Riding mountain roads

[SailnDive]

I routinely ride curvy WV mountain roads and I worry about losing the Spyder's only brake while descending, especially with the trailer on. I wonder what effect engaging the electric brake would have? Not good I think. I used to do hand brake turns and front end throws in a car, but don't think this brake locking would work well on a 3 wheeler. But what else to do?

[JayBros]

Your electric brake, the parking brake, will not engage above 6 mph. Downshifting and using engine braking will help a lot on most descents.

[Mad Mac]

I tow a trailer also. I don't think it's possible to engage the Parking Brake at speed. I have never experimented to find out. I believe when the transmission is put in gear, the computer cuts out certain electronics that would be a hazard to normal operation of the Spyder. Mac

[SailnDive]

Your electric brake, the parking brake, will not engage above 6 mph. Downshifting and using engine braking will help a lot on most descents.

Why did I not know that? In skydiving we try to plan and practice for any situation so that when it happens we can quickly make a good decision. The same should be true for driving...but it is not for most people. I want to have a plan. The only remaining plan would seem to be down shift and run off the road into the hill. This bike needs an emergency break!

[SpyderJerry]

Just like automobiles, the Spyder has 2 seperate brakes systems in case one fails. That is why you have 2 brake reservoirs. if you lose front or rear brakes the other takes over, only the brake pedal will travel lower.

[Chupaca]

I believe the park brake will only engage up to like 6mph. Those of us with the manual brake can use it as it is foot operated cabled to the rear brake. The downshift using engine compression to get you slowed down is the first step getting to rougher road like shoulder also will slow you and if there is a turnoffs with uphill angles go for them. You could add a manual operated rear park brake for such emergencies but only after you have slowed down considerably.

[Tomline]

I thought our Spyders had "THREE" Brakes. One on each front wheel and one on the rear. The one on the rear also being used as an "electric parking Brake!" I hear of brake jobs being done on "All Three Wheels" or sometimes just the two front? Is The Rear Brake used just for parking, that being why it wouldn't get a pad at each front brake replacement? Also I thought our Spyders had a "linked braking system" meaning having just the one brake pedal that applied the braking to both front and rear wheels at the same time in a specific ratio? I guess I have to find my "copy" of the owners manual and reread the section pertaining to braking and brake systems!

[Bob Denman]

Forget about the parking brake: it's only use is for parking...
Drop a gear, and just take it easy. You'll get plenty of airflow around the front brakes, so they should never heat up to the point of fading.

[Don'tPanic]

Spyders have one brake pedal that actuates all three disk brakes. There's also an EBD - electronic brake distribution, and ABS. The computer is smart enough to figure out which wheel has more traction and applies more brake force there. Don't use electric parking brake while ryding (you won't be able to anyway), only when stopped.

This "one" brake pedal will stop your spyder quicker than anything on the road, so don't worry about not being able to use a "hand" brake.

[UtahPete]

You're kidding, right?

[ARtraveler]

I am also voting for downshifting and letting the engine do some of the braking.

I regularly drive Hatcher Pass which is thirteen miles and quite a downgrade. A couple times I have had the brake "warning" light come on--but that was due to low fluid (a teaspoon or so).

Never had an actual brake failure.

[SailnDive]

I'm feeling better about braking now. But it is better to know for sure. Nothing has been built that can not fail. That's why we wear two parachutes and those have been known to fail also.

[GeorgiaMary]

If you need a plan to make sure you know what to do when speeding downhill without any brakes, look for the runaway truck ramp. That should stop you and give you peace of mind.

[GeorgiaMary]

Try the "Fred Flintstone Method", put you feet down.

Sorry, I'm having too much fun with this. I too live in the mountains. If I lost all my braking power on either my Spyder or my car, I'd be down shifting and not relying on any hand brake.

[OlJim]

Last resort, hit something cheap. BTW the road that goes to the bottom of The Grand Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado has a 16% grade. Love to ride that on the Spyder.

[Mazo EMS2]

you could always carry a boat anchor......

[UtahPete]

you could always carry a boat anchor......

You know, I was thinking along the same lines. Grappling hook maybe? A rope tied to the passenger's ankle? An explosive device to blow the wheels off the trailer? Shoot out your tires? Drag chute?

[Highwayman2013]

That’s one of the advantages of our 2016 F3L, it’s geared lower and has plenty of engine braking.

[Peter Aawen]

I routinely ride curvy WV mountain roads and I worry about losing the Spyder's only brake while descending, especially with the trailer on.....

Ride More, Worry Less!

[MRH]

I can say from experience, that the parking brake will not work at speed (fortunately, as it is simply too easy to hit the wrong switch while riding). On my 2014 RT-S, if you hit the brakes hard enough the floorboard literally drops down to give you more pressure. I've also seen that when you are going downhill there is what feels like an additional gear that comes in to slow you down and keep you from going too fast if you aren't using the throttle.

[youngers]

hey guy , hope your down hill rides go well , I sort of hated the higher down hill slopes , what I had to do was get use to the loud rev-of the engine as I down shifted if I was in 3rd about to get to the down hill , I would shift to 2nd slow down till the engine would even out in the rev-sound , then to 1st if need be , depending on the speed going down hill , if the cycle started to get faster and the rev- getting higher again , use the foot brake , and slow down a good bit then down shift again , if one overly use`s the brake I think the nannie might kick out the brake warning ...