Affordability

[Skunkworx]

So, being somewhat of a young guy by the demographics of spyder owners, how exactly do most people acquire one of these? I can't help but nearly choke at the thought of paying more for a motorcycle than for either of the vehicles I own ('09 Tacoma, '13 Jetta). But since both of them are paid off, I hope to save up the cash to buy one outright. That got me thinking about how many people pony up for a brand-new one?

For the most part, I've got impeccable credit so financing wouldn't be a hurdle beyond signing a piece of paper. But that $30K+/- for a '16 RTS or L is like jumping into a bucket of ice water. That's not to say they're not worth the asking price, but ouch! I'm sure if I buy one I'll have it until the wheels fall off because that's just the way I do things. But I saw a bunch of trade-in models at the dealer the other day and I was curious how long people keep them and if people would realistically put 200K+ miles on them, or are they mostly just weekend warrior bikes?

[The-BigDog-30]

Riding habits are different for everyone, you could probably still get a great deal on a previous year model. Good luck.

[SpyderAnn01]

I have paid cash for one and financed part of my other two. Currently have 1.9% financing on my 14. I have 71,700 miles on my 2014 RT so I will probably end up keeping it until the wheels fall off since it is so high mileage. There are some of the older 990 models that have over 100,000 miles on them and I probably have the highest mileage on a 1330 motor. I have been fortunate and haven't had any major problems on this machine.

It does make me a bit sad to see that they don't hold their value to well though. Like BigDog said, look for a deal on a leftover or wait a couple of months and the prices will likely drop.

[Highwayman2013]

Most people pay the payments. There are plenty of riders well over 50,000 miles those that aren't are working full time and can only ride on the weekend. If you look for a leftover or last years model you can get a deal. There are several deals on Ebay right now well below 30k.

[asp125]

Paid for ours the old fashioned way; saved up and bought used. The thing with Spyders is that unless you have to have that new bike smell, being a "luxury recreational product" ensures there are some lightly used models sitting in showrooms - after owners decide it's not for them.

[spyderCodes]

200K on any motorcycle seems a bit optimistic.

The Spyder for most is a toy not a utilitarian vehicle.
Maintenance costs are high.
They eat tires, generally so you might want to price that type of thing.
But if you think you want one go for it.
What's the worst thing that could happen?

[kngfsh27]

We got our '14 RTL in November 2014. It had been discounted over $4000. Even with the discount it is the most I have ever paid for a vehicle. Since my wife picked our Spyder, I had to go along with her wish. I don't make payments on toys, so it was cash when we picked it up.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

OK...was the first car you looked at buying a Cadillac ????.... you state $ 30,000 + well you are at the very TOP of the pile fella...........I can put you on a BRAND new 2015 F-3s with SE trans for $17,000 and you can go faster than that $ 30,000 + plus machine quoted above .........just sayin, ....Mike

[Skunkworx]

No, the first couple vehicles I bought were $6K and 16K. I typically buy older, used vehicles but the last two we bought new just because why not? (at least once in life) The reason I ask about the Spyders is that they're kind of the opposite of what a car normally is used for. When I see loads of them for sale with less than 10,000 miles on them it really makes me question why so few when I know they probably cost $25+ maybe 1-3 years ago. Do people simply find no use in them, don't like them, find better things to go do in life or simply have the money to burn??? I'd think of you're that deep into the investment you'd want to try and get your money's worth out of it. Know what I mean?

I'm not interested in a fast bike. I've done 183mph on my Gixxer so I've had my fair share of speed and I doubt the spyder comes anywhere near that fast. I've got two kids and a mortgage so I'm not into the idea of killing myself on this thing. Criminal speeding is only 20mph over the limit so 85mph is more than fast enough to get me in more trouble I ever care to deal with again in my life, lol

Looking at the prices of the new ones and the amount of used ones for sale that leads me to believe that somebody out there is paying the full price. The limited that was on the lot only had a couple thousand miles on it and the highest of the bunch was only at 24kmi. I've heard the belts will do 60K-70K and the motors will likely last 200K if they're taken care of (they use the same ones in UAVs with thousands of hours on them). That, or they can't be that hard to repair. I've worked on all kinds of stuff and the worst part of a rebuilds (usually) is getting it out and then back in again.

Anyway, I just thought up the 200K thing because if it lasted that long I'm sure the full price would be well spent. Plus, I wanted to know if that was even close to realistic, or do they flat-out die/blow up/explode/catch fire before then? I've known guys who had sport bikes with over 70Kmi on them and still going fine. I'd imagine a lower performance machine would hold together at least double that.

[ARtraveler]

I do believe that will last at least 100K. There are now a few out there that have done just that.

The 1330 three cylinder has less maintenance cost built in. Longer oil change intervals and no valve adjustment checks required. 2014 and up RT and F3 versions have the 1330 engine.

You do lose about 25% in value once you drive a new one off the lot. A good used one may be good if you are worried about devaluation. There are some excellent used available in the For Sale threads--give them a check. Most are less than book value--which is what you will usually pay for from a dealer.

There are a lot of owners that always wanted latest and greatest, so that makes for a lot of used with not a lot of miles.

Cash vs. financing is also the way to go if you are in that kind of position. I bought my last two with cash. Saved a lot of interest in the process.

and good luck on your hunt.

[revjvegas]

So, being somewhat of a young guy by the demographics of spyder owners, how exactly do most people acquire one of these? I can't help but nearly choke at the thought of paying more for a motorcycle than for either of the vehicles I own ('09 Tacoma, '13 Jetta). But since both of them are paid off, I hope to save up the cash to buy one outright. That got me thinking about how many people pony up for a brand-new one?

For the most part, I've got impeccable credit so financing wouldn't be a hurdle beyond signing a piece of paper. But that $30K+/- for a '16 RTS or L is like jumping into a bucket of ice water. That's not to say they're not worth the asking price, but ouch! I'm sure if I buy one I'll have it until the wheels fall off because that's just the way I do things. But I saw a bunch of trade-in models at the dealer the other day and I was curious how long people keep them and if people would realistically put 200K+ miles on them, or are they mostly just weekend warrior bikes?

It's just the wife and I, so usually when we want something we just save up for it and get it.
That and my rule of no more than two active vehicle loans at a time. I don't really like having that monthly note. Hence why I still have my 2000 Land Rover. Its been paid for some time now, runs fine, and does what I ask of it. I have no desire for that new car smell. Now my wife on the other hand likes to have a new set of wheels every four years...drives me nuts; but you know what they say about a happy wife.
So my new car for myself was the Spyder. And since my BMW was also paid off, I kept it too so I could have choices of what to ride depending on the mood. And even though I financed it and got a great rate, I always pay more every month.

I guess my point, if any at all, is it totally depends on your situation and where you are in life.

If you have the funds/financing and so long as you're not just digging deeper into debt, then I always say go for it. There's never knowing how much time you have left on this rock, so may as well have what fun you can while you can.

And yeah, we've meet those people on the road all the time who always ask all the same questions one of them being "...how much those things go for?..." and they are shocked to hear that its the cost of a small car.
But those are also usually the same people who have never ridden on any kind of motorcycle and fallen in love with the open ride and the freedom that you can only get on two or three wheels.

There are two types of people. Those who ride, and those who don't. And the ones that don't, just don't get it. And that's fine.

[tobor9]

We financed 3 of the 4 's we've had and sold both of our cars since we stopped using them.going to work or shopping is more fun on the 's!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Do people simply find no use in them, don't like them, find better things to go do in life or simply have the money to burn???

All of those are factors. And then some people, even older ones, don't know how to spend money wisely. As for me, I bought a new leftover 2005 Goldwing in 2006 for not much more than what some people thought their 10 year old used ones were worth. I paid for it with extra cash that Hurricane Katrina gave us by jacking up the value of our house in Louisiana. We were just outside of Katrina's war path, were ready to sell, and many folks who lost their homes needed to to buy! Both my 2013 RT and my 2014 RTS were good buys, same as new with only 615 & 654 miles on them. The previous owners fit the one of the profiles listed above. Borrowed the money to buy them and repaid the bulk of the loan for my 2013 by selling my Goldwing and will be pay off a big chunk of the loan for my '14 when I sell my '13.

My momma raised me as a non-smoker and a teetotaler and when I was old enough to decide for myself I decided to stay that way. I figure I paid for my 'wing and 2 Spyders with all the money I saved by not smoking and drinking my whole life!

[Myersd802003]

The 998 is a high maintenance and high repair cost (without warranty) engine compared to the 1330. I bought a used 2012 RSS with 2000+ miles on it, the dealership said the previous owner upgraded to the F3. Within two weeks of owning it, I had the check transmission scroll across the screen. Luckily the previous owner had bought the extended warranty to 2016 and I was able to add another year to last till 2017. I just got a F3S last month. I drive it 140 miles round trip to work and back and already put 1000+ miles in less than a month. The wife drives the RSS now, but I've never regretted owning a spyder. I do remember asking myself why is there so many spyders with low mileage up for sale, but I ignored my inner thoughts and still got one. I had a friend sell his 2012 RSS with low mileage because his wife was pregnant. I think some people buy it and it's not for them.

[Bfromla]

200K on any motorcycle seems a bit optimistic.

The Spyder for most is a toy not a utilitarian vehicle.
Maintenance costs are high.
They eat tires, generally so you might want to price that type of thing.
But if you think you want one go for it.
What's the worst thing that could happen?

The bike can make the 200k its unlikely you will have the time If you got the credit you state you have a good start at buying right & keeping in control So review your likes & dislikes, all the info we can offer here, & decide what you want. We are a different group of bikers compared to most but WE are all ok & happy with that Take a test ride find a deal new or used try to not let price be THE deciding factor Just find the one that fits your needs like of the bike. Extended warranty is advised not the (restricted)dealers specific maintenance plan. Hang out at dealer & speak to other riders about pro /cons & the like

[BamaJohn]

Your say: "When I see loads of them for sale with less than 10,000 miles on them it really makes me question why so few when I know they probably cost $25+ maybe 1-3 years ago. Do people simply find no use in them, don't like them, find better things to go do in life or simply have the money to burn???" And that's a straightforward, logical comment. But it ignores the fact that a Motorcycle or fancy car, while not essential to basic living, provides "Salve for the Soul" if one is inclined that way. I am inclined that way and have ridden vehicles with less than 4 wheels for over 50 years, and I don't think it's an overstatement to say that it's helped save my sanity time and again.
As for how many are on the used bike market...check out Harley used bikes and others...I don't think Spyders are unique in that respect.
The Spyder is the most fun-to-ride motorcycle I've owned and puts a smile on my face every time I throw a leg over it. If you do get one, I hope it does the same for you.

JB

[Skunkworx]

Well, the miles I don't doubt I would achieve pretty quickly. I put over 8000 miles on my last bike in just under a 6 month span. I usually never put less than 100 miles on every time I go for a ride, so I'm probably one of the more serious riders. Plus my commute is going to be about 51 miles (each way) depending on what direction I take. I have a couple friends that do cross-country trips on their Harleys and I'd like to do the same. My parents live in Arizona where I'm from, so that would be a fun trip to go on someday.

So as far as warranty and hoping to not buy a lemon, is there any sure signs to look out for? One of my worries on a low mileage vehicle is that people *usually* don't get rid of a good or reliable vehicle. They trade in their headaches and start over (our buy something totally different). With that being said, do they seem to settle in after a certain amount of miles? I work on electronics for a living and it's pretty well understood that most components or assemblies that make it past the first few hours of operation (burn-in time as I like to think of it) are going to last quite a while. Initial warranty stages have the highest failure rates so I wanted to know if people still see codes get thrown at 20k-30k miles up to a certain, reasonable high mileage where you start to run into mean time between failure (MTBF) problems that are just time and usage induced. If I know it's only going to last up to 100Kmi then I might be a little more selective on the price I'm willing to pay. But if they're going to last quite a long time then I might be ready to pay a little more for something with as much of a warranty as I can get. How many miles do people on here usually post up? Initially I can imagine most people put the most miles on them because they're new. But do you guys commute on them or go on long rides often?

[Bob Denman]

It's probably not what you've got IN them, that matters the most; it's what you get OUT of them!

[latony007]

i paid under 19 for my new 15 RT if thats the type you are interested in. The extra many thousands of S or limited get you mostly a few flares. Mechanically and feature wise they are almost identical except passenger grips and push button suspension or GPS on the limited. F3 is another great option for less unless you plan on riding 2 up most of the time, in which case stick with the RT

[SpyderAnn01]

Well, the miles I don't doubt I would achieve pretty quickly. I put over 8000 miles on my last bike in just under a 6 month span. I usually never put less than 100 miles on every time I go for a ride, so I'm probably one of the more serious riders. Plus my commute is going to be about 51 miles (each way) depending on what direction I take. I have a couple friends that do cross-country trips on their Harleys and I'd like to do the same. My parents live in Arizona where I'm from, so that would be a fun trip to go on someday.

So as far as warranty and hoping to not buy a lemon, is there any sure signs to look out for? One of my worries on a low mileage vehicle is that people *usually* don't get rid of a good or reliable vehicle. They trade in their headaches and start over (our buy something totally different). With that being said, do they seem to settle in after a certain amount of miles? I work on electronics for a living and it's pretty well understood that most components or assemblies that make it past the first few hours of operation (burn-in time as I like to think of it) are going to last quite a while. Initial warranty stages have the highest failure rates so I wanted to know if people still see codes get thrown at 20k-30k miles up to a certain, reasonable high mileage where you start to run into mean time between failure (MTBF) problems that are just time and usage induced. If I know it's only going to last up to 100Kmi then I might be a little more selective on the price I'm willing to pay. But if they're going to last quite a long time then I might be ready to pay a little more for something with as much of a warranty as I can get. How many miles do people on here usually post up? Initially I can imagine most people put the most miles on them because they're new. But do you guys commute on them or go on long rides often?

In 71,700 miles on my 2014 RTS SM-6 the only problem I have had was with the clutch at 60,000 miles and it was covered under warranty. I have gone though many rear tires, replaced brake pads a few times, spark plugs, etc. normal things for the mileage. I suggest you get the BEST extended warranty especially if you are buying a used Spyder, these can be purchased as long as it is still under the original 2 year warranty.

As for many Spyders for sale with very low mileage I think you will find that if you look at any model motorcycle you will find the same thing. People think that they want a motorcycle then they realize that it isn't really for them.

Last summer we rode to Alaska with 10 Spyders and my husband on 2 wheels, we had one Spyder that had a problem but the dealer in Alaska was able to fix it easily with no lost time. I have crossed the country many, many times with no issues on the 1330. I did have a 998 that went up in flames and if you read more here you will learn about the 2013 RT.

Get yourself a 1330 and you will love it.

[robmorg]

I guess my point, if any at all, is it totally depends on your situation and where you are in life.

If you have the funds/financing and so long as you're not just digging deeper into debt, then I always say go for it. There's never knowing how much time you have left on this rock, so may as well have what fun you can while you can.

And yeah, we've meet those people on the road all the time who always ask all the same questions one of them being "...how much those things go for?..." and they are shocked to hear that its the cost of a small car.
But those are also usually the same people who have never ridden on any kind of motorcycle and fallen in love with the open ride and the freedom that you can only get on two or three wheels.

There are two types of people. Those who ride, and those who don't. And the ones that don't, just don't get it. And that's fine.

GREAT post. . I agree with everything you just said.

I didn't buy my first two wheel motorcycle until I was 50. (That probably made me the ultimate "poser".) After that, I fell in love with them and have owned several. The RT I now have is my second three wheel vehicle. I got the first one when I was 40. It also had wings. Man, talk about a sense of freedom…

That first "three wheeler" was almost 30 years old when I finally sold it. I plan on enjoying this RT a long time too.

[Cruzr Joe]

Stay within your financial considerations, if you can't afford it you will not enjoy it.

If you can afford it, you will be very happy with it.

Go for a 1330 if possible.

Cruzr Joe

[Bob Denman]

Just make sure to leave room in your budget for a set of granite countertops for the kitchen.
Isn't that right, Joe?

[blacklightning]

I have had quite a few toys in my day, and my thoughts have always been to pay cash (or atleast 75% of the cost up front). I also hardly ever buy new for myself. My only exception in the 10 bikes that I have owned is my 2014 Spyder. I only purchased it new because I was able to get it for $5000 below msrp. I figured that would offset the depreciation and also brought the price down to near used status. I also wanted a warranty since the repairs can be sort of expensive. I plan on buying another 2 wheeler in the fall and was looking at new. But I have been able to come across some new bikes that I like for up to $5500 off MSRP. With that being the case, I might buy new again. It is always good to look for the best deal available and wait if you must. My first bike was a $1000 investment in a 97 yamaha fzr600. I continued to sell and buy until I got to my spyder. I would say that I now have a total of about $4-5k out of pocket expense in my cycling hobby.

[robertl]

I can understand your position and asked some of the same questions myself.

I think a lot of people buy these, as many other toys, and simply do not used them as they expected so you will find a lot of used with low miles.
Others have the finances to just replace every few years regardless to stay within the warranty period or have the latest model.

My wife's ninja was paid for but she couldn't ride it so it was just sitting in the garage unless I took it out which was rare since I had my own.
Seeing as it wasn't being used, I traded it in on a 2010 Spyder RS with 9k miles because it was within reasonable financial reach.
We do use it regularly so I can justify the small payment and extra insurance. Honestly I wasn't sure how much we would use it.
I got 4.9% through local dealer/credit union, which I thought was pretty good on a used motorcycle.

When I was looking last Oct, a new automatic was at least 19-20k so compared to the 11.5k I paid that was a big jump.
Seeing F3s manual or auto for $16k new, that I would have done.

I keep seeing the 2015s @ 0% and it is very, very tempting but I would likely take a huge loss on the one I just bought in Oct so doesn't make a lot of sense. Doubt we would ride a new one any more than the used one.