My First Extended ride on the Ryker
OK, I have spent the majority of my riding time since 2009 on Spyders. (My other rides are a Triumph Sprint ST and a Suzuki DR650 dual sport). To date, I am guessing my Spyder miles to be at around 50,000, the bulk of which have been on RT's. I cut my teeth on GS's, loved the ST's, enjoyed the RT's, but really came to prefer the F3's. My longest three wheeled journey has been 2,200 miles round trip on an RT.
The vast majority of my rides are less than 100 miles. If I were travelling long distances I would most prefer an F3 Limited, followed by an RT. But, i have found myself attracted to the Ryker Rally. I rode one at the dealer conference in Denver, then had a really great, extended ride on one on Sunday. Here is what I have experienced.
The Ryker looks small next to a Spyder. It has a really minimalist, basic, old school feel that was barely present on the old RS/GS and virtually non existent on the RT/F3. You can feel the vibration of the engine thru your feet, butt and hands. It has a distinct "character" that carries itself throughout the RPM range. It is smooth, but not RT/F3 smooth. The CVT engages softly and you can purr along at 4k if you are gentle on the throttle. Chugging thru town at 25-45 mph was reasonably quiet and effortless. However, if you are aggressive, it responds in kind. The acceleration is especially brisk to 50mph once the rear tire finds traction, and continued throttle seems very rewarding to 85. At highway speeds the engine sound and feel is noticeable but not too intrusive. Every motorcycle has a sweet spot at highway speeds. The Ryker seems to like 70-75. It will go to triple digits, but isn't pleasant there. (Actually, i don't think any of the Spyders are particularly good at 80+, but an F3 is better at it.) Steering is different on a Ryker than a Spyder. It is most like an F3, where you can really leverage your outside foot pressure on the pegs to set the chassis and "drive" the bike thru the twisties. Only much, much more so in the Ryker. Set the suspension right, and you can pivot the bike thru the apex of the corner using the rear wheel and outside front tire. Run it in Sport or Rally mode and you can drift it hereby steering the bike with the throttle. What I mean i guess is you can "back" this bike into a corner if you like to be uber aggressive like I am. I could never do that as effectively on an F3 and not at all on an RT. Otherwise, if you don't ride it like a fool (me), it takes a bit more effort to steer, but the feedback is positive and very predictable.
I love the raw feel of the Ryker. I want some vibration and I do not want a liquid smooth experience. I want to feel the road, and I want my bike to really respond to my wants. i might not want to go across the country on a Ryker. I think I'd get tired (steering input) and I'd darn sure need cruise control. I don't know, I'd have to think about it a bit..... But nothing matches this little bike for the thrill it offers. That's it.
