How do you guys with multiple bikes handle Riding other bikes?

Great riding weather is here and the rest of my stable comes out - a '78 GL1000, a '76 RD400, and a '72 Triumph Trident that I just finished rescuing.

It's hard enough for this old brain to re-program for changing from the '21 RTL to the Japanese bikes, but changing to the British right-foot-shift, left-foot-brake has me spooked. Haven't ridden one since my first bike in the early '70s.

How do you guys with multiple bikes handle the change between steeds? Are you like used bike salesmen that can hop on anything and ride it like it is your daily ride?

I don't have much trouble going from my Spyder/Ryker to my M109R. But I used to have a 441 BSA, left brake, right shift. I was OK with that in normal situations. But in emergencies and quick maneuvers, I would just pull the clutch in, then mash down on both sides. That way I was sure to downshift and brake regardless. Never really got comfortable with that system.

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Originally Posted by pidjones

Great riding weather is here and the rest of my stable comes out - a '78 GL1000, a '76 RD400, and a '72 Triumph Trident that I just finished rescuing.

It's hard enough for this old brain to re-program for changing from the '21 RTL to the Japanese bikes, but changing to the British right-foot-shift, left-foot-brake has me spooked. Haven't ridden one since my first bike in the early '70s.

How do you guys with multiple bikes handle the change between steeds? Are you like used bike salesmen that can hop on anything and ride it like it is your daily ride?

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I jump between my Spyder and a Victory Vision all the time. I've ridden other bikes as well. I guess your analogy must be close - I can hop on anything and ride it like it's my daily. That said, I do think that British bike would give me pause. I can't say as I've every seen a left foot brake, right foot shift bike. Wow!

Very will, no problem.

No probs at all.

Muscle memory I guess.

I had no problems when I was driving two wheels in addition to the Spyder. I rode both enough that I did not have to re-learn items each time.

Brain resets within a few seconds. A career in earthmoving helps, hundreds of combinations of pedals, levers, do da's and whats that do's gives you a certain feel.Although I did once back the Spyder up and wondered why the gravel wasn't spilling out of the tray before I realised I hadn't hit the mode button.:duh:

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Originally Posted by Cobwebs

Brain resets within a few seconds. A career in earthmoving helps, hundreds of combinations of pedals, levers, do da's and whats that do's gives you a certain feel.Although I did once back the Spyder up and wondered why the gravel wasn't spilling out of the tray before I realised I hadn't hit the mode button.:duh:

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Same here - years of riding/driving/flying anything &/or everything I could get my hands on tends to make the transition fairly quick & easy, altho I too occasionally make a momentary grab for a gear or diff splitter whatever that's not actually there on the particular machine I'm operating at the time! :banghead:

Makes the Child Bride laugh every time; she's even worked out a list of times/conditions/places when/where I'm most likely to do that sorta thing.... and she's often right too!! :shocked:

I'd better be careful, apparently I'm becoming quite predictable as I age... :opps:

My only problem is occasionally forgetting to ride closer to the center line when I'm on my sidecar rig. Of course my passengers remind me when they hit the shoulder or side of the road! :yikes:

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Originally Posted by Peter Aawen

Same here - years of riding/driving/flying anything &/or everything I could get my hands on tends to make the transition fairly quick & easy, altho I too occasionally make a momentary grab for a gear or diff splitter whatever that's not actually there on the particular machine I'm operating at the time! :banghead:

Makes the Child Bride laugh every time; she's even worked out a list of times/conditions/places when/where I'm most likely to do that sorta thing.... and she's often right too!! :shocked:

I'd better be careful, apparently I'm becoming quite predictable as I age... :opps:

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LOL.Yeah I've informed the cook when I start making reverse beep noises while spooning my porridge that it was the dog.:wrong:
Oh, hang on, meant to say it's time to hand in my licence.

2006 Yamaha RoadStar 1700S & 2013 Spyder STL; thankfully no problems swapping either way at this point & try doing so regularly.
Spyder has more frills: radio, GPS, heated grips, backrest, more cargo space - detachable saddlebags, & more lights, plus trailer hitch - so tends get used more. Bout 3 tanks then will swap, maybe even back track same routes just for different experience or pics of each bike at location/background. :yes:
Spyder definitely more for trips, however both just about same mileages. (72k) :hun: :dontknow: Had RoadStar with job in way. Got Spyder after injury & early “retirement” nojoke Spyder has been to more states & 1 furthest point. Both use the same fully synthetic 10W-40 oil from Baja Ron :firstplace: that is helpful. As well as the Sena head set for Bluetooth music that the Star does not have. I could possibly use a suction cup mount for the GPS, just haven’t bothered. Do enjoy holding clutch & coasting or throttle bomb with the louder pipes on the Star. Have also rented the Star to a trusted bud so we could both go ride somewhere. Have almost synced their maintenance **almost** Guessing the biggest issue is insurance & tags. (Good to have a spare if & when)

I do fine, BUT it took some time to reach this point. I had more trouble with the Spyder than my two wheeled toys, but the switching gets easier as you rack up some riding time even with the right foot shifting.

No problems other than grabbing for the hand brake on the Spyder. But at least my foot is also going down at the same time.

No problems adapting to anything I want to drive or ride. It only takes a few minutes and everything falls in place. Drove just about every kind of trucks the company had, and operated 8 or 10 different kinds of heavy equipment, of various sizes and types. Rode everything from the old Honda Super 90s down to the F3-S. Only takes a few minutes for it to fall in place again. I could go back to operating a Cat loader with a 5 ton bucket just as easy as my own New Holland with the front loader.

Worst problem I ever had was getting used to a 5 Speed after riding 4 speeds for a couple of decades. Had to memorize the RPMs at 60 MPH to know if I had shifted into 5th gear or not. That was long before there was any digital gear indicators on the dash ........... long before there was even a dash. I kept forgetting to make the last shift to 5th gear. Took about a month before that became habit.

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I wish I could shift my poor, old, slow V-Max as fast as the :spyder2:. Easy to switch between them.
Lew L

I just get on and ride. Doesn't matter what it is.

I switch back and forth between my F3T and Street Glide without noticing much more than how much vibration I feel in the F3 handlebars (dang OEM tires... that's the last set I put on!).

I have no problem switching from my Spyder to my Triumph Rocket. Completely 2 different bikes but love them both. The Spyder is more my touring bike and the Rocket more my kick axx and take names.

The only time I had that issue was when I first got the Spyder and tried to countersteer into a corner, and when it didn't turn I went for a handful of brake! But since then it takes the time I roll down the driveway to reset the old noggin.

I ride the Spyder thru the winter and for long distance trips. I ride an Aprilia Mana 850 in summer and for day-trips. I haven't noticed any loss of 'skills' switching between the two. I guess there's some truth in the statement, "Once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget."

When we first brought the Spyder home in Sept 2017, I found myself reaching for the clutch and brake levers as well as trying to put my feet down. Took a few months of riding both to get to a smoother transition.

I don't ride another motorcycle but I do ride an ATV. Find myself many times down shifting the electric shift Honda instead of up shifting. Up shift button is above the down shift button and the down shift button is in about the same spot as the Spyder shift paddle.