Ryker ride first impressions

[SierraCycles]

Good afternoon Spyder Lovers! David from Sierra Cycles here and I wanted to share my experience riding the Ryker for the first time. Please understand these are my thoughts and may not be the same for everyone and in no way am I talking on behalf of everyone here at the store although we ALL left with a huge smile after riding this thing...

So I got the opportunity to demo a Ryker for the day, and I must say it truly impressed me. I didn't have the opportunity to go to the 2019 release/reveal and ride there (although several from our store did and loved it), so when I was told BRP was bringing one down to the dealership for us to check out I was pretty excited. My first thought from an aesthetics point of view is it looks WAY better is person. I was originally more on the fence about the look, but in person it looks really neat. The little features that I first thought looked out of place, in turn looked and/or functioned in a manner that far exceeded my expectations. Take the mirrors for example, I personally wasn't a fan of the bar end mirrors and the look it had on the Ryker, yet when sitting on the machine they are in a perfect spot to give you great visibility and I wouldn't change a thing with them. I LOVE the quick adjustability of the bars and pegs! It is such a smart, well thought out design I think that piece alone makes the Ryker a homerun. I know the F3 series has a similar UFit but getting to adjust everything to change the riding position in literally seconds with no tools was just the coolest thing. One piece that I haven't seen mentioned much, is the brake pedal is also fully adjustable, you pull it out and can raise or lower the angle of the brake pedal again in seconds with no tools required. The whole process was just amazing and truly impressive. My wife is 5'2", one of our service writers is 6'4', they both fit great and both said they were 100% comfortable. If you want a negative on the adjustability, it can be a little on the crude side to slide the components back and forth but at the same time, it minimizes rattling and any sloppiness in the handlebars and footpegs by being on the tighter side so I 100% understand (also this was a pre-production model so I didn't put too much stock into it).

I only had the opportunity to ride the 900, and man does it have power for days! Let me back track just for a second though. My wife has some riding experience (although limited), mainly on two wheels but we've done several Spyder rides together and overall she prefers the Spyders and the confidence the 3 wheels gives her. She was going out for a ride before I was, but I knew she wasn't 100% comfortable going by herself so I hoped on our '18 Demo RT Limited and joined her on her ride. At first, I was concerned because she was going significantly under the speed limit on the highway as we pulled away from the store. I was able to get in the lane next to her and realized her display showed a VERY different speed than the RT so we pulled over and found the Ryker to be in Kilometers versus MPH. Once we fixed that, which was SUPER easy going through 2 buttons on the display, we set back out for a 10-15 minute ride around town. My wife and I have been together for over 15 years, so it was easy to see the fear and apprehension of something new drift away quickly. Within a mile or two it was obvious she was comfortable and truly enjoying herself. About the time we got back to the store there was a spot where we pulled back onto the highway heading to the dealership. My wife quickly accelerated leaving the 1330 RT behind and honestly at full throttle it was everything I, and the RT, had to keep up (she backed off at around 60 MPH which was where I finally felt like I had the power of the RT to possibly start to pull closer). I knew then just what kind of power the 900cc triple had in it and I was IMPRESSED to say the least. When we got back to the store, my wife had probably one of the largest smiles I'd seen and couldn't wait to know when hers was coming in (I guess she will be one of our first RYKER owners ).

After everyone from the store had the chance to ride (and I'm telling you each one was giddy about the adjustability and how much power this thing had) it was finally my turn. My first thought when I sat on it, was how low you sit, yet how comfortable the factory seat is. It honestly is probably the most comfortable (non-touring) seat and seating position I've felt in my 20+ years in the powersports industry. The start-up process is different than any Spyder, as there is no mode button and the parking brake is done manually. The switches match the minimalistic look of the machine so it was easy and simple to start and figure everything out. The reverse switch is different and you pull a lever back to engage reverse and then push it back forward to engage forward "gear". I'm sure for some that may seem tricky but honestly it was easy as can be and engaged and disengaged very easy and smooth. The same can be said with the hand parking brake lever which is my opinion is WAY better than the foot pedal on the older GS/RS models. The Ryker does take a little more throttle than the F3/RT to get going due to the CVT transmission but the engagement is smooth as glass and the unit accelerates VERY nicely. Once on the open road, the power is extremely smooth and the 0-50 acceleration matches todays sport bikes and is guaranteed to leave you with a smile. The CVT is as smooth and as nice as I could have hoped for and I didn't feel anything really different than the F3/RT other than not having to shift or worry about that whatsoever. The brakes are surprising soft at the pedal but have some of the best stopping power I've seen on any 2 or 3 wheeled machine and honestly caught me off guard the first time I got on them as I was expected similar brakes to the bigger Spyder series. I eventually got some clear space from traffic and opened up the machine to really see what it had for power. I can say I was going twice the legal speed limit for an Arizona highway (sorry BRP and my local law enforcement) and this thing still wanted to accelerate and pull. I was surprised how smooth it felt even at above highway speeds (70MPH+) and the wind wasn't bad at all with the small windscreen. Once I made my back through town I got off and on to some more curvy roads, and was impressed how the VSS and other features allow you a little more leeway before engaging which is nice if you are looking for a sportier ride (it'll even do a burnout ~ sorry again to BRP and my local PD).

That's probably enough of my rambling but I have to say BRP really made an amazing machine. I will conclude with a few thoughts. This machine is different than either the F3 or RT and if you are looking for something JUST like either of those machines then the Ryker might not be for you, but if you are looking for a three wheeled bike or heck just a bike and all you are looking for is FUN and sportiness then please look no further because the RYKER fits the bill. I'm telling you my 15 minute ride today was probably the most fun I've had riding around town on 2 or 3 wheels and for what this machine is and what it was built for it absolutely hit it out of the park and I can't wait to join my wife in getting one .

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[Sarge707]

Thanks! I can see the 10" X-creen Sport addition as making the windshield better for most riders.
Can't wait to own one!!

[ARtraveler]

Thank you for the update. Glad to hear from someone with "hands on" experience.

[BryanSD]

Thanks for your impressions on the Ryker. My wife and I are looking for a second three-wheeler to ride along with our current 2017 RT LTD. How well do you think the two will complement each other? What I really want to know, can you see yourself riding the Ryker on a weekend trip where you have a half-days travel (360 miles) each way? Is the Ryker interstate/highway friendly enough or should I just stick with the F3/RT as my options?

[SierraCycles]

Thanks for your impressions on the Ryker. My wife and I are looking for a second three-wheeler to ride along with our current 2017 RT LTD. How well do you think the two will complement each other? What I really want to know, can you see yourself riding the Ryker on a weekend trip where you have a half-days travel (360 miles) each way? Is the Ryker interstate/highway friendly enough or should I just stick with the F3/RT as my options?

Great questions! I definitely don't think there is an issue riding interstate/highway for extended periods of time, at the same time, the bike is quite minimalistic. I could see where it might not be as comfortable on the open roads as compared to the F3/RT in terms of wind protection and the lack of storage might be an issue if you are needing to bring clothes, supplies, etc... For me, I see it being something my wife and I would each ride to go grab breakfast an hour away or to go on a Sunday cruise for a few hours. Is it the bike I would want to ride two-up, or travel across country with.. probably not. I believe if you are looking for something a little smaller, a little sportier ride, or just an awesome second vehicle to compliment what you already have, it would be in your best interest to really take a look at the Ryker.

[Joe T.]

Great questions! I definitely don't think there is an issue riding interstate/highway for extended periods of time, at the same time, the bike is quite minimalistic. I could see where it might not be as comfortable on the open roads as compared to the F3/RT in terms of wind protection and the lack of storage might be an issue if you are needing to bring clothes, supplies, etc... For me, I see it being something my wife and I would each ride to go grab breakfast an hour away or to go on a Sunday cruise for a few hours. Is it the bike I would want to ride two-up, or travel across country with.. probably not. I believe if you are looking for something a little smaller, a little sportier ride, or just an awesome second vehicle to compliment what you already have, it would be in your best interest to really take a look at the Ryker.

It appears one can outfit the Ryker for single touring with Top Case and Saddlebags and driver comfort seat, or two-up touring with no top case but passenger comfort seat and passenger backrest.

I am sure there will be many more options in the near future.

Joe T.

Ryker Off-Road -- 2.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 1.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 3.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 4.jpg

[Chupaca]

Good to get some opinions on the new ryker. Have a friend here in San Diego that got an 8 hour test ryde and liked it though I don't think he will give up his RT for it.

[SierraCycles]

It appears one can outfit the Ryker for single touring with Top Case and Saddlebags and driver comfort seat, or two-up touring with no top case but passenger comfort seat and passenger backrest.

I am sure there will be many more options in the near future.

Joe T.

Ryker Off-Road -- 2.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 1.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 3.jpgRyker Off-Road -- 4.jpg

Absolutely! There's tons of accessories and they are VERY reasonably priced. I was more saying if two-up riding is what you are doing I believe the F3 or RT in particular might be a better option. You can definitely go two-up riding, across the country on this thing, just not my cup of tea for this application.

[HERO]

“...if you are looking for something a little smaller, a little sportier ride, or just an awesome second vehicle to compliment what you already have, it would be in your best interest to really take a look at the Ryker.”

If THAT isn’t an a spot on tagline to describe the appeal of the Ryker, I’m pretty sure one doesn’t exist!!

[AppleSpyder]

Awesome write up David!!! Thank you so much for posting this. I can't wait to try it out and I sure hope you guys get a demo I can try. From not even riding one yet I really think this thing is an absolute hit. BRP did a great job with this one. I also really appreciate that you don't have to worry about hitting the dirt roads...opens up a lot more options to seeing those less explored places.

[Sarge707]

From your initial Pictures and after watching the windshield install video- It appears the windshield could be adjusted up about 2+ inches from where you had it?