Basic, Novice Safety riding questions. several

[TicketBait]

Ok, I took the "California Motorcycle Safety Program" and I take the written test at the DMV tomorrow.


I was talking with an owner of a Harley Road Glide and he was explaining the difference of his bike and

a Road King that the fairing on his bike was part of/or welded to the frame. Where as the King was bolted to

the handle bars and when a semi truck goes past you, the whole bike fairs better than the King.

So for those that are riding these on the road now how is your impression of this feeling on your RT.



I am gonna ride very defensively, and have briefly practiced swerving for crash avoidance in the class.

My question is are you able to swerve in the RT and at what speed on dry pavement would it become dicey?

And next I have read so much about wearing bright colors to be seen, and to have your brights on during

the day. I look at the clothing by Can-Am and it is good looking but my choice is only Black or Silver Helmets

and black or charcoal gray clothing with reflective piping. I am hoping your answer will be that we don't need

bright clothing and to just get magic mans lighted mud flaps (which i plan on doing) BTW how much should my

dealership charge for hooking that up with the turn signals?


Since I put a deposit down for my RTS SE5 PE I have been practicing with the demo SM5 in their parking lot. The

owners manual that i downloaded and printed out has Required rider skills and practice exercises that are

different for the manual and automatic. pages 61-78 :2thumbs: I am gonna learn both .

Once I have my M1 license i can take the demo bike on the streets cuz their insurance will cover it.

Also if I think of more Safety issue questions i will post them here in a different color setting. So hopefuly you experts will revisit to answer them.


Since I live in Southern California we have a variety of impatient drivers.
I am determined to become proficient to daily commute the freeway 25 miles north up to Magic Mtn.

 

[NancysToy]

I haven't ridden my RT yet, but have about an hour of time on demos. The body/fairing issue is not applicable here. What your Harley friend was describing was the difference between a frame-mounted fairing and a handlebar-mounted fairing. With a frame-mounted fairing (or bodywork in the case of the Spyder) the entire vehicle has to be affected by the wind to cause unwanted movements. This is no different than a car or truck. As a result, the movements are usually smaller, are not confined to the steering, and are easier to compensate for. Remember that a two-wheeler steers very easily when "bumped", unlike the more stable Spyder or auto. You won't have to steer into the wind as much as a biker does, but you still may have to do so.

Handlebar-mounted fairings are tricky! That big sail can move the bars quite a way. If you had more bike experience, you would realize that very small handlebar movements can cause a lot of steering at the motorcycle. Remember that countersteering merely initiates the turn, then leaning takes over. If the windshield countersteers for you, you can get quite an exciting ride unless you are prepared to compensate for it.

The Spyder will swerve, and the Operator Guide has some practice exercises. Remember, though, that you have three tracks, and you have to swerve much wider for obstacle avoidance. Practice learning to take small obstacles down the "slot" between the front tire and the rear. That takes less steering. It will not work for larger or taller obstacles, or large potholes. Dead center may be the best way out in that situation. Try to ride well ahead of yourself, and leave lots of space to the vehicle ahead so you can spot any obstacles.

The Spyder is more visible than a regular motorcycle. Unfortunately, that is not always enough. A woman ran into my red F-150 SuperCab, claiming she didn't see me. The RT-S is black (for now) unlike the more visible silver, yellow, and red RS models, so it is not going to be as visible, despite being bigger, and having good lighting. It has been proven that the most effective accident deterrent for motorcycles is bright clothing that is always in motion, especially jackets and helmets,. If you want to be seen, wear the hi-vis colors. You can get other brands of riding gear besides BRP, and many are available in fluorescent colors, including some helmets. You can also wear a high-vis vest, like traffic workers. How visible you want to be, depends on you. Even on the Spyder, I believe in the value of full, proper protective clothing.

Good luck on your test, and with your practice. Don't worry, it will become natural quite quickly. And remember, the good habits you develop now will last you a lifetime.

 

[bikeguy]

:agree: I have very little time on a Spyder RT. Only about 30 mihutes on a demo ride. It seemed to be a very stable ride but I don't know how high winds will affect it. I agree with Scotty that it's very important to wear protective gear, even on a Spyder. The fact that you have three wheels rather than two eliminates the prospect of just going down because of slick roads, gravel, or rider error but it doesn't eliminate other potential crashes. A good helmet, protective riding gear, and good boots can make a tremendous difference in a crash.

As far as visibility goes, my aproach is to ride as though I am invisible. Several years ago, a woman ran into a car in the middle of a funeral procession in San Angelo, Texas and claimed she didn't see it. If you can't see a funeral procession, what chance do you have of seeing a Spyder?

Cotton

 

[lawrenc454]

High Winds

Go to Fred Rau's trip reports because he hit tremendous and scary wind conditions and came through better on the RT than a tractor trailer on the same road. Lonnie

 

[TicketBait]

I haven't ridden my RT yet, but have about an hour of time on demos. The body/fairing issue is not applicable here. What your Harley friend was describing was the difference between a frame-mounted fairing and a handlebar-mounted fairing. With a frame-mounted fairing (or bodywork in the case of the Spyder) the entire vehicle has to be affected by the wind to cause unwanted movements. This is no different than a car or truck. As a result, the movements are usually smaller, are not confined to the steering, and are easier to compensate for. Remember that a two-wheeler steers very easily when "bumped", unlike the more stable Spyder or auto. You won't have to steer into the wind as much as a biker does, but you still may have to do so.

Handlebar-mounted fairings are tricky! That big sail can move the bars quite a way. If you had more bike experience, you would realize that very small handlebar movements can cause a lot of steering at the motorcycle. Remember that countersteering merely initiates the turn, then leaning takes over. If the windshield countersteers for you, you can get quite an exciting ride unless you are prepared to compensate for it.

The Spyder will swerve, and the Operator Guide has some practice exercises. Remember, though, that you have three tracks, and you have to swerve much wider for obstacle avoidance. Practice learning to take small obstacles down the "slot" between the front tire and the rear. That takes less steering. It will not work for larger or taller obstacles, or large potholes. Dead center may be the best way out in that situation. Try to ride well ahead of yourself, and leave lots of space to the vehicle ahead so you can spot any obstacles.

The Spyder is more visible than a regular motorcycle. Unfortunately, that is not always enough. A woman ran into my red F-150 SuperCab, claiming she didn't see me. The RT-S is black (for now) unlike the more visible silver, yellow, and red RS models, so it is not going to be as visible, despite being bigger, and having good lighting. It has been proven that the most effective accident deterrent for motorcycles is bright clothing that is always in motion, especially jackets and helmets,. If you want to be seen, wear the hi-vis colors. You can get other brands of riding gear besides BRP, and many are available in fluorescent colors, including some helmets. You can also wear a high-vis vest, like traffic workers. How visible you want to be, depends on you. Even on the Spyder, I believe in the value of full, proper protective clothing.

Good luck on your test, and with your practice. Don't worry, it will become natural quite quickly. And remember, the good habits you develop now will last you a lifetime.

Thank you Scotty, you always have good advice, and also to Cotton and lonnie for there in put.

I passed today at the DMV and have a motorcycle license coming in the mail hyea::yes::clap:

now when I go down to practice with the demo they will let me go out into traffic ray: , well they will but i won't until I become proficient in the parking lot with the swerve maneuver scotty was talking about.

I looked at group photos of spyder riders and not too many have on bright colors, so I am gonna wear mostly black protective with florescent piping and just be the best defensive driver I can be.

 

[NancysToy]

Thank you Scotty, you always have good advice, and also to Cotton and lonnie for there in put.

I passed today at the DMV and have a motorcycle license coming in the mail hyea::yes::clap:

now when I go down to practice with the demo they will let me go out into traffic ray: , well they will but i won't until I become proficient in the parking lot with the swerve maneuver scotty was talking about.

I looked at group photos of spyder riders and not too many have on bright colors, so I am gonna wear mostly black protective with florescent piping and just be the best defensive driver I can be.

:congrats: Have fun with your first road trip. Don't worry about the color of the clothing as much as the proper clothing. I wear plain colors with reflective panels myself, although I prefer a silver or white helmet. I was just letting you know what has been proven to be the most visible and life saving. I will admit that I have been eyeing a fluorescent yellow Arai helmet lately.