My Ryker Has Landed!

[BajaRon]

Called the dealership this morning. My Ryker is not done yet.... A bit surprised but we are still on for today....

[Purple Guy]

Anticipation is keeping me awaitin' !

[canamjhb]

[Deanna777]

Thanks for the report.

I wouldn't rush the Dealership since it is there first one to put together.

Deanna

[Raprider]

Enjoy the ryde, Ron!

[Jarred]

Still no update from Ron? I hope he was out riding yesterday, not waiting for dealer prep all day. Sunset is 4:30 by me, hope he got some throttle time in. Can’t wait to hear his thoughts on Rally & the Sport/Rally modes.

[Winnex3]

Hope this Ron guy is okay have not herd a peep from him

[Jarred]

My guess is that he’s either out riding or designing a new swaybar for Ryker. Must admit, I’ve been checking this thread about 20 times a day since yesterday, lol, can’t wait to hear how he likes Rally Mode vs regular or sport. And if he feels the Red swaybar is worth the extra $$. Ryker prices increase drastically as you build. I got my build down to $11,488. But haven’t ordered yet. It’s about 45 degrees by him, so I’m guessing he’s just riding.

[Sarge707]

My guess is that he’s either out riding or designing a new swaybar for Ryker. Must admit, I’ve been checking this thread about 20 times a day since yesterday, lol, can’t wait to hear how he likes Rally Mode vs regular or sport. And if he feels the Red swaybar is worth the extra $$. Ryker prices increase drastically as you build. I got my build down to $11,488. But haven’t ordered yet. It’s about 45 degrees by him, so I’m guessing he’s just riding.

My dealer just had 4 Dropped of from Route 84 BUT can't even put one together till after New Years some time because he has 25 Snowmobiles to put together before then.

[BajaRon]

Still no update from Ron? I hope he was out riding yesterday, not waiting for dealer prep all day. Sunset is 4:30 by me, hope he got some throttle time in. Can’t wait to hear his thoughts on Rally & the Sport/Rally modes.

Yes! I was riding. Though I had too much going to ride as much as I'd have liked. I put about 20 miles on it yesterday and another 25 or so today. I must say I really like it so far. And I do not expect this to change.

Hayden Freeman is the salesman that I dealt with (Pictured Below). And Mountain Motorsports is the dealership in Greeneville, TN where I purchased. Hayden has been fantastic. Highly recommended if you should be looking to purchase from this area.

First, let me cover the things I do not like about my new Rykder Rally...


OK. Now we can move on to the other areas of interest.

Surprises...
It is reminiscent of when I first started riding my 2008 Spyder. Back then it was one of the first Spyders out there. It turned heads and everyone wanted to know about it. Though the Spyder doesn't draw anywhere near the attention it used to. I have been surprised at how many people know that this Ryker is not the same machine. It has drawn a fair amount of interest which my original Spyder does not get anymore. And I have not yet parked where many people have been around.

The 900 cc engine really pulls hard right from the start! Not hugely surprised as this has been mentioned in previous posts/reviews from demo rides. But experiencing it for myself, I am impressed. I've let several people test ride it. And so far everyone of them has commented on how well it accelerates. And no. I have not had it maxed out yet so I do not know what top speed will be. One, because all of my driving so far has been around town. And two, I'm supposed to be nice for 200 miles. I understand flogging a demo. But I paid for this one!

I've only ridden in ECO mode so far. I thought it the best mode to use during the 200 mile prescribed brake-in period. It is a lot of fun to ride. So it's very tempting to NOT take it easy. Just taking off from a stop sign with a bit more throttle I chirped the rear tire (unexpectedly). As all Spyder versions, it is a bit light in the back. Probably more so than any other model.

It seems to be going faster than it is. When I first got on it I pulled out onto a 2 lane, 45 mph road. I was not paying attention to speed but noticed people passing me (something I am not used to ). When I looked down I was surprised to see I was only doing 35 mph. This perceived speed may be affected by the lower seating position. I don't know. The Ryker itself sits at about the same road height as my Spyder. But the seat height (unloaded) on the Ryker is 27". My Spyder seat is at 31" at the lowest point. I'm sure my perception will change with saddle time.

Observations...
The 900 ACE 3 cylinder engine is very smooth nearly all of the time. A little vibration at idle. It does 'Buzz' the somewhat smallish mirrors when taking off from a full stop. But it goes away quickly. You don't feel much in the pegs or handle bars. Having mirrors at the end of the handle bars is the best way to get vibration issues.

The CV Trans makes a bit of noise. It takes a little more throttle to engage than I'd expected (which may or may not be true in the other mode settings). But it is very smooth and even in ECO mode, seems to be maximizing the capabilities of the 900 CC engine quite well.

It idles at 800 RPM. CV Trans begins to engage at about 1,800 RPM and seems pretty positive by 2,000 RPM. There is a 'Hill Hold' feature which I have not yet experienced (or needed). Normally I would say a bit overkill on a CV trans. But probably won't hurt with the engagement design.

It pretty much runs in the 4k ~ 5.5K range most of the time. It runs 5,500 ~ 5,600 RPM cruising at 60 mph (someone asked about this).

Again, I have not put my new Ryker through its paces so there will be more to come. But the initial impression is that it handles very well. The stock sway bar is extremely small. But the KYB shocks seem to be quite good.

I am not thrilled with the reverse lever. It's difficult to move into reverse with my foot. Shifting back into Forward is a piece of cake. Maybe with practice I will get better. But right now I am shifting this lever into reverse by leaning left/forward and pulling it with my hand.

The reverse warning, one time 'Beep', and the beeping that ensues if you shut the Ryker off without setting the parking brake are a bit annoying. Though probably necessary. Setting the parking brake before shutting off the Ryker is the prescribed (and less embarrassing) method. To be fair, without setting the parking brake (which is very easy) is important because your Ryker could roll away if you don't.

Ingenious!
The adjustable handlebars and foot pegs is an ingenious touch. I am especially impressed with the right foot peg which requires that the brake peddle not only move with the peg. But also needs to have a veritable orientation option as your foot angle changes as you move the pegs forward and back. Very easy, very positive and very effective. I am running mine all the way forward right now. But I plan to experiment.

RykerE.jpgRykerC.jpgRykerD.jpgRykerG.jpgRykerH.jpg

[Sarge707]

Thanks for the Great report. Can you compare it to the F3 if you have experience with one? Not sure to Trade-in my F3 OR keep both.

[Jarred]

It’s beautiful Ron, best of luck. My dealer pointed out that the Rally tires are different (forgot what he called them 70/30 I think), but said his concern w Rally would be the noise generated by the tires while on road. Due to them being on & off road tires. He sells lots of 2W that have similar tires and some complain about the increased noise from “nubs”. Curious to read if you notice that after a few more miles. And you’re a better man than I, I would of went straight to Rally Mode. Lol. At least break in is only a couple hundred miles.
Looking forward to reading your next reviews. I’m so close to ordering one but no room in garage. Trying to buy used enclosed trailer (Ultimate or IronHorse) so I can keep Spyder in garage, Ryker in Trailer.
Thanks for taking the time to post that review, have a great evening.

[BajaRon]

It’s beautiful Ron, best of luck. My dealer pointed out that the Rally tires are different (forgot what he called them 70/30 I think), but said his concern w Rally would be the noise generated by the tires while on road. Due to them being on & off road tires. He sells lots of 2W that have similar tires and some complain about the increased noise from “nubs”. Curious to read if you notice that after a few more miles. And you’re a better man than I, I would of went straight to Rally Mode. Lol. At least break in is only a couple hundred miles.
Looking forward to reading your next reviews. I’m so close to ordering one but no room in garage. Trying to buy used enclosed trailer (Ultimate or IronHorse) so I can keep Spyder in garage, Ryker in Trailer.
Thanks for taking the time to post that review, have a great evening.

Everyone has a different idea. That's why manufacturer's make different models. But I'm not sure tire tread would be a deal breaker for me. I do not notice any additional noise from the tire tread. And they certainly grip the road well enough. I suppose a 'Street' tread would do better. And I plan to go to a street tread when these wear out. Not to be too skeptical. But if your dealer does not have any Rally's, maybe he's trying to push you towards what he does have.

But I can say I really like the KYB Shocks that come on the Ryker Rally. I don't have a way to compare them. But still, they work well and both front and rear are adjustable. You should ride a Rally and see if you notice any tire noise out of the ordinary.

[tibadoe]

Glad to hear all the positive feedback about the Ryker.

[Jarred]

I agree, Tire noise wouldn’t sway me at all. he was just saying that was his only concern w Rally model. He said the Rally tires have much smaller nubs than the 2W tires, so it probably wouldn’t be an issue, but some 2W people complain about that too him. Plus we live on NY so not many places to go off road (suitable for Rally off-road). He has 2 Rally & 2 900ACE at dealership now.
I’m interested in knowing if you notice tire noise. We rode the 900ACE but you’re the only person I know w a Rallynow. I just learned one of our RC members is picking up his Rally on Friday, supposed to rain hard-hope that changes.
Thanks again, have fun!

[superbee24]

Great report. Need to get a Rally edition in Central Texas that I can put my eyes on.....

[Rob Rodriguez]

I'm just speaking from experience with the snowmobiles with the 900 ACE so it might be different but I have to think its similar with the Ryker. There is a significant difference in sport vs eco mode in terms of throttle response. If you think it pulls well in eco mode then you should be more than happy with sport mode.

[BajaRon]

I agree, Tire noise wouldn’t sway me at all. he was just saying that was his only concern w Rally model. He said the Rally tires have much smaller nubs than the 2W tires, so it probably wouldn’t be an issue, but some 2W people complain about that too him. Plus we live on NY so not many places to go off road (suitable for Rally off-road). He has 2 Rally & 2 900ACE at dealership now.
I’m interested in knowing if you notice tire noise. We rode the 900ACE but you’re the only person I know w a Rallynow. I just learned one of our RC members is picking up his Rally on Friday, supposed to rain hard-hope that changes.
Thanks again, have fun!

Honestly, I have not noticed any real 'noise' from the tires. All tires make noise, of course. I will now listen for it on my next ride. But the very fact that I need to listen for it may be significant.

I'm just speaking from experience with the snowmobiles with the 900 ACE so it might be different but I have to think its similar with the Ryker. There is a significant difference in sport vs eco mode in terms of throttle response. If you think it pulls well in eco mode then you should be more than happy with sport mode.

I suspect you are right. That is one reason I'm staying away from the Sport Mode so far. But I will be getting into it soon. I also wanted to ride enough in ECO mode to get a good feeling for the difference as well.

[CTAC]

The crate with my Ryker Rally arrived today here in Kansas City

[BajaRon]

The crate with my Ryker Rally arrived today here in Kansas City

Awesome! You're surely going to like it! I am enjoying mine.

Rode again today. A bit cold and some light rain at times. But worth the effort. Paid particular attention to any tire noise. I'm just not noticing anything out of the usual in that regard.

[CTAC]

Glad you are enjoying your new machine! My dad and stepmom lives in Smyrna, TN. Hope to ride my Rally there in the Spring for a visit.

[Deanna777]

Thanks for the report.

Enjoy your new Ryker!

Deanna

[Trevor G]

It pretty much runs in the 4k ~ 5.5K range most of the time. It runs 5,500 ~ 5,600 RPM cruising at 60 mph (someone asked about this).

RykerH.jpg

Thanks for the great write-up, and for the engine speed at 60 mph.

I would also love to know what it is at 75 mph. In theory it's probably around 6300, but since it is red lined at about 8,000 that can't be right, because at least one tester claimed to have had it close to 100 mph, which would be 9,000 rpm.

Thanks again :-)

[Anakrid]

Sweet ryde there. I like that color--shows up well!

[old Timer]

Thanks for the great write-up, and for the engine speed at 60 mph.

I would also love to know what it is at 75 mph. In theory it's probably around 6300, but since it is red lined at about 8,000 that can't be right, because at least one tester claimed to have had it close to 100 mph, which would be 9,000 rpm.

Thanks again :-)

Not necessarily at all. A CVT tranny constantly changes the effective gear ratio. The tranny may not be at its highest available gear ratio at even 70. It may not be even be at the 8K R's redline at 100.