GW vs Spyder

[bikerbillone]

Perhaps I have posed this question before, but just a refresh. Would like to hear from those GW riders that have switched to the RT, and what model year Spyder. I see some here that like to stay with 998, two cylinder, which if I read right, is a year before the 2014. Even those riders that may have switched back to the GW from the Spyder. Thanks.

 

[Biscuit]

bikerbillone

I went from an 05 GW to a 2017 RT limited (see my Pic). The RT doesn't ride like a GW but it shouldn't. I have been riding for 47 years and have had Kaw's, Suzuki's, Honda & HD. I didn't think I would ever give up the GW. I have no regrets getting the Spyder and am looking forward to traveling this great country on it. Now I just need to sell the GW and get a trailer.

Rod
​

 

[Raprider]

I see some here that like to stay with 998, two cylinder, which if I read right, is a year before the 2014.

998, two-cylinders, 5-speeds were made thru 2016 model year, ending with the ST-S.
1330, three-cylinders, 6-speeds started in 2014, starting with the RT and now both RT and F3.

 

[Chupaca]

Let's see...

The closest to the GW will be the newer (2014 on up) RT. How you adapt the the change is a whole different comparison. They are two very different rydes and the only way to get any idea is to test ryde them. Many have gone to the new F3 with a more crusier type bagger. Opinions are nice but everyone has a different one so find a dealer and test them out...both the RT and the F3. :thumbup:

 

[fjray]

we went from a 03 wing to a15 RTL. Spent 15k miles and a lot of money trying to like it but no joy so now we have a 06 wing and life is good. The spyder has a lot of good features but I never felt comfortable on it and compared to the wing the ride was way to harsh and I need to lean in the corners. I loved it in town and traffic but once out of town thr spyder falls way short and my bride is Way more comfortable on the wing.

 

[Lew L]

Not a GW

A while back we got a Honda Valkyrie for trips and touring. I feel it was a great bike---- good handling for a big girl, smooth, plenty of power----- a Goldwing with out all the plastic. BUT my wife has vertigo and the :spyder2: has solved that BIG problem. Well she still has the vertigo but now we travel much more . She enjoys ryding on the :spyder2: when it's reasonable temps.

So, I sold the Valkyrie ( I do miss the big girl ) but still have 2 wheels when I feel the need to tilt the horizon and jump to light speed ( Yamaha V-Max )

Lew L

 

[bikerbillone]

bikerbillone

I went from an 05 GW to a 2017 RT limited (see my Pic). The RT doesn't ride like a GW but it shouldn't. I have been riding for 47 years and have had Kaw's, Suzuki's, Honda & HD. I didn't think I would ever give up the GW. I have no regrets getting the Spyder and am looking forward to traveling this great country on it. Now I just need to sell the GW and get a trailer.

Rod
​

Interesting, I too have the 05 GW......So, you're gonna trailer the RT to destinations and do ride outs? Some regret leaving the GW trike, I want to avoid that, I've not done the test ride yet, so that's on my bucket list.

 

[trikermutha]

I thought you test drove a Spyder or was that the Slingshot??

 

[bikerbillone]

Hey Mutha, didn'g get to the Spyder test drive yet for one reason or another. I did climb in the Slingshot, and out of the Slingshot, that machine is not for me, although it has some good features and is priced right.

 

[ARtraveler]

A while back we got a Honda Valkyrie for trips and touring. I feel it was a great bike---- good handling for a big girl, smooth, plenty of power----- a Goldwing with out all the plastic. BUT my wife has vertigo and the :spyder2: has solved that BIG problem. Well she still has the vertigo but now we travel much more . She enjoys ryding on the :spyder2: when it's reasonable temps.

So, I sold the Valkyrie ( I do miss the big girl ) but still have 2 wheels when I feel the need to tilt the horizon and jump to light speed ( Yamaha V-Max )

Lew L

Yamaha has something new. I am going to start a new thread.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...-New-Trend-is-Happening&p=1330579#post1330579

 

[Mad Mac]

GW TO RTL

Had '03 GW and went to a '14 Spyder, thanks to a bad dirt bike crash that messed up my RT. leg and LT. foot. Sooo wasn't ready to hang up my helmet yet, so traded GW,KLR, snowmobiles/trailer for a large down payment on the '14 RTL. Have to say it, but I miss the GW because I've ridden 2-wheelers for 45 years and it's just in the "blood". Since I've put around 25,000 miles on snowmobiles, riding the RTL was an easy transition and it is fun in it's own way, but still not a 2-wheeler. I'm glad we waited for the 14's to come out, because I think the 998's would have left me wanting a little more performance. The 1330 is comparable in HP and Torque to the GW, but the GW is 100+lbs. lighter. The Spyder will just have to work for us at this point in our lives. It's still great fun and we can still travel this great nation of ours and see what their is to see! Mad Mac:doorag:

 

[Biscuit]

Interesting, I too have the 05 GW......So, you're gonna trailer the RT to destinations and do ride outs? Some regret leaving the GW trike, I want to avoid that, I've not done the test ride yet, so that's on my bucket list.

No I am getting a trailer to pull behind. One of my bucket list items is to ride the for corners of the lower 48 and everywhere between.

Rod

 

[x1050er]

GW

I've been on bikes for more years than I care to remember..... I went from HD (even had an Excelsior-Henderson) to a 2010 RT. Thought I made the biggest mistake of my life! But after about a month all was good, wife and I loved it. HOWEVER, I hated the heat issues. So.....I sold the spyder and picked up an 02 GL1800. I really liked the bike on the freeway, can't be beat. Wife? Not so much, she didn't want any part of two wheels anymore!!!

Soooooo, I traded in my GW on a new 2016 RTS this fall. Big improvement over the 2010 RT!!!

Goldwing was just too big for the riding we do

 

[spyder rider ba]

Spyder Rider BA

Perhaps I have posed this question before, but just a refresh. Would like to hear from those GW riders that have switched to the RT, and what model year Spyder. I see some here that like to stay with 998, two cylinder, which if I read right, is a year before the 2014. Even those riders that may have switched back to the GW from the Spyder. Thanks.

I would be happy to add my two cents on the GW vs. Spyder RT.
I bought a 2008 Goldwing back in 2009 new. I'm the only person that has ever put even one mile on "Ms. Daisy". She has 104,000 miles and has been in every state but nine in the continental US. My girlfriend and I was in the Goldwing Association very big. So we traveled a lot. I started feeling that when I would stop I wasn't as safe as I once was. So I bought a used 2011 RT Limited. I liked it very much. A nice ride, but it's not the Wing. Girlfriend complained about the comfort that was just not there. So I sold the 2011 and bought a new 2016 RTS. About the same ride. A little more HP but not that much to me. I always have pulled a trailer, no problem there. I can honestly say last September we took a trip to St. George, Utah for the Rally there. I actually looked for a Dealer to trade in my RT. I will not be taking it on any more 3000 mile trips. I see now why so many haul their Spyders with pickups and ride when they get to their destination. I always thought getting there was part of your ride!! Yes I think the Spyder is much safer due to the wide front and all the lights. I know it's safer for me in towns that has hills and curves with stop signs like Eureka Springs and Branson. I do enjoy the ride for the most part. My GF still complains about the comfort. I still have my Goldwing, and probably always will.

 

[MikeT]

It's A Stretch

To compare a 2-wheeler to a trike of any type(standard or reverse). In my 53 years of riding, I've ridden motorcycles from a 65cc Honda to a GL1800. In 2006 we entered the trike world by converting a '02 GL1800 to a Champion Solid Axle trike in '09 I traded for a GL1800 Hannigan Trike. Luckily, there was a trike friendly Honda dealer in my hometown, so there was never an issue from that standpoint. On both GL1800 trikes the ISSUE was the same. The trike conversions had part failures that occured outside their short warranty period. In the spring of 2014, I had extensive reconstruction surgery on my left hand and forearm. Even with extensive(12 weeks) of PT, it became obvious that in the short term, that clutching was a problem. I sold my Hannigan trike and joined the Spyder World in the spring of 2015 when I bought a RT Limited. Having lived with an RTL for 3 years, I can say that for me/us, we made the right decision from an operational standpoint. A ground up purpose built trike beats a conversion hands down for the everyday rider. For me, I traded the trike kit issues for inconsistent dealership issues. I know a lot of spyder riders do it: but why is it necessary to ride 50, 100, 200, 400 miles to both purchase a spyder and/or get it serviced competently???? I think it's because I bought the extended warranty right out of the box, that all I've ever needed was my annual visit to get my service and oil change.From that aspect the Spyder has been as reliable as my 3 H-Ds and 2-GL1800s partts of my trike conversions. I'm hoping that since the 1330 platform has pretty much been proven to be trouble free, that the extended warranty companies will increase their warranty periods from 5 total years to 8 total years.

 

[Flamewinger]

I'm a short 5'1" and have had 5 Goldwing from the '83 1100 to an '04 1800. Almost 500K miles in just over 30 years. The stability of the Spyder seemed much better than a trike conversion. The past 4 years I've tried the ST-L and put 21k miles on it. The ST was great, no problems except for the tiny engine. The confidence in coming to a stop, not loosing it in a corner gives me a more relaxed ride. (remember, I'm short)

When I went to the Spyder there was only the 998 engine to choose from and since there is the 1330, I'm selling/trading in the ST as I just don't seem to want to ride the "lawn mower" anymore. I'm getting an '18 RT-L. The bigger engine makes a big difference as well as the less maintenance issues. I've test ridden both the RT and F3 and find the RT to provide more wind protection as well as extra features for the tourer. The F3 is a bit more sporty and for many that have hip problems or is very tall, the F3 is a better choice over the RT.

The one problem is the Goldwingers use CB's and Spyderers use Bluetooth because BRP's CB is/was pricy and not the best. I'll be using a Midland handheld CB with the new bike. Go figure!

I am interested in sitting on the new Goldwing though.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

First off, I don't have Amsoil flowing through my veins, so that tells you I am not a die-hard m/c rider, but I have ridden quite a bit. I started out with a Cushman motor scooter back in 1958. Squirrely as a pine squirrel on hash! Sold it when I went to college. Went 22 years without a two wheeler, then bought a Honda 350. Rode it a couple of years and moved up to a Kawasaki 440. Nice bike except on gravel. Then in 1990 I bought a 1981 Goldwing GL1100 and rode it four years. Much better on gravel than the Kawasaki! Moved to Louisiana in 1991 and the GW wasn't comfortable in the heat & humidity down there, plus it didn't work for carpooling, so I sold it. Watched the classifieds for 12 years for another GW. Finally bought a new 2005 GL1800 in the spring of 2006 when I retired and moved back to Idaho. I rode it for 8 years and 52,000 miles. I was beginning to get leery about keeping it upright. In fact, I dropped it six times in 2 years so decided to move to a trike. My first plan was to convert my 'wing using a kit from a wrecked GW trike but that didn't pan out, mostly because of cost. My nephew had a 2009 RS so I knew about Spyders. I started to look for a Spyder. Found a used 2013 RT with 615 miles on the odo. Cost was about $10,000 less than the value of a converted GW. Rode it for 2 years & 25,000 miles and decided to move up to a 1330. Bought a 2014 RTS with 650 miles on the odo and have put 27,000 miles on it.

I always felt vulnerable on the Goldwing. The time that sticks in my mind the most was the time I was on I-80 in Utah. I was going around a long sweeping curve at 80 mph, the speed limit, when I got to thinking that if anything went wrong, like a rabbit or rock in my way, I would be a goner! Another time on a sharp curve in an Idaho canyon I went off the asphalt. Front wheel whipped back and forth and I kicked up all kinds of gravel and dust but between me and my guardian angel we kept it upright! One day after riding several thousand miles on my 2013 RT I stopped for gas about 60 miles from home. As I was walking into the C-store I realized I was feeling a whole lot safer on the Spyder at 80 mph than I ever did on my Goldwing at 70 mph! Stability is the number 1 factor for me. I have found the riding comfort to be on par with the GW. The only real shortcoming with the Spyder vs. the Goldwing is torque for passing trucks at 70+ mph. In that case it ain't a 'wing! For me, all things considered, riding the Spyder has reinstilled the joy of riding! :yes: I'll never go back to two wheel touring. I might take a dirt bike around a field, but that's about it.