Can I Really Afford a Spyder?

[Questions]

I have been reading on the forum for about two weeks. I currently own an 07 Yamaha FJR 1300 which I must sell before I can get a Spyder. After all my reading I am starting to wonder if I can afford to own the Spyder.

From what I am reading the services on the Spyder are very expensive. I have read as high as $1100. I have never had to pay near that on any other vehicle I have owned. What are the cost of the maintenance services for other services required? I am not very mechanically adept and cannot do much more than change oil and other such basic work.

How long to tires typically last? I know that the answer depends on your riding style. I am a touring type rider and usually ride no more than 5-10mph over the limit. What do the tires cost?

I would need to add a taller windshield (I'm 5-9), saddlebags, a better seat and probably more or better lights i.e. LEDs. I would also like a cigarette lighter to support a portable air compressor.

I live in Edmond, OK and my closest dealer is Duval in Shawnee, OK. Thanks for any help you can provide with my questions.

[Magic Man]

The service prices run all over the board and inasmuch you should ask the dealer you are going to use for service what they change to get a better feel for what services in your area run.

As for tires they last way longer than they do on most sport bikes and much longer than they do on my HD. As for cost they are about on par or below what good sport bike tires run.

But my question to you is...

Being these things are sooooooo much fun to ride and neat to own, and with "life really being so short." My question to you is... Being "we only go around this world once" can you afford not to own one?

Jump in, the waters fine and hopefully welcome

MM

[jabba11]

I will start by saying I really enjoy my spyder and plan to keep it. BUT it is expensive to maintain comapred to some bikes and not as expensive compared to others. I will say I have been unhappy with the cost to maintain it. EG once you buy it unless you buy a maintenance agreement you can expect to shell out at least 250.00 to 300.00 after your first 300 miles. If that isnt crap I dont know what is. This service should absolutely be figured into the cost of the machine and GIVEN "free" to you by your dealer. I was insulted when they told me this. If you are handy with a wrench you can do your own service every other time and save some money. There are warranty issues if you dont follow the reccomendations for sure and BRP seems to be very strict with what you can and cant do yourself. It is many times subject to your dealer. My harley dealership was very generous when it came to me working on my own bike and still covering things under warranty. They of course knew i had a clue too though and was competent to do many of the service things myself. I dont get this feel from the couple of dealerships I have been too. Its true you only live once but lets be real you need to weigh your options carefully. If you only plan to ride occassionally then go for it. If this is you rmajor mode ot transport thats a different story. The price of maintenance combined with the realtively poor gas mileage the spyder gets doesnt make it a cheap mode of transport. I hear a lot of people saying " well it gets better gas mileage than my truck!" need to calculate the cost of maintenance into that factor and Id bet ot runs cloes to the savings you get. I mean 1000 can still by a huge amount of gasoline. ALl that being said the Spyder has many benefits over a bike in that it is defintely safer to drive in many weather conditions (cept snow and ice) than a bike, and has built in storage etc, and again it is a blast to ride. VEry differnet than a motorcycle but a knew and great experience in its own right.

[NancysToy]

I will start by saying I really enjoy my spyder and plan to keep it. BUT it is expensive to maintain comapred to some bikes and not as expensive compared to others. I will say I have been unhappy with the cost to maintain it. EG once you buy it unless you buy a maintenance agreement you can expect to shell out at least 250.00 to 300.00 after your first 300 miles. If that isnt crap I dont know what is. This service should absolutely be figured into the cost of the machine and GIVEN "free" to you by your dealer. I was insulted when they told me this. If you are handy with a wrench you can do your own service every other time and save some money. There are warranty issues if you dont follow the reccomendations for sure and BRP seems to be very strict with what you can and cant do yourself. It is many times subject to your dealer. My harley dealership was very generous when it came to me working on my own bike and still covering things under warranty. They of course knew i had a clue too though and was competent to do many of the service things myself. I dont get this feel from the couple of dealerships I have been too. Its true you only live once but lets be real you need to weigh your options carefully. If you only plan to ride occassionally then go for it. If this is you rmajor mode ot transport thats a different story. The price of maintenance combined with the realtively poor gas mileage the spyder gets doesnt make it a cheap mode of transport. I hear a lot of people saying " well it gets better gas mileage than my truck!" need to calculate the cost of maintenance into that factor and Id bet ot runs cloes to the savings you get. I mean 1000 can still by a huge amount of gasoline. ALl that being said the Spyder has many benefits over a bike in that it is defintely safer to drive in many weather conditions (cept snow and ice) than a bike, and has built in storage etc, and again it is a blast to ride. VEry differnet than a motorcycle but a knew and great experience in its own right.

I agree that the Spyder maintenance cost is more than some but less than others. I think the average service cost is about the same as my BMW. Both have very picky maintenance schedules, and require special tools to perform some tasks. The BMW costs were a shock, coming from vintage bikes and Hondas with relatively cheap maintenance. I knew that going in with both the Beemer and the Spyder. One consolation is that tire costs for the Spyder have been lower overall.

On the other hand, whatever makes you think costs of maintenance should be included in the cost of the Spyder? Name one other manufacturer that does this, no matter how many wheels the vehicle has. I have owned a lot of different vehicles, and have quite a few now, but I have always had to pay for service myself. It is a cost of having a sophisticated toy, and should be recognized by any reasonable person before he buys. Nobody offered us a free ride. We also bought knowing full well that the mileage would be less than that of a two-wheeler. What makes anyone think that would somehow magically change after the purchase? If you are that dissatisfied, I suggest you sell your Spyder. A person shouldn't go through life being as unhappy as you sound.

BRP has provided us with a wonderful, innovative, safe ride...one that we can be proud of. It can be accessorized, to a point, and customized to our individual tastes, but it can't be changed into something it is not. It also cannot be operated for free. If you can live with that, buy one, if not, maybe you better consider something else. Sorry for the rant, and don't take this personally, but I am getting tired of the ever increasing sour grapes and rock throwing.

[Firefly]

I will start by saying I really enjoy my spyder and plan to keep it. BUT it is expensive to maintain comapred to some bikes and not as expensive compared to others. I will say I have been unhappy with the cost to maintain it. EG once you buy it unless you buy a maintenance agreement you can expect to shell out at least 250.00 to 300.00 after your first 300 miles. If that isnt crap I dont know what is. This service should absolutely be figured into the cost of the machine and GIVEN "free" to you by your dealer. I was insulted when they told me this. If you are handy with a wrench you can do your own service every other time and save some money. There are warranty issues if you dont follow the reccomendations for sure and BRP seems to be very strict with what you can and cant do yourself. It is many times subject to your dealer. My harley dealership was very generous when it came to me working on my own bike and still covering things under warranty. They of course knew i had a clue too though and was competent to do many of the service things myself. I dont get this feel from the couple of dealerships I have been too. Its true you only live once but lets be real you need to weigh your options carefully. If you only plan to ride occassionally then go for it. If this is you rmajor mode ot transport thats a different story. The price of maintenance combined with the realtively poor gas mileage the spyder gets doesnt make it a cheap mode of transport. I hear a lot of people saying " well it gets better gas mileage than my truck!" need to calculate the cost of maintenance into that factor and Id bet ot runs cloes to the savings you get. I mean 1000 can still by a huge amount of gasoline. ALl that being said the Spyder has many benefits over a bike in that it is defintely safer to drive in many weather conditions (cept snow and ice) than a bike, and has built in storage etc, and again it is a blast to ride. VEry differnet than a motorcycle but a knew and great experience in its own right.

But a HD anywhere near comparable to the Spyder will cost you much more just to buy it.....

I've not heard of anyone having warranty issues after doing their own service work.

[Director]

The service prices run all over the board and inasmuch you should ask the dealer you are going to use for service what they change to get a better feel for what services in your area run.

As for tires they last way longer than they do on most sport bikes and much longer than they do on my HD. As for cost they are about on par or below what good sport bike tires run.

But my question to you is...

Being these things are sooooooo much fun to ride and neat to own, and with "life really being so short." My question to you is... Being "we only go around this world once" can you afford not to own one?

Jump in, the waters fine and hopefully welcome

MM

Couldn't have put it better. The maintenance costs for my Spyder have been substantially higher than on my previous bike, a Kawasaki Concours, but I don't regret my decision to buy the Spyder a bit.

Cheers,

Bruce

[BillGargan]

Before you buy, check with the dealer as to their labor rate. Also, ask for a schedule of the estimated cost for the service points (600, 3000, 6000, 9000, 12000) including parts and labor.

There are a handful of manufacturers of cars (Volvo, BMW, perhaps others) that have included some "free" service at maintenance points up through the warranty. This ends up a huge burden on the dealers as the reimbursements are NEVER what it actually takes the dealer to do the service. This is equally true of warranty service.

And -- like warranties -- if you think they are "free" you have immature rocks in your head. If they are to include service it has to be considered a cost when they set their prices. No vehicle is failure proof and the manufacturers include a cost factor in their prices to cover the average that they expect to incur -- and then they hope they were right. To include service, the Spyder price would go up to reflect that.

One reason USA cars went through a long period of decline and financial losses was quality. It impacted sales and cost them mucho $$$ more than the cost factors they estimated in their pricing. Lower sales and higher costs have killed them. They are almost all the way back in terms of quality -- but, history is still killing them.

NOTHING IS FREE!

THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH!

[Lamonster]

If you can change your own oil I don't see you having to do a whole lot more at the dealer and we have a pretty good support group here that can help you through most anything that comes up.

[Saluda]

BRP has provided us with a wonderful, innovative, safe ride...one that we can be proud of. It can be accessorized, to a point, and customized to our individual tastes, but it can't be changed into something it is not. It also cannot be operated for free. If you can live with that, buy one, if not, maybe you better consider something else. Sorry for the rant, and don't take this personally, but I am getting tired of the ever increasing sour grapes and rock throwing.

[Sarge707]

If you can change your own oil I don't see you having to do a whole lot more at the dealer and we have a pretty good support group here that can help you through most anything that comes up.

Learning to change oil and other fairly simple things saves you a bunch!!
I did all the maintenance on 12 BRP Sea Doo,s and Knew it was done right.
My Spyder was delevired today and I had them also throw in the first oil change parts and KEPT the receipt, Service Manager said FINE!!!
They have enough people willing to pay them $250 for basically the 600 Mile oil change?

[Smylinacha]

Not quite true - basically the screamin eagles and the trikes cost more but the rest of the bikes fall in the same price range.
Service is about the same but we do our own

But a HD anywhere near comparable to the Spyder will cost you much more just to buy it.....

I've not heard of anyone having warranty issues after doing their own service work.

[docdoru]

On the other hand, whatever makes you think costs of maintenance should be included in the cost of the Spyder? Name one other manufacturer that does this, no matter how many wheels the vehicle has.

The BMW Maintenance Program is the only no-cost maintenance program in the industry that covers wear and tear items like brake pads and rotors for four and six years or 50,000/ 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. BMW owners pay nothing for all scheduled inspections, oil changes, brake pads, wiper blade inserts and other wear-and-tear items.

[Love2Ride]

Hmmm, tough question...

If you ask your "fun" he'll say "You can't afford not to."

If you ask your purse he'll say "You can't afford to and you should sell your bike and eat only once a day instead of three plus snacks."

Purses will gag you if you let them... I say go with "fun" he know's his stuff.

[Saluda]

Remember one way or another you're paying for it.

[bone crusher]

The BMW Maintenance Program is the only no-cost maintenance program in the industry that covers wear and tear items like brake pads and rotors for four and six years or 50,000/ 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. BMW owners pay nothing for all scheduled inspections, oil changes, brake pads, wiper blade inserts and other wear-and-tear items.

You pay for it in the price of the vehicle...no freebies...too bad my 1992 BMW doesn't still have a warranty! German cars have great engines and horrible electronic systems...

[SpyderWolf]

The dealer we go to charges $80 an hour to work on motorcycles, the Spyder included. The 600 mile service on my bike, plus installation of the back rest came out to a bit over $400. I was a little bit shocked by that to say the least, but you have to pay if you are going to play.

I am now going to start doing my own oil changes once I read the information provided on this site.

[SpyderGirl]

Compared to my Porsche 944 that I sold right after I purchased the Spyder I'd have to say I'd rather pay for the Spyder maintenance. Sure a lot cheaper. It helps if you do some of the maintenance yourself such as the oil changes, coolant flush, filters, and plugs.

The valve inspection is probably the most expensive thing... and they say to do it every 6,000 miles.... that's excessive. I did mine at 6,000 and not doing it again until I take it in next month at about 22,000. I haven't heard of an adjustment needing to be made until over 30K. Just my two cents though.

And to echo what's been said.... you only live once. Get yourself a Spyder and have a blast!! You'll figure out how to pay for the maintenance.

[Firefly]

Not quite true - basically the screamin eagles and the trikes cost more but the rest of the bikes fall in the same price range.
Service is about the same but we do our own

Hence why I said 'comparable'.

Maybe they can get cheaper service on an HD trike--- but they'll also pay $36,000 for it.....

[Tom in NM]

" Can I Really Afford a Spyder? "

I have been reading on the forum for about two weeks. I currently own an 07 Yamaha FJR 1300 which I must sell before I can get a Spyder. After all my reading I am starting to wonder if I can afford to own the Spyder. Thanks for any help you can provide with my questions.

. . . . . after reading your other posts is NO.

For a rider with over 17K miles and after reading this forum for a couple of weeks, your question sounds, well, bizarre. If it is a matter of your financial ability, only you can figure that out. If it is a matter of what you want, only you know that. If it is are there hidden costs, only you can discover and manage those - your situation(s) are just as unique as each of ours are.

Read more. Research more. Put pencil to paper and figure it out. No matter, you will still be facing the risks that life always presents. If you do or do not want to face them, that is the choice you have to make.

For example, I looked at the dealership you mentioned and they did not indicate that they carried Spyders in their inventory - Tulsa or Wichita Falls may turn out to be your purchase and service point. ( I was surprised that there were not more in OK City ) If you are serious and you buy new or used, you will have to do that 'homework' and consider the impacts. Just as you should check eBay, Craigslist, SpyderLovers For Sale listings, and all the other sources available for the costs and options that you are considering upgrading. There are some great deals out there - but you have to look for them and do your homework.

This forum has lots of helpful people and sometimes you can get specific answers to very specific questions - like your insurance question, but its great value ( to me before I bought ) was getting a feel for what owning a Spyder might be like. You will have to do that too and decide if owning a Spyder is what you want and what you can afford. Since you are asked the question you did, I am guessing, "No", not yet. But, you will have to come up with your own answer, like the rest of us did.

Tom

[M2Wild]

The dealer we go to charges $80 an hour to work on motorcycles, the Spyder included. The 600 mile service on my bike, plus installation of the back rest came out to a bit over $400. I was a little bit shocked by that to say the least, but you have to pay if you are going to play.

I am now going to start doing my own oil changes once I read the information provided on this site.

Service cost are just nuts at some dealers. Spyder is designed for the rich boomers who doesn't want to do the maint. but still want that M/C freedom. If you can DIY the simple stuff, you can save quiet a bit. Just don't get yourself in deep debt in this economy. It's a toy not an necessity.

[Firefly]

The dealer we go to charges $80 an hour to work on motorcycles, the Spyder included. The 600 mile service on my bike, plus installation of the back rest came out to a bit over $400. I was a little bit shocked by that to say the least, but you have to pay if you are going to play.

I am now going to start doing my own oil changes once I read the information provided on this site.

I think my dealer is $89 an hour-- and I'm not sure if they are charging 'real' hours or 'by the book' hours. BRP has a set time that each procedure *should* take.

Some things they have seen to be pretty quick on--- others---- like changing my rear tire---- were just crazy expensive--- live and learn-- I should have asked before having it changed. They charged me $205.00 to change the rear tire--- and that doesn't include the tire.

After talking to many people---- found out that they paid 1/2 that for the same service.... so I think my dealer charged my 'real' time-- and since they had never done one before--- and had to have the tire changed on the rim at a tire place just down the road... it was expensive. Will do the next one myself.

[SpyderWolf]

I know for the back rest they said the book time was 2 hours, and I am pretty sure that is what I was charged for that portion of the work.

[NancysToy]

I know for the back rest they said the book time was 2 hours, and I am pretty sure that is what I was charged for that portion of the work.

I believe the 600 mile service has a flat rate of 2 or 2 1/2 hours. Can't remember which.

[jabba11]

I said the FIRST service should be figured in the price not ALLL the services. I bought three Harleys in twelve years, never paid for the first service. While I am smart enough to know that that service was probably figured into the price of the vehicle the dealers were smart enough to know that this service is THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE and that "giving it" to people meant they would bring it to the dealership instead of doing it themselves and would result in fewer problems down the road for both the dealers AND the owners. In addition instead of taking a check from me for 15000 bucks then telling me “see you in 3 days to get another 300 from you” they could say “see you in three days! Well check it all over and change the fluids for you for free!” well, that leaves a much better taste in ones mouth now doesn’t it. I researched the spyder before buying, I knew this and thin dealership location was going to be an issue for me, but this man asked the question whether he could afford to own one and to say "You only live once" is not, IMHO, the answer he is looking for. IF BRP's objective is to keep the spyder as a niche market for a wealthy few who don’t care and can afford to pay any amount to have their spyders serviced once a year they may be well on their way to doing that. THIS is the only thing so far I can say that is bad about spyder ownership. I don’t have sour grapes. I'm not throwing rocks. It is true that what many read here are only complaints and problems but that’s mostly why people check in here. My hope is that BRP pays attention to what is being said here (and it is clear they do). The spyder has great potential that is again IMHO only being limited by these issues. To ignore them and not try to improve on them is bad business and will only serve to turn our spyders into relics of what could have been. I have no regrets about buying the spyder, it is a great piece of technology and is huge fun to ride and very "useable". I’ve put 3000 miles on it in two months because I drive it EVERY day. Rain, shine, wind, heat and now cold, but I think ill pass on snow LOL. In short I LOVE driving it, but as a guy who lives on a realistic budget it may eventually see more time in the garage than Id like if I can’t afford to have it serviced. Also IMHO if the spyder gets a reputation as unreliable (which I don’t believe it is I’m just sayin) and expensive, sales will struggle terribly, especially in the market we are currently in, which will only make it more difficult to get service and parts for OUR spyders. The spyder IS a bargain compared to a Harley trike and a goldwing trike, but for a guy who could have easily bought, and was actually looking to buy a two wheeler when I first saw the spyder, Ill tell you those comparisons are a moot point. If we want more dealerships and lower prices etc SALES is the only thing that will eventually create the capable, qualified, lower cost, service and close knit dealerships we alllllllll want so badly. To say all is wine and roses with spyder ownership will only make people that much angrier when they find out the truth the hard way that ownership has a cost that has to be weighed in an honest way.

[SpyderWolf]

I feel those are very valid statements as well jabba11. In fact, the dealer I was at today said something about not being sure they would be able to keep carrying the Spyder's in their inventory. That is a little disconcerting to me, and I hope they will not lose the ability to service what has already been sold.