2014 RTS Ride Characteristics

[coastrider]

As a rider coming from a 2013 RT LTD to a 2014 RT-S, I'm wondering if other owner's share my initial impressions.

The first thing I noticed was that the steering is much lighter and quicker. The entire platform feels more stable in corners allowing me to corner harder with confidence. I've also found that the "Eco" mode seems to reduce power slightly in addition to recommending shift points. Eco mode shift points seem to be on the verge of lugging the engine, but that might be my fear of clutch damage left over from the old bike. I know it's a new design, but is it fully locked up at these low RPMs?

I've also noticed that the air intakes collect a lot of leaves at this time of year, and need to be cleaned out after every ride. Are other riders using sixth gear strictly as an overdrive, and at what road speeds? I've not carefully checked my mileage yet (600 miles) but my initial impression is disappointing. I'll admit to a heavy hand on the throttle, but I was hoping I wouldn't need to ride like those hyper mileage drivers to get 200/tank.

Fit and finish seem good, but minor problems like maladjusted luggage latches and seat lock allignment persist. The stock seat feels the same to me, even though I thought it had been redesigned with different density foam. Is the '14 wider? It feels the same, but I noticed the glovebox is bigger. I wondered if the redesign masks bigger or wider dimensions. The luggage cases seem to be the same, although my helmet fits the frunk a bit easier.

I look forward to reading your own impressions and comments.

 

[Bob Denman]

The steering; :agree:. Much better than my 2010...
I'm in top gear at 42 mph... :thumbup:
Try upshifting at 2,500 rpm; I've averaging 39.5 mpg, and have easily reached 220 miles on a tankful...
Cleaning leaves out of the air inlets: would you prefer a roasted set of legs... or vastly reduced storage space? (Like the F-3?)

 

[coastrider]

Actually Bob, I'd have preferred that BRP solve that glitch in the design stage. It would be easy enough to have moved the existing screens forward, wouldn't it? I'm not a fan of Rube Goldberg solutions on an expensive vehicle like a Spyder.

 

[Chupaca]

Great..!!

you found out about all the changes...enjoy..!! hyea:hyea:

 

[JimFoy]

As a rider coming from a 2013 RT LTD to a 2014 RT-S, I'm wondering if other owner's share my initial impressions.

The first thing I noticed was that the steering is much lighter and quicker. The entire platform feels more stable in corners allowing me to corner harder with confidence. I've also found that the "Eco" mode seems to reduce power slightly in addition to recommending shift points. Eco mode shift points seem to be on the verge of lugging the engine, but that might be my fear of clutch damage left over from the old bike. I know it's a new design, but is it fully locked up at these low RPMs?

I've also noticed that the air intakes collect a lot of leaves at this time of year, and need to be cleaned out after every ride. Are other riders using sixth gear strictly as an overdrive, and at what road speeds? I've not carefully checked my mileage yet (600 miles) but my initial impression is disappointing. I'll admit to a heavy hand on the throttle, but I was hoping I wouldn't need to ride like those hyper mileage drivers to get 200/tank.

Fit and finish seem good, but minor problems like maladjusted luggage latches and seat lock allignment persist. The stock seat feels the same to me, even though I thought it had been redesigned with different density foam. Is the '14 wider? It feels the same, but I noticed the glovebox is bigger. I wondered if the redesign masks bigger or wider dimensions. The luggage cases seem to be the same, although my helmet fits the frunk a bit easier.

I look forward to reading your own impressions and comments.

I agree that the 2014 seems more stable on corners. A guy following me Sunday said he was impressed how the Spyder hugged the road when I was taking some fairly high-speed corners.

I have never seen the high MPG numbers that some members post. I consistently get around 30MPG, and have for the 7500 miles I have put on my RT Ltd. But I don't try to conserve fuel -- I guess I too have a heavy hand.

The glovebox is the same size as my 2012 RT. The difference is that they removed the foam liner in 20114. I can only guess that the heat improvements in the 2014 reduced the need for the liner.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

As a rider coming from a 2013 RT LTD to a 2014 RT-S, I'm wondering if other owner's share my initial impressions.

The first thing I noticed was that the steering is much lighter and quicker. The entire platform feels more stable in corners allowing me to corner harder with confidence. I've also found that the "Eco" mode seems to reduce power slightly in addition to recommending shift points. Eco mode shift points seem to be on the verge of lugging the engine, but that might be my fear of clutch damage left over from the old bike. I know it's a new design, but is it fully locked up at these low RPMs?

I've also noticed that the air intakes collect a lot of leaves at this time of year, and need to be cleaned out after every ride. Are other riders using sixth gear strictly as an overdrive, and at what road speeds? I've not carefully checked my mileage yet (600 miles) but my initial impression is disappointing. I'll admit to a heavy hand on the throttle, but I was hoping I wouldn't need to ride like those hyper mileage drivers to get 200/tank.

Fit and finish seem good, but minor problems like maladjusted luggage latches and seat lock allignment persist. The stock seat feels the same to me, even though I thought it had been redesigned with different density foam. Is the '14 wider? It feels the same, but I noticed the glovebox is bigger. I wondered if the redesign masks bigger or wider dimensions. The luggage cases seem to be the same, although my helmet fits the frunk a bit easier.

I look forward to reading your own impressions and comments.

Complaining about the leaves in the grill is similar to complaining about the bugs on the windshield, it is what it is and there are aftermarket items available if you have concerns regarding the leaves.

The latches can be adjusted and that should be something that your dealer can take care of, and should have been pointed out to them when you did your assessment at the time of delivery, assuming you did one.

My assessment of the seat is that it feels more cushiony (if that is even a word), I like it better than previous seats.

I do not like "ECO" mode and i believe the "locked up" clutch is no longer a problem because of the new design.

I generally don't get into 6th gear until at least 64 MPH, i try to stay between 3,000 & 4,000 RPMs.

The Saddle bag on the Right side is larger than the saddlebag on the left side (on the inside).

When casually riding i generally get 200-215 Miles out of the gas tank, when pulling a trailer or riding aggressively it drops to about 160-170 miles

Just my thoughts,

Cruzr Joe

 

[ARtraveler]

Complaining about the leaves in the grill is similar to complaining about the bugs on the windshield, it is what it is and there are aftermarket items available if you have concerns regarding the leaves.

The latches can be adjusted and that should be something that your dealer can take care of, and should have been pointed out to them when you did your assessment at the time of delivery, assuming you did one.

My assessment of the seat is that it feels more cushiony (if that is even a word), I like it better than previous seats.

I do not like "ECO" mode and i believe the "locked up" clutch is no longer a problem because of the new design.

I generally don't get into 6th gear until at least 64 MPH, i try to stay between 3,000 & 4,000 RPMs.

The Saddle bag on the Right side is larger than the saddlebag on the left side (on the inside).

When casually riding i generally get 200-215 Miles out of the gas tank, when pulling a trailer or riding aggressively it drops to about 160-170 miles

Just my thoughts,

Cruzr Joe

:agree: x 2 on each of the above points. No trailer info from me though.

 

[coastrider]

Joe, the leaf collection is not on a par with the roasted body parts of the past, but neither do bugs on the windshield have the potential to overheat an engine. Am I alone in objecting to the need to buy aftermarket fixes for design flaws on a brand new bike?

 

[Cruzr Joe]

Joe, the leaf collection is not on a par with the roasted body parts of the past, but neither do bugs on the windshield have the potential to overheat an engine. Am I alone in objecting to the need to buy aftermarket fixes for design flaws on a brand new bike?

No you are not alone, there are several more out there just like you. Bugs on the windshield was meant to say it is annoying but tolerable.

Cruzr Joe

 

[cuznjohn]

i found a big difference between the 13's and the 14, but the best money i spent on my 14 rt was the highway pegs from lamont and the elka shocks.

 

[MisterP]

Joe, the leaf collection is not on a par with the roasted body parts of the past, but neither do bugs on the windshield have the potential to overheat an engine. Am I alone in objecting to the need to buy aftermarket fixes for design flaws on a brand new bike?

if BRP had moved the intake screens toward the front, there would be owners complaining about the look. Frankly, the BRP screens are cheesy, one of mine has a dimple in it such as occurs when someone stuck their thumb on it and pressed too hard. I added the SS screens to provide more protection for the radiators.

Your opinion of there being a design flaw is exactly that. Others may prefer the existing look of having less obtrusive screens further back. That's the beauty of an active aftermarket. But I differ in your opinion that something you don't like is a flaw. It's simply something you don't like about a design choice.

 

[coastrider]

Mr P, I'm not familiar with the SS screens you mentioned. Have you got a website?

 

[FullCircle]

I've been riding for 40 yrs and I have had more bikes than I can remember and NONE of them were perfect. I always had to change or add something to get it to my standards. There has never been, nor will there ever be a bike of ANY make, or model that will suit everyone. The mighty HD is the MOST customized bike on the road. I have never seen one that has been off the showroom floor over a week that didn't have something changed or added to it. Even the GW's I had I always spent thousands on them getting them to my satisfaction.
Making a bike yours is part of the enjoyment of ownership. I don't think I would like to have a bike of any kind that was exactly like every other one on the road.

 

[MisterP]

Mr P, I'm not familiar with the SS screens you mentioned. Have you got a website?

SpyderPops KOTT screens, as shown in my signature. It's an aftermarket part, nicely designed to solve the intake tunnel problem. The aftermarket in action.

SpyderPops is a site sponsor, a link is on the forum home page.

I think they look good, too.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Here are my thoughts on Eco Mode, I initially tried it for a tank of gas and hated it. I didn't use it again until October and now I alwsys have it on. I do not, however, always up shift when the arrow comes on but I do shift to 6th whenever it wants me too. I don't feel like it lugs the engine and I've been getting a pretty consistent 37 mpg.

 

[Art Mann]

According to the owner's manual, ECO mode does reduce throttle response and maximum throttle opening. Somebody published a graph that I think came from BRP that showed the response was reduced by about a third. With my limited experience, I have observed that, under similar riding conditions, I get better fuel economy using ECO mode even when in regular mode I accelerate slowly, drive the same speeds and shift at about the same points. I don't know why that is. The Spyder feels sluggish in ECO mode so I rarely ride it that way. It is worth it to me to buy a little extra fuel and ride a machine that accelerates like it is supposed to.

 

[StanProff]

Joe, the leaf collection is not on a par with the roasted body parts of the past, but neither do bugs on the windshield have the potential to overheat an engine. Am I alone in objecting to the need to buy aftermarket fixes for design flaws on a brand new bike?

I live in upper East Tenn. with plenty of trees. The leaf collection is not an issue. What is one or three leaves going to do to hamper the Spyder? Just let it idle for a minute or two and the reverse fans will blow it out for you :thumbup:. I just don't see a reason to complain about it. The front of my car collects a lot more crap than the Spyder. Just my opinion though.

 

[StanProff]

I've been riding for 40 yrs and I have had more bikes than I can remember and NONE of them were perfect. I always had to change or add something to get it to my standards. There has never been, nor will there ever be a bike of ANY make, or model that will suit everyone. The mighty HD is the MOST customized bike on the road. I have never seen one that has been off the showroom floor over a week that didn't have something changed or added to it. Even the GW's I had I always spent thousands on them getting them to my satisfaction.
Making a bike yours is part of the enjoyment of ownership. I don't think I would like to have a bike of any kind that was exactly like every other one on the road.

I agree with you 100% . I may leave my '14 stock then it will be one of a kind hyea:.

 

[StanProff]

Here are my thoughts on Eco Mode, I initially tried it for a tank of gas and hated it. I didn't use it again until October and now I alwsys have it on. I do not, however, always up shift when the arrow comes on but I do shift to 6th whenever it wants me too. I don't feel like it lugs the engine and I've been getting a pretty consistent 37 mpg.

Ann, the eco mode does inhibit the throttle body opening and in effect cuts the total power delivery (I am sure you may already know this). If you are running on level ground at 65 mph and put it in eco mode the spyder will drop speed to 56 or 57 with you holding the throttle in the same position. Cut Eco off and it will speed back up to 65. To me it does no more than I can do If I want to run 56 mph instead of 65. No real disadvantage to Eco with one very important exception, if you need the power to pass someone in a hurry don't be in eco. You'll wonder where that extra 330 cc's went. This is my experience with it on my Spyder and may not be the same for all of them. Maybe mine is not working right but this is the effect I get with eco on and off.

 

[JayBros]

Here are my thoughts on Eco Mode, I initially tried it for a tank of gas and hated it. I didn't use it again until October and now I alwsys have it on. I do not, however, always up shift when the arrow comes on but I do shift to 6th whenever it wants me too. I don't feel like it lugs the engine and I've been getting a pretty consistent 37 mpg.

Although mine is my first Spyder your experience with Eco mode and mileage is the same as mine and given the miles you rack up it confirms I'm learning about the machine just the way I want to. Thank you for your comment.