Bike vs Spyder

[Slybird]

During the past six years, my wife has purchased and sold at least 4-5 motorcycles, trying to find one that she's comfortable riding. I made the "mistake" of letting her drive my 2010 RT-S a couple of months ago and she started whining "I want one!". :yikes: Well, we're now a 2-:spyder2: family. I flew down to Phoenix in December to pick up her "new" used 2010 Orbital Blue RT-AC and she's now out on the roads ryding like a champ! :2thumbs: God bless Spyders! Can Am's accomplished something Yamaha, Suzuki and Harley couldn't - got my wife up and ryding WITH me - not SITTING BEHIND me!:clap::yes::clap::yes::clap:

 

[2Gunns]

I've been riding since High School (many moons ago).... since buying the Spyder in Dec. 2009, the Yamaha VStar has been riden out for state inspection and my Harley has been only a few mile more. The Spyder has TAKEN CONTROL. In fact, the last charity ride I was invited on, I was asked to bring the HD. Left the house,,,,got a few miles down the rode and turned around....showed up on the RT. My son has taken the MSF course and I plan to give him the vstar..... I'll keep the HD for awhile but doubt it gets much rode time.

As other have said... it has also gotten my wife involved. Spyder was the best purchase I ever made hyea:

 

[ARtraveler]

Interesting first post. Im storing a brand new 2009 Honda VTX 1300 for a friend who bought it real cheap (how about $3000 off sticker--blow out sale) from the dealer. She was ready to graduate to bigger than 650 cc and the opportunity came along.
I also ride two wheels in addition to my Spyder. I bought a brand new 2009 Vulcan 900 LTD last august--because I missed riding on two wheels. I had a two year period of Spyder only--but backslid. I find that riding a two wheeler seems to give a little more excitement than the Spyder, but I really like the RTS and all the amenities for long trips, as well as riding in inclement weather.
It's different strokes for different folks. We all have our reasons for the way, and what we ride. It's all good though. IMO, there is no such thing as a bad ride.

 

[BikerDoc]

Distance is main Issue

I still love the two wheeler (Ducati PSE 1000) for around town or short furious rides but when you start thinking about 1000 plus mile trips -- the Spyder is the only ride in my thoughts.. My friends on two wheelers seem to think that 200 or 25o miles a day is the max range to ride when I just feel warmed up on the spyder at that point...

 

[Chikez]

2 Wheels to 3

I have riden motorcyles only as an adult. Getting my license at the age of 35 and being female turned quite a few heads in the 80's. I gave up riding by the end of the 80's because money was low and I could only afford one vehicle. Riding in Maryland on a motorcycle in winter is not a good idea so I bought the cage and sadly left the world of two wheels. Career and life took my time though I always wanted to go back to riding. I met someone in 1997 and this partner has been with me ever since. She never rode a motorcycle.
Due to life and a car accident in high school my knees soon deterioated until in 98-99 I had both knees replaced. After a year I felt so good I went to my doctor stating I wanted to ride the motorcycle again. He agreed, explained the risk and off I went to the safety course along with my partner. We both took the course and she got her license. I had never given up the license, just the bike.
I bought a 2001 Suzuki VL800 Volusia.. she has a vintage 1987 Honda Rebel 450 (yes 450) in excellent condition. We rode for 8 years until the arthritus caught up to me. My feet hurt so badly I could not trust myself to hold up the bike. My partner is a very timid rider and will not ride alone.
Fate turns a twist and to seal the end of two wheels, I then needed both rotator cuffs repaired. I still love bikes, but knew I could not ride safely. I had heard about the spyder RS and even took a test drive before the shoulder surgeries, but my limited range of motion of the knees and bent forward riding position made it impossible to ride. I remember telling the dealer in Virginia that obviously Can Am had invested a great deal in this vehicle and they were smart people. I said then that sooner or later Can Am would come out with a touring vehicle.
In 2009 I attended the DelMarVa Bike week in Ocean City Maryland. I had seen online that Can Am was having a factory demo at Short's Marine in Delaware. I drove the truck up to Delaware to see if I could ride or see the sitting position on the RTS. I met the rep, asking my question he walked me around to the opposite side of the 18 wheeler, pointed to the graphic on the side of the trailer and said, "I think you will be just fine."
One year ago this month, between blizzards in Maryland, I got a call to come take the demo ride on the RTS in Delaware. I took the test ride and fell in love with riding again. I did not order then because I wanted to test the semi automatic transmission. I went to a dealer in Maryland in April and bought my RTS. I can ride again without worry of dropping a bike, not being able to pull it back out of a parking space or drop a bike at a traffic light because of oil. Yes, I miss the lean, but I have earned comfort. Thank you CAN AM for making it possible for all the aging baby boomers like me to keep their love for the open road alive and do it with a reasonable amount of risk. My partner loves to ride and this season I promise to get her back in the driver's seat.
Thank you all for your help, tips and overall guidance and support. Keep posting, our family will only grow.:yes:

 

[stillriding]

Good for you!

 

[VaughnCat]

Depends . . .

Rode my son in laws new Harley Classic the other day;what a nice bike. . . much more refined than my old VL-1500 Inruder (that I just sold w/almost 80K on it) . . . but with just under 17K miles on our RT in the last 11 months, I don't see going back to two wheels as our main mode of 'wind in your face' riding. Cat and I love to ride together on the RT, or go 'canyon carving' on the two Spyders . . . . listening to the joy in Cat's voice (over the Interphone head sets) as we buzz to the coast through the Redwoods is priceless. I'm thinking I'm making time on the RT through the turns, and there she is not far behind with the RT bobbing her head and singing along with Pink Floyd. . . . it don't get much better than that . . . and the safety factor is way ahead of a bike here in the wet and wonderful Northwest. Got my first bike in 1967, haven't been without one until this year, buy the whole freedom that motorcycle riding brings you is there in a Spyder, a scooter, or even a standard trike . . . even the old Bingham Sidecar on a Honda 750 that I just offed. . . hey ya'll, isn't it great to be able to have this kind of fun?

 

[Baphomet]

I ride both Spyder and Sportster. I don't prefer one over the other, and enjoy them both. I also have a traditional trike. I don't like the way it handles much so only ride it occasionally.

 

[Slybird]

During the past six years, my wife has purchased and sold at least 4-5 motorcycles, trying to find one that she's comfortable riding. I made the "mistake" of letting her drive my 2010 RT-S a couple of months ago and she started whining "I want one!". :yikes: Well, we're now a 2-:spyder2: family. I flew down to Phoenix in December to pick up her "new" used 2010 Orbital Blue RT-AC and she's now out on the roads ryding like a champ! :2thumbs: God bless Spyders! Can Am's accomplished something Yamaha, Suzuki and Harley couldn't - got my wife up and ryding WITH me - not SITTING BEHIND me!:clap::yes::clap::yes::clap:

Just got back from ryding over 100 miles at my wife's insistance...tough job, but someone's gotta do it!! She's got the bug bad!!!:clap::clap::clap: Anyway, referring back to the original topic of this thread, when we came out of a restaurant this afternoon, a family with a couple of young kids walked by my RT-S and the kids (7-10 years old) were really staring, wondering what it was. Kathy's RT-AC was parked a couple of slots down the way. When they walked by her :spyder2:, the kids piped up with "Hey! Here's another car-bike over here!" :roflblack: From the mouths of babes......