Spyder RtL handling in mountains

[south GA Farm Boy]

Guys,
I was at a festival in South Georgia this weekend, and a group of 2 wheel riders were telling me that I would not like my Spyder once I get to Maggie Valley this weekend for the Rally! They said it was great in South Georgia with few curves and no mountains, but in the mountains, my arms would become very tired of turning handlebars, and the bike would be trying to throw my wife and myself off on the sharp mountain curves! One guy said he bought one and kept it about a month before going back to a Harley! He said it was not a mountain bike! We are enjoying it down here, but I do notice on curves it seem to push your body to the outside of the bike! Any truth in what they are saying, or are they just jealous of the Spyder?
Thanks for your comments!

[BajaRon]

Guys,
I was at a festival in South Georgia this weekend, and a group of 2 wheel riders were telling me that I would not like my Spyder once I get to Maggie Valley this weekend for the Rally! They said it was great in South Georgia with few curves and no mountains, but in the mountains, my arms would become very tired of turning handlebars, and the bike would be trying to throw my wife and myself off on the sharp mountain curves! One guy said he bought one and kept it about a month before going back to a Harley! He said it was not a mountain bike! We are enjoying it down here, but I do notice on curves it seem to push your body to the outside of the bike! Any truth in what they are saying, or are they just jealous of the Spyder?
Thanks for your comments!

In a nutshell, they are wrong. It is a rare Harley rider that can keep up with a decent rider and set up Spyder in the twisties.

That being said there are some things that can be disconcerting to a person coming off of 2 wheels. On 2 wheels centrifugal force keeps the rider in the seat. The forces are in alignment, so to speak. On the Spyder, centrifugal force works to push the rider to the outside of a turn. The same effect that you get in a car. This requires that the rider change their style a bit to reduce the effects of centrifugal force.

Steering can be more tiresome on the Spyder. It is important to both push out on the outside bar and pull in on the inside bar. The same amount of total force is needed but cutting the workload in 1/2 for each arm helps the rider avoid fatigue.

And there are things that can be done to the Spyder which will greatly improve overall handling on curvy roads.

[fjray]

They are speaking the truth. It's a fair bit of work to make the spyder dance in the twisty's. It will do it but you will always feel like you are being pushed off the bike from the centrifugal force. You will learn to shift your weight to the inside and have your pillion do the same. With lots of practice you will be able to corner with the 2 wheel folks

[POD KonB GA]

I fell in love with my Spyder even more in the mountains, and I'm a flatlander like you. Yes, it's different than two wheels, but I found it extremely fun. We were group riding and I would have to slow down in the curves, not because I felt like I was being thrown off, but because I could take them quicker than the two wheelers, and I was in the back! My wife and I were up in Helen at the beginning of the summer and she never complained about feeling like she going to be thrown off. Even though the Spyder doesn't lean, I still use the "chin over wrist" technique in curves. Also, press on the outboard floorboard/peg through the curve. Make sure your wife leans with you, and y'all will be fine. Have a great time, and enjoy those curves!

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[Bob Denman]

Never wrestle with a pig...
You have to get down in the mud with them in order to do so; and then they beat you with their experience!

[ARtraveler]

I get to ride the mountains every day that I am on my . For me, that one of the great things about Alaska. Give me twisties and I am in my element. Do I get more tired?--The short answer is No. It's all about weight shifting and leaning into the curves a little bit. It takes off the "g" forces.

[jcthorne]

With a bit of experience and a few minor upgrades, there will be VERY few Harley riders that can keep up with your Spyder in the twisties.

2 Wheelers take considerable experience to control well in the twisties as well but in the end, the Spyder is considerably more capable than any of the cruiser bikes. A crotch rocket driven by a truly competent rider will run away though.

[Chupaca]

These are the things that are so much fun with these machines...finding out how you and the machine will do down the road...I do not find it tiring at all and can stay a fair way ahead of most. Go out there and give it a whirl... you will have fun and the more you venture out the more fun it will be...Sooooo..." you may be tired but you will get there before them"...

[rick_w]

Guys,
I was at a festival in South Georgia this weekend, and a group of 2 wheel riders were telling me that I would not like my Spyder once I get to Maggie Valley this weekend for the Rally! They said it was great in South Georgia with few curves and no mountains, but in the mountains, my arms would become very tired of turning handlebars, and the bike would be trying to throw my wife and myself off on the sharp mountain curves! One guy said he bought one and kept it about a month before going back to a Harley! He said it was not a mountain bike! We are enjoying it down here, but I do notice on curves it seem to push your body to the outside of the bike! Any truth in what they are saying, or are they just jealous of the Spyder?
Thanks for your comments!

Install a Sway Bar on your Spyder, that will help a lot with the Spyder. The rest is just getting used to the Spyder in Curves.
I do not put down other bikes, but I can out run just about any Harley in the curves with our Spyder. I also have a 2016 Ultra Classic Limited with Progressive Suspension Shocks and many upgrades for ride quality and handling. The bike is fine, but not like the Spyder.
We will be running our own Spyder through Deals Gap and all the other great roads down here around Maggie Valley the next few days.

[OverHillAndDale]

Just did (yesterday and today) Maggie Valley, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherahala Skyway and the dragon. No issues at all. There was a Harley that had wrecked on the Dragon with paramedics all around.

I've done these roads on two wheels, much prefer the Spyder.



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[pwm]

As long as the alignment is correct on you will have no issues. We ride the dragon often sometimes a lot faster than we should.

[marty1096]

My first time doing curves going 60 out of Phoenix to Prescott AZ. Running inside curves did just fine. Did not riding the outside of the curve. These are switchbacks that say the recommended speed is 20-25mph. My Sig other has a victory cross-country tour. Of course he left me. He has been riding 60 yrs. He is 66. I have been riding 2 wheeler less than 2 yrs. The 3 wheeler since may 2016. Yes initially I felt this force trying to force me off bike but then I found if I leaned forward and used a push pull technique I could maneuver the curves going 35-40mph. I moved out of way and waved faster vehicles by so they could enjoy their ride. Coming back down we rode 17. By the time I made it to 17 I had better control and more experience. It's a matter of practice. The hot weather is gone and I am on my bike everyday. I look forward to many days of riding this fall and winter until may 1st

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[asp125]

It's a workout hustling the Spyder through twisties. First, the dry weight of our GS/RS is almost 800lbs. With gas it's closer to 900. That's twice the weight of my sport bike. That's a lot of weight to throw around a corner. I much prefer my Street Triple in the canyons at speed. The Spyder is for cruising and two upping; even moreso if you have an RT. The F3 is reportedly easier to maneuver, but I have no personal comparison with it and my two wheelers.

Second, body english.. BODY ENGLISH! Get forward using the "kiss the inside mirror" technique, weight the outside peg/floorboard, and brace against the tank with your knees. Keep yourself to the inside of the Spyder and you can corner much faster, until the inside wheel lifts and Nanny kicks in.

Also, I find the Y configuration doesn't trail brake to the apex too well. It prefers to be on the gas a little all the way around the corner. So I usually get done braking in a straight line and crack on the throttle progressively in the curve.

It's no match for a sport bike, but it's not the most awful pig in the corner that it first appears to be, when ridden correctly.

I think you'll have a great time in Maggie Valley - though I suspect if you want speed, you'll prefer the Cherohala Skyway over the Dragon.

[spyder stryder]

If you have any problems with the way your spyder suspension handles
get in touch with Ron. He has a sway bar & front spring adjusters that
will help a lot. Riding two up on the RT run at least 18-19# of air in the
front tires this will help. Watch your speed on the dragon you don't want
to get a ticket on that ride.


spyder strider

Dan

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Read my first post in this thread http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...ng+motor+trike to see what the owner of Motor Trikes had to say about how fast a reverse trike can take a corner compared to a two wheeler or conventional trike.

[SAMBILLIE]

Never road on 2 wheels but have plenty of miles(though never enough) in the mountains of vernon and high point here in NJ. BAJARON antiswaybar is a must. I find pushing my knees inward toward each other and onto the tank, helps stabilize my body on the bike. I found my comfort zone by pushing with outside hand for about 2/3s energy compared to pulling in 1/3 with inside hand. But find your own comfort zone which will depend on strengh/injuries and comfort. Leaning slightly forward On the inside pulling hand helps on extreme wiglys for me. EXPERIMENT AND ENJOY ONE UP AT A TIME

[KayMarc]

I came off a Glodwing recently and now ride a 2014 RTL at first I was a little worried about the change myself but after only a few weeks of riding I have become quite comfortable on the Spyder. I do notice that with my wife and myself on together the handling in corners is quite a bit more noticeable from the extra weight. But I have been riding with my old club on many winding roads and have no problem handling corners just as fast as any of them have gone. Give it some time I think the longer you ride it the more comfortable you will be. I bought my Spyder 8/16/16 so like I said I am quit new to it but every time I climb on it I like it a little more. I also have heard some stories about how much it wears you out in corners and long rides but I just got back from a 600 plus mile ride last weekend and was actually less tired than on similar rides with my Goldwing. Enjoy

[PaladinLV]

You need to lean your body INTO the curve and put pressure on the outside foot
Nough said.

AJ

Guys,
I was at a festival in South Georgia this weekend, and a group of 2 wheel riders were telling me that I would not like my Spyder once I get to Maggie Valley this weekend for the Rally! They said it was great in South Georgia with few curves and no mountains, but in the mountains, my arms would become very tired of turning handlebars, and the bike would be trying to throw my wife and myself off on the sharp mountain curves! One guy said he bought one and kept it about a month before going back to a Harley! He said it was not a mountain bike! We are enjoying it down here, but I do notice on curves it seem to push your body to the outside of the bike! Any truth in what they are saying, or are they just jealous of the Spyder?
Thanks for your comments!