Has Anyone Gone Back to 2 Wheels

[dpetrick]

I have a Honda XR150L, in addition to my Spyder F3L. The Honda can go places I do not want to take the Spyder. Honda on dirt roads and Spyder on the pavement.

[Lee0123]

Overall, how did you like the semi auto honda?

I have a 2021 Honda NC750X DCT and I really like it. We recently bought the RT Limited so my wife could ride along in comfort.
As woodsman said the shift levers are different on the two bikes. On the RTL the thumb shifter is an upshift and on the Honda it is a down shift. I don't view this as a problem because the DCT is fully automatic making both the upshifts and downshifts. The only time I manually shift the bike is on long uphills where it tries to hold a high gear too long. Thats when I downshift. If you want you can put the bike in full manual and do the shifting yourself.

The thing I find difficult to adjust to is having the horn and turn signal buttons reversed between the two bikes. I have tooted the horn several times on the RTL thinking I am canceling the turn signal. I am sure it will become second nature as I get more miles on the RTL.

[Spyderpilot]

Great thread……Several years ago, I sold my ‘13 Gold Wing and Hannigan trailer. Sadly I must say because the reliability of that machine was awesome. In fact there is one fella on a GW that frequents Daytona Bike Week, and last time I saw his rig he had 540,000 miles on it. I still have a 400 Ninja that weighs only 350 pounds. It IS 2 wheels and I ride it every once in a while, just to keep the wind in my face. I just recently bought a ‘14 RTL and when it gets back from the mechanic’s I hope to give it some seat time. The important thing for me and wife is that after some health issues I just wasn’t able to handle the large bikes at the walking speeds around the garage/parking spaces. With the Spyder, my wife is looking forward to riding on the back again.

If I find we really like the Spyder, I would like to find a later model (‘20 or above) and get rid of the Ninja.
Time will tell…

SP

[Lew L]

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Never left----------- Still ride the poor, old, slow V-Max when I can.
Lew L

[ARtraveler]

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Never left----------- Still ride the poor, old, slow V-Max when I can.
Lew L

I still get a kick when you mention your V-Max. That was/is a real machine. I had an 83 Venture which was equipped with that V-Max engine. Even on a BIG tourer, it was neither poor, old, or slow.

[Lew L]

I still get a kick when you mention your V-Max. That was/is a real machine. I had an 83 Venture which was equipped with that V-Max engine. Even on a BIG tourer, it was neither poor, old, or slow.

Ya just have to make sure you are pointed in the right direction when the V-Boost hits.....

[vito1943]

After 40 years on 2 wheels, the last 5 of which on a Goldwing, I decided at 78 that I needed either a lighter bike or 3 wheels. I traded in that Goldwing for a new RT 2 years ago and have never regretted that decision for a moment. I still have my Honda PCX150 scooter which is a real hoot to ride and can do 65 mph if there is no headwind, so that is how I get my 2 wheel fix when I feel the need. At some point I might sell the scooter and pick up a 300 to 500 cc motorcycle just for short fun rides. Switching back and forth from leaning the scooter in curves to steering the Spyder in curves is intuitive. At 80 years old now I suspect that from here on in I am a 3 wheeler, hopefully until I am on the wrong side of the grass.

[EdMat]

. I still have my Honda PCX150 scooter which is a real hoot to ride and can do 65 mph if there is no headwind, so that is how I get my 2 wheel fix when I feel the need. At some point I might sell the scooter and pick up a 300 to 500 cc motorcycle just for short fun rides. Switching back and forth from leaning the scooter in curves to steering the Spyder in curves is intuitive. At 80 years old now I suspect that from here on in I am a 3 wheeler, hopefully until I am on the wrong side of the grass.

I have been thinking a lot lately of getting one of the new ADV160's to putt around on. I know I could never trust anything heavier again because of my knee's.

[grumpyoldretiredcop]

Still going back and forth between the Street Glide and the F3T despite hip, knee and now back issues. I'll give up 2 wheels when I just can't hold up a Honda Shadow... but 2-up we're always on the F3T for the wife's sake.

[Woodswoman]

Overall, how did you like the semi auto honda?

Overall, I loved it. Truly loved it.

The fact that I could override gear choices with the paddle shifter gave me most of the control I was used to. It took me a little re-learning to master slow speed maneuvers without a clutch to slip (the answer, of course, is to rely on the rear brake), but that was about it. From there on, I just rode the thing and loved it.

I'd give a lot to try one of Honda's more recent-generation DCT trannies, which are more sophisticated than what I had. Bet they're fantastic.

But I sold the Honda last year. Half broke my heart, but the truth is I was riding the F3-S way, WAAY more.

[kroache]

I still ride my Indian RoadMaster (1800cc) but have been considering downsizing. My wife doesn't ride on it anymore (prefers the RTL) so I always ride the RM solo. Big beautiful bike but can be a handful at times. I visited a Moto Guzzi dealer last week and they offered a great trade-in on a new Moto Guzzi V7 Special. That machine is pretty well a naked bike so I'm considering making the change for a completely different experience. I figure the MG will be a great bike for hanging out with my 2 wheeler friends and we would continue to use the RTL for travelling with the missus. I figure getting a bike that's a bit more manageable will help extend my time on 2 wheels. Great thread BTW.
Cheers
Kevin

[cruisinTX]

I still have a few beemers in the stable along side the Spyder. We initially got the Spyder for my wife but quickly found out she is not strong enough to drive for very long. That relegates our two-up rides to the Spyder as I no longer feel stable enough at 69 to have her on the back of two wheelers. I currently prefer my bikes to the Spyder but choose the Spyder if my hips and knees are feeling weak when I get to the stable.

[RodO]

Started riding 15 years ago at 56. Have had seven 2-wheel bikes interspersed with 3 Spyders in that time.

The combination of being 70+ yo now and recently moving to a major urban centre got me onto my 3rd Spyder, an RTL, and there’s no going back. Safety, comfort, visibility, and because my wife will only ride with me on the Spyder all mean I’ll be ryding for the foreseeable future.