Choosing between Spyder or Tri-Glide? Drawbacks for either?

[greggpj]

Hi everyone,

I am in the research phase of buying a trike. Used to be on two wheels, but I had to sell my Indian because of health issues. Well, those issues are resolved, and now I am ready to get back into the wind. Looking at trikes, I am in between a Tri-Glide and an RT. Apart from brand loyalty (I'm a former Indian rider, I get it), what would be the main reasons for going with an RT over a Tri-Glide? What are some drawbacks to going with an RT?

Thanks!

[CloverHillCrawler]

Get the spyder , Your arms will thank you. Most posts I see about people trying both out find that the tri glides are very difficult to steer through corners.(Strengthwise)

[ARtraveler]

Now that is a good question. I had the same question back in 2010 when Spyder first introduced the RT. That was coincidentally the same year HD introduced their "new" tri-glide. Only YOU can decide which you like better. Here is my story....

I went to the HD dealer first. They had one in stock...the RT was not in stock yet at the Can Am dealer. PS--I was in Alaska at the time.

I was very impressed with the TG when I saw it. Now there was a "real" bike, I said to myself. This one was Burgandy in color. Climbed on board. The ergos felt stiff and uncomfortable to me. No problem, let's start it up. Vroooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yeah, that's a Harley. Then it started to vibrate and shake. That's part of the ride that many are familiar with. I decided I did not even want to do an actual test drive. Well, since I'm here, let's see what kind of a deal I can get. Trade--heck no. We don't want that stupid Can Am RS. We don't take non HD trades. Okay. So what is our price? We are currently adding on an administration fee of $4000 to the MSRP, because that is the way we do it here. Okay. I'll have to think about that. My out the door would have been about $40K back in 2010.

I was already a regular customer of the Can Am Spyder and had two RS. Including the first one sold to a customer in Alaska. I had both machines duded up just like an RT. I sometimes feel that Can Am stole my ideas when making the RT. I of course did buy the RT-Premier edition #474 if you are interested. It was about a six month wait.

The actual comparisons between HD and Can Am are night and day. Today's RT's are much improved over the earlier ones. I have had a total of seven Spyders. Two pre-RT (RS) models. three actual RT's. Never a limited, but did have two out of three (RT-S) models. Then I purchased two F3's...both of them limiteds. See my signature lines for all the details.

The two wheels in front make for easier driving. It does not take all that extra muscle that it takes to drive a tri-glide. Cornering is also a piece of cake. Do it wrong on a TG and you are in trouble. Ride is quieter, and much smoother on Can Am compared to tri-glide.

Pricing is still on the high side for both. You will pay a little more dearly for the HD in most cases. Mechanically, you are probably better off with HD. They have more dealerships, they know their machines, and the actual machines are better than they were 10 years ago. IMO of course. We hear a lot of complaints about bad mechanics at Can Am dealers. That is a consideration. Most of us cannot do the required service on the Spyders, so are at the mercy of the dealers. I was lucky in both Alaska and Arkansas where I now reside.

I would still buy a Can Am vs. a TG.

Only YOU can decide which way to go. Good Luck with your choice.

[Peteoz]

Very concise, AR

Pete

[helton61]

Try both out you will buy a spyder.

[CopperSpyder]

The Spyder RT is much better steering and overall comfort of the ride. The HD has many more dealerships available for service and parts. So it may depend if you can work on the Spyder i.e. (oil changes ect.) or if you have a nearby dealership.

[ThreeWheels]

The Spyder RT is much better steering and overall comfort of the ride. The HD has many more dealerships available for service and parts. So it may depend if you can work on the Spyder i.e. (oil changes ect.) or if you have a nearby dealership.

Well said.

Technically, the Spyder is a much better vehicle.
The two wheels up front configuration is more stable around turns. It allows for power steering. The reverse gear is a true engine driven gear, not running the electric starter in reverse.
Also, the Spyder is easier to ride. DAMHIKT, when driving aggressive turns in the mountains, you KNOW where the outside wheel is, because you can see it in front of you. You don't have to estimate the position of the wheel.
HD has a BIG advantage with service. The Spyder dealer network is improving, but still has many holes.
You may find the Spyder F3 is a closer alternative to the HD.

Still, take the opportunity to ride both machines.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Get the spyder , Your arms will thank you. Most posts I see about people trying both out find that the tri glides are very difficult to steer through corners.(Strengthwise)

.... Back in 09, I decided the GoldWing was too much for my aging body .... So I checked out all the three wheeler's .... hands down the Spyder was the BEST ..... for many, many reasons ..... good luck ... try to ride them all and see what fits ....Mike

[rustin921]

After spending 20 years with/in the military which resulted in bad knees, I so wanted a Goldwing DCT! But after trying to hold it up in the showroom, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I looked across the room and found my first Spyder; and I haven’t looked back since!

Good luck on your adventure.

[Deanna777]

Hi everyone,

I am in the research phase of buying a trike. Used to be on two wheels, but I had to sell my Indian because of health issues. Well, those issues are resolved, and now I am ready to get back into the wind. Looking at trikes, I am in between a Tri-Glide and an RT. Apart from brand loyalty (I'm a former Indian rider, I get it), what would be the main reasons for going with an RT over a Tri-Glide? What are some drawbacks to going with an RT?

Thanks!

First off, I would like to say... .


The Tri-Glide is difficult to steer. Back in the day I rode a Honda Tri-Glide as a passenger. The driver had a difficult time steering. It was uncomfortable too.

The RT spyder is easier to steer.

The main reason to go with an RT is it is easier to steer, you sit up-right (your legs are under you, and aligned with your back) look for a Spyder 2014 and up (they have the 1330 Ace Triple cylinder engine for maximum acceleration on Winding roads, it is low maintenance, oil changes every 9,300 miles or 1 year, & comfortable.


Power steering - Electronically controlled power steering and responds with more or less assistance depending on your speed.


Vehicle Stability System - ABS, Traction Control, Stability control, Co-developed with BOSCH. The features it has ensures the RT stays planted as the conditions evolve.

D.E.S.S. - Digitally Encoded Security System Protects the RT from theft & unauthorized use. With out the specific coded D.E.S.S. key the RT will not start.

6 Speed Semi-Automatic Transmission - Shift your way with the index finger and thumb-controlled paddle shifter or just cruise. The hydraulic Clutch offers a perfect balance of comfort & fuel economy.

Brakes - Brembo's Spyder RT Specific braking system gives impressive stopping power & consistency in all conditions.

You can tow a trailer with a passenger, it has the power, there is no lugging. It is liquid cooled, smooth, Belt driven, with a parking brake, AM/FM radio, Bluetooth capability, & heated drivers hand grips.

The draw backs are: you are not stretched out, altho on the F3 Spyder models you are more stretched out, more comfortable, more relaxed. I have owned 2 RT Spyders. I now own a 2023 F3 LTD Special Series Mineral Blue.

I hope the above info helps.



****** The RT has a 1200 watt alternator to power all of your electronics.

you can cruise at lower RPM,

also, the RT will shift down automatically for you,

you also get a lot of people asking you questions when you stop at restaurants gas stations, and etc.


You can meet other spyder riders at Spyder Events. you can put a lot of farkles ( accessories ) on the RT, The RT has a lot of storage capabilities, Hill Hold capabilities.

Deanna

[pegasus1300]

Hi everyone,

I am in the research phase of buying a trike. Used to be on two wheels, but I had to sell my Indian because of health issues. Well, those issues are resolved, and now I am ready to get back into the wind. Looking at trikes, I am in between a Tri-Glide and an RT. Apart from brand loyalty (I'm a former Indian rider, I get it), what would be the main reasons for going with an RT over a Tri-Glide? What are some drawbacks to going with an RT?

Thanks!

I see you found us. I read your post over on TrikeTalk and gave you my answer there. Trike Talk although billed as an all trike forum has become mostly a Harley Forum, which is fine. We are The Spyder forum but don't claim to be anything else. You should get some pretty good information here on Spyders and there are a few former Harley/TriGlide riders just as there are a few former Spyder riders over there. Best advice, ride them both and see what you like. You are going to be the one that has to live with it. I ended up riding all three, a Goldwing conversion, a TriGlide demo(several times), and a Spyder demo. I ended up choosing the Spyder and never looked back.

[troop]

The H-D does have better paint/chrome/attention to detail, passenger accommodation's and dealer support. All else goes to the Spyder.

[mecsw500]

I tried the Harley. Frankly it scared the living daylights out of me, more so even than the Spyder RT LTD did. It took the BRP course and clocking up miles to get used the the Spyder. I'm not sure I would ever got used to to the Harley.

The Spyder's Bosch stability control system seems much more sophisticated than whatever the Harley has. To be honest though the Harley has better fit and finish, better materials and much better dealer support, well availability of dealers - the prices are probably equally expensive for the hourly labor rate. Engine wise, I think the Spyder 1330 cc triple is a good motor though, even giving away quite a few cc's in capacity to the Harley. The Spyder's Rotax engine seems to be very reliable on the whole, though I'm led to believe modern Harley's are too.

Still, I'm glad I bought the Spyder, the Harley felt too tippy and the motorcycle front tire didn't inspire confidence. They are both very different vehicles though and need to be ridden in different styles. The Harley felt like a motorcycle adapted to three wheels, the Spyder feels like it was designed around three wheels.

Your mileage may vary of course.

[sandeejs]

I've never ridden or driven a TriGlide. One of my friends has one, and noticed my Spyder was much smoother than the TriGlide when she had to drive it once. I have noticed the Harley has much less storage than the RT.

[BertRemington]

Deanna said it best.

[rayeade]

I had a Tri-Glide from 2015 to 2023. The advantage of the Tri-Glide was better protection from rain and because of the skinny motorcycle tire on the front I could handle the curves much tighter than my Spyder. That said tho you had to be careful because the front tire would start skipping if you were trying to go fast and tight on a curve. Other than that my current ride a 2023 RT Sea 2 Sky is much better at overall handling and comfort compared to the Harley. My first Spyder was an RT Limited in 2013 and I had replaced it with the Harley in 2015 because of the heat issues. I got back into a Spyder in 2023 because I had flipped my Harley. Because of a slipshod inspection to determine cost of repair the Harley had more extensive damage than was first found. It took 6 months for repair and in the meantime I went back to a Spyder. I sold that trike as soon as I got it back from HD and never looked back.

[Bangorbob]

When I started considering not riding 2 wheels I really wanted a Honda gold wing trike cus I like Honda's. I've had 2 gold wings in the past. Anyway I test rode a couple trikes and it scared the crap outta me going around curves. Wasn't the same as my 2 wheels and just too weird for me. Then a spyder. Not the best but in my opinion, much easier around curves safer, and above all, the wife don't worry about me on my spyder.
BTW, I guess I didn't comment on a tri-glide. Way to expensive for me and probably think it steers like a gold wing trike.

[Mikey]

HD you're going to wear the front tire, CanAm the rear!! HD more money, but CanAm's catching up slowly on that. The spyders going to handle better in my book, HD wants to push in the corners! But if you ride with a bunch of HD's you better be ready to take the heat for not drinking the Kool-Aid!!!! Me, I can take the heat!!!

[PaladinLV]

This is a simple choice REALLY unless the name HD has a special meaning for you.
Look at the MSRPs
Compare what you are getting (standard equipment)
then start your negotiation on the CanAm
Does the HD have an adjustable wind screen, stability control, traction control, power assisted steering, no clutch lever, one brake for all pedals, more storage space, real reverse?
I was a dedicated HD rider for almost 50 years, then I rode a CanAm.
Haven't looked back!
AJ

[Isopedella]

Here is an honest answer. Take it or leave it.

The big - for me is, and I notice nobody has mentioned it when I skimmed down the thread, altho it may be there, and I just missed it...

Is that the after 10 years BRP don't want to know you.
Spare parts become difficult, and some dealers decline to work on them.

That being said, the reverse trike option with the power steering is a good option.
The 1330 is a good engine.

The Spyders require some rider effort dealing with the Gees while cornering.
Forget effortless counter steering and tipping in is a gone burger.

It's also back to school with some of the engineering and despite the best part of 50 years wrenching I am regularly surprised at what was produced.

That being said I do like my F3.

Iso

[baxter]

Can Am F3L. What everyone else has said. Yes, the Harley look is one thing (and sound), but for ride and comfort... Spyder.

[Pooch]

Well????
You have gotten MANY responses to your question from this forum and also over on the TrikeTalk forum.
Surely you have enough honest, as well as biased, opinions to have made your decision??

[tntnj]

If you just go in a straight line;
if you like to shift;
if you like an electric motor for reverse;
if you like the roar of the motor;
if you like to pay 2 times as much as a Cam Am Spyder, Get the Triglide...

If you like going fast in the twisties;
if you like power steering and no clutch;
if you like a real reverse gear;
If you like paying half as much as for the Triglide;
Then get to a dealer and test drive a Can Am Spyder.

[Spyderpilot]

Sypder and 2 words…

P O W E R
S T E E R I N G. !!!!

Good luck with either rig…

[BajaRon]

Sypder and 2 words…

P O W E R
S T E E R I N G. !!!!

Good luck with either rig…

I would add stability and comfort to the list.