Contemplating buying a Spyder - any reliability, power, and buyer's remorse issues?

[grampi]

Yeah, the CFO in my house only allows one bike at a time too. :lecturef_smilie:

Predicting buyer's remorse for someone else is almost impossible, because you would be going from one type of handlebar equipped machine you straddle, to a completely different machine who's only similarities is a windshield in front of you, a seat between your legs, and handlebars in your hands. The Spyder is more like a go-cart you straddle and steer with handlebars, than a motorcycle even though both give you the open-air ride.

It seems that new riders take to them quicker, because they have nothing to compare them to, they learn to ride them as-is. Long-time 2-wheelers have to get past their bodies telling them things just feel wrong. I did the switch, knowing I wanted a Spyder, and was mentally prepared for the differences. Watched YouTube videos of rides and tried to imagine myself on the bike. I was ready when it came to make the purchase. Even so, my 2-hour ride home from the purchase was very tense, especially at first. I had to keep telling myself, trust the bike, this is new, trust the bike, this is just different, relax, no, it's NOT 12 feet wide, no, it's not going to throw me off on curves, trust the bike. I was giddy with my purchase, but it took me a while to relax. After that, I had all the time in the world to learn this new machine.

By going into this process, knowing it would be different, I was determined to not compare the Spyder to any two wheeled bike I'd ridden in the previous 50+ years. I went for easy fairly short rides and experimented with my techniques. I'd read suggestions on this and other Spyder forums, and I would try them out. Within just a few days, all the weirdness was almost completely gone, the new stuff was coming forward, and so were the smiles. I live just a few miles from a twisty climbing road in one direction, a highway with long straight aways and round-abouts in another. Perfect places for getting familiar with the new bike. In mere days I was coming home and telling my wife I love this machine. I'd read: don't get an RTL if you like the twisties, but it wasn't long before I was having an absolute blast on the curves - curves that I always worried about on two wheels. I've never been a knee dragger, but in the last decade, I've worried more and more about losing traction in a curve and going down. Worse yet, dropping the bike with my wife on the back. I'm a bit of a wee lad, and my legs aren't getting any stronger in my senior years, and it seemed like the chances of 0mph crashes were getting higher and chances of (us) breaking when we fell, higher too; so the three wheeled Spyder was one way of taking that worry away, while keeping the fun intact. It's not only kept the fun intact, but also brought me even more fun.

To reinforce the positive....

On the Spyder, I can take curves like never before. I like to call it my three-wheel, luxury, European sports car. And the other things like not having to put your feet down when you stop... Oh, man, that is so nice. Last week I had to stop for road work to wait for a pilot car. I stopped, shut off the bike, leaned back on the backrest with my hands in my lap, no kickstand, no foot down, no lifting an 800lb bike upright (like my previous Harley Ultra); and when it was time to go, I started the bike, shifted into 1st, and just went. Sweet! Same with backing out of parking spaces - no balancing a heavy bike on two wheels, especially with a very important passenger onboard. Doesn't matter how slow I'm going in a parking lot, or if I suddenly decide to pull to the side of the road to look at something. No feet down, and no focus on maintaining balance, just do it. Nice! Just about 10 days ago during a cooler spell, I took my first long ride - Check out the road(s) from Congress, AZ to Sedona, via 89 and 89a through Jerome on Goggle Maps. The first curvy part of Hwy 89 is where I practiced in the curves going up and back at various speeds, honing my techniques. The next fun part on 89 is before Prescott; the next going up 89a to Jerome; before dropping back down into the desert; then climbing again to Sedona. That ride on the Spyder was wonderful, not only fun, but comfortable too. Did I mention it was FUN!?

Now, that of course is me, and again, I wasn't only interested in a Spyder, I had decided I wanted one for sure. Oh, and the same CFO who would nix two bikes, sent me the ad for the Spyder I bought, saying: "This is the one we should get!!" Exclamation marks included. :2thumbs:

I still don't know how she'll like the bike. It's just been too darned hot here in AZ to get her on the bike except for a couple very short rides around the neighborhood. I have not an ounce of buyer's remorse, I absolutely love the thing, but that could be 180 degrees from what you might feel if you make the jump. Good luck with your choice. As they say: WMMV.

I'm curious to find out what CFO means. I'm allowed to have more than one motorcycle, they just can't both be expensive ones. I paid $3300 for my '98 Super Hawk, so that bike's not going anywhere. Besides, selling it wouldn't bring in enough $$$ to make a difference. I'm not hell bent on making myself like a Spyder right off the bat. If I don't like it, I'll re-evaluate my situation at a later time. At some point my age is going to dictate that I move on from two wheelers, or at least the big, heavy ones like the GW, and at 66, how much longer could that be?

 

[troop]

I'm curious to find out what CFO means. I'm allowed to have more than one motorcycle, they just can't both be expensive ones. I paid $3300 for my '98 Super Hawk, so that bike's not going anywhere. Besides, selling it wouldn't bring in enough $$$ to make a difference. I'm not hell bent on making myself like a Spyder right off the bat. If I don't like it, I'll re-evaluate my situation at a later time. At some point my age is going to dictate that I move on from two wheelers, or at least the big, heavy ones like the GW, and at 66, how much longer could that be?

CFO = Chief Financial Officer

 

[OldAge]

Also SWMBO. She Who Must Be Obeyed. !!!!

 

[BCNewell]

Two-wheels vs three-wheels is just a different ride. Not better or worse - just different. I’m 60 y.o. and have had my F3-S just over two years. Love it. Just got back from riding ~2,700 miles in 7 days, including 700+ miles of “spirited” riding in eastern OK / western AR, the Talimena Byway, and two of the Three Sisters in central Texas. Keep the revs up in the 4,800+ range, and what these bikes are capable of is quite startling. You can ride the twisties “with your hair on fire” and not have to worry much about small patches of loose dirt or leaves sending you into a low side slide. With proper lean/pull/push on the seat/handlebars/footpegs (floorboards) these things handle marvelously. Curvy roads posted at 25mph and 40mph can be taken at 50mph and 65mph (allegedly - shhhh !!). And if you get too aggressive, the Nanny will rein you in a bit, and that will make you want to work on your technique to be smoother, which is faster.

As for quickness - I came off a 2014 Honda CTX1300 (one-year-only bike - think 3/4-scale Goldwing w/ a V4 engine). Nice “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none” bike with good low-end grunt and fairly capable in the twisties. That bike ran 13.5x seconds at 98mph in the 1/4 mile at the drag strip (2 different occasions). The F3-S has run 13.4x seconds (best of 13.398) at 101mph (3 different occasions), and over 83mph in 1/8 mile. It ain’t slow.
https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums...t-the-drag-strip-tonight&highlight=Drag+strip

Again, just a different kind of ride. I thoroughly enjoy it. Sometimes still long for a two-wheeler, but not disappointed AT ALL with what I have. Good luck with your choice.

 

[ollicat]

What is a Pedal Commander? Sounds expensive...

Pedal Commander changes the throttle response and allows you to tap into that 1330 CC engine a lot faster. It has 12 modes I believe and the most aggressive ones will rock your world. Do a youtube search for pedal commander and Spyder. They are about $200 I believe.

 

[grampi]

CFO = Chief Financial Officer

I call mine congress...:thumbup:

 

[grampi]

I rode two Spyders today. Both were 2017 models.

The first one was an F3 Limited.

What I liked: the handling, the looks (I like the narrower front end with the radiators mounted length wise. He also had a '22 RT and I don't like the way the radiators are mounted, that's all you see when looking at it from the front). The F3 also had chrome front rims, and the side pieces were chrome. The RT had black wheels, and pretty much everything else was blacked out. I'm not a fan of the blacked out look, I'm a chrome guy. I like the analog gauges for the speedo and tach better than the all digital display of the newer models.
What I didn't like: the fixed position windshield, and the mirrors shook so badly I could barely see anything in them. The electric windshield on my Wing has me spoiled, I want one on the Spyder.

The second one I rode was an RT.

What I liked: The power windshield, and the larger storage space in the frunk.
What I didn't like: I was very cramped on this one, the F3 seemed to have a lot more room for me. I also hated the trunk. It is a very weird looking design, and there isn't much room inside. The F3 had a REAL trunk.

Both seemed to handle similarly, and I also didn't notice much difference in acceleration. I honestly was expecting these things to be a dog, but I thought they actually had plenty of get up and go. Of these two, I liked the F3 better, but I don't know if I could do without the power windshield. Something would definitely have to be done about the shaky mirrors.

Mileage was around 8600 for the F3, and a little over 30K on the RT, so the F3 had a big advantage here.

Bottom line, I could do a Spyder. The F3 may have been more comfortable than my Wing, it was that comfortable. I actually got used to the handling fairly quickly. I did notice the faster I went, the touchier the steering input was. I took both up to about 80 or so and they felt rock solid. It was nice setting at stop lights without having to put my feet down...

 

[BCNewell]

Grampi - remember that the F3 will have 5 different positions for the footboards. You can tailor the footboard position fore/aft to your liking, but you will have to buy the correct length brake rod to match a change.

Also, you didn’t notice much difference in acceleration because both models you rode had the 79-tooth rear sprocket. In 2016, ALL F3 models had the 89-tooth sprocket; while in 2017, only the F3-S and F3-T had the 89-tooth while the F3 base and F3-L had the 79-tooth sprocket. The 89-tooth sprocket will accelerate quicker.

 

[askitee]

I enjoy the brand and can attest that it is important to find the right people to service it. The 1st 12 months of ownership saw me almost sell mine (bought new) and cutting my losses due to the number of problems I was having. Tried a different dealership and after that day I took home a different bike - took it for a test ride and had to stop and check the license plate to be sure I hadn't accidentally taken someone else's. Since then its been great. They are "arseholes" when it comes to warranty, and again having the right dealership relationship will help immensely (warranty replacements so far include both Headlight assemblies, Park Brake sensor, Tie Rods, 4 x Drive Sprockets, Power Steering sensor ..... there are more that I can't recall)

My biggest gripe with BRP at present - I hit an animal back in 2022, claimed it on insurance and the repairer and I are still waiting on the parts from BRP. When I had mine assessed in 2022, there were 3 RT Ltds (Their flagship product) sitting in the workshop waiting on bits, so I count myself lucky I can at least ride my RTL. I have made the decision that once repaired I'll ride it into the ground and sell it when Its due for replacement and get something else.

 

[grampi]

Thanks to Peter for rearranging my post. It reads much better this way!

 

[KX5062]

Grampi: Just an FYI. The mirror shake is a known issue and is easily and cheaply fixed with a kit from Lamonster garage.

 

[grampi]

Grampi: Just an FYI. The mirror shake is a known issue and is easily and cheaply fixed with a kit from Lamonster garage.

You beat me to it! I was just going to post a message asking about a mirror fix. Thank!

 

[grampi]

They aren't the only company that are a**holes when it comes to honoring their warranty. I swear Honda tries their damnedest to get out covering ANYTHING under warranty. I've heard the same about other makes as well. The lack of replacement parts still being a problem is a total mystery to me. I could understand it during the pandemic when everything was shut down, but 2 years after the pandemic is inexcusable...

 

[ARtraveler]

I rode two Spyders today. Both were 2017 models.

The first one was an F3 Limited.

What I liked: the handling, the looks (I like the narrower front end with the radiators mounted length wise. He also had a '22 RT and I don't like the way the radiators are mounted, that's all you see when looking at it from the front). The F3 also had chrome front rims, and the side pieces were chrome. The RT had black wheels, and pretty much everything else was blacked out. I'm not a fan of the blacked out look, I'm a chrome guy. I like the analog gauges for the speedo and tach better than the all digital display of the newer models.
What I didn't like: the fixed position windshield, and the mirrors shook so badly I could barely see anything in them. The electric windshield on my Wing has me spoiled, I want one on the Spyder.

The second one I rode was an RT.

What I liked: The power windshield, and the larger storage space in the frunk.
What I didn't like: I was very cramped on this one, the F3 seemed to have a lot more room for me. I also hated the trunk. It is a very weird looking design, and there isn't much room inside. The F3 had a REAL trunk.

Both seemed to handle similarly, and I also didn't notice much difference in acceleration. I honestly was expecting these things to be a dog, but I thought they actually had plenty of get up and go. Of these two, I liked the F3 better, but I don't know if I could do without the power windshield. Something would definitely have to be done about the shaky mirrors.

Mileage was around 8600 for the F3, and a little over 30K on the RT, so the F3 had a big advantage here.

Bottom line, I could do a Spyder. The F3 may have been more comfortable than my Wing, it was that comfortable. I actually got used to the handling fairly quickly. d notice the faster I went, the touchier the steering input was. I took both up to about 80 or so and they felt rock solid. It was nice setting at stop lights without having to put my feet down...

RE: Windshield. I came off of three RT's before my two final F3's. I did NOT miss the power windshield on the F3's. I stuck with the OEM windshields that came with the F3's. Even though I could look OVER the tops of the windshields I NEVER felt any wind buffeting. Never had a mirror problem with my F3L's.

 

[grampi]

I talked to my mechanic the other day just to get his perspective of the Spyder. He said the 1330 models seem to be reliable, but he can only do certain maintenance tasks because many of them are coded. He says certain things can only be accomplished by an authorized service center. He didn't go into much detail about which things he could or couldn't do. Do any of you know which particular maintenance procedures can only be done by the dealer? This is getting pretty ****ty with the proprietary crap when you can't even work on your own machine...

 

[ARtraveler]

I talked to my mechanic the other day just to get his perspective of the Spyder. He said the 1330 models seem to be reliable, but he can only do certain maintenance tasks because many of them are coded. He says certain things can only be accomplished by an authorized service center. He didn't go into much detail about which things he could or couldn't do. Do any of you know which particular maintenance procedures can only be done by the dealer? This is getting pretty ****ty with the proprietary crap when you can't even work on your own machine...

There are many Spyder owners that would not trust their machines to any mechanic. Authorized or not. Most Spyders run 30,000 miles or more on just oil changes, and tires. Getting into the fine points of engines does not seem to be an issue. I was told by my "authorized" dealer to leave the spark plugs alone at 28K, they will go 60K or more. For the occasional things that the average mechanic can do you don't have to worry about the "proprietary" stuff that can "only" be performed by authorized dealers. Those issues are few and far between. I am a NON mechanical type person. I performed no mechanical things on my 7 spyders over the 15 years and 200,000 plus spyder miles.

When I moved to Arkansas (2019) I never went back to a dealer for service. I had Spyderpops and Lamonster garage perform my annual oil changes, and other things like tires, one broken mirror (thank you movers), and bling add-ons. The closest dealer would not make any type of "deal" for me when I decided to purchase new F3L's. I bought my last 2 machines sight unseen, from iMoto in Chicago. They delivered (in good condition), for free, and picked up my trades each of the two times I purchased. Those bikes were then serviced by the non-authorized places mentioned above. I needed NO warranty service and had NO mechanical breakdowns from either F3L.

It sounds to me like your mechanic is NOT wanting to service your machine. I really don't know about any "secret" things than can only be done by an authorized dealer. If I am wrong, THEY will surely let us know. :roflblack:

 

[broderp]

The only thing I get from my F3S purchase are smiles. LOTS of SMILES. What a blast. No regrets.

:cheers:

 

[grampi]

There are many Spyder owners that would not trust their machines to any mechanic. Authorized or not. Most Spyders run 30,000 miles or more on just oil changes, and tires. Getting into the fine points of engines does not seem to be an issue. I was told by my "authorized" dealer to leave the spark plugs alone at 28K, they will go 60K or more. For the occasional things that the average mechanic can do you don't have to worry about the "proprietary" stuff that can "only" be performed by authorized dealers. Those issues are few and far between. I am a NON mechanical type person. I performed no mechanical things on my 7 spyders over the 15 years and 200,000 plus spyder miles.

When I moved to Arkansas (2019) I never went back to a dealer for service. I had Spyderpops and Lamonster garage perform my annual oil changes, and other things like tires, one broken mirror (thank you movers), and bling add-ons. The closest dealer would not make any type of "deal" for me when I decided to purchase new F3L's. I bought my last 2 machines sight unseen, from iMoto in Chicago. They delivered (in good condition), for free, and picked up my trades each of the two times I purchased. Those bikes were then serviced by the non-authorized places mentioned above. I needed NO warranty service and had NO mechanical breakdowns from either F3L.

It sounds to me like your mechanic is NOT wanting to service your machine. I really don't know about any "secret" things than can only be done by an authorized dealer. If I am wrong, THEY will surely let us know. :roflblack:

I have no doubt my mechanic will work on Spyders. He told me he does. He works on basically any type of vehicle that falls into the motorcycle/ATV/snowmobile category, and he is very good at it, and probably better than ANY dealership technician. I can do most of the basic stuff myself, like changing the oil, filters, removing rims/tires when they need to be replaced, etc. Other things that require tools I don't have, or are more complicated than I want to deal with, I take to him...

 

[PJveetwin]

My RTL is a '21 with 22,000 miles. Originally bought it for my wife, but I ride it more often. Did take a little getting used to, then later, not an issue. I still ride 3 different bikes daily, another 4 on standby, and a Harley Freewheeler. I never have to re-learn on what bike I'm riding which includes 2 with a foot clutch. I do find that on occasion, I'm looking for a front brake lever on the RTL. The Spyder is a blast, but then, they all are! Storage is good, sitting position is fine after a few upgrades. A little too much protection for me as I ride in the heat a lot. Mileage is bad, say 30 to 35 MPG average, and at 150 miles, and I'm looking for a station. My HD is close to 200, and my Beemer is a solid 320.

We travel a lot, and dealer support is good to know it's available. Harley and Honda are the best, my Beemer is not so good, and I now know Cam Am is terrible. When I was first looking at a Spyder, I saw dealers all over, then I discovered street and off road are different. I learned the hard way - Utah has 2 street dealers. Sometimes the only way to know for sure is to call them. My bike went into Limp Mode out of the blue 20 miles from Vernal UT. It was my lucky day tho, as a real dealer, both street and off road, was only 20 miles away. I was told that the other dealer is in Salt Lake, 300 miles away. Bike needed a computer flash, really??

I'm now not so comfy going cross country. I do have 2 dealers around 150 miles in different directions from home, but I have been able to do all the maintenance so far. Plan on keeping it for now. I also feel sorry for anyone who can only have one cycle. I have full support when I feel the need to add another to the stable. It's a passion we both enjoy.

 

[grampi]

My RTL is a '21 with 22,000 miles. Originally bought it for my wife, but I ride it more often. Did take a little getting used to, then later, not an issue. I still ride 3 different bikes daily, another 4 on standby, and a Harley Freewheeler. I never have to re-learn on what bike I'm riding which includes 2 with a foot clutch. I do find that on occasion, I'm looking for a front brake lever on the RTL. The Spyder is a blast, but then, they all are! Storage is good, sitting position is fine after a few upgrades. A little too much protection for me as I ride in the heat a lot. Mileage is bad, say 30 to 35 MPG average, and at 150 miles, and I'm looking for a station. My HD is close to 200, and my Beemer is a solid 320.

We travel a lot, and dealer support is good to know it's available. Harley and Honda are the best, my Beemer is not so good, and I now know Cam Am is terrible. When I was first looking at a Spyder, I saw dealers all over, then I discovered street and off road are different. I learned the hard way - Utah has 2 street dealers. Sometimes the only way to know for sure is to call them. My bike went into Limp Mode out of the blue 20 miles from Vernal UT. It was my lucky day tho, as a real dealer, both street and off road, was only 20 miles away. I was told that the other dealer is in Salt Lake, 300 miles away. Bike needed a computer flash, really??

I'm now not so comfy going cross country. I do have 2 dealers around 150 miles in different directions from home, but I have been able to do all the maintenance so far. Plan on keeping it for now. I also feel sorry for anyone who can only have one cycle. I have full support when I feel the need to add another to the stable. It's a passion we both enjoy.

Harley's dealer support is second to none, but that isn't enough to get me to buy one. HDs under perform, and are way too expensive. Honda's support may be available, but my impression of their service depts is they don't like to honor their own warranty. I realize dealer support on long trips is basically non existent for the Spyder, but I guess that's just the risk I'll have to take. That's a good reason to make sure every last detail of the machine is in good working order before leaving on a trip...I guess we can't expect a machine with 1/3 more unsprung drag to achieve the mileage figure of two wheelers, that's just the penalty of being halfway between a motorcycle and car...