Just got back from our first weekend on the Wing Trike. Got to visit with many of our Spyder Ryding friends, who really felt the need to bust my chops about MY backwards trike!
All in good fun though! We had a blast in Farmington MO. They were all there for the Spyder Palooza and we crashed the party.
A few of those folks asked me about the differences between the Spyder and the Wing, and I also had some PMs asking about the differences. As in most things there are pros and cons to each. None of which detract from the fun factor. But I will try to provide my honest feedback, free of charge. There is a money back guarantee if you are unhappy with the result.
Disclaimer: I am comparing the 2003 Wing on a 2009 Champion Kit to my former ride, a 2010 Spyder RT with Elkas but no RonBar. So RS-S and ST-S folks don't be alarmed and leave the flamethrowers in the OFF position.
Fun Factor:
Pretty even match. Although I think it is a "state law" somewhere that you are supposed to prefer your newest ride. So I will.
Rider comfort and ergos:
A nod goes ever so slightly to my RT. Primarily because I had custom built my own highway pegs and dialed them into my own personal specs. I also preferred my Corbin seat as it had more "posterior vacancy". However, I prefer the bar reach and width on the Wing. After I get a backrest and new custom highway pegs, I think I will be equally comfy on the Wing.
Passenger comfort and ergos:
ConnieMac likes both, but that big ole Wing passenger seat has won her over. We had arm rests on the RT-Corbin, and I may add some to the Wing, but for her,,, the Wing gets the nod, with or without armrests.
Smoothness of ride:
At slow speeds in town, the RT wins. The single front tire on the Wing is more reactionary to road imperfections and was disconcerting at first. It was fine after I got used to it, but definitely different than the RT. At running speed both machines are very smooth. However, the Wing gets a better grade. I think maybe the driveshaft makes the difference over the belt drive. Or perhaps it is the lower RPM range of the Wing, but at running speed 30+mph I'd give the nod to the Wing. Cruising at 60mph at 2500 RPM does have its perks.
Cornering on dry road condition hard- twisties:
My RT setup with the Elkas would win in this category. But in its stock 2010 shock config it would not outperform the Wing. We ran the same roads this weekend that we formerly did on the RT and I was just as fast in 90% of them. However, there were a couple of curves that had me wondering if the single front tire would keep hugging the road. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well the traditional trike did. I was expecting to see a bigger degradation in handling when compared to the RT. I think the lower COG on the Wing is what helped close the gap some. I always felt, even when I owned the RT, that I would like to sit down into the machine more. A lower COG is definitely a confidence booster.
Cornering on smooth sweepers:
Not a lot of difference, but I'd give a nod to the Wing. It just has such smooth power and is a tremendous pleasure to hit the sweepers. There is zero sway with the solid axle Wing.
Corning on ANY rain soaked curve:
Spyder wins hands down. Although we didn't ride in the rain on the Wing, there is zero doubt in my mind, that on a wet road, I'd prefer two in front. I will just have to adapt and go a bit slower on the Wing when we do get caught in the rain.
Electronic Controls and Stereo:
The Wing wins this category. Honda has these controls setup for ease of use especially when wearing gloves. They have been at this a while and it is apparent. Very easy to initiate and cancel turn signals. And the Wing stereo is magnificent. Cruise control works equally well on both. However the power windscreen on the RT is preferred, I never changed the height much anyway, so the point is moot.
Powertrain:
An 1800cc 6cyl, shaft-drive definitely wins the day. The Wing is just incredible in the low end and smooth as butter in the upper range. I found that I down-shifted far less with the Wing. Even two-up and triked, it will pull like crazy with a twist of the throttle and no lugging, even at very low RPM. Also with our combined weight, the Wing is effortless at take off from a dead stop. And especially so on an incline. And the "sound" of the Wing just exudes power. I love the sound and won't change a thing on the exhaust. (EDIT) how could I forget the reverse gear. I much prefer the mechanical reverse of the Spyder over the Wing's electric version. I will just try to park conveniently on the Wing.
Fuel mileage
Mark Lawson told me to expect an 8mpg boost with the Wing. I was skeptical. But sure enough, he was almost spot on. I usually got in the low 30mpg range on my RT. This weekend, I averaged 38.7mpg on the Wing. So obviously the Honda comes out on top here.
In the final analysis. Both machines are FUN! Each one has its own areas of superiority. If I were asked to choose, I'd say that I would prefer a combination of both. I'd love to have the two front wheels of the Spyder on the Goldwing power train and electronics. But since we don't currently have that, then I will simply say that I am VERY VERY happy with my current ride. But that doesn't mean that the Wing is better in every way. Just in many ways... For me.
So enjoy your ride. Whatever your ride may be. And be sure to give your buddies a hard time if they ride something different. After all, "it is all in good fun!"
Here is a "selfie" of me and ConnieMac enjoying the weekend with our friends!
I looked at Wings before buying my RT and you have confirmed that either would have been a good choice. If Honda would buy BRP the ultimate ride would likely result. Just dreaming I know but to have that motor on a Spyder....Oh yeah!! Glad to hear you enjoy it so much!
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Name: Eric Heims
Red 2016 RTS, Diamond R Armrests, Ram X Mount, Doc Humphreys Dampener, BajaRon Swaybar, Spyderpops "Critter Splitter"
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." John Philpot Curran 1790
Wow.. pretty shocked you went this route.....hope it works out well for you...
The front wheel is not your concern in cornering.... it is your inside rear that can come off the ground and thus tumble you over. Probably less likely with a passenger.... but no way would I try any performance riding with any conventional trike.
I'd love the Honda 6 in a Spyder.... YEAH!
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Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
Ok Steve............. I'll meet you at "Kentucky Lake" ride, and we'll have a face-off ... Goldwing ..vs.. Spyder ! I'll pull my trailer just to make if fair.
I remember that for sure on the old ATCs Dan. But didn't even get close to lifting a wheel today. I'd be much more concerned about pushing the single front tire than any rear tire lift. Especially based on the stability I experienced this weekend. And I wouldn't ride much, if any, harder than I did today. Heck, I've lifted a wheel a foot in the air on slow, sharp turns on the Spyder. Nanny gets confused on the slow sharpies! I guess because the lifted wheel is closely matching the revolution of the grounded wheel??
Regardless. Don't be too shocked my friend. The GW will be coming to a Spyder event near you soon! And no. I don't wanna race. Either with you or SethO!
Ok Steve............. I'll meet you at "Kentucky Lake" ride, and we'll have a face-off ... Goldwing ..vs.. Spyder ! I'll pull my trailer just to make if fair.
Thanks for the report steve. Options are never a bad thing
Rewaco RF-1 GT
Inline 4 cylinder Ford Zetec with multi-port fuel inject, 140 HP 0-60mph: 5.8 seconds 5 speed sync manual with reverse, mechanical dry clutch. Front suspension: Trapezoidal fork with center spring Rear suspension: Independent with Bilstein gas shock absorbers Brake System: Grimeca calipers, linked ventilated discs, with booster 10.57 gallons
Too bad you went with the Wing just before the 2014 Spyder announcement.
I suspected BRP would do this eventually. It is their only logical move for a touring entry. You may not believe this, but Honestly, even if I had advance notice of the BRP rollout, I would still have made the same decision to buy a used Goldwing. This particular version of the Wing is several years into production and the same dependable version with only slight changes is still in production a dozen years later. I bought exactly the machine I wanted after months of soul searching.
I really hope BRP has a winner with this model. But it is not for me. I'm very happy and content with my new ride!
Just got back from our first weekend on the Wing Trike. Got to visit with many of our Spyder Ryding friends, who really felt the need to bust my chops about MY backwards trike!
All in good fun though! We had a blast in Farmington MO. They were all there for the Spyder Palooza and we crashed the party.
A few of those folks asked me about the differences between the Spyder and the Wing, and I also had some PMs asking about the differences. As in most things there are pros and cons to each. None of which detract from the fun factor. But I will try to provide my honest feedback, free of charge. There is a money back guarantee if you are unhappy with the result.
Disclaimer: I am comparing the 2003 Wing on a 2009 Champion Kit to my former ride, a 2010 Spyder RT with Elkas but no RonBar. So RS-S and ST-S folks don't be alarmed and leave the flamethrowers in the OFF position.
Fun Factor:
Pretty even match. Although I think it is a "state law" somewhere that you are supposed to prefer your newest ride. So I will.
Rider comfort and ergos:
A nod goes ever so slightly to my RT. Primarily because I had custom built my own highway pegs and dialed them into my own personal specs. I also preferred my Corbin seat as it had more "posterior vacancy". However, I prefer the bar reach and width on the Wing. After I get a backrest and new custom highway pegs, I think I will be equally comfy on the Wing.
Passenger comfort and ergos:
ConnieMac likes both, but that big ole Wing passenger seat has won her over. We had arm rests on the RT-Corbin, and I may add some to the Wing, but for her,,, the Wing gets the nod, with or without armrests.
Smoothness of ride:
At slow speeds in town, the RT wins. The single front tire on the Wing is more reactionary to road imperfections and was disconcerting at first. It was fine after I got used to it, but definitely different than the RT. At running speed both machines are very smooth. However, the Wing gets a better grade. I think maybe the driveshaft makes the difference over the belt drive. Or perhaps it is the lower RPM range of the Wing, but at running speed 30+mph I'd give the nod to the Wing. Cruising at 60mph at 2500 RPM does have its perks.
Cornering on dry road condition hard- twisties:
My RT setup with the Elkas would win in this category. But in its stock 2010 shock config it would not outperform the Wing. We ran the same roads this weekend that we formerly did on the RT and I was just as fast in 90% of them. However, there were a couple of curves that had me wondering if the single front tire would keep hugging the road. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well the traditional trike did. I was expecting to see a bigger degradation in handling when compared to the RT. I think the lower COG on the Wing is what helped close the gap some. I always felt, even when I owned the RT, that I would like to sit down into the machine more. A lower COG is definitely a confidence booster.
Cornering on smooth sweepers:
Not a lot of difference, but I'd give a nod to the Wing. It just has such smooth power and is a tremendous pleasure to hit the sweepers. There is zero sway with the solid axle Wing.
Corning on ANY rain soaked curve:
Spyder wins hands down. Although we didn't ride in the rain on the Wing, there is zero doubt in my mind, that on a wet road, I'd prefer two in front. I will just have to adapt and go a bit slower on the Wing when we do get caught in the rain.
Electronic Controls and Stereo:
The Wing wins this category. Honda has these controls setup for ease of use especially when wearing gloves. They have been at this a while and it is apparent. Very easy to initiate and cancel turn signals. And the Wing stereo is magnificent. Cruise control works equally well on both. However the power windscreen on the RT is preferred, I never changed the height much anyway, so the point is moot.
Powertrain:
An 1800cc 6cyl, shaft-drive definitely wins the day. The Wing is just incredible in the low end and smooth as butter in the upper range. I found that I down-shifted far less with the Wing. Even two-up and triked, it will pull like crazy with a twist of the throttle and no lugging, even at very low RPM. Also with our combined weight, the Wing is effortless at take off from a dead stop. And especially so on an incline. And the "sound" of the Wing just exudes power. I love the sound and won't change a thing on the exhaust. (EDIT) how could I forget the reverse gear. I much prefer the mechanical reverse of the Spyder over the Wing's electric version. I will just try to park conveniently on the Wing.
Fuel mileage
Mark Lawson told me to expect an 8mpg boost with the Wing. I was skeptical. But sure enough, he was almost spot on. I usually got in the low 30mpg range on my RT. This weekend, I averaged 38.7mpg on the Wing. So obviously the Honda comes out on top here.
In the final analysis. Both machines are FUN! Each one has its own areas of superiority. If I were asked to choose, I'd say that I would prefer a combination of both. I'd love to have the two front wheels of the Spyder on the Goldwing power train and electronics. But since we don't currently have that, then I will simply say that I am VERY VERY happy with my current ride. But that doesn't mean that the Wing is better in every way. Just in many ways... For me.
So enjoy your ride. Whatever your ride may be. And be sure to give your buddies a hard time if they ride something different. After all, "it is all in good fun!"
Here is a "selfie" of me and ConnieMac enjoying the weekend with our friends!
Thanks for a really well written thread on these trikes. It really says what were all thinking about if could set up a mr potato head trike and produce the combo of the two
thAnks for the words
How about this trike. A Goldwing and Spyder combo. This is a reverse trike I built using a Goldwing. I built a complete bolt on front section that is like a Spyder. The body is made of fiberglass. I did not have to drill, grind or weld anything to the stock frame to install the kit. That way if i get tired of the three wheel ride, I can just unbolt it and bolt the stock bike parts back on and have a two wheel motorcycle again. It is a lot of fun to ride and has lots of power.
How about this trike. A Goldwing and Spyder combo. This is a reverse trike I built using a Goldwing. I built a complete bolt on front section that is like a Spyder. The body is made of fiberglass. I did not have to drill, grind or weld anything to the stock frame to install the kit. That way if i get tired of the three wheel ride, I can just unbolt it and bolt the stock bike parts back on and have a two wheel motorcycle again. It is a lot of fun to ride and has lots of power.
I'll never forget our meetup in Cape G. when I was test riding the BMW trike and you came in your before you sold it. We parked side-by-side Cop style and when we took off, your front fender almost hit the back fender of the BMW... thought this would discourage you from getting a conventional trike but oh well!
Have fun and don't forget your southern "Neighbours"
Heard Honda is working a 2 wheeled front trike. Something to do with market pushes and front tire wear issues. I've ridden both, and yes the physics of the front trike have an edge, but the dependability of a Honda with their years of experience really make a difference. That Honda 2 wheel front trike kit is a definite option plus.
Thanks for such a thorough and honest evaluation!
But we all knew to expect nothing less than that from you!!
We're going to continue to expect more reports from you about, "Life on the Dark Side"...
Enjoy your 'Wing!!
Inline 4 cylinder Ford Zetec with multi-port fuel inject, 140 HP 0-60mph: 5.8 seconds 5 speed sync manual with reverse, mechanical dry clutch. Front suspension: Trapezoidal fork with center spring Rear suspension: Independent with Bilstein gas shock absorbers Brake System: Grimeca calipers, linked ventilated discs, with booster 10.57 gallons
How about this trike. A Goldwing and Spyder combo. This is a reverse trike I built using a Goldwing. I built a complete bolt on front section that is like a Spyder. The body is made of fiberglass. I did not have to drill, grind or weld anything to the stock frame to install the kit. That way if i get tired of the three wheel ride, I can just unbolt it and bolt the stock bike parts back on and have a two wheel motorcycle again. It is a lot of fun to ride and has lots of power.
This is the trike I've been looking for. Can you tell us where did you get the kit? Your ride really looks awesome.
BRP should take note. The 2014's will be perfect if it have driveshaft. JMHO.
This is the trike I've been looking for. Can you tell us where did you get the kit? Your ride really looks awesome.
BRP should take note. The 2014's will be perfect if it have driveshaft. JMHO.
Jerp,
Jerry is building it. It is his design etc...a work in progress but he sure made it look seamless.
Rewaco RF-1 GT
Inline 4 cylinder Ford Zetec with multi-port fuel inject, 140 HP 0-60mph: 5.8 seconds 5 speed sync manual with reverse, mechanical dry clutch. Front suspension: Trapezoidal fork with center spring Rear suspension: Independent with Bilstein gas shock absorbers Brake System: Grimeca calipers, linked ventilated discs, with booster 10.57 gallons
I'll never forget our meetup in Cape G. when I was test riding the BMW trike and you came in your before you sold it. We parked side-by-side Cop style and when we took off, your front fender almost hit the back fender of the BMW... thought this would discourage you from getting a conventional trike but oh well!
Have fun and don't forget your southern "Neighbours"
Erick,
Harvey and I were talking at Farmington Spyder Palooza that you would have to give me and Connie a guided tour to his place some day. I told Harvey that I needed some heat block off plates. He just smiled and shook his head.
How about this trike. A Goldwing and Spyder combo. This is a reverse trike I built using a Goldwing. I built a complete bolt on front section that is like a Spyder. The body is made of fiberglass. I did not have to drill, grind or weld anything to the stock frame to install the kit. That way if i get tired of the three wheel ride, I can just unbolt it and bolt the stock bike parts back on and have a two wheel motorcycle again. It is a lot of fun to ride and has lots of power.
Goldwing Trike versus Spyder RT
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Originally Posted by owens9fingers
before you sold it. We parked side-by-side Cop style and when we took off, your front fender almost hit the back fender of the BMW... thought this would discourage you from getting a conventional trike but oh well!
