Still no update from Ron? I hope he was out riding yesterday, not waiting for dealer prep all day. Sunset is 4:30 by me, hope he got some throttle time in. Can’t wait to hear his thoughts on Rally & the Sport/Rally modes.
Yes! I was riding. Though I had too much going to ride as much as I'd have liked. I put about 20 miles on it yesterday and another 25 or so today. I must say I really like it so far. And I do not expect this to change.
Hayden Freeman is the salesman that I dealt with (Pictured Below). And Mountain Motorsports is the dealership in Greeneville, TN where I purchased. Hayden has been fantastic. Highly recommended if you should be looking to purchase from this area.
First, let me cover the things I do not like about my new Rykder Rally...
OK. Now we can move on to the other areas of interest.
Surprises...
It is reminiscent of when I first started riding my 2008 Spyder. Back then it was one of the first Spyders out there. It turned heads and everyone wanted to know about it. Though the Spyder doesn't draw anywhere near the attention it used to. I have been surprised at how many people know that this Ryker is not the same machine. It has drawn a fair amount of interest which my original Spyder does not get anymore. And I have not yet parked where many people have been around.
The 900 cc engine really pulls hard right from the start! Not hugely surprised as this has been mentioned in previous posts/reviews from demo rides. But experiencing it for myself, I am impressed. I've let several people test ride it. And so far everyone of them has commented on how well it accelerates. And no. I have not had it maxed out yet so I do not know what top speed will be. One, because all of my driving so far has been around town. And two, I'm supposed to be nice for 200 miles. I understand flogging a demo. But I paid for this one!
I've only ridden in ECO mode so far. I thought it the best mode to use during the 200 mile prescribed brake-in period. It is a lot of fun to ride. So it's very tempting to NOT take it easy. Just taking off from a stop sign with a bit more throttle I chirped the rear tire (unexpectedly). As all Spyder versions, it is a bit light in the back. Probably more so than any other model.
It seems to be going faster than it is. When I first got on it I pulled out onto a 2 lane, 45 mph road. I was not paying attention to speed but noticed people passing me (something I am not used to

). When I looked down I was surprised to see I was only doing 35 mph. This perceived speed may be affected by the lower seating position. I don't know. The Ryker itself sits at about the same road height as my Spyder. But the seat height (unloaded) on the Ryker is 27". My Spyder seat is at 31" at the lowest point. I'm sure my perception will change with saddle time.
Observations...
The 900 ACE 3 cylinder engine is very smooth nearly all of the time. A little vibration at idle. It does 'Buzz' the somewhat smallish mirrors when taking off from a full stop. But it goes away quickly. You don't feel much in the pegs or handle bars. Having mirrors at the end of the handle bars is the best way to get vibration issues.
The CV Trans makes a bit of noise. It takes a little more throttle to engage than I'd expected (which may or may not be true in the other mode settings). But it is very smooth and even in ECO mode, seems to be maximizing the capabilities of the 900 CC engine quite well.
It idles at 800 RPM. CV Trans begins to engage at about 1,800 RPM and seems pretty positive by 2,000 RPM. There is a 'Hill Hold' feature which I have not yet experienced (or needed). Normally I would say a bit overkill on a CV trans. But probably won't hurt with the engagement design.
It pretty much runs in the 4k ~ 5.5K range most of the time. It runs 5,500 ~ 5,600 RPM cruising at 60 mph (someone asked about this).
Again, I have not put my new Ryker through its paces so there will be more to come. But the initial impression is that it handles very well. The stock sway bar is extremely small. But the KYB shocks seem to be quite good.
I am not thrilled with the reverse lever. It's difficult to move into reverse with my foot. Shifting back into Forward is a piece of cake. Maybe with practice I will get better. But right now I am shifting this lever into reverse by leaning left/forward and pulling it with my hand.
The reverse warning, one time 'Beep', and the beeping that ensues if you shut the Ryker off without setting the parking brake are a bit annoying. Though probably necessary. Setting the parking brake before shutting off the Ryker is the prescribed (and less embarrassing) method. To be fair, without setting the parking brake (which is very easy) is important because your Ryker could roll away if you don't.
Ingenious!
The adjustable handlebars and foot pegs is an ingenious touch. I am especially impressed with the right foot peg which requires that the brake peddle not only move with the peg. But also needs to have a veritable orientation option as your foot angle changes as you move the pegs forward and back. Very easy, very positive and very effective. I am running mine all the way forward right now. But I plan to experiment.




