Which one of these RT's to choose?? Choice now made - Deal Done!

[SKME]

Hello everybody, newbie here. I am 57 years old female and have been riding a BMW R1200T until lately. I lost my confidence in riding two wheelers due to age and due to two friends of mine who have been involved in serious accidents with one of them dying.

I am contemplating buying a Cam Am Spyder 1330 and I just test ride one.

My husband will continue riding his BMW 1200 Adventure. We have a leeisure light camping trailer. The romantic idea is to go touring with both bikes, something we haven’t done enough in the past.

I have three options:

A) a 2021 demo bike with 900 km and no extras. 2021 Can-Am SPYDER RT 1330 ACE SE6
CAD $25,789.00, before taxes. This is the bike I test rode. I will want a trailer hitch plus at least a drivers backrest. All in all it will cost me around CAD $31000 including taxes

B) A second hand bike. 2016 Can-Am Spyder RTS for CAD $22900. As far as I can tell it comes with all bells and whistles, here is the description: It was bought new in 2018. The seller is the second owner. It comes complete with the BRP factory trailer hitch & wiring harness and a BRP driver’s backrest. There is also heated handlebars for the driver and heated handgrips for the passenger. I have added the Baja Ron Sway Bar, Foam Handlebar grips, Floating Highway Boards and a dual port USB on the dash for whatever accessories you may have. This is a low mileage vehicle with just over 41,000 kms at the time. Last service was on September 16th, 2021, at which time a new rear tire was installed. Available now. CAD $22,900. Also included is a set of Stainless Steel grill guards

C) A brand new 2022 bike

I am very much torn as it is a lot of money and frankly, over the many years I had my BMW I never used it enough.

As I have no experience whatsoever with Cam Ams, only one test ride, and I hardly ever see any on the roads here in BC Canada, I am also slightly worried about all the electronics involved in that bike and their reliability. Is a second hand bike perhaps more reliable as inititial quirks might have been ironed out? But than…41000 km is quite a bit of use…


Your thoughts would be very much appreciated!

Thank you,
Stefanie

 

[ButterSmooth]

One quick consideration, since your riding companion will be on an adventure bike. One of the serious limitations to a Spyder is the belt drive which is very intolerant of gravel roads. If gravel is going to be encountered regularly and the rides tend to be shorter, a Ryker (with a driveshaft) might be worth a look. Riding a trike is like the motorcycling experience, but they are a different type of vehicle and handle very differently than a motorcycle.

 

[2dogs]

Lower belt guards are available aftermarket and are easy to install. I damaged a belt before I got my lower guard. Belt $350, guard $25, a no brainer. Since I installed mine I've had "O" issues with gravel roads.

 

[K80Shooter]

Option B is too much money! Pass on it.

 

[BMac920]

Hi Stefanie...Congratulations on your adventure into the Spyder world! I had a similar choice to make not long ago with a few additional considerations. After some thought and not being under any time pressure, I decided to look at low milage used Spyders with a 2018 vintage or newer. Although money wasn't a primary driver, I am generally conservative and decided a lightly used machine would give me a chance to transition from bikes to Spyders and manage some downside if I didn't care for it after owning one. Turns out I like the Spyder a lot and will now plan to ride it as I did the bikes! I may replace it with a new machine in the future, but there are few significant improvements in the new machines over the 2018 machines, so I'm in no hurry. 41,000km isn't a lot as you know being a Beemer rider however there have been some important improvements since 2016. Additionally, although the 2016 has had some upgrades unless you are sure they are exactly what you want, the price listed is no screaming deal, Since there are many people that buy new and decide to sell fairly quickly, a bit of a search should identify a newer machine at a comparable or better price, given some time for the search. Good luck with your decision and hunt for the right machine and enjoy even this part of your transition...Regards,

 

[RickWB]

Stephanie - Option A is a demo, with I think had an in-service date of July 2021, so factory warranty should expire about July 2023. You should be able to buy an extended warranty, if you desire, before the expiry of the initial warranty.

Rick

 

[Knizar]

Option B is too much money! Pass on it.

:agree: with K80 Shooter, Too much for a 6 year old bike!....Bill :thumbup:

 

[CopperSpyder]

Hello SKME, I see your in Canada and you are looking at 3 different Spyders. when you say cost $ I assume you are saying Canadian dollars.

Bike "A" is a 2021 Demo Spyder RT with 900 km (560 miles) and they will sell for $25,789.00 Canadian dollars Cost new is $28,999 + $1,000 surcharge.

Bike "B" is a 2016 used Spyder RTS with some extras and 41,000 km (25,477 miles) they will sell for $22,900.00 Canadian dollars.

Bike "C" is a 2022 brand new bike. That cost??? The 2022 Spyder RT Limited New with 0 km (0 miles), would cost $33,299.00 + $1,000 surcharge. Canadian dollars.

To find the best deal I had to convert to US dollars that I understand better.
Bike "A" $25,789.00 CD = $20,242.00 USD 2021 Spyder RT
Bike "B" $22,900.00 CD = $17,974.00 USD 2016 Spyder RTS
Bike "C" $34,299.00 CD = $26,921.00 USD 2022 Spyder RTL

So it all comes down to what you can afford, If cost was not that much of an issue then I would say C is the best option to get what you want (better options, your color, etc.) if money is an issue keep shopping.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

One quick consideration, since your riding companion will be on an adventure bike. One of the serious limitations to a Spyder is the belt drive which is very intolerant of gravel roads. If gravel is going to be encountered regularly and the rides tend to be shorter, a Ryker (with a driveshaft) might be worth a look. Riding a trike is like the motorcycling experience, but they are a different type of vehicle and handle very differently than a motorcycle.

" intolerant of gravel roads " :roflblack: .... I have had three Spyders for 100,000 mi., I live in Vermont which is over 50% gravel roads. All my belts looked like New. I did make a DIY belt guard for my 14 RT but that was at 40,000 mi. ....CHIP seal is a whole different story., and luckily there arn't anywhere near as many of them ,,, it's pretty much a localized road use ./... JMHO .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[SKME]

One quick consideration, since your riding companion will be on an adventure bike. One of the serious limitations to a Spyder is the belt drive which is very intolerant of gravel roads. If gravel is going to be encountered regularly and the rides tend to be shorter, a Ryker (with a driveshaft) might be worth a look. Riding a trike is like the motorcycling experience, but they are a different type of vehicle and handle very differently than a motorcycle.

Thanks for your reply. No we are not going down gravel roads on a regular basis. In fact, as I will be towing the trailer, certainly not.

 

[SKME]

Lower belt guards are available aftermarket and are easy to install. I damaged a belt before I got my lower guard. Belt $350, guard $25, a no brainer. Since I installed mine I've had "O" issues with gravel roads.

Thanks -very useful to know!

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

$$$ Spyders

JMHO, but if this is your first Spyder ..... buy it used, 85% of all warranty issues appear in the first year, and they become less, the older the machine is in service. If the used ones your looking at have good service records that is the way to go ..... The price of Spyders and everything else has had a hugh inflation cost .... Let someone else eat the $$$$ depreciation...... get a new one in 2 years .... :welcome:..... Mike :thumbup:

 

[SKME]

Thank you!

...For all your replies so far.

It seems like quite a few of you think the second-hand version 2016 model is not a good deal. Somehow, I got the same feeling.

Albeit, I am slightly tempted because of all the wonderful extras...I will not follow up on this sale.

What I have heard from the salesperson at the can am shop, an extended warranty is quite a lot of extra money. Somewhere around the Can Dollar 1000.

Is an extended warranty really that useful?

I used to drive Hondas and BMWs and my husband and I were very lucky with no repairs ever needed.

Thanks again,
Stefanie

 

[ARtraveler]

Like BK, I would direct you to option B also.

I owned a 2014 RT-S. This was the first year of the 1330. Many say, don't buy them because of the potential trouble. We traded off the 2014 in January of 2021. 45,000 miles. Never had a major mechanical problem with it. Got a free 2 year extended warranty. Never had to use it.

Do some due diligence. With the VIN # any dealer can give you the mechanical history. That tells a lot. Since this would be your first Spyder, I would shy away from new, or near new demo. It's your $10 K or more.

Good luck with your hunt. And :welcome:

Additional: I would have a current look at a couple blue book sites. The $22k seems a bit overboard. My 2014 got me a $10.5K trade in price....and I am guessing it went for around $12K. It sold from the dealer very fast.

 

[SKME]

Thanks...it gets tougher with each answer! Generally speaking, there are no second-hand bikes out there in my area, with the exception of the one mentioned. It just seems 22900 can dollar is a hell of a lot of money for a bike from 2016... for not much more I get the demo bike. Anyhow, will think about it!

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks...it gets tougher with each answer! Generally speaking, there are no second-hand bikes out there in my area, with the exception of the one mentioned. It just seems 22900 can dollar is a hell of a lot of money for a bike from 2016... for not much more I get the demo bike. Anyhow, will think about it!

The Higher price thing goes TWO ways .... your used Spyder will be worth more when YOU sell it ....JMHO ... Mike :thumbup:

 

[FrogmanDave]

Option C if money isn't the main concern.

 

[ollicat]

Option A. That is low miles and basically the same bike as C

 

[Pooch]

Option A.

 

[Bfromla]

Like BK, I would direct you to option B also.

I owned a 2014 RT-S. This was the first year of the 1330. Many say, don't buy them because of the potential trouble. We traded off the 2014 in January of 2021. 45,000 miles. Never had a major mechanical problem with it. Got a free 2 year extended warranty. Never had to use it.

Do some due diligence. With the VIN # any dealer can give you the mechanical history. That tells a lot. Since this would be your first Spyder, I would shy away from new, of near new demo. It's your $10 K or more.

Good luck with your hunt. And :welcome:

:agree:
Also worth considering the new dash after 2018 & BRP “Connect”/ Go whatever they call it unfortunately too many failures that were not present in prior years. Option B is bit steep, so please shop around. & enjoy some rest rides.