I have been riding bikes since the begining of time it feels like, however it took me quite a while to get used to the :spyder:. Once you have a few hundred miles on it (it took me about 500 to really understand it) your confindence will be gained and you will ride like the wind, corners and all. Our machines are very different that bikes or cars and they handle well but need different input going really fast in the twisties, as stange as it seems since I have relaxed a bit and allowed the machine to use all of the items designed for it, I can hold my own on it.
It is not as fast as it appears to you when riding it, but the fun part is so worth it and riding it hard is what it was made for - you get good fuel consumption as well as stange as that may seem too.
Start slow and work up don't exceed your own comforft level regardless what others may be inclined to do and you will enjoy this like no other machine riden or driven before......... I guess you get the idea I like it and I do drive it hard and corner to 'my' max and its a blast.
I have been riding bikes since the begining of time it feels like, however it took me quite a while to get used to the :spyder:. Once you have a few hundred miles on it (it took me about 500 to really understand it) your confindence will be gained and you will ride like the wind, corners and all. Our machines are very different that bikes or cars and they handle well but need different input going really fast in the twisties, as stange as it seems since I have relaxed a bit and allowed the machine to use all of the items designed for it, I can hold my own on it.
It is not as fast as it appears to you when riding it, but the fun part is so worth it and riding it hard is what it was made for - you get good fuel consumption as well as stange as that may seem too.
Start slow and work up don't exceed your own comforft level regardless what others may be inclined to do and you will enjoy this like no other machine riden or driven before......... I guess you get the idea I like it and I do drive it hard and corner to 'my' max and its a blast.
:agree:Great advice. Take your time and you will be suprised. Careful, YOU are more likely to slide off than flip the Spyder. I have had no problem at all keeping up with Ducati's and F1's on the twisties. As you ride more you'll really belive that you can trust the Spyder to keep you uprightand out of sight
I would see if you can do a track day any where, sometimes(with enough people) you can rent the track as opposed to attending a class. You will find your body language just as radical as a sportbike. It's like catamaran sailing or sidecar racing for 1, trying to keep the inside wheel from rising off the ground...trying to ride without the VSS raising a red flag and intervening. It seems the machines abilities are limited to the riders body length. On a technical course bikes are limited in the cornering solutions before you are. If the course is less tangled, they will easily pull away if the rider has any talent. Because you carry so much weight on the spyder, passing is very difficult...be careful not to trip other riders up with you front wheels. Ride lead or lag.You can't be serious. Keep up with a Yamaha F1 on the turns??? That's what my boyfriend has parked next to my Spyder. Shhhhhhhhh.......Let's not let the cat out of the bag. Yes, I'm a speed demon. My other toy is a 327ci, 365hp engine 1964 corvette convertible.![]()
If you haven't done some parking lot practice, I highly recommend it. You get a quick feel for the machine, its needs, and your technique and capabilities. Enjoy the Ryde!
-Scotty
One of the key ingredients in cornering a Spyder fast is to shift your weight slightly to the inside of the turn. You can lean into the turn at your waist, shift over on the seat, or both. You will find it makes a world of difference. Will you keep up with your boyfriend's crotch rocket? Hard to say. I do know that within a couple of weeks, my novice rider wife was staying right with my BMW through the corners, or even gaining on me. I can easily do mild 40-45 mph posted twisties at 70-80. We are old fogies, however, and probably ride pretty sanely. If you haven't done some parking lot practice, I highly recommend it. You get a quick feel for the machine, its needs, and your technique and capabilities. Enjoy the Ryde!
-Scotty
Scotty,
You're hardly an old fogie!!! I agree with the leaning into the turn...I know BRP says leaning is not necessary...sure, not at highway speeds on the highway, but on a twisty ramp on/off the highway at 45-50 mph, you'd better lean!!
lmao! Common sense dictates that the rider leans into the turn when cornering at just about any speed over 15mph into a corner.
This should be no mystery whatsover. I have never ridden a quad, snowmobile, or personal watercraft. But, for anyone wondering, just look at any photo of any of these vehicles making a turn, including a Spyder.
This Cornering topic...... Talk about a topic beating a dead horse. :chat::bdh:
did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today or did you just wanna use the cool 'beating a dead horse' graphic?
One of the Spyder's big selling points was no need to lean...whoops! They are wrong!
Been riding over fifty years now...I'm no spring chicken! You may think that all this gray hair was caused by stains from the excess brain cells leaking out, but the truth is age, plain, pure and simple. Not that it matters, it's the mileage that really counts.Scotty,
You're hardly an old fogie!!!
"Don't ride faster than your Angel can fly".... old, but very true saying. Enjoy your :spyder2: but don't exceed your skill level --- don't compare yourself with others --- if someone is faster than you in the curves SO WHAT? Easy does it.... live to make the turn another day..
don
One of the key ingredients in cornering a Spyder fast is to shift your weight slightly to the inside of the turn. You can lean into the turn at your waist, shift over on the seat, or both. You will find it makes a world of difference. Will you keep up with your boyfriend's crotch rocket? Hard to say. I do know that within a couple of weeks, my novice rider wife was staying right with my BMW through the corners, or even gaining on me. I can easily do mild 40-45 mph posted twisties at 70-80. We are old fogies, however, and probably ride pretty sanely. If you haven't done some parking lot practice, I highly recommend it. You get a quick feel for the machine, its needs, and your technique and capabilities. Enjoy the Ryde!
-Scotty
"Don't ride faster than your Angel can fly".... old, but very true saying. Enjoy your :spyder2: but don't exceed your skill level --- don't compare yourself with others --- if someone is faster than you in the curves SO WHAT? Easy does it.... live to make the turn another day..
don
How fast? No idea! But, faster than I am willing to push it, I'm sure. I never was a knee dragger when I rode 2 wheels back in the 70s. I'm not racing. So, I'm taking it pretty easy, I'm sure, compared to some folks here.
That's not to say, I don't enjoy the 'Back Road Boogie'. I love the back roads. I'm just careful.