to the wing. I have the RS, same as the original GS, that I got new in 10/2012 and now has 33,000 miles on it with no problems and only one visit to the dealer for the first service. There are more of us out there than the ones who have had problems so the odds are in your favor. The new RT has proven to be a noted improvement to the RT, relax and go for it you will not regret it or like me wonder what to so long to get off the wing and on a spyder...:thumbup:

[ARtraveler]

Posters above have you pretty much covered. The :spyder2: has only been around since 2008, so does not have the longevity record of the Gold Wing or others.

I jumped on the band wagon in 2008 and got the first one sold in Alaska. Put 23,500 trouble free miles between then and 2010 when the RT version came out. It is now on its third owner and still racking up the miles.

2009--put 25,000 miles on that one. Still running that I know of.

2010--RT--put 36,500 trouble free miles on that one. Traded for the 2014 1330 three cylinder--now 20,000 plus miles on that one.

2011--RT--also currently owned and almost 25,000 miles on that one.

There are some 100,000 plus :spyder2:'s out there as well as several in the 50K to 60K categories. Two of them came to Alaska to visit last summer.

Recommend getting a 1330 if its within your expense account. More torque, quieter, less expensive to maintain. 2014 and up RT, 2015 and up F3.

I think you will be a happy camper.

[SpyderAnn01]

I have a 14 RTS SM6 and have 66,500miles on it. It was two years old last weekend.

[Bob Denman]

:shocked: Tell us the truth, Ann: Does that bike EVER get a quiet night's rest at home? :bowdown:

You are truly...

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=124800&stc=1

[Pampurrs]

I have a 14 RTS SM6 and have 66,500miles on it. It was two years old last weekend.

That's why I love you Ann, you actually ride your Spyder! :yes:

I've had my 2015 RT for 9 months and am close to 17,000.

To the OP: I agree with what many of the others have said. There is no comparison to the longevity of a Goldwing. It's a great engine, designed to give at least a half a million miles. I had a Goldwing two motorcycles ago and really enjoyed it. But the Spyder is a great ride too, in a different way. Who knows how long or how many miles I'll be able to ride it.

Pam

[rutger]

:agree::agree:

Having owned 4 Goldwings and 2 spyders I agree that nothing beats Honda for reliability. Spyders are VERY complex motorcycles but they are truly FUN to ride! My advice is to buy the newest model you can afford, and certainly a 1330 engine if possible. Then ride and grin...repeat daily!
jb


I've owned a total of 5 Honda's in my life + other bikes including 2 Valkyries and 1 Goldwing.

The Wing was the 2001 new design model and was BY FAR the least reliable machine of any kind (car or bike), I ever owned. EVERY possible recall problem they had on them happened to that bike and in some cases not once but in the case of the "kill switch THREE times. Bike shut off while riding and once (SCARY time), in a turn. Plus other problems too NUMEROUS to list.

After a year the dealer gave me a GREAT trade in on an '3 Valk. (That's how I ended up with 2 Valk's instead of a Valk and a Wing)

The extended warranty's I bought on the 2 Valk's were a total waste of money. Honda paid for a speedometer cable on the 97 which ran for a little over 168,000 miles including crossing the Rockies 4 times and would have been still running today if it hadn't been for a car pulling out in front of me and totaling the bike. The '03 Valk (which replaced the POS Wing which was supposed to be my retirement bike), had 57,000 trouble free miles on it when sold. (Low milage due to that '97 just kept running until we met the cage driver on my side of the road. One year later and other driver made a left hand turn in from of me on the '03 Valk. Hard swerve saved everything but the highway peg on the left side.) Took it as a sign and sold the bike and bought a Spyder. Bigger foot print!

If the '013 RT-S (including the heat recall which fixed that problem) had had anywhere near the problems that '01 Wing had we'd have never purchased the '014 RTL that my wife now rides after selling her 800 Intruder which she road for 20 + years.

Anyway "Honda" has had it's problems as well and even with their flag ship model the WING!

[Deanna777]

:welcome: Deanna