Ryker- is it big enough

[RosieriderKY]

I am thinking if going back to 3 wheels but this time a Ryker instead of the Spyder. Would like to hear your thoughts on if the Ryker is comfortable for doing 2 or 3 hundred mile days. I had a 2015 RT-S and then a 2015 F3-S but then moved back to 2 wheels. I am now thinking of going back to 3 wheels (am 67 years old now) and I am looking mostly at a Ryker Sport. I like that it is drive shaft and it seems like Rykers generally have fewer issues than the Spyders. The common issues on the Spyders just dampened my ownership experience and had a lot to do with me getting rid of them. I did like the ride of the F3 a lot and with the added trunk and Shad bags it had plenty of storage. I like the idea of the Ryker differences but a little concerned that so many say it is too small and you will want a Spyder soon. So far I have not even found one that is available to test ride in the Cincinnati NKY area. I went to a dealer yesterday the said they had a Sport when we talked on Friday and Saturday morning but after driving over an hour each way he said he was mistaken and they only have the Ace. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on if the Ryker is enough.

[Arion]

My wife and I each have Spyder RTs - mine is a 2015 RT-S, hers is a 2021 Sea to Sky (prior to her S2S she had a 2012 RTL). We've ridden them without incident for over five years including tours from San Antonio, TX, through Arizona, the Texas Big Bend Country and southern & western Texas, not to mention tons of day and weekend trips.

Last week, we took advantage of a Can Am test ride event at a local dealership. We both rode Ryker 900s to see what we thought, and we both decided we wouldn't give up our Spyders as long as we continued to tour. They were entertaining but, in our opinion, they were light years behind our RTs as touring machines. Neither of liked the saddles or the CVT "gearbox" although the customization possibilities were eye watering. By way of a little back story, I'm 77 and my charming wife is 70. We've both been riding for about half a century and have come to the point in our lives where we appreciate comfort and amenities. We can still manage 400 to 500 miles in a day but doubt we could do that aboard a Ryker. That's our two cents for what it's worth.

[Piratezz]

Agree, The ryker is a very fun machine to drive, mate of mine has one, but for touring, a spyder f3 or rt is the best solution, the Ryker is for another purpose designed, more like a dirt-bike, while the f3 and rt are for the long haul

[ARtraveler]

Ryker, IMO, could be considered a "minimalist" machine compared to RT or F3.

We had three RT versions before going with F3L's. I actually like the F3's better. A bit more sporty, lower level to the ground. 30,000 miles on our two since December 2019. No issues whatsoever with the F3's.

I would recommend a test ride on both to see what YOU really like the best. Many have said that Ryker is not a "comfortable" long range tourer. Others have said the opposite. You make the call.

[gkamer]

Having owned both a 2019 Ryker 900 ACE and now a 2018 Spyder RT Limited I can tell you l like the RT better. I had some adventures on the Ryker, we traveled all over the place but my tired 69 year old bones screamed for a more refined ride, so I moved up to the RT. I personally would not relish the prospect of a multi day road trip on a Ryker. It’s a fun little critter, fast as all get up, but IMHO, not a road trip machine. Others will disagree with me on that. I put over 12K miles on my Ryker in the first year, but like I said, it did not give me the ride experience I was looking for.

[Piratezz]

We went on a group ride,last weekend, were we changed rides, Mate of mine, on my f3, and me on the ryker, fun 100%, but not the ride, I am looking for, same as Gkamer stated from his experience, the Rt/ F3 for the long haul, and comfort, ryker for fun and gravel...

[DickB]

I did a 2700 mile trip on my 2019 Rally two weeks after I got it last year. It has the Comfort seat, which I have found good for a couple of hours. On the trip I used an AirHawk cushion from my previous motorcycle and found I could ride all day with it. Personal preference.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am thinking if going back to 3 wheels but this time a Ryker instead of the Spyder. Would like to hear your thoughts on if the Ryker is comfortable for doing 2 or 3 hundred mile days. I had a 2015 RT-S and then a 2015 F3-S but then moved back to 2 wheels. I am now thinking of going back to 3 wheels (am 67 years old now) and I am looking mostly at a Ryker Sport. I like that it is drive shaft and it seems like Rykers generally have fewer issues than the Spyders. The common issues on the Spyders just dampened my ownership experience and had a lot to do with me getting rid of them. I did like the ride of the F3 a lot and with the added trunk and Shad bags it had plenty of storage. I like the idea of the Ryker differences but a little concerned that so many say it is too small and you will want a Spyder soon. So far I have not even found one that is available to test ride in the Cincinnati NKY area. I went to a dealer yesterday the said they had a Sport when we talked on Friday and Saturday morning but after driving over an hour each way he said he was mistaken and they only have the Ace. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on if the Ryker is enough.

" Fewer issues " ... only if you are a low miles per year rider ..... The recommended life of the CVT drive belt is 12,500 mi. (?) .... and they are not cheap, even for DIY'ers ..... good luck .... Mike

[Azbronco]

I had the Ryker with a comfort seat and my limit was 100 miles/day before my backside was done. So I’m upgrading to an RT.

[blacklightning]

I agree with the previous comments that the ryker is not a touring or more than maybe 200 mile machine. I started with a 2014 RT and loved it, but hated the non removable trunk. I picked up a 2012 RSS so that I would have something a little sportier to ride. Finally decided to consolidate and picked up a 2016 F3T. That suit the bill for me in every way. This past fall the wife got her 3 wheeled license and we picked up her a 2016 F3T also. Although she likes it, I think with her amount of riding, the Ryker would have been a perfect set up for someone like her (and I would also like to have one to tool around on around town). Our biggest reason for not going with the ryker is that we were able to pick up a lower milage F3T for less than we could have gotten a ryker for.

[troop]

I did a 2700 mile trip on my 2019 Rally two weeks after I got it last year. It has the Comfort seat, which I have found good for a couple of hours. On the trip I used an AirHawk cushion from my previous motorcycle and found I could ride all day with it. Personal preference.

What was your mile range on a tank of gas?

[DickB]

What was your mile range on a tank of gas?

I get 32 mpg. I only had the Ryker a short time; still unfamiliar with mileage. I would fill up and get at least 3-1/2 gallons in, after 100 - 110 miles. On those 500 mile days I like to stop often anyway to take breaks.

[delkhouri]

I have a 19 ryker rally that i have had for over two years. While i like it and it CAN be used for touring imo its not the right tool for the job. The size isnt the issue as i have done a few camping trips on it and packed all my gear with ease. Most of the problem with touring come down to the cvt. First of all the cvt is tuned so its at a high rpm. For example at 70mph im at around 7k rpm which gives you worse fuel economy than the bigger spyders but its really loud and droning too. The second problem with the cvt is that there is no coasting. You take your hand off the throttle or even adjust your hand a bit and the engine brakes like mad. Nothing like riding on the highway and you adjust your hand and you drop 10-15 mph in a split second. I know 22s have cruise control on some models but the poor fuel economy getting ~120 miles per tank is still not ideal for touring.

An example that i keep coming back to is of harleys. Think of the ryker as a sportster. The f3 and f3s like the soft tails, and the f3t, f3L and rt’s as the various baggers. Each have their purpose but know how you want to ride and pick the right tool accordingly.

[rjarcy]

It's like almost everything else we discuss on this forum, its subjective to the actual rider. Without a doubt the Spyders are going to be a more capable touring machine. Creature comforts, gas mileage, etc. are all going to give a more enjoyable ride on long mile days. However, if you are only doing 2 or 3 hundred mile days on occasion, the Ryker, IMHO, would be perfectly fine for this. We have people on this forum who actively tour on them. But again, its subjective to what you want from a touring bike. I recommend finding a dealer who does demos and take one for a nice long ride.

[ARtraveler]

I get 32 mpg. I only had the Ryker a short time; still unfamiliar with mileage. I would fill up and get at least 3-1/2 gallons in, after 100 - 110 miles. On those 500 mile days I like to stop often anyway to take breaks.

Good solution. And, the upside, you will not run out of gas.

[snayl135]

I have 2019 Rally and ride 2-up a lot with my wife. We have taken some overnight trips snd highway driving. For a 100-200 miles I think it’s fine but I have to get off every hour anyway.. my shoulders start to bother me but that’s not the Rykers fault. I have a big madstad windshield, airhawk cushion and 3-piece saddle bags. I rented an RT in Arizona for a week and road a lot including highway. I loved the luggage space but quite frankly found the Ryker was more comfortable at least on the riding position department. And I prefer the Ryker sitting lower - I feel like I’m driving the machine where as the RT was driving me. Now I have not tried an F3. To me if I were to use it for longer trips I prob would go the F3 route. All I can say is I have no regrets with the Ryker. It does run at higher RPM and is louder. I’m used to it now and I use earplugs to take care of that (Eargasms- awesome earplugs). Just my 2 cents - biased tho since I own a Ryker but also considering I rented the RT for a week- confirmed for me the Ryker is the machine for me