Ladies (or men) on two-wheelers, some help?

[Siara]

Hey everyone,

I apologize for the weird title in advance but it will become clear in just a minute. I currently drive a wonderful BMW F800GT which I worship and adore. I couldn't imagine living without it. Unfortunately my body doesn't agree with me. I've been diagnosed with ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia a few years back and I'm finally starting feeling the drain it's taking on my body. I really don't want to part with my two-wheeler but I'm afraid in the end I'll have no choice. Since I absolutely loathe driving a car and it's in no way a replacement for a two-wheeler, I'm kind of looking for an alternative for when it becomes 100% impossible to ride a two-wheeler.

Well, most trikes look horrid to me and the ones that I do seem to like (GG Taurus, certain two-wheelers converted to a trike, ...) all cost me way more than an arm and a leg. I'm not saying that the Spyder is affordable but it should be reachable in the long run, especially when older models get lowered in price. Now, the title...are there any girls or boys here that used to drive a two-wheeler (or still do) and can comment on how 'fun' the spyder is to own in everyday life?

My beloved one is taking me for a testdrive on an RT this Saturday at a 'local' dealer to ease my mind and cheer me up a little. It should be fun since I'm allowed to drive for a little while too. I have no idea what to expect either way but I am reluctant to accept something else than my beloved bike at the moment. I feel so reluctant to accept that I might not be able to drive it anymore that I just can't see myself liking the Spyder either. I don't even like the way it looks and I can't see any benefits to it.

Can you guys/girls perhaps help me get a more neutral image on the Spyder as I really do want to like it though. I'd love it if you could give me some benefits of the Spyder so I can try to focus on those. Also I'm having a hard time choosing between the different models. The RS, ST and RT all seem so alike. Would the RS be useless if I wanted to go for longer trips with sleepovers? What about that new F3?

Thank you in any case for trying to help me and I look forward to your replies!

[Highwayman2013]

My wife has an RT and it's a great bike. I ride a 2 wheeler but also enjoy the spyder. The Rt has the most storage although there is a trailer available for touring. Once you ride one I think you will like it.

[Dgjason]

I' ve driven two wheelers for over 40 years, and still have one. Now that I have arrived at the ripe old age of 71 my two wheeler just sits in the garage gathering dust. I find myself checking out the sky each morning to see how the driving weather will be that day. I really enjoy riding my spyder. I never suffered a learning curve like many people have reported. It may be because I have spend hundreds of hours on a 4 wheeler. Just relax and have fun.

Good Luck
Dennis

[Eagle1]

We have a 2010 rt and enjoy the Ryde. I drove a 2 Wheeler for, 50 yrs and the change was easy. I also drove snow mobiles, which is what we now have on wheels.
For you this should give you a better feeling of safety and control, given your medical condition. I have a sister with the disease and she gets very tired easily. Good luck and keep ryding.

[Siara]

Thank you kindly for the feedback so far~!

It seems so far I've only gotten wise advice from older experienced riders than myself which makes me feel blessed. I am 'only' 27 spring young so I'm still finding my way in life. I feel fortunate that these diseases are the only I have so far, it could have been way worse.

Fatigue and muscle pain is indeed the main reason for needing to change over to a different vehicle in the future. If I've ridden for about an hour or two I feel the bike literally becoming heavier and heavier for me to hold at a stoplight (which is ridiculous I know) and the pain from handling the clutch and brake levers usually gets to me at that point causing my concentration and focus on traffic to falter. It doesn't seem safe for me to keep riding my bike like that. A three-wheeler with automatic gears might relieve that I guess.

[cyclekid58]

I rode 2 wheelers for 38 years and finally gave it up. Last year we had the opportunity to test drive an RT during Can Am demo days on the area raceway road track, we were hooked! This year at Easter I made the final decision due to medical problems with Severe Rhuematoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis to trade the 2 wheeler in since I could no longer operate it safely. My wife still rides her 2 wheeler for short runs but is reaching the same point. We both took a 3 wheeler (trike) course taught by an instructor on a Spyder, it has helped considerable and we are glad the change was made. I would not go back to 2 wheels again, the Spyder is the ultimate touring machine, and we spent a little extra having a drivers backrest, and the tri-axis handlebars installed. I also had a BajaRon sway bar installed which made a big difference. After 150 miles on a 2 wheeler I could barely move for days, on the spyder 300-400 is no big deal. My advice to you is, what kind of value do you put on your life? Is it worth the risk to continue to try and do the 2 wheeler, or move forward to the wonderful life of 3 wheels and enjoy the "Golden Years"! I never regret my decision, and neither does my family.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Is that the Belgium in Europe ????.....You may have trouble finding a NEW Spyder ......never mind a USED one ..........................Good Luck.....Mike

[ivanlee]

Hey everyone,

I apologize for the weird title in advance but it will become clear in just a minute. I currently drive a wonderful BMW F800GT which I worship and adore. I couldn't imagine living without it. Unfortunately my body doesn't agree with me. I've been diagnosed with ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia a few years back and I'm finally starting feeling the drain it's taking on my body. I really don't want to part with my two-wheeler but I'm afraid in the end I'll have no choice. Since I absolutely loathe driving a car and it's in no way a replacement for a two-wheeler, I'm kind of looking for an alternative for when it becomes 100% impossible to ride a two-wheeler.

Well, most trikes look horrid to me and the ones that I do seem to like (GG Taurus, certain two-wheelers converted to a trike, ...) all cost me way more than an arm and a leg. I'm not saying that the Spyder is affordable but it should be reachable in the long run, especially when older models get lowered in price. Now, the title...are there any girls or boys here that used to drive a two-wheeler (or still do) and can comment on how 'fun' the spyder is to own in everyday life?

My beloved one is taking me for a testdrive on an RT this Saturday at a 'local' dealer to ease my mind and cheer me up a little. It should be fun since I'm allowed to drive for a little while too. I have no idea what to expect either way but I am reluctant to accept something else than my beloved bike at the moment. I feel so reluctant to accept that I might not be able to drive it anymore that I just can't see myself liking the Spyder either. I don't even like the way it looks and I can't see any benefits to it.

Can you guys/girls perhaps help me get a more neutral image on the Spyder as I really do want to like it though. I'd love it if you could give me some benefits of the Spyder so I can try to focus on those. Also I'm having a hard time choosing between the different models. The RS, ST and RT all seem so alike. Would the RS be useless if I wanted to go for longer trips with sleepovers? What about that new F3?

Thank you in any case for trying to help me and I look forward to your replies!

Take your check book with you. Once you sit on it.

[Siara]

I don't have a checkbook so I think I'm pretty safe. I also don't have a penny to my name at the moment so it's going to hurt to leave that store empty-handed if I do like the Spyder. If I do decide to give this a go I'll have to start saving up but I can hardly save up 400$ a month so it might take a while. Tips and tricks to make extra funding is much appreciated. Off course if I sell my beautiful bike I'll have some funding but not nearly enough...

Oh well, money is a worry for later. Let's see if I actually like it during the test ride. My partner said he'll drive my bike in pursuit and I can drive the RT so if I really don't like it I can always hop on my own bike instead and he can continue riding the RT to the dealer. Is there anything I have to be sure NOT to do on a Spyder?

Also I had a question for all of you, what kind of license do you need in America for the Spyder? Here in Belgium you need a bike license to drive one but I heard that in the Netherlands a car license is enough. The laws here are so confusing sometimes. Luckily I have both licenses anyway...

[loisk]

One extra tip if I may - go for the SE5 or SE6, the semi-auto flappy paddle model. I had a hand problem after too many decades on the computer and found that having no clutch lever / gear pedal made a huge difference. It's still a blast to change up / down through the gears, so you don't have to let the spyder have all the fun. I switched from 2 wheels as I found it beginning to be too heavy at stop lights and in gravel (stone) carparks, and have not regretted it for a moment. Have just changed from RS to ST, for a bit more comfort and ergonomics which suit me better. Enjoy your ride, but make sure, if possible, that it is a good, long ride - a few minutes or even half an hour isn't enough, it'll just feel totally weird, so try to go for longer if you can. Regards from Oz.

[Siara]

Thank you kindly for the good advice, loisk. I love the words 'flappy paddles', haha~

I work on a computer at work so I guess I'll be more than sure to go for the SE models. If I happen to win the lottery I'm sure to go for the RT model because driver floorboards, heated grips and fog lights are actually what I'm looking for in these models but apparently those are all options on the more expensive models. Quite dissapointing actually...

I think the dealer will let us ride the machine for about an hour, maybe two. I guess that should give me a basic idea of what makes it tick and how suitable it would be for my needs.

[loisk]

Thank you kindly for the good advice, loisk. I love the words 'flappy paddles', haha~

I work on a computer at work so I guess I'll be more than sure to go for the SE models. If I happen to win the lottery I'm sure to go for the RT model because driver floorboards, heated grips and fog lights are actually what I'm looking for in these models but apparently those are all options on the more expensive models. Quite dissapointing actually...

I think the dealer will let us ride the machine for about an hour, maybe two. I guess that should give me a basic idea of what makes it tick and how suitable it would be for my needs.

Hi again - the ST Limited comes standard with driver floorboards and heated grips. Foglights - I don't know because in Oz the foglight position is used-up by the low or high beam headlights, as our "authorities" don't think the standard/USA lights are good enough - maybe too high to spot wombats on the road (mobile sugar bags, if you hit them..). Anyway, ST Ltd is another option for you, depending on foglights I guess. Or STS (cheaper) and just have floorboards etc added to suit you -- guess you can "add" to basic RT too to get what you need, just need to do the costings... Worth chatting to your dealer about such options, so that your hip pocket copes! RT of course has the nice, big motor!

[Bfromla]

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[hypurone]

Hey everyone,

I apologize for the weird title in advance but it will become clear in just a minute. I currently drive a wonderful BMW F800GT which I worship and adore. I couldn't imagine living without it. Unfortunately my body doesn't agree with me. I've been diagnosed with ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia a few years back and I'm finally starting feeling the drain it's taking on my body. I really don't want to part with my two-wheeler but I'm afraid in the end I'll have no choice. Since I absolutely loathe driving a car and it's in no way a replacement for a two-wheeler, I'm kind of looking for an alternative for when it becomes 100% impossible to ride a two-wheeler.

What about that new F3?

I am in a similar situation. I have been riding for 40+ years. Just recently was involved in a life threatening/altering accident. Died twice en route to the hospital they tell me and now I have enough hardware in me to open my own hardware store! The location and proximity to vital organs and arteries make it extremely hazardous to ride on 2 wheels with the higher possibility of a fall. I, like you, couldn't live without the "wind in my face" so to speak and was quite disconsolate about my riding future or lack thereof.

Then the Spyder dawned on me and it has been an awesome trip. I have more than enough fun on it. If you want to ride it hard you need to lean with it and have very good technique. It can be quite invigorating. You can also just kick back and cruise and wave back at all the folks that point/stare/wave at you. I spend as much time talking about it to complete strangers as I did with my bikes.... I am partial to the sportier F3 line but go with what grabs ya and fits your needs.... Here's to hoping you have the same great experience I did!