they couldn't keep up

[quasi]

this past sunday, I went riding with my son and my brother. son was on his 2011 hd ultra classic, brother on his v-max. over into the eastern mountains around Thomas/Davis/Harman/Canaan Valley/Petersburg/Mt Storm area we went. I kept telling them when I get into the lead, try to keep up! well they found out how hard it is to stay with a Spyder in the turns, they didn't! my son told me, dad we rode those mountains pretty hard, I near dragged my highway pegs a couple times. I had taken the lead and rode hard to make a point. that these Spyders are bad to the bone in the twisties.

[Chupaca]

Not that they were known to me but have passed many along the back road where I roam.

[BajaRon]

The Spyder has a reputation of being a dog in the twisties in some circles. Some are surprised when a Spyder can just keep up. It blows their socks off when they can't keep up. I love it!

It all comes from people who don't know anything about the Spyder passing on bad information from people talking smack about it. I'm glad you got the chance to educate some non-believers.

My brother has a Yamaha FJR. He was pretty upset when I got my Spyder saying it's an 'Old Man's Ride'. First he wanted to drag race (which he won). Then he took me through some pretty tight and winding roads near his home in Atascadero, CA. Roads he knew like the back of his hand, and I had never seen. I had not put that many miles on my prototype sway bar so I was still trying to find out what the limits were and what happened when the limits were reached and exceeded. So I was not yet at 100% with it. When we were done with the circuit, his only comment was that it was really scary to glance in his mirror and see the huge Spyder front end right on his tail. I took it as a complement!

[Bandera]

I ride with several veteran groups. When we go into turns, the two wheelers are putting the gas on because I am right behind them in the rear view. The traditional trikes are lagging way behind.

Lol Spook

[Peter Aawen]

Every now & then, one or another of the local Motorcycle Dealers around here invite a bunch of us Spyder Ryders in the area to join up with their regular Harley or Sports Bike riders on a Saturday or Sunday arvo run... So it's not necessarily the 'best' or 'fastest' selection of bikes or riders out there, but some of them are pretty serious 'go faster' types. Anyhow, the first time we did this, they asked us to ryde at the back of the bunch 'cos they didn't want to be slowed up in all the corners & twisties by those lumbering Spyders' - corners & twisties that anyone riding around here hasta ride thru to go anywhere & that everyone assumed would be tough for us Spyder Ryders These days, they ask us as a group to head out up front, at least until we get outta the Hills, cos that way we 'don't continually push the rest of the mob into trying to go faster than they can/should cos they just can't get away from those bloody agile Spyders!'..... And we get to ryde without having to worry about them dropping things in front of us & half way around a blind curve (things like their bikes! ) cos they are trying too hard to out-run us; & besides, now we get to have a few breaks while we wait for them all to catch up again!

Admittedly, their turn to wait comes once we get out on the plains. There's no denying that they can leave us behind once the roads open up a bit & the curves become sweepers with longer & faster straights in between, but we excel here in the Hills area where there's lotsa short straights & dodgy roads, often with a layer of gravel or other rubbish scattered over the tarmac, as well as heaps of tight &/or unpredictable corners, basically all the sorta stuff where our more stable Spyders with better grip can really show what they can do - even when they're being ridden by those who aren't into riding at 9/10ths all the time!

[Bob Denman]

I imagine that this is about what it must have felt like!

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[BLUEKNIGHT911]

.... What a CROCK ..... as an LEO, I learned that in the twisties or gravel back roads my cruiser was a lot faster than almost any Motorcycle ...... So it stands to reason that the Spyder which is more " Car - Like " can out perform in a tight turn environment, with a driver that has mastered the techniques necessary ........................ jmho .... Mike

[Justacruisin]

I have yet to figure out the twisties.

I need a instructor.

I always fill like im going to drift off the highway.

going straight. Love It.

Justacruisin

[quasi]

I have yet to figure out the twisties.

I need a instructor.

I always fill like im going to drift off the highway.

going straight. Love It.

Justacruisin

plant your outboard foot, counter lean and use a light touch on the grips. never downshift midway thru a hard fast turn.

[AY4B]

plant your outboard foot, counter lean and use a light touch on the grips. never downshift midway thru a hard fast turn.

You may then need a Laser Alignment, Baja Ron Sway bar, car tires, lower tire pressure, Elka shocks, ...then just...

[Lew L]

this past sunday, I went riding with my son and my brother. son was on his 2011 hd ultra classic, brother on his v-max. over into the eastern mountains around Thomas/Davis/Harman/Canaan Valley/Petersburg/Mt Storm area we went. I kept telling them when I get into the lead, try to keep up! well they found out how hard it is to stay with a Spyder in the turns, they didn't! my son told me, dad we rode those mountains pretty hard, I near dragged my highway pegs a couple times. I had taken the lead and rode hard to make a point. that these Spyders are bad to the bone in the twisties.

Being a long time v-Max owner, I tell you that they are not the best handling bike around. Just be sure your pointed toward a straightaway when the V-boost hits.

Kaos

[asp125]

It's fun to surprise the unsuspecting, isn't it?

BUT...

A couple comments mention dodgy or gravel roads.. of course having a Spyder will be much faster and not to mention safer than any two wheeler. But consider the same paved road, same rider, 3 different bikes, just to remove some of the variability in a comparison.

I have a section of road that I know like the back of my hand. Most corners are posted an advisory 35mph with some dropping down to 25. We have our GS SM5, and my two Triumphs that I've taken up and down those canyons.

My Spyder is as fast in those twisties as my Thruxton 900; the Thruxton is limited by it's suspension and tires. It isn't as fast as my Street Triple R because of ~2x the weight, and Nanny. Granted my GS is stock, but so are my bikes except for pipes, so apples to apples. I can probably make the GS faster with a Ron bar and better stickier tires, but a set of track day tires on the Triple will erase that edge.

I've said it before, in the corners a Spyder can beat all traditional trikes, most all cruisers, and keep up with most touring (BMW, FJR, Goldwing) motorcycles, but it has a hard time hanging with race replicas. If you're keeping up with the knee draggers on Ninjas or Gixxers, you're either very good, or they're slow. My personal best time up that canyon was on a GSX-R600, I've gotten older and slower since.

[vondalyn]

I occasionally ride with a mixed motorcycle group. The leader of the group is always the first to tell newbies that "she's no slouch". I usually ride in the back just so I can hang WAAAAAAY back and then catch up in the one or two S curves we go through on most of the rides I've been on with them. The last ride I went on started out on a couple of roads with miles of continuous short sharp turns. She told the rest of the group that she was going to let us (me and my husband) go first since we'd be faster and we arranged stop and wait points at the mid point of the canyon and then again at the end. It surprised the new folks, but the regulars just agreed.

[BUZZARD II]

Justacruisin, Before you spend a thousand bucks on laser alignment , sway bars, shocks, tires and go fast voo-doo dolls, spend a couple of hundred on gas for the beast. Then put on a few thousand miles.

Last September I went out west (Colorado, Utah etc.) with two other guys. I was on my Harley another guy had a Gold Wing and then there was the guy on a new RT/L. 6,600 miles later the guy on the RT was smokin' me in the turns on the Cherohala Skyway. In December I bought a new RT/S. 3,000 miles later I was real comfortable on the RT. I'm now over 6,000 and way faster than on the Harley, which is now a solo ride.


Miles make smiles.

[asp125]

What's the fastest stock Spyder model? Not only straight line performance but also twisty road handling.

RSS SM5? F3S Daytona 500?

[Roadster Renovations]

I would say the Daytona, but that's because I own one!!

I usually blow away any two wheeler other than the crotch rockets. Can't match them.....

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Justacruisin, Before you spend a thousand bucks on laser alignment , sway bars, shocks, tires and go fast voo-doo dolls, spend a couple of hundred on gas for the beast. Then put on a few thousand miles.

Last September I went out west (Colorado, Utah etc.) with two other guys. I was on my Harley another guy had a Gold Wing and then there was the guy on a new RT/L. 6,600 miles later the guy on the RT was smokin' me in the turns on the Cherohala Skyway. In December I bought a new RT/S. 3,000 miles later I was real comfortable on the RT. I'm now over 6,000 and way faster than on the Harley, which is now a solo ride.


Miles make smiles.

Yo Buzzard - you get it ....... all the mechanical improvements in the world aren't going to make a new or in-experienced any faster or better ...... period ...... Mike

[ARtraveler]

The , in the hands of a skilled driver, is a very good machine for the twisties.

Just know your limits, and do not exceed them. Have fun, but don't take the fast lane to the hospital.

[Ramg66]

I only have 2500 miles experience, right now all 2 wheelers are leaving me in the dust. I will keep practicing buy twisties are my weak spot. I'm going to take a Trike class as soon as one is available. Can't wait to get better.

[Peteoz]

.... What a CROCK ..... as an LEO, I learned that in the twisties or gravel back roads my cruiser was a lot faster than almost any Motorcycle ...... So it stands to reason that the Spyder which is more " Car - Like " can out perform in a tight turn environment, with a driver that has mastered the techniques necessary ........................ jmho .... Mike

I didn't realise star signs made such a difference, Mike. I'm a PISCES, and I never learned my cruiser was faster than almost any motorcycle in the twisties. You LEOs must be special people

Pete

[PistonBlown]

What's the fastest stock Spyder model? Not only straight line performance but also twisty road handling.

RSS SM5? F3S Daytona 500?

On the tests I did against a standard F3 a pre-2013 RS SM the RS was faster, I've published my test figures in another thread (which I can't find at the moment). The circuit I used was quite bendy but with a few straights on it. the F3 was completely stock while the RS had non-stock rear tire and a sway bar. It was the corners that were the undoing of the F3. Not tried a standard Daytona.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I didn't realise star signs made such a difference, Mike. I'm a PISCES, and I never learned my cruiser was faster than almost any motorcycle in the twisties. You LEOs must be special people

Pete

I don't know if you are pulling my leg on this but to clarify .... LEO = law enforcement officer ..... leo cruiser = police vehicle .... leo's are very, very special people ................... Mike ...................and I am also a Pisces

[RinconRyder]

I admittedly don't have maximum hours on my RTL yet but from what I have experienced so far I could outrun it easily on my old Wing and without any effort at all on my old Bandit. Except for turns with gravel or sand either bike could outrun the Spyder and on the straights it would be no contest at all. I really doubt the other Spyders are that much better in the turns or in pure acceleration.

I didn't buy the Spyder for performance but rather as a tourer that my wife could operate (and she can). Comparisons between the Spyder and most big displacement bikes is apples and oranges.

[crazycanuck]

Some interesting posts here

[canamjhb]

I admittedly don't have maximum hours on my RTL yet but from what I have experienced so far I could outrun it easily on my old Wing and without any effort at all on my old Bandit. Except for turns with gravel or sand either bike could outrun the Spyder and on the straights it would be no contest at all. I really doubt the other Spyders are that much better in the turns or in pure acceleration.

I didn't buy the Spyder for performance but rather as a tourer that my wife could operate (and she can). Comparisons between the Spyder and most big displacement bikes is apples and oranges.

But I rode a Wing for over 25 years and it was like putting on an old comfortable glove when I got into the saddle. Maybe riding the Spyder will be just as comfortable after I get into the comfort zone..... But for now, I know I can outride myself on a wing as compared to the Spyder.