• There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.

How fast can Spyder really take a curve? Fess up.

An off the wall comment to ponder

Just because the Spyder will go around a corner at a certain speed, doesn't mean a wise person should do it. One of the survival rules I try to follow, but am not always successful at, is that your should always be able to stop in the distance you can see ahead. That broken down delivery truck or the family dog just around the corner :yikes: could do more than just make your butt pucker. Don't get me wrong, I love to crank through the curves too :yes:, I just want to still be doing it years from now. :D Some curves you can see through and/or around and some you can't. As one of the women I worked with used to say to her children every day before they headed to school; Make Wise Choices. Ryding Safe and Enjoying are not mutually exclusive. Do both to the best of your ability :thumbup:.
sabunim5:spyder:
 
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!
That's funny right there! You know I have been looking at that graphic for months now and thought it was a cow with a saddle on it!:yikes:
About leaning on the :spyder2:, I found that the first time I rode in the mountains in north GA, several months ago, I DIDN't know what I was doing, fighting it in the twisties, trying to sit straight up, etc. After riding it for several months and then going back to the mountains, it was like night and day! I was able to keep up with a couple of "hot rod M109's",and even pick up a front wheel on occasion. I can definately ride it harder through the twisties than I can my M109. :thumbup:
 
just getting my feet wet!!!!

"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[/ I must say that quote "don't ride faster than your angel can fly " is right on time!!:clap: I have been in the big iron fast!! large green iron fast!! & heavy flying iron fast!! BUT CAN YOU GET IT ''STOPPED" :dontknow:
 
:clap: Well.. ya know! It's the first time I've used this: :bdh:
It was time, I think. :thumbup:

Hey! Besides, my Spyder has been in the shop over a week! :)

Oh no...Spyder in shop for a week? I feel for you, my friend...
:bdh::bdh::bdh::bdh::bdh:

Hmmmm...why is he getting whacked in the crotch? Argh!
 
That's funny right there! You know I have been looking at that graphic for months now and thought it was a cow with a saddle on it!:yikes:
About leaning on the :spyder2:, I found that the first time I rode in the mountains in north GA, several months ago, I DIDN't know what I was doing, fighting it in the twisties, trying to sit straight up, etc. After riding it for several months and then going back to the mountains, it was like night and day! I was able to keep up with a couple of "hot rod M109's",and even pick up a front wheel on occasion. I can definately ride it harder through the twisties than I can my M109. :thumbup:

Does look like that...lamonster used it some time ago and it was only recently that I discovered where the heck it was hiding...
 
0228lisa ---
Glad you are loving the Spyder. Sounds like you're really caught up in the excitement of a fun, new ride....we can all identify with that! I'm not sure there is any real answer to your question about how fast you can take turns. I ride my Spyder over and over on the same twisty roads that I ride my two wheelers - sometimes on the same day back to back. I'm not real big (5'3, 106 lbs) and have found I definitely have to ride a different style. I find on slower, tight curves the descriptions someone gave sometime back works best for me - pull the handle bar toward you and lean down like you're going to kiss the end of it. On the other hand, on faster sweepers and S's I have to literally shift my entire body - consciously moving my rear end to the insider of the seat (in my mind like I'm putting as much weight as possible on that wheel)and also lean into the bar. Having said that, though, I've scared myself on some corners that feel like I can take with my eyes closed on my BMW or Street Triple but due to the radius and camber, the Spyder reacts totallly differently. On a 2 wheeler, if you don't panic, a bit more throttle and a stiffer lean will usually see you through most any corner (assuming the road surface allows you enough tire traction to hold it). I don't find that the same on the Spyder...there have been times I felt like I had turned in as much as I physically could and that due to too much speed, etc. that I had not had much margin for error left - a feeling I don't enjoy!
Bottom line...don't take things too fast. Riding is a forever learning and improving experience - you can't do it all in the first week, month, year, etc. You can always improve - assuming you're still alive and healthy. So enjoy a ride at your own comfort level and feel your own way along - don't let us or anyone you may be riding with 'cause you to make a bad decision.
As you know, riding beyond your comfort level doesn't allow you to enjoy the ride - it just makes you feel stressed.
 
learn to lean

I'm 60 years old and this is my first street machine - bought it 2 months ago. I have had birt bikes and 4 wheelers that I used for camping, hunting, fishing etc. but rode very few miles on pavement. I live in a part of Oregon were the roads are any thing but straight so I've been getting a lot of practice taking curves - wet curves since it is still raining most the time. All of the above advise is good and sound. I would like to add that it helps when leaning into tight turns taken at a good clip to keep your elbows in, squeese the tank (or where a tank is normally) with your legs and relax your grip. If an old guy like me can learn to crank it up through the turns anyone can. :thumbup:
 
I think following - if you speak with a newcomer - don`t tell him to lean left or wright ..all this things
after some (long ?) practice he will find out by himselve what to do... beleive me - was also my mistake with some friends testing my spyder
(can you tell a child how to drive a bycicle)
...but then its much faster than you would ever think
the differnt to the bikes is : you can brake/speed up in the middle of the curve - no biker would be able to do that..
so if you go up a pass with different curves - some ideal for the bikes - some for the spyder - nobody (BMWs/KAWAs..)had ever to wait for me
I drive here on the Austrain/Italian pass-streets where 100edts of bikes are on there way (never seen any other spyder in 5500 mls)
..there is a Rotax-Test-Driver who is definitive faster than the bikes ..
this is another sory
chris
 
Oh no...Spyder in shop for a week? I feel for you, my friend...
:bdh::bdh::bdh::bdh::bdh:

Hmmmm...why is he getting whacked in the crotch? Argh!

:yikes: A week! Crazy, I know. For me, that's a first! And, hopefully, the last time.. :)
The shop had to order the exhaust gasket. Turns out, I was the first one from our dealer to have reported a blown exhaust gasket. But, the replacement came in, and my Spyder has been ready since Wednesday. Tomorrow, it comes home. :thumbup:
 
GeminiJane, I think you've summed it up perfectly! It's all about the comfort level.

+1 Absolutely! It's way too easy to get in over your head while cornering. That's what about got me killed back in 1978, and ended my riding until I bought the Spyder.
 
Well it has been very interesting reading all the different approaches to this question. I had the bike out last night and had a blast riding it around the beach. I took it to 100 on the open road with no problem. Leaning on a fast curve definitely helps. It's only my third day of ownership and I am finally starting to feel like this machine might be able to perform. My problem is that I am somewhat of a daredevil always wanting to do too much, too fast, too soon so hearing everyone's comfort level on here gave me a level of trust before I even backed her out of the garage. Thanks to all of you who are continuing with me on my Spyder journey ......first on negotiating a price :read: and now learning the in's and out's of it's street performance "cred".:doorag:
 
Well it has been very interesting reading all the different approaches to this question. I had the bike out last night and had a blast riding it around the beach. I took it to 100 on the open road with no problem. Leaning on a fast curve definitely helps. It's only my third day of ownership and I am finally starting to feel like this machine might be able to perform. My problem is that I am somewhat of a daredevil always wanting to do too much, too fast, too soon so hearing everyone's comfort level on here gave me a level of trust before I even backed her out of the garage. Thanks to all of you who are continuing with me on my Spyder journey ......first on negotiating a price :read: and now learning the in's and out's of it's street performance "cred".:doorag:

Your street performance is not as important as the performance of the car coming around a turn when you're on the inside...meaning, drive with passion but be extra aware the harder you ride...too many times we get too comfortable with what we're driving but we forget that others can cause us harm...case in point...a friend of a friend was riding with a group and he was the lead bike (very experienced)...he was going around a decent turn on the inside when a car coming around clipped his lane (to the inside) and took him out...almost killed him...needless to say, 2 riders behind dropped their bikes before everyone could properly assess and get out of the way...they had broken bones and were considerably hurt as well...
 
Because I'm always switching between my Spyder and one of the TWTrikes I built (see profile photo) I probably take the curves slower in the Spyder than I otherwise would. However, I do take them faster in the Spyder than on one of my TWTrikes.

The dual-sport trikes I built are much lighter than the Spyder with a narrower track between the front wheels, they don't have a VSS system, and they raise a front wheel much easier in a turn. Therefore, I can't allow myself to forget which trike I'm riding when on the pavement. Of course if I'm dirt riding then it is automatically the TWTrike, no problem getting them mixed up there.

The beauty of a "front wheel trike" is that you can always bring a wheel down by cutting throttle or braking. Try that on a "rear wheel trike"! Ouch! :yikes:
 
IMHO the cornering speed is different for the SM5 versus SE5 :chat:

Is that because of the automatic downshifting?

They should have made that so it can be shut off.

While I'm typically too bush watching the road to really look at my speed, I've noticed that most times I can take the curves at twice the posted limit with no problem at all.
 
:congrats:0228lisa!! Hope you are having a safe blast riding on the beach!! I have a certain "twistie" on my way to/from work and I am definately taking it 20/30mph faster now than when I first took it. :trike:This has been a very interesting post you started!!

:bdh:roflmao

sorry I just had to.
 
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