2014 RT Limited performance riding in the Mountains?

[bobbarb4546]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

[Bob Denman]

If you're going to be slamming it into the twisties; a BajaRon Anti-SwayBar may be a good idea...

[Nils888]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

I would suggest you go for a demo ride in the canyons. Spyders are a lot different that a two wheeler. It took me about 2500 miles to get used to riding a RT in the canyons. If you are looking for high speed in the corners the RT is not the trike you want. But if you are just looking to have a nice ride in the canyons at a normal speed the RT is great fun.

The spyders Have a VSS/Nanny that will not let you go through a corner to fast. Sometimes this can be irritating. But it is good to have it.



I love my RTS. I hope this helps

P.S. Power is not a issue. The only time I have felt I wanted more power wash at 7000 feet+

[oldguyinTX]

If you're going to be slamming it into the twisties; a BajaRon Anti-SwayBar may be a good idea...

[sddinnh]

I spend a lot of time on the mountain roads up here in New Hampshire and Vermont and tour a lot up into Canada (Nova Scotia, the Gaspe, the Cabot Trail, etc). I now ride a 2014 RT Limited, but I spent close to 50 years running those same roads on an assortment of BMW's so it's something I'm used to. Let me ask you a question. Are you a "hang off the bike" kind of rider or a "keep your butt planted in the seat" type of rider? If the former, then you will find the Spyder lacking for this type of riding. There is no way a Spyder RT can keep up with a talented rider, on a good bike, thru the twisties. I don't know about an RS or an ST because I've never ridden them, but an RT is a 1000 lb bike and that has an impact on how well it corners.

However, having said that, with the right technique and the proper suspension setup, the Spyder RT will do amazingly well. Once you master it and get it set up right, I would say you can keep up with about 80% of the riders out there on those types of roads. Start with a sway bar change (I chose Baja Ron's) then move on to Elka shocks and decent tires and you should start to get there. Let's face it, it's all the things you'd have to do to a decent car to get it to run those same kind of roads.

The rest is technique. Start slow and learn how to lean into the turns, how to brace and put your weight on the outside leg, and learn the feel of the Spyder thru the corners. I would not say that the mountains are the RT's forte, but for a touring machine it does pretty well considering you can't lean it. And what it lacks in these areas, it more than makes up for as a general touring machine.

Come back and ask me at the end of the summer and I'll tell you how well it kept up with all my buddies who are still riding Wings, BMW's, and Duc's. If I can keep up with them on the RT for general touring thru the mountains and up into Nova Scotia on the Cabot Trail, then I'll say that it's doing just fine.

[spyder-dude]

I also love riding mountain twisty roads here in VA and WV. This is my fourth spyder but first RT. Since adding Ron's sway bar and Elka shocks I must say this 2014 RTS is most enjoyable for performance to ride. Also I have a cat bypass and two brothers pipe which also made a nice improvement in performance. Some people don't like the louder sound but I love it.

[MidTNDawg]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

loves the Cherohala. It does fine on the Dragon, but not as well as any of the 2 wheelers I have had there. Just simply more work. But I am not going back to two wheels!

[sassoman]

Rode our 14 Rt on the skyway and the Dragon over easter and it is a learning curve,roll in and power out.We have changed the sway bar,but have done the shocks. upped the front tire pressure to 30 lbs. Seems to reduce entrance roll over.Once the RT takes a set you can really get after it coming off especially if you manually down shift and not wait for the transmission to downshift for you. Changed from a Victory which is one of the best handling touring bikes as far as ground clearance and the ability to flick from one switch back to the next. Had the power steering go out twice while on the Skyway,but it never happened on the Dragon which we rode right after the Skyway.Has not happened since ,no codes set so I don't know. Just a liitle freaky when it happens.

[StanProff]

I bought the RT for touring, that's what it's made for. Seems folks buy the RT and try to turn it into an RS . The RT will do just fine with limited spirited riding. Yes, you can beef it up and come to a good compromise but if you buy the RT to "slam bang" in in the mountains all the time I think your simply better off with a RS or ST.

[Guzzi]

Spent 4 days, 2 weeks ago in the Johnson City, Tn area riding the twisties with friends from Indiana. A Harley, a Goldwing, a FZR1300, and my new 2014 RTL. RT will hold its head up in any but the craziest crowd, you just have to work at it.. remember, when you think you are really hotdoggin it, some local with his pickup truck passes you in the corner, and brings you back to reality!! Lol!

[Jester]

Did the Dragon last year on a rented HD factory trike. Was fun, even picking up the inside tire several times. That said, my friend on the 2010 Spyder RT ahead went out of sight and I was holding up the friend on the white 2012 RT behind me. Pull over and he too went out of sight. Not arguing about two wheel bikes but the Can Am is certainly the best engineered current ride available. A little practice and it will do things you never thought possible!

[ARtraveler]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

I am fortunate in that I can ryde mountain roads every day. The new 2014 RT-SE6 handles twisties and hills just great. Climbing a steep grade, the handles great (even in 5th gear--under 40) and (6th gear--over 45). The tranny gives ample engine braking on the steep downhills.

I have not felt the need for any sway bar at this time.

[StanProff]

Spent 4 days, 2 weeks ago in the Johnson City, Tn area riding the twisties with friends from Indiana. A Harley, a Goldwing, a FZR1300, and my new 2014 RTL. RT will hold its head up in any but the craziest crowd, you just have to work at it.. remember, when you think you are really hotdoggin it, some local with his pickup truck passes you in the corner, and brings you back to reality!! Lol!

Living near Johnson City I get to enjoy the twisties quite often. Your right, the RT will hold it's own with any cruiser out there, they will drag the pipes or floor boards when they try and push too hard. The crazies on the sport bikes, of course, are faster. My buddies on their cruisers don't try to keep up knowing how well the Spyder handles. Did you get the oppertunity to ride some of the blue ridge parkway while you were here?

[murphybrown]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

Got almost 5k on my '14 RTS SE6....it loves the Mountain roads...my favorite places...just came through Black Hills and lower MT...heading west...Highly recommend '14 for MT ryding...my '10 would have me constantly shifting down....the new trannie is awesome...and I am pulling a loaded trailer....as a side note today got 40.04 MPG on one tank. It was fairly flat...able to set cruise on 70 and enjoy the ryde. Did a double take when I calculated the MPG... That is the best I have ever gotten...

[ddfried]

We took our 2012 RT to Durango a couple of years ago and did a side trip to Pikes Peak. The computer went bezerk and we limped when we go to the last 1000 feet of elevation or so. We made it but it clearly wasn't getting enough oxygen for the computer.

That was the only issue in the Rockies so stay under 12,000 feet! See you in Durango in June?

[m109anc]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

Taking my 2014 RT-SM6 to NC and Tenn mountains this week, will give feedback when I return. Made this trip many of times riding two wheelers.

[Polish Eagle]

Wife and I are going to take the plunge and purchase a 2014 or 2015 Spyder RT Limited. Our passion is cruising in the mountains. Haven't seen much in the forum about the performance of the 2014 RT's riding mountain roads. We frequent "Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap), Cherohala Skyway, Smokies, Black Hills, and the Rockies. We are use to two wheels so your feedback on your 2014 RT's will be highly appreciated. Thank you for any Pro's or Con's on your experiences.

2014 RT great choice for "cruising" the mountain roads. I have a 2014 RT-S SE6 & live near the TN end if the Dragon. I have about 1500 miles on it & 90% of my riding to this point has been cruising the back roads. Yesterday I did the Rattler & the Dragon & got 38.8 MPG. I did install Ron's sway bar, but mainly because I removed it from the 2013 that I traded. The 2014 didn't seem to need it as bad as the '13 maybe due to the improved front shocks. I did have Lamont check the alignment with the laser & it was spot on. It didn't need changed at all. You will find that the 1330 ACE has all the power that you will need. I shift 1st to 2nd 2000 RPM & the rest of the gears @ 3000 RPM. I normally cruise @ 2500 to 3000 RPM. Feel free to PM me with any questions. Joe

[BajaRon]

I think you're going to like the 2014 RT. It isn't a crotch rocket for the twisties but then it's a bit more comfortable with a tad more storage. It's a very good trade-off.

One person mentioned a test ride. Not that I'm against test rides. But I can tell you that if I had test ridden a Spyder before I purchased one, I would not be riding a Spyder today. I had a rough time getting used to the Spyder after all my years on 2 wheels. It took a few hundred miles before I started to have a lot of confidence and felt comfortable on the Spyder. Of course 100% my fault but still, I had to get over that hump which isn't going to happen on a short test drive.

The 2014 RT is very competent in the twisties, and with appropriate upgrades in can be even better if you want to add some performance over stock.

You're not going to find anything else that does what the Spyder does that will stay anywhere near it in the twisties.

[RUOUTHERE]

We purchased our first Spyder a '14 RTL after 50 years on two wheels, took the GWRRA trike course, put on a few miles in the NH & VT backroads, got a laser alignment and left for the south with 900 miles on the RT. Spent the past week riding some great roads in SC, NC, GA, VA and WVA including the Back of the Dragon yesterday. The RT is not a two wheel motorcycle BUT it is a lot of fun. As an aggressive rider on two wheels on the twisties I've pushed the RT to its limits with my limited experience on three wheels, I'm learning to finesse the RTL through the corners while manually downshifting to get in the power band coming out of the corners. The RT definitely needs a stiffer sway bar and possibly stiffer shocks but still does an admirable job in the mountains. The right tire pressure makes a big difference, we've experimented with various pressures and settled on what works best for us.

As with any bike how well it performs is based on how you ride it and what your expectations are with it. We spent $2k upgrading both of our GL1800 suspensions, for us it's worth it for other Gold Wing riders not so much because of the way they ride. Buy the Spyder, ride it, learn to ride it properly then figure out what you think needs upgrading. Most of all enjoy it!

[daveinva]

Dunno about the RT, but the RS does just fine in the twisties.

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[gary lester]

I went to a farm store and pick up a cheap rubber mad flap, around 5.00 and cut to size and mounted it with three screw. It doesn't stop everything but does make a big difference.

[PW2013STL]

I went to a farm store and pick up a cheap rubber mad flap, around 5.00 and cut to size and mounted it with three screw. It doesn't stop everything but does make a big difference.

Um - I think you are looking for a different thread.

[m109anc]

Taking my 2014 RT-SM6 to NC and Tenn mountains this week, will give feedback when I return. Made this trip many of times riding two wheelers.

Just back from the mountains.About ten riders riding different types of bike rode the Dragon, route 441 from Cherokee to Gaitlinburg, route 28 from the Dragon back to Maggie Valley. The spyder handle great, the cornering was bettering than I imagined. These roads had serious curves I was able to keep up with the two wheelers with know problems, one day rode the twisties in the rain out performing the two wheelers.

[jth]

As others have mentioned, it takes a while to get acclimated to the three wheel Spyder experience. I recently traded in a sport-touring bike (Yamaha FJR1300) which I had owned for ten years. Prior to that I rode a Valkyrie Interstate and a Ducati Monster. I have owned my 2014 Spyder RT SM6 for only a short time. Today was our longest ride yet, 170 miles and I am mentally exhausted. The Spyder handles and reacts *much* differently than a motorcycle or a car, and I am not yet comfortable. So after +200 miles of riding I'm still not there withe the RT, but hoping that it works out.

What got me to get rid of the FJR and get the Spyder? I wanted my wife to go on rides with me and she refuses to ride two wheels.

Hope this helps and ride safe,
John

[medicineman48]

Rode the dragon last September in both directions. No real problems but it takes more effort than a Two wheeler. My arms did get a workout. I was not as fast as I was on a Goldwing and only took several curves on 2 wheels. The Co-rider did act as my speed control.