Dilemma that is not really a dilemma

[VStarRider]

So, I have a dilemma ... not a real one, but worth posting about on SL, with the valuable insight available here.

I currently have a 2015 STS SM5 with the twin, and a 2016 Wing with ABS, integrated navigation/XM.

Next year, I would like to shake up the lineup a bit. This is influenced by my wife, who may be interested in riding a Spyder as a passenger and possibly solo.

Factors involved:

I really like the STS manual. It is fun to ride, and the free-revving twin can be addicting when the mood strikes me right. I ride it to work, and shorter (~100 miles) trips. I have added only a Cal Sci windshield and 12V receptacle to the STS. It came with the BRP backrest when I bought it used.

I appreciate the Wing, with how smooth and comfortable it is. I use it to get on two wheels and cruise longer (200+ miles). I have made about $1000 in upgrades and accessories to the Wing.

If my wife is going to pilot a Spyder, it needs to be the semi-auto. She has never ridden anything with handlebars, so having the SE5/6 removes a barrier to learning to ride and makes it more likely to happen. I would like the semi-auto too, for something different to go with one of the two options below.

I enjoy riding bikes, and the technical nature of navigating roads on two wheels. There is an irreplaceable thrill that comes with riding a motorcycle, leaning in turns, etc. That being said, I feel noticeably more comfortable on three wheels. The three wheel experience is fun, too, but different. I still give the edge to two wheels overall, but not by a lot.

I am pretty sure I do not want a RT triple/SE6 and Gold Wing combo. They are too similar in nature.


Here are the scenarios I am considering, not in any order of preference:

1. Keep Wing and sell STS; replace with 2013 RT with twin/SE5.

+ Keep the spunky twin that I like
+ SE5 allows wife to ride this Spyder solo
+ Keep two wheels
+ Keep all upgrades/accessories added to Wing
+ Known maintenance history of Wing
+ Can ride two-up on either machine or ride separately together
+ Get all of the second generation RT upgrades (available only with the twin in one year, 2013)

- I am not sure I want to deal with how the twin and SE5 need to co-exist (preserving the hydraulic clutch with 5000 rpm shifts and maintaining high rpms at lower speeds; makes for lots of noise, adds to skill set required for wife); 1330/SE6 more flexible with shift points and cruising rpms
- More maintenance with twin vs triple
- Worse fuel economy with twin/SE5 for commuting
- Sacrifice some fun riding experience of STS by replacing with RT

2. Keep STS; sell Wing; purchase RT triple/SE6

+ Keep spunky twin
+ Have two very different Spyders in garage; one for solo fun, the other for one or two-up touring comfort
+ Can ride together two-up on RT comfortably and ride separately together
+ Triple/SE6 combo easier for wife to learn to ride
+ Low maintenance and good economy on triple/SE6

- Lose out on two wheel experience
- Lose out on upgrades and accessories that somewhat personalized the Wing
- Lose out on (arguably) the premier two-wheel luxury riding experience
- Wing cheap and easy to maintain; service readily available

Tell me your thoughts, please, on any or all of the above.

I am particularly interested in the head-to-head comparison of my STS 5 speed manual vs. RT 5 speed semi-auto. If you have owned both, please comment on how the experience will be different.

 

[remus]

what would make your spouse happy? remember happy wife happy life

 

[VStarRider]

what would make your spouse happy? remember happy wife happy life

Honestly, I am not sure either would. I have been encouraging her, and she is talking about it more often. Her friends are encouraging her too. However, there is decent bust potential here, as she has only ever driven a car, snowblower, and possibly a lawn tractor. This is why I don't want to sell out too much, but really need to have an semi-auto two-up for her to try and me to be happy with in the event that the whole plan goes to hell.

I think even if she bails on driving, she will still ride as a passenger a few times per year. She does not feel safe on two wheels.

To answer your question, the triple/SE6 is probably the most pleasant and easy to manage of the Spyder options for her. But I would like to keep the twin because it is fun and sporty. But is it as fun and sporty minus a clutch and not in STS form? That is a question I am hoping gets answered here.

 

[Bfromla]

Each their own & the wives theirs too. However & whatever may work best for you. Sounds like you & wife should go try some F3 both M & SE. keeping the wing as spare is advised if can do so reasonably. Enjoying a rotation between two & three wheels does keep one in practice. Also look at home page vendor Smooth Spyders backrest & options. Enjoy & good luck.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

The price difference between a 13 or a 14 RT -SE is maybe $500 to $700.... however the #1- BRP no longer makes or sells the V-Twin ... #2- the 1330 is a way better machine for lots of reasons .... as for the wife consider a RYKER 600 or 900 if you get a used one it might cost $5000 +/- .... good luck .... mike :thumbup:

 

[Peter Aawen]

..... But I would like to keep the twin because it is fun and sporty. But is it as fun and sporty minus a clutch and not in STS form? That is a question I am hoping gets answered here.

I don't & haven't owned an STS &/or an SM5, but I have done a fair few miles on them, including an 'extended demo ryde' (of a few thousand kms) on a manual ST before buying my RT SE5 - so given that caveat, I'd say that all other things being equal, the RT's are generally a tiny touch slower than the STS (cos they're a bit heavier) but for all intents and purposes (at least here in Oz?! ) they are STILL just a manually gearboxed V-Twin Spyder with the added advantage of no clutch lever to worry about and pretty much fool-proof blindingly fast gear changes - yep, the SE's allow faster, safer, & smoother than manual gear changes; while the ryder's control over anything 'not potentially damaging' is just as complete too! So if you shouldn't do it with a manual clutched SM, you probably won't be able to do it with an SE! :thumbup: And in that (& most) respect, they CERTAINLY ARE just as fun and sporty minus the clutch and not in STS form! hyea:

The Centrifugal Clutch is fully engaged by about 3300 rpm, not 5000 rpm, so it does pay not to idle along in any gear at lower revs than that, but on the SE's the 'fail-safe protectors' won't let you change UP or DOWN too early anyway; and with those equipped with Cruise Control, it won't engage unless you are doing sufficient revs in that particular gear to ensure the clutch is fully engaged (btw, you can & maybe should consider using those features to help 'train' your wife to keep the revs in the right range, and you can also use Trailer Mode to help with that too - probably wouldn't hurt to use Cruise a lot more than most do either! If you are ryding any distance at a steady speed/the speed limit, then why not use cruise?!? :dontknow: ) Basically, you can just ryde an SE equipped Spyder like an SM or any other manual gearboxed vehicle, only use the flappy finger paddles to change up & down as you wish instead of having to grab/release the clutch & fumble around with a foot pedal - the Nanny will stop you doing anything too silly as far as the clutch/gearbox is concerned! :thumbup:

When it comes to fuel economy, I've found that after the ECU Upgrade I've had done (an Upgrade that really brings the motor alive! hyea: ) if I can resist the urge to just blast off at WOT all the time, my 'cruising/commuting fuel economy' is very close to that of most 1330's - sure, I've got a smaller tank on my 2013 RT so my 'fuel range' is never going to be quite the same, but in terms of 'miles per gallon', I can get very close to the majority of them. In that sense, the ECU Upgrade has paid for itself in my first year of ryding after the upgrade was done.... well, just so long as I don't take into account the 'extra rear tire' costs incurred from when I did twist the throttle hard!!

While they undoubtably meet some needs & desires, I haven't yet found a 1330 powered Spyder that is anywhere near as much fun & as peppy/sporty as my (slightly enhanced) 2013 RT Ltd, and the increasing addition of digital devices, problematic interfaces, & dodgy integrated systems on newer models that only serve to further isolate & insulate the Ryder from the sporty nature of the machine have so far, only served to make it increasingly LESS LIKELY that I'll 'down-grade' to a newer model!

Go On, Buy the Damn 'Bike! You Know you Want To! :yes:

 

[UtahPete]

It's pretty clear what you want to do. Your wife's possible interest in piloting her own bike doesn't seem to have much weight in your dithering.

But it seems to be the only thing creating a dilemma (yes, I think it is one for you). That I don't understand; is this something she wants, or is this something you want for her?

 

[pegasus1300]

Keep the Wing, Keep the STS,get a Ryker to see if wife will really drive her own. If not sell Ryker and get a 1330 SE6

 

[Longtimer]

Frist thing I would do is find a riding class that has spiders and see if she likes to ride them and plus she could get licenced at the same time check with your dealer and find a class it's under a 100.00 dollars

 

[Mikey]

:agree:CanAm was going around doing that, don't know if they will start that back up after the virus

 

[blacklightning]

From what I gather in your story, I would definitely keep the wing. As for the STS, and the wife riding it, I would possibly sell it and look into an early model F3 or F3T. It is sporty and can be found at a decent price. One key factor about getting the F3 series bike is that they have adjustable foot positions. If you and your wife are even close to the same height, that would be perfect. Then you can both pilot the spyder. You for when you want to be a holigan and ride solo. And for the wife when she rides along with you on the wing. My wife is getting her 3 wheel endorsement in September. I am kinda in that situation now. I have a 2016 F3T SE6 that she can pilot until she decides that she wants one of her own. And I have a 2018 K1600 B that I purchased about 6-8 weeks ago that I am truly in love with. Good luck with your shopping.

 

[UtahPete]

The real dilemma must have been to get rid of the VStar. It was for me. I do miss that bike.

 

[Spiderfrog]

Honestly, I am not sure either would. I have been encouraging her, and she is talking about it more often. Her friends are encouraging her too. However, there is decent bust potential here, as she has only ever driven a car, snowblower, and possibly a lawn tractor. This is why I don't want to sell out too much, but really need to have an semi-auto two-up for her to try and me to be happy with in the event that the whole plan goes to hell.

I think even if she bails on driving, she will still ride as a passenger a few times per year. She does not feel safe on two wheels.

To answer your question, the triple/SE6 is probably the most pleasant and easy to manage of the Spyder options for her. But I would like to keep the twin because it is fun and sporty. But is it as fun and sporty minus a clutch and not in STS form? That is a question I am hoping gets answered here.

See if there is a place you can go that does Spyder tours where your at (here in Vegas they have some), if they do see if she is willing to try and drive/ride for that they also do a riding/safety class at the beginning. If she can / will do that it might make your decision a bit easier.

 

[2dogs]

IMHO and JFWIW I may be reading this wrong. But, if my wife never operated anything with handlebars or rode solo on anything faster than a snowblower, I would think twice about putting her on the highway on two or three wheels and riding solo. It takes years of experience to perceive and avoid dangers, particularly on the highway.

 

[UtahPete]

IMHO and JFWIW I may be reading this wrong. But, if my wife never operated anything with handlebars or rode solo on anything faster than a snowblower, I would think twice about putting her on the highway on two or three wheels and riding solo. It takes years of experience to perceive and avoid dangers, particularly on the highway.

:agree: completely

 

[CopperSpyder]

I see the Key here being the wife and what she might be will to try. I would talk to her about taking the BRP Rider course first. She would need to take a written test at the local DMV for her motorcycle permit (or how ever they do it in NY). than take the BRP course where they will teach her the ins and outs of riding and they will provide the Spyder for the class RT, F3 or Ryker, no experience needed. That will get her seated and driving one all for about $100. Now she will be able to know what she might like to ride and you can plan from there.

 

[pidjones]

You could also schedule her for a demo ride on any SE6. Wouldn't last long, but would let her get a feel for it. We sold our '06 'wing because it was killing my joy when 2-up on gravel (many restaurants and parks). Bought an RTL that she surprised me and said she wants to learn. Still have a GL1000 and RD400c for my 2wheel one-up enjoyment.

 

[VStarRider]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I did not think about having her take the three-wheel course or do a demo ride to see if she even likes before making any big decision. Even if she does not want to ride, I still may want to get an RT for our two-up rides. I am just hesitant to sell my STS Sm5, which I really like, especially the black/blue/orange color combination. I will take my time in deciding what to do, things could be radically different a year from now.

 

[VStarRider]

The real dilemma must have been to get rid of the VStar. It was for me. I do miss that bike.

You know, my 1100 had the best riding position of any bike I have owned. Sometimes you find that one machine that fits you like a glove, and for me, it was the 1100. I actually owned two of them. However, it is a mid-level cruiser with few amenities, no ABS, and pretty slow except in a very low range of rpm below 3000, so I moved on. The 2013-19 RTs come closest to replicating that riding position.