Too old? Trying to be realiistic.

[GOTTOYS]

76 years old. I have 40 plus years on a two-wheeler but gave it up about 8 years ago when my balance was getting bad. I sure miss the riding. I still drive a lot and enjoy it. I'm seriously interested in a new RT. Mom rode with me all those years and misses going along too. Would I be foolish to buy a new Spyder? No idea how many years I have left to ride. Ideas? When the time comes are they hard to sell?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

76 years old. I have 40 plus years on a two-wheeler but gave it up about 8 years ago when my balance was getting bad. I sure miss the riding. I still drive a lot and enjoy it. I'm seriously interested in a new RT. Mom rode with me all those years and misses going along too. Would I be foolish to buy a new Spyder? No idea how many years I have left to ride. Ideas? When the time comes are they hard to sell?

YES ..... IMHO look for a 14 to 17 RT or F-3. If you can find a dealer who let you TEST drive them, get one with a SE trans. ( semi-auto, no clutch ) and just drive like a CAR. The 1330 engine is very strong and will operate at low RPM's. For those years you will save a lot of money, anything under 50,000 mi will you for the rest of your riding years ..... ..... Mike

[Knizar]

76 years old. I have 40 plus years on a two-wheeler but gave it up about 8 years ago when my balance was getting bad. I sure miss the riding. I still drive a lot and enjoy it. I'm seriously interested in a new RT. Mom rode with me all those years and misses going along too. Would I be foolish to buy a new Spyder? No idea how many years I have left to ride. Ideas? When the time comes are they hard to sell?

By all means, "Do It", I wish I would have started riding Spyder MC's ten years earlier. I'm 71yrs as of yesterday, the wife and I enjoy riding when the weather permits. We aren't getting any younger. Spyder resale value is very good to my way of thinking. I purchased the 2020 RTL after having a 2012 RTS, what an improvement. Get a 2020+ machine if the pocketbook allows, you will not regret it!.....Bill

[ColoRider]

Your budget is really the determining factor in what year (and/or model and trim) to look for. For the most part, I think it’s a given that the 2020+ RT’s have better handling overall in their OEM configuration, without the need to make aftermarket improvements.

In my own situation, I had been on 2 wheels for about 60 years when I decided it was time to make the switch to 3. I’m 77 and I figure my RTL will allow me to ride several more years - PLUS my wife is now able to ride with me again comfortably (which wasn’t possible on my last several motorcycles).

Good luck!!!

[2dogs]

"YES ..... IMHO look for a 14 to 17 RT or F-3. If you can find a dealer who let you TEST drive them, get one with a SE trans. ( semi-auto, no clutch ) and just drive like a CAR. The 1330 engine is very strong and will operate at low RPM's. For those years you will save a lot of money, anything under 50,000 mi will you for the rest of your riding years."

100% spot on! Whatever you and wifey have left, go do it, and enjoy. You and I are close together in age and I bought a 2014 RTS SE6 and I've never regretted it, except for a couple of minor issues. (nothing is ever perfect) Bought a camp trailer to pull behind so the wife and I can sleep off the ground from now on. Love being in the wind with my life's partner and camping out whenever the notion strikes; with a motel room stuck in there once in a while. Life's too short now, make the most of it while you've still got it, and ride safe.

[UtahPete]

If not now, then when? Just do it.

[2dogs]

Here you go, right in the same state.

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...-Spyder-RT-Ltd

[VermontRTLRJLDEL22]

I turn 65 this year. Letting my 2010 Yamaha VMax go due to several reasons. I'm not confident in my low speed maneuvers any longer and it is not a comfortable touring bike. My wife would like to start riding with me again and the excuse for not taking the VMax was that we always had to carry our helmets with us and there was no room on the bike to store/carry anything. Since the Spyder has 3 wheels balance is no longer an issue. Since the transmission is semi automatic if something happens to me the wife can kick me off and drive to help if we're out of cell service. The Spyder solves those issues. A few years back, while riding my VMax, I came upon a group of guys all on Spyders. Most were in their 70s that wanted to continue riding. The Spyders are a pricey toy but much cheaper than a Polaris Slingshot, Harley trike or Goldwing trike. I don't think you getting onto a Spyder is foolish. None of us know how many footsteps we have in front of us. The best estimate I can give you is that most likely you have more yesterdays behind you than tomorrows in front of you. I say go for it as long as you aren't going to create a financial mess for yourself. This is our first Spyder (2022 that is supposed to arrive in April) so I have no idea on resale-ability. Worry about that when the time comes.

[Raven]

Let me chime in here.
I have a friend who is 85 and still rides now and again. He also has a Spyder that he is riding more now ( he has had two)
Where I live there was a gentleman here in town that rode a full dress Harley till he passed away at 96 ( he was the oldest rider in Canada)
I turn 70 this year and after 55 years of riding decided to stop last fall.
Like you I was having balance issues and arthritis in my left hand caused clutch control problems.
No one made me stop, it was my choice. A hard one but the right one.
The friend with the Spyder is the one who told me to look a three wheelers, and here I am.
I plan on taking a riding course first to see if I like it before deciding what to buy.
A Ryker is what I can afford so we will see what happens.
Sorry for being long winded.
Hope this helps.

[Peter Aawen]

76 years old. I have 40 plus years on a two-wheeler but gave it up about 8 years ago when my balance was getting bad. I sure miss the riding. I still drive a lot and enjoy it. I'm seriously interested in a new RT. Mom rode with me all those years and misses going along too. Would I be foolish to buy a new Spyder? No idea how many years I have left to ride. Ideas? When the time comes are they hard to sell?

If you're concerned about the financial aspect of buying a new Spyder, Mike makes a very good point about looking for a well cared for & cheaper version from amongst the earlier models.... and don't worry too much about reliability, if they've been maintained well & serviced at least as often as the schedule calls for (even - or maybe especially if that servicing was done by a concientious home spanner-spinner! ), there's a growing number of them out there that've passed 99,999 on their odometer & are still going strong!.

On your other point, don't let your balance (or lack there-of ) be an impediment, many Spyder Ryders have balance issues to some degree, some worse than others..... (amongst other things, a blast induced TBI completely destroyed my balance some decades ago! So I call my Spyder my Hi-Speed Mobility Scooter! ) & some have far more debilitating &/or intrusive issues to contend with, yet they do so willingly & capably - and really, all the rest comes down to how much enjoyment you'n yours will get out of it..... you should probably also note that after the initial 'settling in' period (cos it does take a bit of settling in &/or re-training 2-wheeler reactions & muscle memory) very few seem to regret buying a Spyder for very long! Besides, if the Wife is keen to enjoy riding again, there's really only one thing to say..... and that's Happy Wife = Happy Life!

So Go On... DO IT! You Know You Want To!

[RICZ]

85 and still riding and wrenching. We all age differently and I do have issues - many of them begining with a weak heart. Congenetive heart failure it's called. I've been getting weaker and I have grandkids (high 30s) and my great grandson (12) do the grunt work. Recently, they did a rear tire change while I stupervised. After all, they will be getting the Spyder and I want them to know how to maintain it. But in the meantime, I'll ride it like stole it.

[BertRemington]

GotToys -- my circumstances are similar except I still have one motorcycle and my wife isn't interested in riding.

Mike puts the cutoff at 2017 -- I think you will be low risk through 2019.

Mike suggests F3 -- I think you are an RT with the paddle-shifted SE6 transmission kinda family.

You will love the 3-cylinder 1330cc engine. Suspension not so much unless the previous owner has upgraded it. Don't worry about trade-in. You'll be riding until they stop selling gasoline.

There is a very nice selection of used RTs available on this site. What are your selection criteria and priorities?

[ARtraveler]

I am 76 and she 72. We have two F3's. Going to ride until we can no longer do it. So far, health is permitting.

In a lot of cases, the older the Spyder, the harder to sell. I would NOT recommend a 2013 or older or one with a manual transmission. (SM5 or SM6). Pre 2014 are the 990 engines and are no longer made by BRP. You can find a 2008 (lfirst year) for $6K and lower these days.

[VegasDan]

The thing that makes me respond to your post was my Dad; who was an avid biker until he had a vicious accident in the mid 80's which pretty much ended his riding career.
He tried a couple more times but the body could not handle the weight or requirements.
After my Mom and Dad moved to Nevada in 2000 - at some point we received an invite to a Can Am ride days event which we had planned to attend but for whatever reason, we missed.

I never really thought too much about it as I was still riding two wheels and Dad really wasn't able to ride.

Fast forward to now - I tore my right knee to pieces a couple years back and am purchasing a new Spyder so I can continue to ride.
After experiencing the ease of the Spyders and the feeling of being back in the wind - I sincerely regret my Dad and I did not attend the Spyder event.

The Spyder would have given him the chance to ride again. Travel in the wind with my Mom again.
Regain and rejoice in that part of him that he lost so many years earlier (the part that could not be filled by simply owning and washing a pretty chromed up bike that never left the garage and driveway).

I lost my Dad in 2016 to cancer - and I would give nearly anything to have seen him sitting on a bike again smiling.
Life is too short and too precious to question the finances or worry about the duration of what we have left - no one is promised tomorrow.

If you can afford it - BUY IT.
Enjoy whatever time you can - a day, a week, a year, a decade.
At the end of this life - The only regrets are the places we didn't go, the sights we didn't see and the things we didn't do.

As long as you are not hurting another - there is NOTHING foolish about making yourself happy.
Go out - write another chapter; have another adventure.
Fall in love with your Misses all over again and make more memories.

[Joel The Biker]

I say go for it! If you can afford new, thats what I would do. It will be covered under full warranty which I believe is a must for a new spyder rider. They are complicated machines and expensive to fix when something goes wrong. The 2020 and newer RT's are much more refined also. Can Am addressed many of the issues we complained about with the previous design. Resale value on spyders is very good for all years compared to motorcycles.

[canamjhb]

I went to 3 at 70 years old. For most, that seems to be the magical age to put 2 wheels in our rear view. I ride a lot and still enjoy doing so as much as ever. As the old saying goes, "You have time to sleep after you die". Go for it! ..... Jim

[Little Blue]

...I agree with what others have already posted.
Do a test ryde and check them out. RT or F3 are both wonderful Rydes.
Definitely check out the 2015 - 2017 RTs and F3s.

If your budget can handle the 2020 - 2022 then by all means get you a late model.
For me I would go for a good used Spyder.

[OldAge]

...I agree with what others have already posted.
Do a test ryde and check them out. RT or F3 are both wonderful Rydes.
Definitely check out the 2015 - 2017 RTs and F3s.

If your budget can handle the 2020 - 2022 then by all means get you a late model.
For me I would go for a good used Spyder.

We all age out differently. I am one of the lucky ones Like RICZ. I am 85 and still ride 2 wheels. But my arthritis doesn't like long rides with a clutch and my wife feels better on 3 wheels so I acquired a 2015 RT last fall. I got to ride a whole 100 miles before storing it!! Come spring that sucker is going to catch hell.

Like others above have said, get what your budget is comfortable with and have at it.

[RayBJ]

All comments above basically say the same thing, DO IT while you still can enjoy the wind in your face!

At 75 I decided to trade my heavy sport-tourer for a new '20 RT Base. Out of the box it wasn't able to keep up with my insane crew so the Spyder is also my garage play-thing. I've upgraded the suspension and added a tuner so now I can keep up with my former crew. 19k miles later and I'm still getting my share of wind therapy. I'll stop riding when I'm dead!

[ndf3lover]

I am 76 years old also. I went from a HD to a spyder. I just traded in a 2019 RTL blue to U-Motors in Fargo ND. I am on my 5th new one. If you do switch, .

make sure you attend the three wheel rally in Deadwood SD in the middle of July.

[Lew L]

.

The 2014 RTS kept my wife out in the wind. She has vertigo on 2 wheels but NOT on the We're 75 and do 2 week+ trips in the summer and autumn. I still have my poor, old, slow V-Max and I'm itching to ride it also.

So, as many others here have opined----- Go for it and enjoy life.

Lew L
PS: Three-wheel rally is is one of the trips this summer.

[GreyGhost]

Passing my 2009 Heritage Classic on to my son-in-law..decision made as my last semi-long distance ride (3200 miles) convinced me it was time to ditch 2 wheels for 3..
At 75, my advice is get one and never look back..

[Rednaxs60]

Ego, needs and wants - the bane of our existence. Go for it. Find a Spyder that fits your budget, riding style and profile. Bought ours last March, 3 years ahead of schedule - was looking for my 70th birthday. Found one and was made a deal I could not refuse. Kept my '85 Honda Gold Wing Limited Edition - long term retirement project.

First rode a 2018 F3 Limited, and did a two up run with the Mrs. She found it to be good, and mentioned she would tour on it. Found our 2014 RTL through the friend network, did a ride on it two up, and she preferred it to the F3. Let her brother take the RTL for a weekend, then mentioned that my riding friend had the F3 that he might like. He test rose it, had it for a weekend, his Mrs liked the ride of the F3 over the RTL - personal preference. Two different Spyders, two different outcomes.

One year later, still want to ride two wheels, but recognize that the Gold Wing is not going to get any lighter, looked into smaller two wheel rides for my 70th birthday. Settled on the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Riding friend had a 2021 Himalayan with 425 Kms on the clock. Discussed the Himalayan with him, and since he changes bikes like I change my underwear - he's going for the Guinness World Book for number of motorcycles owned I think, knew he'd be selling soon. It was well kitted, some 440 pounds lighter than the Gold Wing, good fuel economy, and fits my budget, riding style and profile. Made me an offer I could not refuse, bought it.

Moral of the story, find a good used one that you like and the Mrs will ride on, buy it and don't look back. Resale, worry about that later.

Good luck.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Get one and enjoy it to the fullest until it's time to quit.

Here's a caution for all us seniors. If anyone says to you it looks like it's time for you to quit, LISTEN to them. I asked a driving tester one time of all the seniors he had taken for a driving test, and really should not have been driving any longer, how many of them knew for themselves it was time to quit. His answer, "None." We simply are not always a reliable judge of our own driving skills.

[Slick51]

Ego, needs and wants - the bane of our existence. Go for it. Find a Spyder that fits your budget, riding style and profile. Bought ours last March, 3 years ahead of schedule - was looking for my 70th birthday. Found one and was made a deal I could not refuse. Kept my '85 Honda Gold Wing Limited Edition - long term retirement project.

First rode a 2018 F3 Limited, and did a two up run with the Mrs. She found it to be good, and mentioned she would tour on it. Found our 2014 RTL through the friend network, did a ride on it two up, and she preferred it to the F3. Let her brother take the RTL for a weekend, then mentioned that my riding friend had the F3 that he might like. He test rose it, had it for a weekend, his Mrs liked the ride of the F3 over the RTL - personal preference. Two different Spyders, two different outcomes.

One year later, still want to ride two wheels, but recognize that the Gold Wing is not going to get any lighter, looked into smaller two wheel rides for my 70th birthday. Settled on the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Riding friend had a 2021 Himalayan with 425 Kms on the clock. Discussed the Himalayan with him, and since he changes bikes like I change my underwear - he's going for the Guinness World Book for number of motorcycles owned I think, knew he'd be selling soon. It was well kitted, some 440 pounds lighter than the Gold Wing, good fuel economy, and fits my budget, riding style and profile. Made me an offer I could not refuse, bought it.

Moral of the story, find a good used one that you like and the Mrs will ride on, buy it and don't look back. Resale, worry about that later.

Good luck.

Coincidence (or a case of great minds thinking alike), at 71 and too many 2 wheelers like your buddy, I have ended up with a 2016 RTL purchased used and a
new 2021 Himmie.

For the OP: Ditto what everyone said, go for it. One word of advice that you may have seen elsewhere on this forum, don't be surprised or discouraged that going from 2 to 3 wheels may take some getting used to. It took about 500 miles for me to be comfortable on my RTL, now I ride it like I stole it.