Does it really take 300 miles?

[Don'tPanic]

I've heard someone say it takes 300 miles to get used to the Spyder and fall in love with it if you only used to riding 2-wheelers. Before that mark you might hate it and regret the purchase.
I wasn't victim to this, since I haven't owned a proper motorcycle and the only substantial experience I've had on 2 wheels was during my MSF course years ago.

So, how long did it take you to start liking your ryde?

 

[Pirate looks at --]

1 mile to start liking it! 1000 miles to get good at it!:yes:

 

[Bob Denman]

I'd say that it took me about 2 miles to figure out that it wasn't going to kill me... :shocked:

... and probably 500 miles to START to get the hang of it! :thumbup:

 

[Luvs2Ride]

On my initial test ride in Hanover, PA.... loved it immediately and still do!

 

[blacklightning]

It took me about 200-300 miles. Day one, I had a friend meet me at my house as it was being delivered to my house. We went on a 50 mile ride, and it was frightning to say the least. Did not ride on day 2, but on day 3, we rode from the Raleigh area to Boone, and then down the BRP. We also road 226A (the Diamondback), and then back up I-40. That was a 500 mile day. In the curves on the mountains, my buddy had purchased and was on my identical bike. He hit those curves in a major way. I said, "hey, it didn't throw him off, so I will just follow him". I had the thrill of my life and have been hooked every since.

 

[easysuper]

We bought ours after I had ridden 2 wheels for 50 years . I was building a restaurant in Medford OR. at the time and there is a great dealer there. my wife would no longer ride with me on two wheels because of my bad knees and ankle so we decided to go to three wheels. I rode the spyder back to the RV park where we were staying and my wife drove the car, it was only about 5 miles away. We loaded up and headed for the California Coastal Redwoods down 101 the first 50 miles I thought I had made a $24,000 mistake, It took about 200 miles to get in the groove. We rode all weekend and did not return to the job site until 7:00 am Monday morning. The next weekend we rode to Crater Lake . That was in May of 2013 and by December we had put 24,000 miles on it. The next spring my wife went out and bought her own RTL and she had no learning curve as she had never ridden a bike by herself only behind me. I now have a 2014 RTL and She has a 2015 RTL. I retire this coming December and then we really get to run the wheels off of them.

 

[gerald37]

I have been riding motorcycle's for over 60 years. My first ride, a test ride I really did not know if it was for me. I decided to purchase it a 2015 Can Am Spyder RT with 10,200 miles on it. It was just like new it had really been taken care of. It was my first used bike other than a 2001 BMW K1200LT that I purchased in 2003. I purchased it not knowing if I would like it and then purchase a new one in 2005. I would have purchased a new Spyder but did not know if I would like it. Where I purchased it was a 80 mile ride home. When I got home I really thought I had did the wrong thing I did not like it. I purchased it from a Honda dealer that had it on consignment and did not know a thing about Spyder's. I did not know how to start it with the mod button, how to use the speed control where to put the gas in. It was different riding into corners. No body had told me anything about one. After getting home I read the operator's guide completely. Then went to the Spyder and checked everything it said to do. Then riding it I did feel a little better but had wished I had not traded my 2015 Gold Wing F6B for it. Every ride I took with it I liked it better. I would say it took 500 miles before I could say I really liked it. You see a lot of late model ones with very few miles on them for sale in dealer's show rooms and on the internet. I think it is a lot of people don't keep them long enough to like them. The only think I can see is they are a little complicated to work on or service. I have been a mechanic all my life and can do all my own service and tire changing. If you have a good dealer and don't mind the expense that is no problem. In the past I have always put so miles on a year that if you don't do your own service it gets pretty expensive. I do love the thing and if my health stays good I will purchase a new one.

 

[Raprider]

TBD

Coming from 2-wheels, I've only logged about 100 miles since picking up my Spyder this past weekend, so I'll get back to you on that!
I will say that the 20-mile ride home from the dealership was very nerve-wracking...with the exception of the last 2 miles...and one brief stop in a parking lot, where I realized I was facing downhill...and had no choice but to use Reverse gear :yes:

The next day, I took a 70-mile ride on familiar roads with a friend on his VFR...asked to follow so I could focus on learning rather than leading...most of this ride was fine, including wide sweepers, but the narrower turns and twists were a bit more challenging to "hold my line"...though I am sure I will get used to it.
But I had few issues with using the paddle-shift up or down, and I think I only grabbed for a non-existent brake lever once.

More to come if the NJ weather remains above 50 this weekend!

 

[Easy Rider]

1 mile to start liking it! 1000 miles to get good at it!:yes:

I think that sums it up pretty good for me too.

But I'm having some long breaks from riding and don't consider myself "good at it" yet.
Might take a couple of thousand miles for me........after riding 2 wheels for about 50 years.

 

[Little Blue]

First Ride

I would say for me, In the first 2 miles. The next 50 miles was the learning curve from 2 wheels to the Spyder. My real deal was a 3 hour ride and 150 miles enjoying the country and the views. (NO Interstate riding.) Now after riding over 8,000 miles in 2 years and riding some Interstates, I Really Enjoy my 2016 RTL Spyder. :yes::yes::yes::yes::yes:

 

[mcan1x]

Picked mine up last weekend after 40+ years on 2 wheels, first 50 miles were pretty tense.
I would say it was a couple hundred miles to get comfortable with the ride difference, still working on the tight twisties.

My wife took it around the block with me on the back, which never would've NEVER happened on 2 wheels.
Now she's looking at taking the course to get her endorsement. Only potential regret for me might be the purchase of a 2nd one in a year or so.

 

[robhowen]

My saga is a bit longer

My saga is a bit longer:
Context: Jacque and I used to ride together on my various 2-wheeled bikes, but a few years ago we stopped riding together as being on the back was no longer comfortable for her. We decided we wanted to ride together again; but how?

• In approximately 2013 I tried a Spyder at my local dealer and was glad I made it back from the test drive alive. Nope, this is not for me!
• About a 6 months later I tried a Harley trike and felt about the same way.
• I continued to research new and used options and found a late model Harley trike for sale by an individual. He both took me for a ride and then let me drive. I purchased the trike from him as it seemed like I could get used to it and Jacque and I could ride together.
• Jacque and I rode the Harley trike for 6 months with my having mixed feelings about it. I liked that we had the stability of 3 wheels, but I hated the performance and general lack of quality in the bike. It was hot, shifting was crap, steering was heavy, it was challenging on rounded roads, etc. I still had the Spyder itch.
• In 2015 I decided I would try a Spyder again, but was convinced I must get a manual transmission. However, the local dealer had no demo manual transmission bikes. So, I tried the SE6 and didn’t think much of the shifting, but at least I felt I could ride it. I did several demo rides and finally got that the shifting was quite nice if I would leave the throttle set at a speed and then shift. I was giving it throttle and then releasing as you would a manual transmission bike, which results in a rough shift.
• Now I’ve decided I want the ride and quality of the Spyder RT vs. the Harley. At the same time Jacque, who has never had a bike, is loving the look of the F3 and is acting like she would like to try one. She’s now acting like she would like to drive vs. being a passenger.
• I was unable to make a deal with my local RideNow dealer for an RT. Unfortunately every Spyder dealer in Tucson, and nearly all of AZ, is RideNow.
• I looked up AZ Spyder dealers and found Sierra Cycles in Sierra Vista, AZ. I was most pleased that they were a family owned independent dealer. Sierra Vista is 1.5 hours from Tucson so that’s not too bad. I surf their website and they actually tell you about the ownership and staff.
• I phone Barry Levitt, owner, and in about 20 minutes we do a deal over the phone for an RTL and F3S (a surprise for Jacque) and it includes the trade-in of my Harley Softail CVO and my Harley Trike.
• We drive to Sierra Vista to pick up my bike and Jacque is surprised with the F3S for her. She is ecstatic, but scared about driving it. She practices in their parking lot and after an hour or so we head back to Tucson. She gets her license and has loved every minute since. She has no issues with anything because she doesn’t have a 2-wheeled experience to compare it to.
• This was not so much the case for me. It took me about a month to get really comfortable and another couple of months to stop trying to find the front wheel brake lever on the bar.
• Now, nearly 3 years later, I’ve never enjoyed any bike more than my RTL. I’ve also enjoyed the relationship I’ve built with Sierra Cycles. I’ll never go back to two wheels.

Lessons Learned: There are many, but first I’ll limit to I’m fortunate to find an independent family-owned dealership that really understands customer service. Secondly throughout this two-year process, Spyder owners told me “just get one, you will love it once you get used to it”. I could have saved a lot of money if I had listened to them. Third, I’ve never enjoyed riding anything (Harley, BMW, Honda, Suzuki …) like I now enjoy my Spyder.

So, how long did it take you to start liking your ryde?

 

[crazycanuck]

rode one in Valcourt in 2008 and hated every second of it......took me a while to warm up to it but now its all good.

 

[newbert]

I'd say that it took me about 2 miles to figure out that it wasn't going to kill me... :shocked:

... and probably 500 miles to START to get the hang of it! :thumbup:

I'd say that's about accurate for me too.

But I would add that I really started to LOVE it after I got it laser-aligned and the upgraded swaybar installed!

 

[JimboRTS]

300 Miles

Purchased a 2012 RTS rode it 200 miles and thought I would kill myself. I read everything I could find on riding it and tried everything and still hated it. After a 1,000 miles I put a for sale sign on it. Than put on Baja Rons sway bar and loved it ever since. What a difference I felt safe for the first time.

Jim

 

[bmwlarry]

I would say you need about 500 miles to really "learn to ride comfortably". If you have experience on a Quad or Snowmobile, it may come to you sooner. That said there are folks out there that has gone further than that and never really "loved" it.

 

[Buckeye Chuck 54]

My Sate Farm...

I have been riding since I was 11, bought a Honda 50 Sport. Many years and 24 bikes later my health got to where I had trouble holding
2 wheels up at a stop. I was riding a 2004 BMW R1150RTn my favorite bike of all time. The dealer I dealt with had a shop in New Philadelphia
Ohio. He had a 2007 BMW K1200LT Hannigan conversion for sale on consignment. It had less than 1000 miles on it. I was able to buy it
for $12,000, unbelievable deal. I thought it was the ultimate ride.
I was out riding one day and had to stop for gas. At the next pump was my State Farm agent, he was riding a 2012 RTL, I didn't know he
owned one. As we left it started raining, I followed him and couldn't keep up. So I checked out the new 2013 RTL but it was out of my
range. Then in 2014 I did ride a new RT-S. I went home and got my BMW title and a deal was made. It was a 100 mile ride home on twisty roads.
I was thinking what have I done? It was scary. It took me 1000 miles to get good at riding it.
I loved the BMW RT I owned but I really love this Spyder. It has 148,000 miles on it now in 3 riding seasons. Best bike by far I've ever owned!
Chuck in Ohio

I've heard someone say it takes 300 miles to get used to the Spyder and fall in love with it if you only used to riding 2-wheelers. Before that mark you might hate it and regret the purchase.
I wasn't victim to this, since I haven't owned a proper motorcycle and the only substantial experience I've had on 2 wheels was during my MSF course years ago.

So, how long did it take you to start liking your ryde?

 

[Chupaca]

Depends...

We have ryders coming from all sorts of experiences in mode of travel and play. They all have different approches to the spyder and it will depend on where you are coming from and how you feel about it. Having ridden most all types and varied number of wheel formation, many home made, I had no problem getting on the spyder and going. I bought it with out testing it but had to come back the next day because I did not go with that intention and did not bring a helmet. Those with apprehension, doubt and fear need more time to relax and enjoy the ryde....:thumbup:

 

[BajaRon]

Took me more like 600 miles to get really used and comfortable with my Spyder. It varies. The less 2 wheel experience you have the faster you get used to the Spyder. The more 2 wheel experience you have the longer the conversion takes.

 

[Machinegunner]

I rode two wheelers for about 50 years. Took a new 2008 GS on a test ride and almost crashed. I bought one anyway. I tell most two wheel riders I think it takes about a 1000 miles to erase some of the two wheel habits and learn how the Spyder handles.