spyderjim
New member
I just got back from a 3000 mile trip from Chicago area to Southern Utah. After 45 years on two wheels, this is my first 3 wheeler. In February, I traded my Harley for a 2012 Spyder with only 2600 miles. It was/is in perfect condition, with a Two Brothers Racing carbon slip on.
I have been reading the forum posts, and did not know what to expect from the :f_spider: on a long ride. There have been a number of problems and criticisms on the forum about the :f_spider:. Well, I am here to say, the :f_spider: worked flawlessly:thumbup:. I was truly impressed with the ride, the performance, and the reliability
.
Through Missouri & Kansas, there were sustained 30 mph south winds hitting me broadside, with some gusts to 40 mph. The :f_spider: handled them very, very well. My buddy was on a Harley Street Glide, and he was in a constant lean.
The weather was very hot....100º+. The :f_spider: ran just a tad over the middle mark on the temp gauge. Which brings up another forum complaint.....heat. Not so for me. I was extremely surprised (of course I am used to the excessive heat of a Harley....it will burn your thigh). I had high boots, and keep my leg close to the tank. I have Seal floorboards......MARVELOUS. Room to move my feet, and put my heel up high on the floorboard upswing over the fan, and all was good.
The majority of the time, speeds were 65 & 75 mph, except when touring a National Park. In the strong winds I was getting 27/28 mpg, in calm winds 33-35, through the parks a little higher. There were a couple of anomalies of 40+ mpg, that I am sure were due to inconsistent fuel pump shutoffs. Full fill on one tank, next tank short of full....and mpg looks great, because it took less fuel. Reverse is also true, creating lower mpg. But in the end, it all balanced out to 32 mpg.
There is one recommendation I am going to make, and that is to check out the Harley Circulator Seat Pad (http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/circulator-large-seat-pad). I had it on my last Harley, and put it on the :f_spider: seat. No more hot saddle when it sits in the sun, keeps your butt dry and cool in the heat, and provides some structure to the spongy seat. I came home from Grand Junction, CO., 1300 miles, in two days.......no saddle soreness. After every days ride, my buddy on the Harley felt "beat up". I got off the :f_spider: and felt very comfortable.
We visited several National Parks & Forests. The ride through the Rockies was great. We rode through Rio Grande Nat'l Forest, stopped in the great town of Durango, then visited Mesa Verde National Park, it was very impressive. We then went to Utah, and visited Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Arches is my favorite. It is just plain beautiful. We stayed in Moab,UT. There were many other stops, but these were the most fun.
My buddy and I have been taking a long trip together for the last 8 years. We have been west all the way to California, east to Nova Scotia, south to the Florida Key's, and north to Glacier National.
All in all, I was extremely pleased with my new (2012) :spyder2:. Here are a few photo's:
http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/jim51945/slideshow/2014 bike trip to Utah
I have been reading the forum posts, and did not know what to expect from the :f_spider: on a long ride. There have been a number of problems and criticisms on the forum about the :f_spider:. Well, I am here to say, the :f_spider: worked flawlessly:thumbup:. I was truly impressed with the ride, the performance, and the reliability
.Through Missouri & Kansas, there were sustained 30 mph south winds hitting me broadside, with some gusts to 40 mph. The :f_spider: handled them very, very well. My buddy was on a Harley Street Glide, and he was in a constant lean.
The weather was very hot....100º+. The :f_spider: ran just a tad over the middle mark on the temp gauge. Which brings up another forum complaint.....heat. Not so for me. I was extremely surprised (of course I am used to the excessive heat of a Harley....it will burn your thigh). I had high boots, and keep my leg close to the tank. I have Seal floorboards......MARVELOUS. Room to move my feet, and put my heel up high on the floorboard upswing over the fan, and all was good.
The majority of the time, speeds were 65 & 75 mph, except when touring a National Park. In the strong winds I was getting 27/28 mpg, in calm winds 33-35, through the parks a little higher. There were a couple of anomalies of 40+ mpg, that I am sure were due to inconsistent fuel pump shutoffs. Full fill on one tank, next tank short of full....and mpg looks great, because it took less fuel. Reverse is also true, creating lower mpg. But in the end, it all balanced out to 32 mpg.
There is one recommendation I am going to make, and that is to check out the Harley Circulator Seat Pad (http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/circulator-large-seat-pad). I had it on my last Harley, and put it on the :f_spider: seat. No more hot saddle when it sits in the sun, keeps your butt dry and cool in the heat, and provides some structure to the spongy seat. I came home from Grand Junction, CO., 1300 miles, in two days.......no saddle soreness. After every days ride, my buddy on the Harley felt "beat up". I got off the :f_spider: and felt very comfortable.
We visited several National Parks & Forests. The ride through the Rockies was great. We rode through Rio Grande Nat'l Forest, stopped in the great town of Durango, then visited Mesa Verde National Park, it was very impressive. We then went to Utah, and visited Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Arches is my favorite. It is just plain beautiful. We stayed in Moab,UT. There were many other stops, but these were the most fun.
My buddy and I have been taking a long trip together for the last 8 years. We have been west all the way to California, east to Nova Scotia, south to the Florida Key's, and north to Glacier National.
All in all, I was extremely pleased with my new (2012) :spyder2:. Here are a few photo's:
http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/jim51945/slideshow/2014 bike trip to Utah
hyea:
