Hello from S. Florida

[bunchabull]

As we currently dodge Hurricane Sandy, I though I would spend the time introducing myself. I've ridden motorcycles off and on my whole life. I was saving money for a new HD Electraglide, after about a 10 year absence from riding but had enough sense to rent one and put it through its paces before pulling the trigger. I can't put my finger on it but it just did not bring a smile to my face as cycling used to do.

I thought it was time to hang it up but then I remembered the Spyder. I haven't even ridden one yet but I think this will be my next ride. I have a few more months of saving some money for a down payment. In the meantime I plan on lurking here to glean as much info as I can so that I can make an informed purchase. So hopefully I'll be a new owner after the first of the year, that is unless the stories of the mechanical problems cause me to rethink my decision

Thanks in advance!

Ed

[Bob Denman]

Hiya Ed!

Feel free to ask anything that you want about them; we've got folks in here who can probably answer anything that can be thought up!

[MouthPiece]

Welcome Ed. You couldn't have put you situation any better as to mine. I too had ridden motorcycles for years. However, around the late 90's and most of the early 2000's, I had more or less given up riding on a regular basis. Instead, I would lease a Harley about once a year and ride for about a week. When the spyder came out, I was just about considering giving up riding altogether. In fact in the fall of 2008 I told my wife, Cindy, that this would probably be our last ride in North Carolina.

I think it was sometime in September, 2009, I saw this weird looking three wheeler going down the road over in Lessburg, Florida. I pointed to it and told Cindy "that's the ticket". I signed a contract to buy a spyder in late October, and haven't looked back since.

Chris

[Ga Blue Knight]

Welcome Ed! I am another guy who rode two wheels for years and now on three. Never looked back Love it. Have an RT, my second Spyder. While all of the posts with issues are signifcant keep in mind that there are around 9,000 members and probably two or three times that many who view the site. Estimates put total number of spyders anywhere from 40,000 to 70,000 (just educated guesses, no real data published) and the total number of happy trouble free Spyders out there far surpasses the ones with issues. Also it appears that many of the issues are poor Dealer Preparation related or simple things like riding the brake pedal or loose relay connections. Do some reading on the forum and check past posts as well. Ride safe!

[sealfloorboards]

We always welcome former HD riders to our family. If you can end a 2012 I think you will find that the great majority of bugs have been ironed out. A year of riding the 2013's should tell us if the new changes and models are insect free. My 2011 RT SE5 is about as flawless as one can ever wish for. Good luck in your new riding life and remember.........

Ride in comfort,

John
Seal Floorboards

[NancysToy]

Don't worry yourself sick because of the stories of problems. Remember that the liklihood ofproblems is magnified many times by the Internet. There are relatively few owners that have actually had disabling problems, and they are far more likely to post than the guy who has put on 20,000 miles and is busy riding. If you have been riding a long time, you probably remember why all motorcycles come with toolkits, anyway. Nothing is 100% trouble free...nothing!

Go take that test ride soon. I think you will be pleased. Better yet, take a couple. It takes a while before a bike rider can divorce himself from the habits and expectations of a lifetime of riding. The Spyder is different, and can take a little while to get used to. Enjoy the Ryde!

[Bob Denman]

Scotty's right; the folks who are happy are just too busy out logging more miles and smiles!

[flybuddy]

Prior to purchasing I read up on the forums and had exactly the same concern about reliability. Took the "risk" anyway because the potential reward seemed to be worth it. Got nearly 6000 miles in 5 months and have been absolutely trouble free despite my doing a zillion mods and my own maintenance.

[major911]

^{You came to the right place for info and I'm sure you'll find the spyder a rewarding alternative to two wheels.}

[JkRbbt]

Hi Ed,

I was in your position a couple of years ago when I started hanging out here. I passed on a Spyder and wound up with a BMW RT, somewhat because of all the little glitches folks were talking about, but also because the Beemer gave me a machine in between the RS and RT riding style. Since then a couple of things have happened. The ST is coming out, which seems to be just what I was looking for, but more importantly, the trend toward less glitches seems very positive.

I did test ride a 2012 RS and RT a couple of weeks ago. Love their trike concept. FUN is only one word for the experience!! Now I am IMPATIENTLY waiting for an ST to show up at the dealer so I can make a decision, ST or RT. Seems BRP has really been listening because there are a lot of mods to the 2013s that address complaints. But be careful hanging out here. These folks LOVE their Spyders and it sort of rubs off on ya!

[Ray&Charlotte]

Welcome! Nearly the same approach charlotte & i took , but pulled the trigger very quickly when dear child gave her blessing! Lol be happy to help anyway i can. Ray

[ARtraveler]

Like others have said, it is good to take a test drive for yourself to determine whether or not the is the one for you. The is a different ride from a motorcycle and most people take 500 to 1000 miles on the before becoming totally comfortable with it.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Let us know what you decide on.

[bunchabull]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I can tell I'm going to like this forum

[Ken Thomas]

[btcherm]

brought my 2012 RTS in july
just love it, never looked back. rode honda for years still hve my honda, it take the back seat.

[Ivorspyder]

This is a great forum.I have had my RT for 4 months and ridden 3700 miles without any problems.I came from a Goldwing and as others have said it takes a few hundred miles to get used to.I really enjoy my Spyder every bit as much as I did my Goldwing.
Good luck with whichever model you choose.


Ivor

[Moosemanj]

You will enjoy the Ryde, welcome to the family!

[jerpinoy]

Welcome, As you can see we are not just SPYDERLOVERS we are FAMILY now. I love the word FAMILY and Families always care to each others. You can ask anything here and our families will direct you in the right path. Jer