After some True Can-Am insight - will I be making a huge mistake buying the RTL or F3?

[pegasus1300]

I have a 2012 with 81,000+ miles on it. I have been in every State West of the Mississippi. The only reason I would say to get a newer one is that many dealers won't work on the older ones and there are not enough independent shops that will work on a Spyder. Go try both models and see which you like best. I like the RT best because of the comfort. Your wife may like some input on that score also.

 

[Bubby-D]

So, how are you liking the Spyder?

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get as much street time on the bike as I would have liked. I was only able to get about 515 miles on it before the weather went to crap here in Western PA. In that short amount of ride time, though, I have become totally enamored with it, and absolutely love riding it. I've already spent a few bucks on some additions and I'm looking to add more come Spring. Had it in for the post purchase work up and it had to have some minor work done, but other than that, no complaints. Looking forward to Spring, the warm weather, and to getting back out on the road.

I have a 2012 with 81,000+ miles on it. I have been in every State West of the Mississippi. The only reason I would say to get a newer one is that many dealers won't work on the older ones and there are not enough independent shops that will work on a Spyder. Go try both models and see which you like best. I like the RT best because of the comfort. Your wife may like some input on that score also.

I bought a 2020 RTL and fortunately for me, I have a shop about an hour from me that is BRP certified. They don't charge excessive prices (they did a brake fluid flush and replacement for $250). The RTL really is comfortable to ride, has a ton of get up and go, and is a blast to get around on.

 

[McClendons]

Ok so a quick update. I am going tomorrow (9/26) to look at and test ride a 2020 RTL Chalk Metallic - Dark Edition
with 7,294 miles and list for $19,084 out the door with tax, title, etc. Hope if all goes well, it'll be coming home with me. Once again thank you everyone for you much valued and appreciated comments, insights, and guidance. Will let yinz know when I get home how it went.

Allot of good comments. Should the bike you mention not work out, two thoughts. The dealer that encouraged you to ride is a huge plus. Does not mean that they have a great service dept, but does show that care, Buying from them could have advantages when any issues do pop up.

Second, if you decide to look new, iMotorsports in Chicago is still showing some brand new 2024 RT Limiteds for as low as 23.5K. They have a couple of very small add ons, but reasonable, and of course tax. They will ship the bike to your door at that price, and are very easy to deal with. I prefer to buy locally, but got a huge savings through them and a painless deal.

Good luck. There is no doubt in my mind the Honda is most reliable. I've had 2 Tri Glide Harleys, they've just gotten stupid in price, poor ride, and the stock stereo cant even be made to works with bluetooth headsets reliably (Vendor changes between the bluetooth module you have to buy but can't and headsets......)

 

[Snoking1127]

They did leave the mount, and it's hardwired to the bike. Not sure why, and the dealer said the former owner took the head unit with them.

View attachment 251774

That does not look like the normal cover for the Zumo XT/XT2???

 

[Bubby-D]

That does not look like the normal cover for the Zumo XT/XT2???

It’s the cover and mount for the Garmin Zumo 590 LM. I replaced it with the Zumo XT.

 

[Peacekeeper6]

I know that this topic has prolly been more than likely covered ad nauseam but I am new to this whole world of motorcycle riding and I am looking to get my feet wet. I am in the process of researching my first bike and I’ve been all over the place, reading & watching videos, on the HD Tri Glide, Freewheeler, & Road Glide 3, the Honda Goldwing trike, and on into the Can-Am RTL & F3.
Let me start off by saying that I'm 56 and have spent several years as a firefighter and 20 as an emergency medical technician. The last part of my career has taken a toll on my joints and I just don’t want to deal with the ins and outs of a two wheeler. So that's what's had led me to the realm of trikes. That and I want to be able to have my wife enjoy some highway miles with me.
I know that HD can be hit and miss but over all are good bikes. Goldwing, from what I been discovering, are the gold standard. Then there is the Can-Am and this is where my inquest begins.
Research has shown me that the Can-Am Spyders, from it’s introduction in ‘07 and up until about ‘15, were not very reliable and caused it’s owners a lot of grief, money & downtime. From ‘15 to ‘18, there were still hiccups but they had gotten better and today they are very solid bikes. I’ve read and watched the videos that say not very many motorcycle mechanics are knowledgeable enough to work on them and there are not very many shops around that can work on them. I know Can-Am has 902 dealers nationwide but they can be fairly spaced out. I have one with 15 min of my house but they have a horrible business model and staff are not the friendliest. My next dealer is 1 hour away and the next closest is 90 min away. For comparison, I have 3 HD dealers within 45 min of my home, and there are at least 5 or 6 more a bit further out. Has the Can-Am reliability gotten any better or do they still have issues?
When I took the 3-wheel riders safety course, it was on the Ryker 900 Sport, and it was a blast. I went out on the HD Road Glide 3 for a test ride and while it was fun, there is a whole lot of beef being lugged around. 1,164lbs to be precise, with 90hp & 119ft-lb of torque. The Harley would require me to really have to spend a massive amount of parking lot time just to get a slight gist of clutching, breaking, throttle response, etc. I feel the RTL or F3 wouldn’t require as much due to being incredibly user friendly. I’ll taking both models out for a test ride here soon.
I know that this is all over the place but the bottom line is this, will I be making a huge mistake buying the RTL or F3? Will the investment be worth it or will it end up nickel and diming me at every turn?
Thank you in advance.
Bubby-D

Here's my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

Avoid 1st or 2nd year new model runs. I don't believe that they have worked out the bugs yet. I think that with each new model introduction, they improve the reliability.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Just make sure you get one.

 

[jdgretz]

They did leave the mount, and it's hardwired to the bike. Not sure why, and the dealer said the former owner took the head unit with them.

View attachment 251774

It is much easier just to leave the mount on the previous bike rather than pulling apart plastic and wiring to remove it - I did that when I sold my Goldwing - plus I had a couple of extra mounting kits laying around so it was no big deal leaving it. Saves the next owner the hassle of installing the wiring. Get the appropriate Zumo and enjoy. Which Zumo was there? Depending on the model, it can be relatively inexpensive to replace from either Amazon or eBay.

jdg