If you took the RT demo ride post here

[Mad Matt]

[bjt]

[annieleilani]

Hi - I have a numbered Spyder that will be 2 years old in March. I have almost 17,000 miles on my baby. Going to ride it today to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family in Orlando. I test drove the new RT last week in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it was what I expected and more! I'm will be test driving another (just because I love it), this weekend. Going to give my deposit for the Black model. I can't say enough about this Spyder! The ride was so smooth and comfortable. I love being able to sit up straight! I didn't try the radio or cruise, but I will on my next demo ride. The only negative I saw is that the performance doesn't seem to match my bike with the hindle exhaust. I am thinking about selling my bike outright before delivery of the new RT. I have the upgraded Can Am seat and backrest, plus better grips and the hindle exhaust. I have already replaced the back tire. Did I mention that I have a picture of this Spyder on my refrigerator? How obsessed am I???

[Smylinacha]

Try putting your current Spyder for sale in the Spyderlovers For Sale section. My friend wants a Spyder but she's gotta sell her Harley outright first.

[BumbleBee]

Finally got to test ryde the RT-S SE Demo today. I am impressed, and no regrets of having made my deposit on Sept 29th.

There is a big difference between my SE-5 and the RT-S SE. It will take a bit of ryding time to get used to. The RT-S handels differently, and is so smooth, and very quiet, no noise. I had to watch my speed limit, you couldn't feel it creeping up on you at all.

Seating is wonderful and very comfortable, I sit much higher, and my leg position is great. Footpegs are much bigger, love them. Easy access of all the control bottons. Windshield is a big plus, what a dream. I felt no buffering at 70 mph. Suspension was set to soft for me, something I am going to have to play around with and get used to, till I get the setting I want it at. Had the radio on, great audio system.

Heated handelbars worked great for me. Hands were nice and warm today. The only problem I am still having, too much vibration in my hands. That's one thing I am going to have to work on.

My 11yr old son was my passenger today. He said it was so much more comfortable, and the passenger footpegs are really great. He didn't have to hold on, he said he wasn't sliding. He felt no buffering either. Audio system was a big plus for him, having his own controls, that was fun.

G-Man test rode the RT-S today also

Storage space is great, lots of room. The RT-S is a beauty , can't wait for my delivery in January.

[ddaybc]

I took an RT-S out for a demo yesterday for about an hour. Overall a nice experience. I liked the bike and it's features and am currently trying to decide if/when I will order one.

I noted vibration from the V twin but it was not objectionable. I currently ride an '05 wing so I'm not used to any vibration. I did like the sound of the engine though. Very nice.

The power was probably adequate and it reminded me of when I owned a Virago 1100. It would take some time for me to get used to the lack of acceleration if I purchase one. Of course it may simply be that the bike was virtually new with only 57 Kms on it and I didn't want to take the rpm too high. It also weighs 20 or 30 pounds more than the wing and has about the same hp. However, it only has 80 ft. lbs of torque whereas the wing has over 110. Huge difference in how the two bikes compare on the road.

I get about 50 miles per gallon (Canadian gallon @ 4.54 Liters verses US Gallon @ 3.87 Liters) on my wing when I'm touring. I'm concerned about the reports of only 30 or so on the RT-S. I think it may be from a too small engine on too big a bike. Don't know yet what I actually think about that.

The handling is very different from a standard motorcycle. Naturally one has to turn the handlebars in the direction of the turn, unlike the push to turn process on a typical two wheeler. However, the steering was exceptionally quick and the bike was very stable. It reminded me of the steering on an ATV, very quick and instantaneous. I took the bike on one of my favorite twisty roads and even though I was not able to take the turns as quickly as with the wing, it still motored along with with authority. I think the VSS kicked in once but I'm not sure. I could probably ride it better if I spent more time on it as it took about 1/2 an hour to get used to the different sensations and body english needed for cornering.

The fit and finish were first rate and the seat was excellent. Unfortunately I'm 6' tall and have a 34" inseam so I felt a little cramped in the cockpit. Fortunately (BG), for me the cockpit feels exactly like my wing, relative to my legs and the footpegs. Some driver floorboards would solve that problem nicely as they did on the wing.

All in all it was a good test ride and it raised enough questions to pique my interest even more. I will continue to investigate the RT-S as my next bike.

BTW, the electric windshield was absolutely fantastic.

[Mo Lee]

Finally got to test ryde the RT-S SE Demo today. I am impressed, and no regrets of having made my deposit on Sept 29th.

There is a big difference between my SE-5 and the RT-S SE. It will take a bit of ryding time to get used to. The RT-S handels differently, and is so smooth, and very quiet, no noise. I had to watch my speed limit, you couldn't feel it creeping up on you at all.

Seating is wonderful and very comfortable, I sit much higher, and my leg position is great. Footpegs are much bigger, love them. Easy access of all the control bottons. Windshield is a big plus, what a dream. I felt no buffering at 70 mph. Suspension was set to soft for me, something I am going to have to play around with and get used to, till I get the setting I want it at. Had the radio on, great audio system.

Heated handelbars worked great for me. Hands were nice and warm today. The only problem I am still having, too much vibration in my hands. That's one thing I am going to have to work on.

My 11yr old son was my passenger today. He said it was so much more comfortable, and the passenger footpegs are really great. He didn't have to hold on, he said he wasn't sliding. He felt no buffering either. Audio system was a big plus for him, having his own controls, that was fun.

G-Man test rode the RT-S today also

Storage space is great, lots of room. The RT-S is a beauty , can't wait for my delivery in January.

Figured that was why you wasn't on line much yesterday it was a perfect day for a ride. Looking good all you need now is the yellow stripes.

[NancysToy]

Finally got to test ryde the RT-S SE Demo today. I am impressed, and no regrets of having made my deposit on Sept 29th.

There is a big difference between my SE-5 and the RT-S SE. It will take a bit of ryding time to get used to. The RT-S handels differently, and is so smooth, and very quiet, no noise. I had to watch my speed limit, you couldn't feel it creeping up on you at all.

Seating is wonderful and very comfortable, I sit much higher, and my leg position is great. Footpegs are much bigger, love them. Easy access of all the control bottons. Windshield is a big plus, what a dream. I felt no buffering at 70 mph. Suspension was set to soft for me, something I am going to have to play around with and get used to, till I get the setting I want it at. Had the radio on, great audio system.

Heated handelbars worked great for me. Hands were nice and warm today. The only problem I am still having, too much vibration in my hands. That's one thing I am going to have to work on.

My 11yr old son was my passenger today. He said it was so much more comfortable, and the passenger footpegs are really great. He didn't have to hold on, he said he wasn't sliding. He felt no buffering either. Audio system was a big plus for him, having his own controls, that was fun.

G-Man test rode the RT-S today also

Storage space is great, lots of room. The RT-S is a beauty , can't wait for my delivery in January.

Sounds like your impressions were exactly as mine. Very comforting to know we didn't make a huge financial mistake when we bought sight unseen, eh? A couple of notes about the vibration. First, it seems to disappear quite nicely above 5,000 rpm. I think that threshold will probably lower a bit as it gets broken in. Second, unfortunately, the heated grips are assemblies that bolt on, so it may be more difficult to change the grips to counteract any vibration. If the heaters are internal (probable), bar insert weights will not be possible, either. The heaters serve the same purpose, though. You'll have to put on your thinking cap for this one.

[BumbleBee]

Figured that was why you wasn't on line much yesterday it was a perfect day for a ride. Looking good all you need now is the yellow stripes.

They will come when the RT-S arrives, already discussed my paint job with them yesterday

[BumbleBee]

Sounds like your impressions were exactly as mine. Very comforting to know we didn't make a huge financial mistake when we bought sight unseen, eh? A couple of notes about the vibration. First, it seems to disappear quite nicely above 5,000 rpm. I think that threshold will probably lower a bit as it gets broken in. Second, unfortunately, the heated grips are assemblies that bolt on, so it may be more difficult to change the grips to counteract any vibration. If the heaters are internal (probable), bar insert weights will not be possible, either. The heaters serve the same purpose, though. You'll have to put on your thinking cap for this one.

That's the same thing I was thinking, what am I going to do about the grips? I want to keep the heated grips, they are great. Maybe 2 layer of grip puppies and thick padded gel gloves will do

[AntelopeSpyder]

I know the rig has been out and a few have been able to demo the RT. So what do you think? Likes and dislikes?

I took my demo ride on 11/25 in Lodi, CA. It was great!!!. Was the first time my wife had seen the Spyder. ( I set on one at the Sacramento Auto Show ) She really liked it. I really love the Simi-Auto trans. I hit all the bumps I could to see how the ride would be, very nice!! The demos came only in black, but they had a blue trailer.

As soon as I can get my Goldwing trike sold I will be ordering a blue one and a trailer.

[bjt]

I took my demo ride on 11/25 in Lodi, CA. It was great!!!. Was the first time my wife had seen the Spyder. ( I set on one at the Sacramento Auto Show ) She really liked it. I really love the Simi-Auto trans. I hit all the bumps I could to see how the ride would be, very nice!! The demos came only in black, but they had a blue trailer.

As soon as I can get my Goldwing trike sold I will be ordering a blue one and a trailer.

[jnt]

W and I both went to Leo's a week ago. She drove first, me on back. Dang they sure did their homework on the rear seat/position/etc - impressive! Very comfy, steady, smooth.

I took the bars for the rest of the ride. Except for the light feel in the throttle, was very smooth, fell into each gear. Not as peppy as the RS in the low range, but seemed to have plenty of go mid- and upper-revs. I missed the Evoluzione sway bar. Loved the bars, shield, seat, clutch (they softened the clutch somehow), instruments (tho the font was a bit tiny on some screens), ride (we did not change the shock settings).

Wanna go for another, high-speed next run.

[hut1]

I know the rig has been out and a few have been able to demo the RT. So what do you think? Likes and dislikes?

I stopped by my local (relatively local, 50 mi.) BRP dealer, Shorts Marine, last Wed. to see when they'd be getting their RT demo in. They had just finished putting it together and no one at the dealership, mechanic or salesmen, had ridden it yet. Since it was a messy day (rain w/lots of standing water on the coastal roads), they invited me to come back on Saturday. I accepted the invitation and anxiously waited the three days.

On Saturday morning they called and asked if I was still coming in. I told them I'd be there around 2pm. It was a bright but cool (low to mid 40's) and very windy day (40 mph gusts) but I decided to venture on. I mounted my rig (Wing w/sidecar) and made my way to the dealer. With a tail wind the whole way, it wasn't a bad ride!

When I arrived an hour later, I was dismayed to find out that the salesman had called me five minutes after I left home to let me know that due to a problem with the RT, I wouldn't be able to ride today. It seems the onboard compressor for the rear suspension was staying on whenever the key was on. They had ridden it that morning and all was fine and now they were trouble shooting to try to resolve the problem. They were sure (hopeful) that it was something simple, but it was Saturday and BRP wasn't available. Lamont, I started to have them call you!

My salesman was genuinely very apologetic and promised that we could take an extended ride along the Delaware/Maryland coastline this Saturday. Of course, this is all weather permitting!

So, stay tuned. I hope to be able to add my riding impressions next week. I test rode a couple of RS's last year, and I've been piloting my sidecar rig for over five years, so I may have a slightly different point of reference to offer. Let's pray for clear skys on Saturday!

[Lamonster]

Well that's a bummer. I hope the weather holds for you and you get your test ride. It will be nice to hear what you think of it compared to a sidecar rig.

[The_Spyderwoman]

test drove an RT today!! Very sweet ride! I love it.....
...but I gotta keep my SM5 for a while longer. Hopefully it will make it to TN this year! Managed to get a Bushtec trailer today as well at great deal!!!

[westgl]

My first Demo ride, "test ride" bike had the front suspension set to suspension #3. The Rear suspension was the stock 50-psi i think. Tire pressure was 15psi front 25psi rear.

It was me & my wife on the test ride. I was expecting something different, I guess, I probably expected it to be more motorcycle like. It was at that time for me, mediocre at best, and some what disappointing.

A 1 hour or 2 hour demo ride does not do the Spyder RT justice. Not at all ! !

The problem is the RT needs to be ridden for Hours & hours & hours. After all these hours the new RT rider becomes more in tune with the new style of riding.

This new style of riding is quite different than anything else,. It's like riding a scorpion no it's like riding a quad that has been converted to a motorcycle.

Riding the Spyder is like nothing else you have ever ridden.

The RT has a learning curve, that you cannot learn on the demo ride.

The demo ride is fun, but you cant possibly learn (get in tune with the RT) until you have set the bike up right, then ride it for a good day or two.

The part that takes some getting used to is the fact that the bike follows the rode, once you get used to this.

Once you loosen your grip and go with the flow, Lean into the aggressive turns like riding a quad, it becomes a much better ride.

The RT is a Very Sporty Ride ! ! ! ! ! ! That I do not feel is under powered in any way. There is more slip to a RT away from a stop, than a RS.

The Engine/trans takes time to learn how best to take advantage of the power band.

The RT must be described as a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde. Maybe It is better to describe the RT as, The mild mannered Dr. or the Increadable Hulk.

The more I ride the RT, The better it gets, and so far it's gone from mediocre to fantastic.

It is a learned ride that takes more than 1 hour to learn, unless you are coached like I was by people here on SLovers.

The Dealer didn't do a good job in setting up the Spyder or teaching you how to get the most out of your test ride.

I met someone yesterday that test rode a Spyder, they said that they did not like it and thought it was dangerous, and said that it handled terribly & had no power at all.

I told them that If that were the case, they probably did not know how to ride it.

They said they had been ridding motorcycles for 30-years, and that they knew how to ride all kinds of bikes.

I said, you probably do, that's the problem. This is NOT a Motorcycle, It is like nothing you have ever ridden before, and it must be treated that way until you are proficient at riding it.

I said, figure about 5-10 hours riding with a perfectly setup Spyder.

Snatch the pebbles from my hand, grasshopper, then you will have learned.

I'am going to have to write a bibliography if I continue writing anymore.

Westgl

[strats]

My dealer rang me on the Thursday night and said "we've just got the RT together and I want you to be the first to have a look at it. He was going to ride to my work and show me but his boss wouldn't let him... instead, "drop your bike in Saturday morning and take the RT-S for the weekend"
Who was I to argue?

Took "she who must be obeyed" with me and I must say first impressions are pretty daunting.. We have had 2 big tourers before, a GL1500 and a K1000LT so this beast has pretty big shoes to fill.

After a little breifing (the lights don't work and we can't get the dash to stay in metric mode) we headed out of the city for the Adelaide hills.
Now, I gota say, I thought that the RT would not handle as well as the RS, big suprise... it just feels a lot more stable. The seating position for me is almost perfect, Sonya was impressed with the back seat too. Storage is brilliant, that much in fact we arent considering the trailer at the moment. The first time on any of out "musically capable tourers" I have actually been able to hear the music at higway speed.
Got used to changing gears manually again (the RS is a SE5, and the reason for a change).

We only put a couple of hundred K's on her but were that impressed that ours should arrive this week, fingers crossed.

[SpyderWolf]

Nice write ups westgl and strats.

[jnt]

We took it out together, trading from driver to pillion. GREAT seat! Bars in the right place (for both of us). Front end seemed a little soft as we are used to the Evolutione sway bar. Liked the throttle (light spring). LOVE the shield/fairing/mirrors. Luggage ain't perfect, but neither am I.

They got most if not all of it right!

[spyderbob3]

I liked the low end torque but it didn't seem to be quite as perky at higher speeds. I liked the handleing better than my 08 spyder. Liked the windshield and heated grips.Need auto vol. control on radio.

[NancysToy]

I liked the low end torque but it didn't seem to be quite as perky at higher speeds. I liked the handleing better than my 08 spyder. Liked the windshield and heated grips.Need auto vol. control on radio.

The RT has a compensating volume control, but you have to set it up in the menu. The amount of response to speed is adjustable.

[8 Legged Freak]

Today, I got to take my RT-S home. What I found was that after getting over the initial nerves of getting back on the road with a Spyder again, been 2 years since I got to borrow one regularly, was an incredible machine.

The RT-S has plenty of power when asked to supply it. I found no issues with it having a power drop off, even at low rpms. The RT-S does like to operate at a higher rpm, 4000+, than what I have ridden before. It had no issue with going over 7000 rpm and being asked to shift. The SE5 allows for stop and go traffic without effort. My buddy who rode his Indian, was still complaining about the traffic, even after a cold soda-don't drink and drive- so he could allow traffic to lighten up for his ride home. I got to watch him shift, clutch, and put his feet down a lot in the bumper to bumper we ran into for the last 8 miles.

The shop set the front shocks at 3 per the standard the factory gives them. I found that at 3 the RT-S likes to wander and go with any imperfection in the road. I am going to have them bump it up to the 5 setting at the 300 mile service. That minor frustration aside, I found the RT-S ride to be smooth and truly enjoyable. The only issue I see is because I am 6'6" and need just a little more leg room. When one of the aftermarkets come up with a floorboard that lowers the position of your feet about 2 or 3 inches and repositions the brake lever also, I am set.

It was fun to watch the heads turn and people point at the RT-S, felt good to be the center of attention, in a good way for once.What I was not fully prepared for was the rubber necking and somewhat reckless driving to get next to me on the highway. People were pulling up in the lane next to me and giving the thumbs up, it was the ones who drive a little crazy to get next to me and then try and take a picture with their cellphones that made me nervous.

All in all, it was a great day for a ride and the RT-S did not disappoint.

[NancysToy]

.....The shop set the front shocks at 3 per the standard the factory gives them. I found that at 3 the RT-S likes to wander and go with any imperfection in the road. I am going to have them bump it up to the 5 setting at the 300 mile service......

In the short run, push the front tire air pressure up a bit. The factory recommended pressures are too low for good handling. I run 20 front & 30 rear in both Spyders. Most folks seem to settle on 18-20 front and 26-30 rear for best performance. Also, the front spring setting depends on your weight and cargo. Look at the table in the book before deciding on a final setting, and maybe go a notch higher for less "sway".

BTW, the first service interval is at 625 miles.

[8 Legged Freak]

Thanks Professor,

I will try the tire pressure before asking for the setting change. As far as the 300 service, I asked the shop about that as I read that the first was to be 625 like you stated, their response was that they wanted to check if I was breaking in the bike properly, since it has been a while.

As always, I appreciate any help or wisdom you wish to provide.

Another

Scotty