Some talk on here about transitioning between RT and Goldwing, but mostly it's about 2 wheel GW vs RT trike.
I'd like to hear from Goldwing TRIKE riders who have switched to/from the RT. How would you compare the two as far as ride comfort and reliability? Lets stick to the GL1500/1800 TRIKES to keep somewhat consistent with the RT vintage trike.
SteveMac transitioned from an RT, to a GoldWing Trike, and BigRed1 owns one of each; you might want to PM them for their valuable opinions.
There are others in here that have also made this switch... it's just that those guys pop into my mind the quickest!
I went from a wing trike to the 2014 RTS SE6. And I haven't looked back! RT suspension is way smoother, like floating on a cloud. Soaks up the bumps. My wife says no more need to brace herself when she sees a RR crossing. The RT seating area is a little cramped when compared to the wing. Electric windshield is really nice. As well as the semi auto. And the powered steering, no more trying to muscle the wing through turns, or worse parking lot maneuvers. Reverse is a true reverse on the RT. We are both very happy. Tom
Baloo is my name. Spyders are my game. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, I mean a doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee-dee-doo. And, well, now. Ha ha! What have we here?
I went from a Spyder RT to a Wing trike and I never looked back.
Hmm. Using your two criteria are comfort and reliability:
- The comfort for me is a toss up. Both my RT and my Wing are comfortable. The Ergos and operability of the controls are better on the wing.
-When discussing reliability, I'll just say that in my opinion, the GoldWing GL1800 is overall the most dependable touring motorcycle ever made. Also, while there are some brilliant Spyder dealers, the overall dealer network for the Spyder is weaker than Honda, both in quantity and quality. So getting access to repairs/parts would be more difficult when touring on the Spyder IMO.
I did a write-up in the link below comparing the Wing to my 2010 RT. I have no experience on the 1330 triple and cannot comment there. But the torque and power difference from the 998 twin to the 1800 six is nothing short of amazing for me.
There is, for me, one item that is vastly superior on theSpyder. And that is the reverse gear.
I do my own regular maintenance, and the Wing oil change is literally a 10 min job and does not require removal of any Tupperware.
I have some wonderful friends who are Spyder dealers, so I am not going to bash the Spyder. But I will say that I have had dealings with BRP that were... Not good. I will leave it at that.
Examples like the Speedo below amaze me. I have seen dozens of Wings with 200-300 thousand miles with only regular maintenance. I don't know how many Spyders out there have over 100k miles on them with only regular maintenance. But that would be an interesting poll if someone wanted to do one. I've seen people who have posted >100k but most are spread out over 2-3 Spyders. But we need to hear from those who have done it on a single machine?? I won't do the poll, as I think it would not be appropriate for me to do so. But it would be interesting.
I can tell you that the Goldwing kicked some butt at the spyderfest drag races during the test and tune but then never raced after that as I think they left. He did 12.99 seconds which was the fastest that I saw run other that Doc and Seth that where in the mid 13 seconds.
I saw the F6B trike at the local honda dealer 1/2 mile from the lamp lighters hotel and was very impressed in it and was priced at $26k with the trike conversion kit already done.
Honda has a reputation for quality and I have owned many of them over the years but never a goldwing....
What happens to your warranty when you trike a new wing, or does it just depend on your dealer's "good will" One of the reasons I went the Canam route was that it was built as a trike and came with a 4 year warranty
What happens to your warranty when you trike a new wing, or does it just depend on your dealer's "good will" One of the reasons I went the Canam route was that it was built as a trike and came with a 4 year warranty
A valid point. It often does depend on the dealer, because technically, the trike kit voids the Honda warranty. But also technically so does having a trailer hitch, and countless thousands are pulling trailers.
I bought used and out of warranty, although with only 16k miles, so it was not an issue for me.
I will admit that I find the 1500 / 1800 wing trikes better looking than my Canam RT, especially the darker colors like yours.
I guess I'll get some first hand experience in August. One of the people I'm going up to the Gaspe with is running a 1500 GW / Hannigan IRS setup and she has expressed an interest in swapping trikes for a day.
I triked my '02 Wing in '05 so warranty was not an issue. I love the Motor Trike kit and have not had any maintenance issues with my Wing (Punkin'). It runs like a hose with more torque than my Spyder (Big Red 1) It is a different ride than BR1 and I like them both....I bought BR1 in March of '11 and had to replace the throttle body @ 6,000 miles but no other problems. I have a new, good spyder dealer two miles from my home but have not ridden a '14 yet. I am afraid to..ha ha.
The electronics on the Wing are better/easier to use. The CB is much better on the Wing but it is personal decision as to which is best....both have good features. Reliability and torque are the Wing's strong points.
I see the poster is from SW Missouri. He should check out the dealer in Cuba, MO. Lots of good comments about them. I have never been there or delt with them, just what I read.
Overall, I think BR1 is easier to ride and IF I had to choose I would take BR1 over Punkin'. Just my humble opinion. However, I will keep Punkin' and ride him often....I ride solo so no passenger to please. Punkin' is a good high speed cruiser for long hauls.....
I will admit that I find the 1500 / 1800 wing trikes better looking than my Canam RT, especially the darker colors like yours.
I guess I'll get some first hand experience in August. One of the people I'm going up to the Gaspe with is running a 1500 GW / Hannigan IRS setup and she has expressed an interest in swapping trikes for a day.
Thanks. I plan on doing some powder coating and other mods to mine as soon as I am physically able. I'll be posting pics here, for those interested,, LOL!
You should do the swap and then a write up. It would be very interesting!
......I see the poster is from SW Missouri. He should check out the dealer in Cuba, MO. Lots of good comments about them. I have never been there or delt with them, just what I read......
I would definitely recommend the OP visit PitBull Powersports in Springfield MO, one of the best Spyder dealers in the USA, and probably closer to him
Hi Steve,
We do have ONE guy in here who's getting real close: Spyderjockey (Jim) is at about 96,000 miles now... and counting!
Let's not forget that the 'Wing has been around since 1975... They've been improving ever since!
Give BRP a chance, and I think that they can certainly continue to improve their products as well...
I found this thread a very interesting read thank you. The only thing I am very surprised about is that no one talked about the stability factor RT vrs GW Trike. I personally would but that under the comfort category.
I found this thread a very interesting read thank you. The only thing I am very surprised about is that no one talked about the stability factor RT vrs GW Trike. I personally would but that under the comfort category.
I did discuss that a bit in the link I provided. I see it this way, while it would be very hard to argue that the Spyder is as reliable as a Wing, it would be equally difficult to argue that the Wing trike will handle as good as a Y factor Spyder. Especially in rain. But I don't frequently ride in rain. In fact, I haven't even had the Wing in a bad rain yet.
But in the final analysis for me, it came down to this. My favorite riding is when I am with my wife, touring or cruising 2-up. I don't race and therefore, the other factors were more persuasive to me than the handling. However, I can say that I have ridden many of the same twisty roads as fast on my Wing as I did on the Spyder. I have no desire to go any faster on em. LOL
Edit: just want to be clear. I think when riding aggressively that the Y factor Spyder will definitely handle better than the Wing. It's just that riding aggressively isn't as important to me as it may be to others. And in "normal" riding for me, I don't see a huge difference.
Hi Steve,
We do have ONE guy in here who's getting real close: Spyderjockey (Jim) is at about 96,000 miles now... and counting!
Let's not forget that the 'Wing has been around since 1975... They've been improving ever since!
Give BRP a chance, and I think that they can certainly continue to improve their products as well...
Bob, I definitely wouldn't argue about the future dependability of the Spyder. It may well become the most reliable product on the market. But if we are honest, that isn't the case yet. I am just trying to portray, in the fairest and most honest way that I can, what is the "as is - as of today" comparison. And of course, it is only my opinion. Which is offered free of charge with a money back guarantee if anyone is not 100% satisfied.
. And in "normal" riding for me, I don't see a huge difference.
It's only when the pace starts to REALLY get your attention; that the differences in capability will be noticed!
Personally; I'l LOVE to see Honda come out with a reverse trike... I don't think that they will; but it sure would get a lot of attention, if they did!
Thanks for the great comments so far. When I started this thread I envisioned that it might result in "other brand" bashing or simply "cheerleading" for the home team. But what I see is honest and objective opinions mostly from those who can offer them from experience.
I have long been a Honda fan having numerous bikes, atv's, two Goldwings and even a couple cars. Honda makes no trikes and has steadfastly declared any Honda that is triked will void the warranty (mentioned earlier in this thread). These two facts brought me to test ride a 2014 RT at Spyderfest last week. I liked it and wondered what owning a Spyder would be like LONG AFTER the demo ride. A search for answers brought me here. I have already learned a lot, both good and bad, but fear of the unknown is subsiding. In fact I am very encouraged by what I have read about the 2014 RT which, if it can maintain it's reliability, should up the ante in the touring trike arena. And another viable company in the trike industry is certainly needed.
Keep the comments coming. The more I read the more I feel I understand about Spyders.
Thanks for the great comments so far. When I started this thread I envisioned that it might result in "other brand" bashing or simply "cheerleading" for the home team. But what I see is honest and objective opinions mostly from those who can offer them from experience.
I have long been a Honda fan having numerous bikes, atv's, two Goldwings and even a couple cars. Honda makes no trikes and has steadfastly declared any Honda that is triked will void the warranty (mentioned earlier in this thread). These two facts brought me to test ride a 2014 RT at Spyderfest last week. I liked it and wondered what owning a Spyder would be like LONG AFTER the demo ride. A search for answers brought me here. I have already learned a lot, both good and bad, but fear of the unknown is subsiding. In fact I am very encouraged by what I have read about the 2014 RT which, if it can maintain it's reliability, should up the ante in the touring trike arena. And another viable company in the trike industry is certainly needed.
Keep the comments coming. The more I read the more I feel I understand about Spyders.
I think, in general, you will find this board is different than many other forums. It is a more friendly place and we try to keep it that way. There isn't a lot of bashing of other products here. Maybe some Harley bashing on occasion, but not even a fraction of what you see on other sites. Many folks here just appreciate motorized vehicles period. I know I do. Heck, there is even a fairly frequent ELIO discussion here!
Personally, I try not to push my product choice out too much in other posts. I try to keep it limited to specific posts that ask a question similar to yours. For the most part, other than my pics in my signature line, you'd never suspect I didn't own a Spyder. And when I do comment, I try to be fair and honest, because no machine is perfect. Each has pros and cons. Both are fun.
I think BRP may have a great machine in the 1330 triple. I hope so, because I have lots of friends who have gone that direction. And I think many of them liked the Y factor, but wanted more "wingish" dependability torque and power. They may have gotten a lot of that in the 1330.
I agree with Bob. Go back to PitBull and ask Ricky Len to let you put a 1330 through the paces again. You are fortunate to be in SW MO. Because you have one of the premier dealers in the USA there in Springfield.
Tell Ricky Len that SteveMac sent you.
I wouldn't mention Bob Denman though, as the price may go up! (just kidding Bob!)
Most of all, have fun with whatever you choose and lest we forget,
That's funny; I was gonna say to specifically NOT mention my name as well!!
Steve,
Not that this is always all warm and cuddly a place; but you've been the consumate gentleman in here...
We can ALMOST forgive you, for not having the good sense to ride a Spyder!!!
Oh Oh...Pit Bull...Pit Bull. I spoke too soon. Here comes the cheer leaders
Actually I did meet Len Damouth at Pit Bull and we spoke briefly as he and his store were being engulfed by Spyderfest attendees. Is that Ricky Len? Len Damouth's business card says he's the Owner. He looks like my Grandson and only been in business here for a year...and he's one of the premier dealers in the USA?
Last edited by SpydeeMaybee; 05-06-2014 at 07:05 PM.
Oh Oh...Pit Bull...Pit Bull. I spoke too soon. Here comes the cheer leaders
Actually I did meet Len Damouth at Pit Bull and we spoke briefly as he and his store were being engulfed by Spyderfest attendees. Is that Ricky Len? Len Damouth's business card says he's the Owner. He looks like my Grandson and only been in business here for a year...and he's one of the premier dealers in the USA?
The one and only.
He's been at this for a while.
First with a family dealership. Now on his own.
Goldwing GL1500/GL1800 TRIKE vs RT
Reply With Quote
RT suspension is way smoother, like floating on a cloud. Soaks up the bumps. My wife says no more need to brace herself when she sees a RR crossing. The RT seating area is a little cramped when compared to the wing. Electric windshield is really nice. As well as the semi auto. And the powered steering, no more trying to muscle the wing through turns, or worse parking lot maneuvers. Reverse is a true reverse on the RT. We are both very happy. 
Tom 
Baloo is my name. Spyders are my game. Well, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, yes, it's a doo-bah-dee-doo, I mean a doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee, doo-bee-dee-doo. And, well, now. Ha ha! What have we here?
One of the reasons I went the Canam route was that it was built as a trike and came with a 4 year warranty
Originally Posted by sddinnh
They've been improving ever since! 
(just kidding Bob!)
