What makes a Spyder's smoother ride vs. Ryker?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Chuck,

I'm one of those that happily tour on a Ryker, and I rode mine to Alaska last summer. It's no good to feel beat up by the bike, takes all the fun out of the ride. What tire pressures are you running? You'd be surprised at the difference that can make.

Sarah

.... I've been telling folks here for over a decade that the PSI you use is an integral factor in RIDE COMFORT as well as optimal Performance ..... enjoy ...Mike

[ARtraveler]

All good stuff, thanks. I am the original "smell the roses guy". I am known for leading back road rides and going as slow as traffic will allow. But sometimes you just have to take that certain road that you have to at least do 45 on due to traffic. If the road is not in great shape, it roughs you up a little. I have a couple more small things to do to try to smooth things out. I already did a steering damper and that made a huge change. Now they say a sway bar and bar end mounts will really help. Haven't really priced that stuff yet. Even if it take $200-400 it is worth it compared to 10K to upgrade to a Spyder. And ARtraveler is right, 200 miles once a week would probably not justify the jump. ARtraveler, do you collect all things related to moose? We are up to about 15 various items in our house. Take Care All, Chuck

RE: Moose stuff: I did for awhile. I lived in Alaska from 2001 to 2019. I sold the big wood carving to a resort owner when we moved from Chugiak AK. I still have a moose statue on my desk. I will see if I can come up with the photos of Moose in my yard in AK. They came regularly and once a year the whole family would harvest our apple tree. Here is a link to the moose pictures. One shows mom and calf doing the crab apple tree harvest.

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...p?albumid=3996 Some of my other albums have additional moose pictures.

[cjctucson]

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your note. Funny when I rode it 60 miles home from the purchase it bounced the crap out of me. The guy had the tire pressures all over the place and all at least 10-15 pounds over recommendation. I brought them down to the owners manual (I think 25 front 28 rear) and that helped a lot. So did the steering dampener. I have seen some threads that singled out Kenda tires for not running them too low. I bought it with only 2600 miles on it, so it has the original Kendas. That (along with sway bar connectors) was my next plan. I figure I will go down with dropping the tires 2-3 pounds at time. I don't care if that increases wear rate if it gets me some comfort. Got a take on that idea??? Take Care, Chuck

[Peter Aawen]

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your note. Funny when I rode it 60 miles home from the purchase it bounced the crap out of me. The guy had the tire pressures all over the place and all at least 10-15 pounds over recommendation. I brought them down to the owners manual (I think 25 front 28 rear) and that helped a lot. So did the steering dampener. I have seen some threads that singled out Kenda tires for not running them too low. I bought it with only 2600 miles on it, so it has the original Kendas. That (along with sway bar connectors) was my next plan. I figure I will go down with dropping the tires 2-3 pounds at time. I don't care if that increases wear rate if it gets me some comfort. Got a take on that idea??? Take Care, Chuck

Not Sarah, but I'd STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST dropping the OEM Spec Kendas pressure by anything much, and certainly not going lower than about 2psi below their recommended pressures. (Don't increase them by any more than that either!)

Those tires just aren't up to running lower pressures (or higher!) and to do so might increase the wear a touch, but it WILL significantly increase the risk of those tires FAILING, and probably catastrophically at that!!

[greer]

Listen to Peter, Chuck. He and the most of the other folks on the forum have been riding these bikes from the early days, while I just fell off the turnip truck a year or so ago. I asked about tire pressures mainly just to make sure you weren't running them too high. You'd be surprised at the folks who think they need 30 lbs plus because they're car tires. Are you happy with the way you fit on the Ryker? Do you enjoy the CVT transmission and the way the bike steers and brakes? Or even on a smooth, comfortable road do you find the experience somehow lacking? Tell us more about the things you've noted so far and we'll be better able to help you sort thru your options. A tall, lanky buddy recently purchased a nice 2016 F3L and she's grinning ear to ear, brags on it more every time she rides over. An 82 year old buddy dearly loves his RT and will probably ask to be buried with it, if he's not riding he's tinkering and polishing.

Sarah

[BajaRon]

Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your note. Funny when I rode it 60 miles home from the purchase it bounced the crap out of me. The guy had the tire pressures all over the place and all at least 10-15 pounds over recommendation. I brought them down to the owners manual (I think 25 front 28 rear) and that helped a lot. So did the steering dampener. I have seen some threads that singled out Kenda tires for not running them too low. I bought it with only 2600 miles on it, so it has the original Kendas. That (along with sway bar connectors) was my next plan. I figure I will go down with dropping the tires 2-3 pounds at time. I don't care if that increases wear rate if it gets me some comfort. Got a take on that idea??? Take Care, Chuck

Are you sure your tires are round? Mine weren't (still aren't). And 25 is too much in the front. I recommend trying 18-20 in the front and 24-26 in the rear. They aren't going to fall off and it might give you some relief. Unless they aren't round. And then you're looking at replacing the tires for a solution.

[cjctucson]

Thanks to Peter, Sarah, and BajaRon for your input. I will tread lightly on changing tire pressures. Ba Ha Ha, get it, TREAD lightly!! I will drop 2 # all around for my Wednesday ride and call that good enough. Sarah, there is no question I would be much more comfortable on a Spyder, but it is just a little overkill for the amount and distance I will likely be riding. Not to mention my wife hollering about the garage space - just kidding. I will also change out those end links as that is an easy fix I can do myself. I know I can't make it a great cruising machine; I just want to do the little things to make it more comfortable. Sarah, you asked - I would say at 6'1" I am a little cramped. Especially with a back rest with a pad on it - but that has helped a lot. Take Care Everybody, Chuck

[greer]

Hang in there Chuck, and let us know how it goes after you adjust the pressure. Have you tried moving your handle bars in the various slots and the foot pegs along the rails to see if that makes a difference in comfort? A tall, lanky buddy of mine rides an F3 and says she feels more comfortable all around after adding a half-inch seat pad. It takes some trial and error, but as you said, it's the little things.

Sarah

[Snoking1127]

A sheep skin seat pad is great addition. I bought a 29 dollar Ikea sheep skin and cut it into two pieces and sewed on straps and plastic buckles. Cool when it is hot out and warm when it is cold out. They started up grey, however the color had changed in three years on use.

[RideOn]

Hello Chuck,

If you want to stay with the Ryker platform but with an improved ride, you might want to test ryde a Rally model. Definitely better shocks, and adjustable too.

Bob

[cjctucson]

Hi Everybody, Thanks again for all the great input and ideas. Yesterday I dropped the tire pressure 2# all around and rode a loop I had done a couple weeks ago. I do feel like it made a difference, but per your warnings, I won't drop the Kendas any further. I have the end links on order and a larger brake pad on order. I think that will be the end of the investment. As ARtraveler said, only riding 200 miles per week (and usually shorter than that) how much should you spend and could you justify a Spyder. So, I am going to close out this thread and going to live with the changes made. I appreciate this forum and all your help. I am sure there will be other questions as routine stuff like oil change, etc. comes up. Take Care All, Chuck

[vito1943]

This thread has made clear what most of us already know, that the Spyder is a far more comfortable ride than the little Ryker. But for those who are concerned over the huge price difference between a Ryker and a Spyder, I would add one factor. When I decided to trade in my Goldwing for a 3 wheeler I never really even considered the Ryker since among other things, I wanted a ride that would accomodate my wife as passenger, and keep her comfortable. But at the time, the cost of the RTL even with my trade-in was more than I had anticipated. On the showroom floor was a new RT at $4,000 less than the RTL. When I looked at what the differences were, it really came down to two things: heated seats, and a rear trunk. Personally I dislike the feel of a heated seat and do not use this feature even in any of my three cars, so in effect I had to decide if the rear trunk was worth $4,000. While the side cases don't offer much storage space, the "frunk" certainly does. For the very few long trips I might ever take, which would be solo, I can easily bungee a large case on the passenger seat. So I bought the RT and have not regretted it in the almost 3 years since. I did add a passenger backrest, which my wife wanted, and this backrest serves as a brace for whatever luggage I might someday strap on to the bike. So if cost is a consideration, consider an RT instead of an RTL as I did.

[iotanet]

This is my take and personal rule of thumb:

Ryker = “Sportbike”
F3 = “Cruiser”
RT = “GoldWing”

YMMV

[Snoking1127]

This is my take and personal rule of thumb:

Ryker = “Sportbike”
F3 = “Cruiser”
RT = “GoldWing”

YMMV

I would put it:

Ryker = “Hot Rod”
F3 = “Sportbike”
RT = “Cruiser”

[Elwood58]

I have a Spyder F3 Limited and a Ryker Rally. Wheel Base is almost identical. A comfort seat and a backrest made a huge difference on the Ryker. Make sure the Ryker handlebars are as close to you as possible. Also try different positions for your feet, and/or floorboards.

[Captainmal]

RA crippled me after riding motorcycles since 1956. Had the same questions and I found my answer. Two years ago, I bought a Ryker Sport and added the three-piece luggage and the Ultimate seat. The F4 windshield was also a bonus. Rode it for a year, mostly two-up.

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We enjoyed the riding but wanted more. That CVT transmission with all the high rpm sound, slamming and banging in reverse, plus a bit small for us was working my mind. Wanted gears and the joy of shifting up and down without that miserable slipping at slow speed. Comfort was NOT the main issue I switched to a new Spyder F3-S

Sure am enjoying the new bike. Set it up with upgraded rear shock (M2), F4 windshield, three-piece luggage and keeping the very good factory seats. Ride is much more stable than the Ryker. Lots more power but not an issue. Same mpg so far. Fun shifting and none of that BS banging and hopping at slow speed. Reverse is a real reverse, making my test loading in the toy hauler a dream of smoothness.

Ryker is good. Spyder is "the Boss".

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