Need advice on Obstacle avoidance?

[Rayvet]

Just purchased my first Spyder last Wednesday and have ridden it one time (home from the dealer) and none since thanks to crappy Georgia rain we've been having. To say I was impressed with the enjoyment in that one ride would be an understatement. I've come from riding two wheel Harleys for the past 20 years but having ATVs and Wave Runners, the control on the Spyder wasn't foreign to me. My question is obstacle avoidance on the road. I took a two wheel course before buying the Harley years ago and was taught how to quickly maneuver around obstacles that might come up suddenly in the road. I assume that the same situation in a Spyder could potentially be a nightmare if you try to swerve quickly around an obstacle. Any advice? Thanks.

[FrogmanDave]

You are basically correct. Sudden swerving on the Spyder can be a very bad thing. Try to make the obstacle pass below your foot. Hopefully it will pass between both tires. If it is wider than that you just have to run over it. The Spyder will handle it much better than you think it would. One of the things they have you do during the 3 wheel training course is run over a 4 x 4. That will get your attention very quickly.

[blacklightning]

If the item is small enough for me to place between the track of the front and rear wheel (like stated above), I avoid it. But I also will swerve to avoid objects if necessary and if it can be done safely. I prefer not to run over anything that could damage the bike, unless just all right unavoidable. Glad I did not take the three wheel course if they practice going over a 4x4. That is something that I would never do if at all avoidable.

[K80Shooter]

I did take the three wheel course, while we did not drive over a 4x4 we did drive over a 2x4 at a low rate of speed.

In reality if it can be avoided safely, then you should avoid it.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Rayvet, your Spyder is equipped with some very smart computers that will help with all types of Traction control ( like ABS that cars have ) .... I have ridden many many two wheelers and never felt really confident in the WET .... that changed with Spyder ownership ... You can lose traction but it's only MOMENTARY ( that's been my experience now ) .... As far as total obstacle avoidance that's extremely difficult ( you have THREE wheels !!! ) ... My experience is don't hit anything with the Front tires, they have the Steering components that are way more sensitive than the REAR tire...... The more riding time you have the more you will learn to master the nuances of Spyder operation .... good luck .... Mike

[remus]

I bought some cones that the spyder could pass over at walmart just after purchasing mine. I took them to a parking lot and layed them out and practised avoiding them fo get a feel for how the spyder reacted in a swerve. I also practiced emergency braking and obstacle avoidance. It helped me develope the skills I needed to ride safely.

[DGoebel]

And if you elect to stop, check your six before hammering on the brakes, depending on load, the three wheel Spyder with Anti-lock brakes can stop pretty fast. I've stopped hard enough to avoid a head-on that it stood both myself and my wife up, and my throat hit the top of my RTL's windshield when a Suburban pulled into my left turn lane, traffic on the left, traffic on the right. And that was before I upgraded to Baja Ron's EBC brake pads and his rotors.

[Motorcycledave]

After a lifetime on two wheels and avoiding things in the road, I found it is not quite that straight forward,
you have to remember you have an extra wheel out there just waiting to hit whatever you were trying to avoid.
You will be able to miss most things but there will always be that one that attracts one of your wheels so be aware.
Just enjoy the ride.

[Bfromla]

*Just slow down* Try aiming for obstacles-pot holes to go under the mirrors (the gap between the tires). Thankfully the Spyder is more forgiving than most bikes. Avoid gravel roads - a rock can get tossed into the belt & pulley cutting the belt

[Rayvet]

Funny you mentioned the gravel road topic. I live on a gravel road. Saw that warning literally minutes after I signed on the dotted line. If we go left out my drive it’s 1 mile to paved road. Right out the driveway and it’s 1/2 mile. Right it will be. Always. But my HD was belt drive too and never had an issue. Just drive real slow.

[ARtraveler]

Funny you mentioned the gravel road topic. I live on a gravel road. Saw that warning literally minutes after I signed on the dotted line. If we go left out my drive it’s 1 mile to paved road. Right out the driveway and it’s 1/2 mile. Right it will be. Always. But my HD was belt drive too and never had an issue. Just drive real slow.

If you keep the speed down you can avoid throwing rocks up into the belt. One mile is a long road for gravel, makes those slow speeds a torture ride.

[SLICE]

If you miss the squirrel with the 2 front wheels, you will surely catch it with the rear.
Then it will get caught between the tire and the mudflap, and make a nice mess.

[pauly1]

Hitting something on a 2-wheeler could be more devastating than on our Spyders. Two-wheelers are more responsive to a quick left/right, or vice versa, than our Spyders. More responsive is incorrect: it's easier for the rider due to lean on the 2-wheel vs the flat ride of the Spyder. But I could easily move the 1000# 2-wheel the 1 foot to avoid hitting the obstacle, that I can move the 3 feet to clear the Spyder...and be ware of having the space to do so without collateral damage, e.g. on-coming traffic. And, frankly, if it's a moving critter, like a squirrel, they are quicker than you: why risk an accident when they are likely to maneuver around you?

[safecracker]

One thing I have learned is give yourself plenty of distance behind a vehicle you cannot see around. This has saved me from hitting retreads and other objects. Bruce

[Quickdraw]

I guess it all depends on a few things.

- What's the obstacle you're trying to avoid
- Did you know it was there (e.g. potholes, sewer covers, etc.)
- Did an animal run in front of you

Those are just a few examples that could determine how you avoid the obstacle, or at the worst, hit it without doing any damage to your ride. The one thing I hate are sewer covers. They seem to always put them in a spot where with 2 and 4 wheels, they can be, for the most part, avoided, but with a 3-wheeler, it can sometimes be impossible. And boy, when you hit the deep one with the back tire, ouch!!!, your back takes the brunt of the force.

[HagermanSpyder]

I generally ride near the center line on a two lane road. This gives me space to move right or left if something in front of me. Still must watch for on coming traffic. The scent of the first skunk I hit with my rear tire stayed with me for miles. That really showed me the difference between two wheels and three.

[vito1943]

When riding two wheelers i could ride in the path of the left (or right) wheels of the vehicle in front of me, so an unseen object (to me) would likely be avoided by the car in front me and by following the left or right wheels I would also avoid the object that they saw but I couldnt. Not sure if this is clear to anyone reading this. But with the Spyder its even more important than on a two wheeler to not tailgate. A car or truck seeking something lying in the road might well not swerve, thinking to have that object (like a fallen muffler) pass under the vehicle between the wheels. Which might mean hitting it with our rear wheel. Keeping a good following distance will give you a much better chance of swerving around the object to miss it completely.

The first week I had my Spyder a raccoon, a big one, ran out into the road. I had no time to do a major swerve and instinctively movedjust enough to have it pass between my two front wheels. I hit it solidly with the rear wheel and went right over it. No damage to the Spyder, no activation of the "nanny". The raccoon did not fare so well.