Unstable ride feeling........

[fjray]

Gotta jump in here. I spent a lot of money and time trying to make the 2015 RTL do what I thought it should. Aligned it myself and helped a lot. Laser aligned and helped a little more. Sway bar helped a little. Tried tire pressures all over the map which changed the feel but never made it good. Went with the popular car tires and tried all the pressure changes .
The conclusion I came to is you don't rIde a Spyder, you drive it and I didn't want to drive.
The spyder by design is never going to replicate a single track machine and will not be as stable because you have input from two tires in front. Don't get me wrong as it is a good machine but I drank the koolaide and it didn't work and sometimes we make the wrong choice. Those of you that like it don't need to tell others they are wrong or what they need to spend money on to make it right.
There is a seat for every butt and for some that like to ride rather than drive the tricycle just will never do. Enjoy your ride either way.

[RinconRyder]

I agree with you and the biggest part of the problem is coming off a lifetime of riding two-wheelers. My wife loves the Spyder but she didn't have anything to compare it with. I do and that is a huge difference.

[johnsimion]

I have never had a laser alignment. I have 15,000 miles on my bike so far and I've had no issues with it whatsoever.

I only have a few thousand miles but I feel the same. It took me about three miles to overcome the initial twitchiness. My "crap" Kenda tires seem to work just fine and I enjoy tossing the Spyder around turns fast enough to annoy the nanny, although I may change them when I enter Formula One. When I read this thread, I wonder WTH is wrong with me?!?

Actually I think some people are simply more sensitive to the feeling of the Spyder than others. Some also ride enough that they develop greater sensitivity. Also in every forum like this there are some who feel they know more than the engineers who designed the machine. Maybe they are wrong, maybe they are right, I don't know or care.

Many of these suggestions are for and from advanced folks who can fine tune it and actually tell the difference. Their suggestions are probably really good for THEM but irrelevant to beginners like me and Easy Rider who wouldn't know the difference. If the alignment and tire pressure are correct as intended by the factory and you still aren't comfortable, I'd say the problem is primarily in the Rider (no offense intended, we are all different). If so, I'd say to forget the other suggestions and get a different machine.

[UtahPete]

I only have a few thousand miles but I feel the same. It took me about three miles to overcome the initial twitchiness. My "crap" Kenda tires seem to work just fine and I enjoy tossing the Spyder around turns fast enough to annoy the nanny, although I may change them when I enter Formula One. When I read this thread, I wonder WTH is wrong with me?!?

Actually I think some people are simply more sensitive to the feeling of the Spyder than others. Some also ride enough that they develop greater sensitivity. Also in every forum like this there are some who feel they know more than the engineers who designed the machine. Maybe they are wrong, maybe they are right, I don't know or care.

Many of these suggestions are for and from advanced folks who can fine tune it and actually tell the difference. Their suggestions are probably really good for THEM but irrelevant to beginners like me and Easy Rider who wouldn't know the difference. If the alignment and tire pressure are correct as intended by the factory and you still aren't comfortable, I'd say the problem is primarily in the Rider (no offense intended, we are all different). If so, I'd say to forget the other suggestions and get a different machine.

[Highwayman2013]

I agree with you and the biggest part of the problem is coming off a lifetime of riding two-wheelers. My wife loves the Spyder but she didn't have anything to compare it with. I do and that is a huge difference.

I ride two wheelers and a spyder and it doesn't bother me one bit. Each machine is separate, they ride and handle different. Once you wrap your head around that everything falls into place.

[Highwayman2013]

They are not crap. They do their job extremely well.

I've got over 20,000 miles on the Kendas. No problems yet. They will be replaced with Federal tires when the time comes.

[Highwayman2013]

Gotta jump in here. I spent a lot of money and time trying to make the 2015 RTL do what I thought it should. Aligned it myself and helped a lot. Laser aligned and helped a little more. Sway bar helped a little. Tried tire pressures all over the map which changed the feel but never made it good. Went with the popular car tires and tried all the pressure changes .
The conclusion I came to is you don't rIde a Spyder, you drive it and I didn't want to drive.
The spyder by design is never going to replicate a single track machine and will not be as stable because you have input from two tires in front. Don't get me wrong as it is a good machine but I drank the koolaide and it didn't work and sometimes we make the wrong choice. Those of you that like it don't need to tell others they are wrong or what they need to spend money on to make it right.
There is a seat for every butt and for some that like to ride rather than drive the tricycle just will never do. Enjoy your ride either way.

Or maybe he is $100 from liking his $30,000 ride.

[Jeffmal]

Gotta jump in here. I spent a lot of money and time trying to make the 2015 RTL do what I thought it should. Aligned it myself and helped a lot. Laser aligned and helped a little more. Sway bar helped a little. Tried tire pressures all over the map which changed the feel but never made it good. Went with the popular car tires and tried all the pressure changes .
The conclusion I came to is you don't rIde a Spyder, you drive it and I didn't want to drive.
The spyder by design is never going to replicate a single track machine and will not be as stable because you have input from two tires in front. Don't get me wrong as it is a good machine but I drank the koolaide and it didn't work and sometimes we make the wrong choice. Those of you that like it don't need to tell others they are wrong or what they need to spend money on to make it right.
There is a seat for every butt and for some that like to ride rather than drive the tricycle just will never do. Enjoy your ride either way.

I totally agree! Spot on...
You can definitely make it better for YOU, but it may never be perfect for YOU!!

[BajaRon]

The Spyder is one of the most stable motorcycle/trike platforms ever mass produced. Certainly much more stable than any motorcycle. It's just a matter of physics.

Then there is the subjective matter of 'Feeling'. Most, like me, created their own 'Unstable Feeling' early on. Then learned how to ride the Spyder and discovered that it is, in fact, an extremely stable machine.

Are there things that can make the Spyder more stable (as well as feel more stable)? Of course! And they have all been listed (sometimes more than once) in this thread.

Will it make everyone happy? Unfortunately, it seems not.

But the fact remains that the Spyder is extremely stable. Regardless of how anyone feels about it one way or the other.

It's too bad that not everyone can come to the place where they appreciate the amazing attributes of the Can-Am Spyder. But hopefully, there is something out there that will do it for you.

Happy Riding!

[UtahPete]

The Spyder is one of the most stable motorcycle/trike platforms ever mass produced. Certainly much more stable than any motorcycle. It's just a matter of physics. Then there is the subjective matter of 'Feeling'. Most, like me, created their own 'Unstable Feeling' early on. Then learned how to ride the Spyder and discovered that it is, in fact, an extremely stable machine. But the fact remains that the Spyder is extremely stable. Regardless of how anyone feels about it one way or the other. It's too bad that not everyone can come to the place where they appreciate the amazing attributes of the Can-Am Spyder. But hopefully, there is something out there that will do it for you.

That's why my wife and I both have Spyders. That's her on Cognac. She never drove a motorcycle before the Spyder.

[Easy Rider]

I spoke up and said, I make it a point to get at least one tire off the ground EVERY time I take it out.

And you think THAT qualifies you to tell all the rest of us to "Just shut up and quit complaining." ??

[Easy Rider]

If so, I'd say to forget the other suggestions and get a different machine.

I'm keeping that option open.

I spent near to $30K on this "amazing" machine and I do NOT expect it to feel like it's going to jump into the other lane......or off the road.....for no apparent reason at all.

[Easy Rider]

Will it make everyone happy? Unfortunately, it seems not.

But the fact remains that the Spyder is extremely stable. Regardless of how anyone feels about it one way or the other.

You almost had me convinced that you were unbiased......almost.

How do you reconcile those two statements above ??

If it is so damn stable, why do so MANY owners complain that it is NOT ????

And I'm not an amateur at this driving thing. Over the course of 55 years or so I've driven or ridden almost anything on the road, including farm tractors, big trucks straight and semi, and about 30 different motorcycles and probably a hundred different cars and light trucks.

Your second statement above sounds a LOT like you are saying that all of those who think it feels like it is NOT stable are just mistaken and should get over it. I don't appreciate that.

[UtahPete]

You almost had me convinced that you were unbiased......almost. How do you reconcile those two statements above ?? If it is so damn stable, why do so MANY owners complain that it is NOT ???? Your second statement above sounds a LOT like you are saying that all of those who think it feels like it is NOT stable are just mistaken and should get over it. I don't appreciate that.

He is saying the bike is stable. For those folks who just can't adapt to the different riding dynamics of this unique machine, it will never feel stable. No disconnect there as far as I'm concerned.

[Highwayman2013]

You almost had me convinced that you were unbiased......almost.

How do you reconcile those two statements above ??

If it is so damn stable, why do so MANY owners complain that it is NOT ????

And I'm not an amateur at this driving thing. Over the course of 55 years or so I've driven or ridden almost anything on the road, including farm tractors, big trucks straight and semi, and about 30 different motorcycles and probably a hundred different cars and light trucks.

Your second statement above sounds a LOT like you are saying that all of those who think it feels like it is NOT stable are just mistaken and should get over it. I don't appreciate that.

Please get a good alignment and try not to be so offended by people who have more experience with Spyders. I too have experience driving many different vehicles. The spyder is unique and requires somewhat of a different approach. Like I told you before we are trying to help you get to a happy place with your spyder. There is an easy way and a hard way. Let us make it easy.

[ofdave]

sometimes one can overthink a situation.
There have been good suggestions posted here.
There have been comments on perhaps not continuing to ride a machine that causes so much personal grief.
Asking for help and then belittling those who give advice without at least an open-minded review of the advice serves no useful purpose.
If you only want answers that show your opinion to be correct, then the question is a waste of time.
Sell the Spyder that causes so much angst before you hurt yourself on it just to prove you were right all along.

[Easy Rider]

Let us make it easy.

Thank you. I do appreciate the help.

I do NOT appreciate someone saying "it is a stable machine, no matter what you might think."
That is just a rude insult.

[Easy Rider]

Asking for help and then belittling those who give advice without at least an open-minded review of the advice serves no useful purpose.

It is called a discussion.
There has been no "belittling" going on here.......except maybe from YOU.

[ofdave]

It is called a discussion.
There has been no "belittling" going on here.......except maybe from YOU.

that's pretty much what I expected.

[JKMSPYDER]

My suggestion would be to find a friend that has a Spyder and loves it to ride yours. They could probably give an honest opinion if it is the Spyder or if it is you. But the bottom line is if you are not happy with it, get rid of it!

[GearHd]

sometimes one can overthink a situation.
There have been good suggestions posted here.
There have been comments on perhaps not continuing to ride a machine that causes so much personal grief.
Asking for help and then belittling those who give advice without at least an open-minded review of the advice serves no useful purpose.
If you only want answers that show your opinion to be correct, then the question is a waste of time.
Sell the Spyder that causes so much angst before you hurt yourself on it just to prove you were right all along.

X2!!

[gerald37]

When I purchase my 2015 Rt last July with 10200 miles on it I thought I made one big mistake. It wander all over the road and handled terrible. I joined this group and got to reading and learned a lot. First thing I did was set correct tire air pressure. Then took the front tires off and had them balanced. Got to reading about laser alignment. After finding out how simple that was I got the equipment and did my own. That was the biggest improvement of all ( Yes I know there is going to be people say take it to a dealer. I have not found a dealer in my area I would let mess it up now.) Then I put Doc's belt tensioner on replaced all three tires with car tires. I also purchased set of three Centramatic balancers. I do my own tires but I have a local tire shop that has a real good expensive balancer. I was not real happy with the balance I was getting on the front tires so I removed the Centramatic balancers and had the local shop balance them. It handle and rides like a dream. I can let loose of the handle bars at 80 miles and hour on a smooth highway and it will stay straight for a long distance. I ride with two fingers on the handle bars. I also bleed the brakes and it stops and does not pull either direction. I have put over 7000 miles on it and never rode for 2-1/2 months. The alignment and tires are the most important things in handling. I ride alone and weigh 150 lbs. so I don't think a sway bar would improve my ride or handling.

[ThreeWheels]

I have never had a laser alignment. I have 15,000 miles on my bike so far and I've had no issues with it whatsoever.

Just means you're one of the lucky ones.

[UtahPete]

Just means you're one of the lucky ones.

On my wife's Cognac, I did have Squared Away fix the previous laser alignment the first owner had done at one of the well-regarded dealers in the mid-West...

[BajaRon]

You almost had me convinced that you were unbiased......almost.

There is no such thing as an unbiased person. But I try to center my bias based on fact. How well I do this is for others to decide.

How do you reconcile those two statements above ??

If it is so damn stable, why do so MANY owners complain that it is NOT ????

The great majority of 'complainers' are new or (Spyder) inexperienced riders coming off of 2 wheels. You won't find many experienced Spyder riders complaining about stability issues.

I understand your frustration. But it's hard to judge a coin from one side. If you can get to where you can see the other side of this coin, things will take on a completely different perspective for you. We're trying to get you to the other side of this mountain.

It is a simple, physical fact that the Spyder is one of the most stable machines you can ride. However, that does not necessarily mean that YOUR Spyder is stable. Thus a number of very good, tried and true suggestions have been made to at least eliminate the Spyder as the cause of your woes. But the truth is. It may well be that you are the biggest contributor to the problem. If we are genuinely looking for a solution. It is best to examine all possibilities. Especially those with the greatest probability.

And I'm not an amateur at this driving thing. Over the course of 55 years or so I've driven or ridden almost anything on the road, including farm tractors, big trucks straight and semi, and about 30 different motorcycles and probably a hundred different cars and light trucks.

Exactly! And you are making my point here (and points of several others). I also have similar experience. And it was all this experience that made riding the Spyder the worst experience I've ever had on any machine. Twitchy, uncontrollable, miserable. A nearly un-rideable, wretched machine! That was my early impression of my new Spyder. But it was nearly 100% my fault. This is my point. I too would have been offended if someone had told me this. But they would have been 100% correct. Because it was true.

I readily admit it now because I've seen both sides of the coin. And I now know the core problem was me. Once I did allow that it might be my fault. I changed the way I rode and discovered an amazingly stable machine. Now I love it!

Your second statement above sounds a LOT like you are saying that all of those who think it feels like it is NOT stable are just mistaken and should get over it. I don't appreciate that.

You're half right. I am saying that there is a very good chance that, like me, you are the lions share of the problem here. I am not saying that you should 'get over it'. That would mean ignoring the problem which, even if you could, I would not recommend it. The goal here is not for you to appreciate me. It is for you to appreciate your Spyder. The reason I post is because I think that can be achieved.

Thank you. I do appreciate the help.

I do NOT appreciate someone saying "it is a stable machine, no matter what you might think."
That is just a rude insult.

I am very sorry you feel this way. Baring the mechanical issues discussed in this thread being present. Your Spyder is a very stable machine, regardless of how you may feel about it. Reality should not insult anyone.

Some people feel very unsafe in an airplane. But the fact is, aircraft are by far one of the safest ways to travel. Just saying that perception sometimes defies reality.

I am not here to upset, belittle, or berate anyone. I am sorry if anyone comes away with this feeling after reading one of my posts.