Pennyrick
New member
We got back from our SpyderFest trip this afternoon. Logged 2,100 miles for the trip and visited seven states (two of them twice). My 2012 RT rolled over to 21,000 miles just as we pulled in the lane and that, combined with the miles on my 2011 RTSM, brings my Spyder experience level to just over 36,000 in total. So I feel entitled to some observations...
- my favorite cruising speed on the twin is 59 mph or right on 5,000 rpm. I like the firm sound of all those parts running together as the shaft spins away in it's oil bath and tells you it is a happy engine.
- Neither my wife nor I used fifth gear once in the 2,100 mile trip.
- pulling our R622's there is no way on earth to avoid hitting some part of a road kill when pinned in your lane. One of those five wheels is bound to squish it.
- Cleaning squished road kill off of the front of the trailers is not a job I enjoy... that can wait until tomorrow.
- The Garmin 660 is close to being the most useless device ever invented. Three times the whiny broad inside that thing put us in the wrong place. Once she kept insisting that I make a U turn while counting down the miles to my destination going (in what she said) was the wrong direction. Despite being set to avoid interstates she kept trying to get us back on them.
- My wife finally began writing down the roads and the turns on a small note and taped them each day to the pull out panel over the safety card. It is a good use for that tray.
- There must be over a half million Dollar General stores in the USA!
- We love the back roads but forgot that the pollen season is much later in Missouri and Kentucky. We took turns seeing who could coat the other with more of the yellow stuff blowing out behind.
- Asking directions when lost in Little Rock, late on a Friday afternoon is not only a waste of time, but it can put you on the road to a completely different state.
- Never ask a person for directions to a highway number. People don't know numbers... they know names like 'the Colonel's parkway' or, 'Hightower trail', or, 'the road to Aunt Sallys'. Unfortunately those names are never on a map.
- West Tennessee road signs don't tell you where you are headed to or what the distance is. They just tell you the name of the road you just passed.
- Don't trust motel confirmations. We had one in hand for a Holiday Inn in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, only to arrive and find the place closed for renovations. (Thanks for lettin' us know HI).
- Our 2012 RT's are keepers. I once kept a Gold Wing for seven years and a Valkyrie for five. I think the Spyders may set a new time of ownership record for us.
- They both seem to like fuel not contaminated by Ethanol... too bad we can't find any around here.
I missed Roger Rattigan and still owe him a drink.
- my favorite cruising speed on the twin is 59 mph or right on 5,000 rpm. I like the firm sound of all those parts running together as the shaft spins away in it's oil bath and tells you it is a happy engine.
- Neither my wife nor I used fifth gear once in the 2,100 mile trip.
- pulling our R622's there is no way on earth to avoid hitting some part of a road kill when pinned in your lane. One of those five wheels is bound to squish it.
- Cleaning squished road kill off of the front of the trailers is not a job I enjoy... that can wait until tomorrow.
- The Garmin 660 is close to being the most useless device ever invented. Three times the whiny broad inside that thing put us in the wrong place. Once she kept insisting that I make a U turn while counting down the miles to my destination going (in what she said) was the wrong direction. Despite being set to avoid interstates she kept trying to get us back on them.
- My wife finally began writing down the roads and the turns on a small note and taped them each day to the pull out panel over the safety card. It is a good use for that tray.
- There must be over a half million Dollar General stores in the USA!
- We love the back roads but forgot that the pollen season is much later in Missouri and Kentucky. We took turns seeing who could coat the other with more of the yellow stuff blowing out behind.
- Asking directions when lost in Little Rock, late on a Friday afternoon is not only a waste of time, but it can put you on the road to a completely different state.
- Never ask a person for directions to a highway number. People don't know numbers... they know names like 'the Colonel's parkway' or, 'Hightower trail', or, 'the road to Aunt Sallys'. Unfortunately those names are never on a map.
- West Tennessee road signs don't tell you where you are headed to or what the distance is. They just tell you the name of the road you just passed.
- Don't trust motel confirmations. We had one in hand for a Holiday Inn in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, only to arrive and find the place closed for renovations. (Thanks for lettin' us know HI).
- Our 2012 RT's are keepers. I once kept a Gold Wing for seven years and a Valkyrie for five. I think the Spyders may set a new time of ownership record for us.
- They both seem to like fuel not contaminated by Ethanol... too bad we can't find any around here.
I missed Roger Rattigan and still owe him a drink.
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