Handling

[mudduck0]

I bought a 2008 spyder roadster a couple of weeks ago, and so far it seems the squirrliest handling machine I've ever been on and I've been riding MC's for 45 years. I'm 6 ft. 250 and have the front shock springs on the highest load setting, the bike has only 5K miles, updates and the recall for the steering has been done according to the last owner. Is this normal for this bike ? I have a larger adjustable sway bar on order, do yall think this will help?

[NancysToy]

What helps the most is to forget and to relax. Forget everything you ever knew about riding a motorcycle...the Spyder is a whole different animal. Relax your grip. The Spyder responds very quickly, without the gyroscopic directional stability a two-wheeler provides. Nothing will make a Spyder handle worse than a tight grip and countless, often subconscious, steering corrections. Took me a while, but I switch hit easily now. Hope you can get used to it.

[dltang]

Like Scotty said, relax, loosen your grip and enjoy the ride. Don't ride it like a motorcycle, it is a whole other animal. You will get accustomed to the feel and it will become second nature.

[dancogan]

It would also be worthwhile to check with a shop to make sure the "last" steering recall was done. There have been several recalls for steering and the last one results in replacement of the steering unit, and seems to result in a great improvement in handling.

[mudduck0]

It did get much better when I tightened the springs up, but when riding a long sweeping one lane curve on a freeway interchane, it was drifting to the inside and a little correction seemed to send it heading straight the outside of the curve, and that was only running about 40mph

[Sny]

The evo sway bar and a set of shocks off an RT will help... but I agree with the others, probably just need more seat time to get used to it.

And I would have a dealer plug in the buds and print out a list of everything ever done to your Spyder so you have a hard copy.

[Big Arm]

It did get much better when I tightened the springs up, but when riding a long sweeping one lane curve on a freeway interchane, it was drifting to the inside and a little correction seemed to send it heading straight the outside of the curve, and that was only running about 40mph

I agree with dancogan..."It would also be worthwhile to check with a shop to make sure the "last" steering recall was done. There have been several recalls for steering and the last one results in replacement of the steering unit, and seems to result in a great improvement in handling."

Make sure the steering unit has been replaced.

[Bob Denman]

Checking on all of the "updates" is a real good idea... but Scotty's advice to just relax worked wonders for me... I had almost 30 years of two-wheeled experience, but the first two miles out of the dealership had me convinced that these things were gonna kill me... until I loosened up on the bars just a bit. BRP knows how to make a machine that'll track straight and true if you just let it do it's thing... (Oh! Alignment and tire pressures...) Let us know what you find!

[pjp623]

There is a definate learning curve involved with this machine and I agree that you must relax with it--easier said than done. Other things that may help are adjusting shocks and air pressure to where it feels good to you. The Evo sway bar will make a difference.
Good luck, and remember:

[napper39]

you are just like me ,i have had 50 motorcycles and this spyder is not at all like any of them ive had my spyder for a month and i got 450 miles on it now and i just now can ride 55 with out scaring the hell out of me.but i try to ride every day and i get better every time i ride .the realex part is the one that will work,and mayb we both will be going 70 mph soon.hang in and it should get better.i started riding at 10 mt dad brought hom a duddle bug,and i rode the ##### out of it but that was 1949 and now im going to tame this spyder.

[DragonSpyder]

swaybar and setting the Toe on the front-end totally changed the handling for the better.

[lamarguy]

Ha, I recently purchased a 2009 RS with 150 miles on it from a private seller and rode it 150 miles home at freeway speeds (80+)....First ride on a Spyder, didn't scare me at all. I grew up riding dirt bikes and had a sport bike in high school.

Maybe it's an age thing?

[Old Jack]

Check your air pressure in the tires, I too am 6-4, 230 and I set the preload on the springs front and rear to the max 6-7 and run 19 PSI in the front tires and 30 in the rear. Get a good gauge and make sure it is accurate. These things are kind of like F1 Cars, they decide on the tires they want to use and build the car or in this case the Spyder around them.

Stay loose, it might take a few miles but it will come to you, but lI didn't expect to be able to go around corners with a bike when I bought the machine.

Hope this helps.

[ARtraveler]

Scotty and the others are right on. I found it took me about 500 miles of driving before I got it smooth and non-squirrly feeling. Been driving 2-wheelers since 1966. As they said, less input is better---try to see how little input you can give it, to make it do what you want. I use a push pull system on the bars when making turn inputs. Over correction will get you going all over the road. Also try the apex system on turns----see Motorcycle Consumer News for an article on that. Wife was a non-biker and it only took her a couple hundred miles to get it. Between the two of us--we now have over 50,000 Spyder miles. Just stick with it and you will enjoy your .

[FANG]

What helps the most is to forget and to relax. Forget everything you ever knew about riding a motorcycle...the Spyder is a whole different animal. Relax your grip. The Spyder responds very quickly, without the gyroscopic directional stability a two-wheeler provides. Nothing will make a Spyder handle worse than a tight grip and countless, often subconscious, steering corrections. Took me a while, but I switch hit easily now. Hope you can get used to it.

Scotty is the man -- take his advice and you'll love the ryde.

[Bob Denman]

[BLACK WIDOW]

I bought a 2008 spyder roadster a couple of weeks ago, and so far it seems the squirrliest handling machine I've ever been on and I've been riding MC's for 45 years. I'm 6 ft. 250 and have the front shock springs on the highest load setting, the bike has only 5K miles, updates and the recall for the steering has been done according to the last owner. Is this normal for this bike ? I have a larger adjustable sway bar on order, do yall think this will help?

Not to worry--All us old 2 wheel jockies probably went thought the same thing (I know I did). It just takes some getting used to, and you will, and you'll love it.

[COOLMACHINE]

Ha, I recently purchased a 2009 RS with 150 miles on it from a private seller and rode it 150 miles home at freeway speeds (80+)....First ride on a Spyder, didn't scare me at all. I grew up riding dirt bikes and had a sport bike in high school.

Maybe it's an age thing?

Age thing? What? Oh, you're too young to know what a squirrelly ride feels like when you have one? Just giving you some trouble lamarguy. I just couldn't help myself.

[lamarguy]

Oh, you're too young to know what a squirrelly ride feels like when you have one?

Ha, I like 'em "squirrelly"! More entertaining.

[FANG]

Ha, I like 'em "squirrelly"! More entertaining.

Just remember - squirrelly (loose) means FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bikeguy]

What helps the most is to forget and to relax. Forget everything you ever knew about riding a motorcycle...the Spyder is a whole different animal. Relax your grip. The Spyder responds very quickly, without the gyroscopic directional stability a two-wheeler provides. Nothing will make a Spyder handle worse than a tight grip and countless, often subconscious, steering corrections. Took me a while, but I switch hit easily now. Hope you can get used to it.

Scotty absolutely nailed the primary difference in riding a two-wheeler versus the Spyder. I had read over and over on Spyderlovers that you have to relax your grip versus riding a two-wheeler but reading about it doesn't make it happen. I enjoyed riding the Spyder immediately but I had 3,000 miles on my RT before I felt like I could really ride it pretty well.

Cotton

[Bob Denman]

"Squirrelly"?? have any of you guys tried to bend an old H2 into a turn with the loud grip set on "KILL"?

[boborgera]

Ha, I like 'em "squirrelly"! More entertaining.

The squirrelly feeling is just the tail waging the dog ,two wheels up front one in the back. Every now and then the back tire will fall [slide] off the crown of the road, that's the waging you'll feel.
Nothing to worry about, you'll just have to change your underwear more often.

[Bob Denman]

Just like in NASCAR... use tear-offs

[boborgera]

Just like in NASCAR... use tear-offs

Not good the drivers behind you might get Sh** faced, and give you more than the Jersey Salute