On the way to Spyderfest

[spyderCodes]

DAY #0
150 miles outside of Spyderfield(I renamed it) after starting out at 3:17AM .
A picture perfect day of travel.
The old man body I inhabit is tired and protesting.
Mrfats thought it was time for me to go to bed and get some rest.
And I will.
But first:
This is the first long trip I have taken in my Shoei full face helmet.
It’s yellow, self contained and when I close the visor I can actually hear my Satellite Radio piped through the Scala Rider Comms.

Coming from a lifetime of Half Helmets (my good friend Connie used to say Half Helmets for Half Wits) I find the whole experience rather disorienting.

Yeah, if I listen I can hear my VTwin banging away, but I have to concentrate.
It’s like I’m sitting inside my head piloting not the Spyder but my hands & feet that in turn are piloting Prometheus.

Inside my miniTheater I can see the orbital Blue Mrfats machine valiantly charging on.
The soundtrack was the 60’s on 6 and the 70’s on 7.
Did The Bridge go away?

After listening for a while to the music that is engraved on my brain (first two chords and I know the whole song) I started having dark thoughts on how me and my generation really made made a mess of things.
Especially after starting out with such promise, power and wealth.

A few miles after my second fuel stop I started smelling raw gasoline.
A stop by the road and most of the right hand tupperware off revealed the fuel return hose had somehow slipped its connection to the tank.
I wasn’t anywhere near that part this year (or last for that matter) and it makes me wonder what happened.
The “click” that I assume must be there isn’t. I tie wrapped it snugly and will investigate further.
Had it not been 34F and gone on for a bit longer I think the outcome could have been different.

My second Limp Mode ever happened while picking my way through St Louis.
In retrospect I’m sure I was hovering over the brake and it through a code P0504.
In other words the Spyder was told the brake was on and after awhile it didn’t understand why it was still moving and decided that enough was enough.

I pulled over, turned off the key and calmly explained to Prometheus that it was too far to Limp Home.
He apparently agreed and we set off without incident.

Next stop, Spyderfield.


DAY#1
DAY#2
DAY#3
Day#4

[spyderCodes]

Yesterday not much happened.I can’t believe I just typed that.Not much happened to me, is better use of the English language.We started out in the morning on the final 175 mile leg to Syperfield.It was another absolutely beautiful day for SpyderingWe waited for MurphyBrown to come in from her little adventure with the rock.MoGang members Denise & David certainly rose to and above the situation, delivering MurphyBrown safely to Spyderfield with her injured Spyder.People like that are what makes this community so special.So, very special.Last night mrFats, MurphyBrown,Currinfan2 and I all had dinner at Steak & Shake.Had the MoGangers (Denise & David) not delivered MurphyBrown I would not have had the most wonderful two cups of coffee that were delivered to my door.Thanks again.

[Chupaca]

Great to hear of your trip with all the details. Glad you had little to hold you up and are safely there and in good company. They did go above and beyond with getting Murphy Brown there. Hope you will have time to keep us informed so well on the goings on over there...enjoy the fest...

[Dan McNally]

Guess I'll have to do SpyderFest vicariously through others, this year. I was really impressed with the help that Murphy Brown received - but not a bit surprised. When I saw the first post on facebook, I was immediately on SpyderCodes, looking for someone in Spyders to The Rescue who might be close. By the time I'd entered all the towns in Google Maps to see distances, she already had knights getting ready to ryde to the rescue. What a great community!

Have fun and take pictures for those of us who can't make it, this year.

And thanks, for the gazillionth time, for writing and sharing SpyderCodes with us!

[spyderCodes]

Mechanical devices, I suppose, don’t have souls.
Or do they?

It depends upon how you wish to define it.
If a soul can be defined as that part that is above and beyond the sum of the parts then mechanical devices do have souls.

Our RT was delivered on June 1, 2010, our 36th wedding anniversary.
It was almost new.
848 miles.
Because of the law of supply and demand we paid new price plus a delivery and setup fee.
Ah, what’s a little price gouging among friends.

Our Zinc Rated dealer got very little of our future Spyder business.
My RT, who somehow channeled the fact he wanted to be called Prometheus was a happy, willing member of the family.
Even when my wife acquired her own 2012 RT Prometheus showed not one bit of jealousy and welcomed the new Spyder into the fold with open handlebars.

All good things must come to an end.
Prometheus started being sick on the The Last Spyderfest he would attend under my ownership.
He wanted it that way.
We said our farewells.
Wherever he ends up I know he will make his new friends happy.

I left him sitting at the Pit Bull parking garage..
And you would have thought it was an entirely sad parting.
It wasn’t.
I caught a glimpse of the ironic smile of his newly chromed shark fin front trim.
He had taught me everything he could about The Joys of Spyderdom.
He was ready to move on.
And so was I.

[jthornton]

Well did you get a new one? Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday. And yes some machines have a mind of their own it seems. The Blue Spyder will live again with a new short block and some spit and polish...

JT

[spyderCodes]

Well did you get a new one? Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday. And yes some machines have a mind of their own it seems. The Blue Spyder will live again with a new short block and some spit and polish...

JT

yes. a new 2015 F3

[spyderCodes]

First, I need to say that dealing with Len was a real pleasure.
Here’s the back story.

My 2010 RT most probably needed a new throttle body.
Expensive repair.

I am almost a thousand miles away from home.
There is only one game in town, Pit Bull Power Sports.
I could have been had.
Easily.

Len surely knew that I would be easy pickings.
Here I was in need of an expensive repair, a thousand miles away from home.
He could have, in a manner of speaking, sold me the Brooklyn Bridge.

He didn’t.
All I can say is this.
He was extremely fair.

His first concern, and I believe this, was making certain I had a trouble free ryde home.
If it was on my RT or something else that, of course, was my choice.
Most dealers would have jumped on the chance to make top buck.
Len didn’t.
I found Len’s dealership a bit chaotic and unfocused.
But damn, it is fair and human.
A lot like the guy who owns it.

My new F3 will take me some time to get used to.
But, I know where I will be buying my next Spyder even though it is a thousand miles away.

[Dan McNally]

The new F3 didn't really happen until there are pictures!

[JKMSPYDER]

Congratulations Roger on your F3. I thought I could never part with my '13 ST-S. But I took a test ride on an F3 last December and was hooked. You will get used to the F3 in no time and will love the 1330 engine and 6 speed!

[Jim&Teresa]

on your new F3! Nice! Great to hear about the way you were treated to make the deal good for you! Best wishes and ride safe!

[mxz600]

I saw someone post a picture of you from Spyderfest. You look very similar to another guy I know from PA.

[jthornton]

The new F3 didn't really happen until there are pictures!

No Problem!


JT

[spyderCodes]

I saw someone post a picture of you from Spyderfest. You look very similar to another guy I know from PA.

All old, fat, bald guys from Pennsylvania look alike.
It's a State Law that requires Plastic Surgery to those who don't or can't comply.

[robmorg]

II resemble that remark.

[pegasus1300]

All old, fat, bald guys from Pennsylvania look alike.
It's a State Law that requires Plastic Surgery to those who don't or can't comply.

Old fat bald guys from everywhere look alike

[spyderCodes]

When I left for Spyderfest I didn't dream I would come back with a new Spyder.
Having now made a long one day trip (nearly a 1000 miles) on the F3 I can say that I found it comfortable.
While trying not to damn it with faint praise I am still reserving my opinion.
Six years on an RT is a tough act to follow.

My wife loves the F3.
Between the two of us she is more the hot rod motorhead
.
I went most of the way with Murphy Brown and mrFats.
Murphy piloted her new F3T Limited pulling a trailer with the expertise of someone who has piloted a Spyder all over the country.
Her experience and skill is truly inspirational.

In no particular order here's a few impressions of the F3 from an RT lover's perspective.

1. The shorter windscreen looks too short but surprisingly I found it extremely adequate even running through a rain shower.
2. The 1330 Ace engine delivers on the low end torque but the power advantages are really lost on me.
3. Fuel economy is much better than the 998
4. Storage space is extremely limited as opposed to the RT. A big disappointment was that my new Full Face helmet wouldn't fit in the frunk.
5. The SE6 transmission shifted and clutched a bit more smoothly than the SE5.
6. On the Spyder continuum the RT is more a three wheeled car, the F3 more of a three wheeled motocycle.
7. The lower seating lowers the center of gravity coupled with a lower curb weight giving a much more nimble feel.
8. The build quality is excellent.

[03hdjill]

Loved hearing about your trip (and the new F3) Roger. Hope it treats you well.