Motorcycles vs Spyder

[Lamonster]

I've heard and read some of the comments about the Spyder from "motorcycle" guys and I think it's kinda funny. For some reason some of these guys think that no "real biker" would ride a Spyder. If you think I'm making this up just read some of the comments on some of the Spyder videos on youtube.

Now I know the Spyder is not a motorcycle and was never marketed as such. I know there are a lot of Spyder owners who have never ridden a motorcycle and this is their first open air riding experience.

I also know that there are those with physical limitations that has brought them to purchasing the Spyder. Maybe this is the first time that anything has been made that resembles a motorcycle that they've been able to ride or afford. Then there are those who have ridden motorcycles but for one reason or another they can no longer hold up a motorcycle and the Spyder is the answer for their problem.

Then there's the guys and gals like me. I ridden and owned just about every type of motorcycle there is. From 100cc dirtbikes to 5700cc V8 motorcycles and just about everything in between. I just like being in the wind and it has nothing to do with me not being able to ride anything else. I can ride whatever I want.

I got my Spyder right after I got my KFX700 4wheeler. That thing is a blast to ride on the dirt and to me the Spyder is just as much as a blast except I get to ride it on the street. Even though the Spyder isn't a motorcycle it is no less fun than any of the bikes I've owned through the years and right now it's the funest thing I own because it isn't a motorcycle. I still love my bikes but I really fell in love with the Spyder.

I don't know how many of you remember the movie Quigley Down Under but there was a classic line toward the end of the movie. Quigley was hired by this bad guy to do some long range shooting. Turns out he wanted him to shoot people so he didn't want the job.

He was an expert shot with a rifle and the bad guy concidered himself an expert with a pistiol. At one point Quigley made a comment that he didn't have much use for a pistol. The bad guy took that as he wasn't very good at shooting a pistol. If you watch this little video you'll see how that turned out if you've never seen the movie.

I feel the same way about the Spyder. It's not that I can't ride a motorcycle or that I'm not very good at riding a motorcycle. It's just that right now I'm really enjoying my Spyder.

[sleepman]

One of my favorite movies of all time. "God created man, Sam Colt made'em equal".

I consider myself to be a biker. I've been riding 2 wheels since I was 7, got a moped when I was 14 (go ahead and laugh, but I was licensed and on the road), got my motorcycle license and my first motorcycle at 16 and have never looked back. I ride everyday rain or shine. Now people can say what they want about the Spyder, but I don't think it makes me any less of a rider or biker. The thing has a fun factor to it and also brings a little more safety, which with all the blue haired snow birds around doesn't sound like such a bad thing to me.

[RoHo]

I'm with you Lamonster!!! And I loved that movie - have the dvd.

Roho

[crazycanuck]

Lamont, could have used you at the sport bikes ride.......some of them said exactly what you wrote

[M2Wild]

My local m/c store call the Spyder "quad bike". I am like there is noting quad about these things.

[FANG]

Negaitve comments with out ever trying the can be taken with a grain of salt. Ignorance is alway LOUD but seldom ACCURATE.

I am one of those with limited 2 wheel experience. I am a disabled vet and the Spyder offers me an alternative that I may not have been able to experience without this machine.

Motorcycle or not it is the open air ryde that drew me. I was all set to buy a 2 wheeler but the wife convinced me that we should go wtih the ; best advice she has ever given me (and believe me she gives ADVICE all the time -- LOL).

I for one am proud of my ryde and to those ignorant souls I say "MOVE OVER A COMING THRU."

[daddydarko]

The was the first bike I ever owned. I own a Buell now too. I bought it to understand the difference between 2 and 3 wheels and to establish some cred with my rider friends.

Here are the facts: the is smarter, safer, and a bigger head-turner than most things on 2 wheels. With the , you get innovation and piece of mind along with one helluva fun time. What you don't get is the knee dragging, hooligan fun of a sportbike.

I would also never let my boy ride with me on my Buell. When a pothole or rodent is all that stands between you and death, it's an easy decision.

[SpydeeBite2]

It is unfortunate that some can not think or see outside the box they "ride" in. Do these people say the same thing of a HD three wheeler or a Honda conversion?
Both in WI and now in FL we have met many many really nice people who think the is quite inovative and just really cool.
We have had the since July of last year and in that time I have met only one person who didn't like the . He was a honda rider and he may have taken exception when I told him his bike was missing a wheel!
I know everyone is intiltled to their opinion but the truth be told we are having so much fun with the to really give a dam what some may think.
Ron

[crazycanuck]

The was the first bike I ever owned. I own a Buell now too. I bought it to understand the difference between 2 and 3 wheels and to establish some cred with my rider friends.

Here are the facts: the is smarter, safer, and a bigger head-turner than most things on 2 wheels. With the , you get innovation and piece of mind along with one helluva fun time. What you don't get is the knee dragging, hooligan fun of a sportbike.

I would also never let my boy ride with me on my Buell. When a pothole or rodent is all that stands between you and death, it's an easy decision.

i seem to be riding my sports bike a lot less these days

[Buelldog]

I wear my Harley Jacket when I am riding my Spyder and My Spyder/CanAm jacket when I am riding my Buell.....Talk about foggy looks from other bikers.......After 54 years of riding and owning 70 plus bikes, trikes, atv's......Spydie has a fun factor niche all its own and who cares what class of vehicle it falls under!!

[Roger]

AMEN RON.

[NancysToy]

Well stated Lamont! Same thing happens between brands. There will always be short-sighted people and those that just can't understand. We will seldom convince them. I just grin and ride on, knowing that I have experienced something they will never know. Heck, I've fallen off motorcycles going faster than most folks have ever ridden them. I earned the right to ride whatever I please. We all have, even the beginners, the way I see it.
-Scotty

[Hoog]

Obviously I'm a motorcycle guy, because I never would have spent the money on a Spyder for myself. It just doesn't "do it" for me. It's great to grab and run down to the store, or blast around a bit, but I'm not taking any trips on it. I don't consider it "smarter" or more safe, and its lack of range is kinda ridiculous really.

But...I do love the Spyder. Let me explain.

My wife and I like to tour. For a long time that meant her on the back of my BMW, riding the Smokies, Ozarks, Rockies, the Wasatch....the Keys...through the U.P. ...you get the picture. My wife eventually started riding her own, but never more than a day away from home. The trips where she took hers were the most nerve racking I'd ever taken.

I would spend the entire trip with one eye on the road and one in the mirror. Her work schedule kept her from ever getting the seat time required to be really proficient on the bike, especially in slow speed situations like parking lots. She rode fine, but every gas stop was another opportunity for disaster. It wasn't fun for either of us, and forget her taking it anywhere without me (her decision, not mine).

Then along came the Spyder, and I don't worry about her anymore.

My wife loves this thing. Gone are the problems and doubt she never could overcome on the bikes. It's now enjoyable for her to take it to the store, or just out for a ride to clear out the day at work. She has put more miles on the Spyder in the year we've owned it than she put on all of the bikes she owned combined.

Last August she took the Spyder on our 5500 mile trip to Utah, The Black Hills and back. She never would have done that...experienced that...on her own motorcycle. Late on day two (and again on day three, and again on the way back home), she did say she'd gained a new found respect for what I and other long distance riders go through. She's a trooper and can't wait for our next trip.

I've heard the BS about how "it's not a motorcycle"; my answer is always "who cares?" From my experience, the kind of people that say that generally have a very narrow viewpoint on what motorcycling is anyway. I loved the looks of the skeptical "bikers" out west when they would finally notice the Florida tags.

"You rode that all the way out here?"

"You don't see any trailers around do you?"

Priceless

Crotch rockets and cruisers just aren't versatile enough for me, but I would never disparage their appeal. Same for the Spyder. It opens up what I most enjoy in life (well....almost) to a whole new group of riders. How is that a bad thing?


Pic of the SO in Badlands N.P. ...

[Don in E Texas]

1971 - my friend and I just arrived in Ruidoso, NM for the 10th Annual Apencade Motorcyclist Convention. We were in the main site's parking lot when a Honda Goldwing arrived -- couple got off.... A few minutes later a dude arrived on his BMW-- wearing high dollar touring clothing and looking like he just stepped out of a motorcycle advertisement. The women approached him and we'lcomed him as they were both from the same State (won't mention the New England State - does not matter). The BMW rider never spoke to her - never said a word; just looked at the bike and saw it was not a BMW and walked away. A lasting impression on me (38 yrs ago!!). I hope I NEVER act like that towards anyone - for any reason.

I was on my Suzuki - 550 --- later to be traded for Honda Interstate Goldwing..

Don

[2spyders]

My wife loves this thing. Gone are the problems and doubt she never could overcome on the bikes. It's now enjoyable for her to take it to the store, or just out for a ride to clear out the day at work. She has put more miles on the Spyder in the year we've owned it than she put on all of the bikes she owned combined.

Ditto , me too.

I saw hubby's trunk and two-up seat for his Harley stuck in the back of the garage all covered in dust the other day and that's when it hit me that we hadn't ridden two-up since the day I got the Spyder last July.

When people ask me why I like it, I say "goes fast and won't fall down." That's all I need.

[Smylinacha]

I would spend the entire trip with one eye on the road and one in the mirror. Her work schedule kept her from ever getting the seat time required to be really proficient on the bike, especially in slow speed situations like parking lots. She rode fine, but every gas stop was another opportunity for disaster. It wasn't fun for either of us, and forget her taking it anywhere without me (her decision, not mine).

Then along came the Spyder, and I don't worry about her anymore.

My wife loves this thing. Gone are the problems and doubt she never could overcome on the bikes. It's now enjoyable for her to take it to the store, or just out for a ride to clear out the day at work. She has put more miles on the Spyder in the year we've owned it than she put on all of the bikes she owned combined.

I'll agree w/ ya there and I'm sure my hubby HDX would too - he used to worry about me BAD when I was on my bikes. Sometimes my neck would be so messed up my arms would tingle and it was hard for me to hang onto the bars. Or I'd be so tired after a long ride to the destination and then realize I had to go all the way back home on the same day and I sometimes I was zoning out on the way home - having no idea how I got there. Then there was the stress of trying to hold up my Harley on an incline w/ a sharp turn - that sucked. Then I got the Spyder and all of that nonsense disappeared! I do miss two wheels a little bit but I don't have any more mishaps when riding.

[SpyderByter]

Whatever blows your hair back.

Been on plenty of fund raiser rides that were 99% Harleys, then me on my Suzuki. Never bothered me then, and I will continue to go now on my Spyder. Nice and comfy.

Someone don't like my ride? 'em

From what I have seen, you can put a really nice Harley next to a Spyder, and the Spyder always gets noticed. Put it next to a nice car, it will still draw more curiousity. This happens when ever I am riding with someone.

Everyone has thier preferences. I prefer open air over a car, and now I prefer 3 wheels.

[cisaacs]

I started on a Spyder and liked it a lot. After a few months I came down with a bad case of 2 wheel syndrome and traded for a 2 wheeler. I have found that I ride the 2 wheeler a lot less than the Spyder and I don't take my son on the 2 wheeler like we did on the Spyder. If I could of afforded it I would have both but I do love my Yamaha Raider and miss the Spyder. I do not feel any diffrent on 2 wheels than I did on the Spyder. I think it does not matter if you ride a 500 dollar 20 year old bike or a decked out Harley as long as it is not a cage.

[Dudley]

My wife and I love talking to people about our SE5 Spyder. We have received countless thumbs up from Harley riders. The snobbiest have been the GoldWing riders. Crossed about 10 one day and not ONE wave even though my wife was waving to them. You would think at least on passenger would have waved. Oh well, the air is still feeling good. We talked to a man at a gas station who had to stop riding because he didn't feel comfortable holding up a big bike anymore (he was 62). He said the Spyder could be his way of riding again. A lady in Rite-Aid Drugs asked, "Are you the ones on that contraption? What is that thing?" So we proceeded to tell her.

[aka1004]

One of replies I saw on YouTube was "why don't you just learn to ride a real bike" well I come from sportbike side and spyder is way more fun. I think I am having more fun on spyder because I feel so much safer ok it.

[Roaddog2]

I always figured a trike would be in my future when a 1000lb bike became too much. I just assumed it would be a Harley. When Roaddog told me he put a deposit on a Spyder, I thought he lost his last few marbles.....A month or so later, Smylie and I rode up to Mass to check out a demo(CT didn't have dealers then) They wouldn't let us ride it because it was raining(even though we rode 2 wheels 150 miles to get there....go figure). I came away impressed with the design and engineering however. Last spring, Roaddog recieved his, and CT came online. I think Smilinacha put a deposit down before she finished her test ride. There's been no looking back for her. It's been a great experience for me, also. I'm not ready to give up 2 wheels yet, but I do get to ride the Spyder often. That Harley trike I thought was in my future, will probably be a Spyder now. We've always hung around in Harley dominated circles, and the Spyder has been very well recieved. (Especially when ya' light off that 2 Brothers can.....) Most of the raised eyebrows belong to the ignorant, all the "real" bikers I know are impressed with the machine.....

The best response yet was from two H.A. guys right here in CT.
and they loved it they neven asked me were they can go test ride 1 and were very inpressed with the little Micro burn I did for them

[NancysToy]

I have to chime in again. My experience was identical to some others here. I hated two-up riding on the tall, top-heavy BMW, but my wife wasn't comfortable on her own bike, and I would be worried sick. I know Hoog's trick of riding in my mirrors all the time. The Spyder changed the world, for both Nancy and for me. She rides anywhere now, and I don't look back constantly. I also get to leave that silly topcase and backrest behind. Call it anything you want, ride it, make fun of it, or ignore it, but anything that turned my wife into a real rider and lets me ride lead solo, without worrying, deserves an award. If I had room in the garage, I'd have a second Spyder for myself.
-Scotty

[Roaddog2]

I have to chime in again. My experience was identical to some others here. I hated two-up riding on the tall, top-heavy BMW, but my wife wasn't comfortable on her own bike, and I would be worried sick. I know Hoog's trick of riding in my mirrors all the time. The Spyder changed the world, for both Nancy and for me. She rides anywhere now, and I don't look back constantly. I also get to leave that silly topcase and backrest behind. Call it anything you want, ride it, make fun of it, or ignore it, but anything that turned my wife into a real rider and lets me ride lead solo, without worrying, deserves an award. If I had room in the garage, I'd have a second Spyder for myself.
-Scotty

A nice large enough Shed next to that garage just might work just a thought for down the road

[NancysToy]

A nice large enough Shed next to that garage just might work just a thought for down the road

That's full, too. Where do you think the tricycle lives?
-Scotty

[vt228]

my wife and I road goldwing 1300cc a fat boy till I hurt my back had surgery L 4 L 5 fuzzed my back was told I well never ride again then after 2 yrs I rode a spyder in Laconia nh and I was back I payed for it then and there a week later I had my spyder .Harley riders around here tryed my spyder and took there breth away and say I have a bad ass bike and 5 have got spyders too . I wash my bike every month and wax her keep the fat boy covered and well never sell her my son rides her in summer. If I could hold her up I would be on her still but my spyder is my ride I still love my Harley fat boy.