FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MY NEW ST-S

[thehawk]

I agree with Faran ... I use my outside arm to push against the handlebar which also counterbalances the tendency of the natural forces of the curve. I sometimes lock my elbow and enjoy the scenery and feelings of the forces. As stated ... 15 - 20 MPH over the rating on highway curves with a good road is comfortable for me ... i adjust accordingly for slower curves.

Welcome to the 'hood!

thehawk

 

[Motorcycledave]

Hi John Welcome to the bunch

Hi JOHN
After 56+ years on 2 wheels I also got a Spyder and I thought I knew everything there
is to know about riding but not so... here is my post from my first ride... Enjoy
and oh yea I'm still learning..

Hi Everyone
I have had a bunch of you want me to report on what I (being a motorcyclist for 56 years ) think of the new ride I
just bought... Not wanting to spend 30K on an experiment, I bough a used machine in almost new condition.
The reason I did this is... I have had my knees replaced with new ones and also was run down by a drunk driver
while on my ST1100 and big damage to my right shoulder.... so my wife using that information and my age 70 feels
I need more than 2 wheels...bah humbug I say, but to keep happiness in the family I decided to buy a
CanAm Spyder RS/SE5,
It has almost the same exact seating to handlebar position as an ST has....
I bought it used from an owner in Rio Linda CA. for 10K it had 9,206 miles on the clock when I got it.
Being a very experienced motorcyclist that I am I got right on and down the road I went heading home about 70
miles to the south on Hwy 99... with my wife following me. EVERYONE was so nice to wave at me...most with their middle
finger and pass and honk all the while my wife is blinking her head lights and such at me. I continued about 30 miles south
to Lodi, CA to a Starbucks just off the freeway where at that point my wife began to tell me what a hazard I was to every living thing including myself on that damn thing....
I was riding in my lane like I would on a bike with the left front wheel hanging out over the line, it's wider than you think.
If you grip the bars like you would on a motorcycle and counter steer like you would you will make everyone around you very unhappy as well as scare the hell out of yourself... THIS IS NOT A MOTORCYCLE !!!!
I finished my iced coffee and headed home on back roads NOT the freeway. I read the owners manual and watched the video/CD of how to ride the thing and I know now what I was doing wrong.... everything.
Do not counter steer or try to counter steer... when turning lean into the turn and use the old push push method
Do not hold on to the bars and grip them tightly. sit back relax and drive it like a car...
it has power steering and power ABS brakes that work fantastic.
I spent the next few days out riding around on every type of road fast slow twisties up hill and down getting acquainted with how it handles and such.... So now my take..
If you have never ridden a motorcycle you could get right on and go just fine but if you have redden a motorcycle you better when you ride one of the Spyders... forget most everything about how to ride because it will mess you up plenty.
the ride and handling is smooth and secure cornering is great. It's very powerful the Rotax engine is super and it likes to rev high. There is more storage than any of my GoldWings the touring model has even more storage than the RS.
All in All it super fun and very different than any bike I have ever owned.... I plan on riding it plenty but fear not
I will NOT PART WITH MY BELOVED ST1100....
Ride Safe
Dave
[email protected]

 

[wildtexasrangr]

Congrats

:welcome: and again Congrats again !!!

 

[weapon]

:thumbup:
All good advise above.

Enjoy.

 

[Lamonster]

Lots of good advice above. Relax your grip and enjoy the ride. :doorag:

:welcome:

 

[JKMSPYDER]

First Impressions

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I left work at 4:30 today and rushed home knowing I had about an hour of daylight left. Got on my riding clothes and the Spyder and I took off! I rode for about 30 minutes with most of it spent in an abandoned ACE hardware parking lot practicing my turns. I found that if I used my left arm to pivot and just let the right arm and hand follow, I was more comfortable and faster in the turns. For a left turn, I would let the left arm pull and for a right turn I would let the left arm push. Right
arm and hand just kept a light grip on the handlebar. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Ken Thomas]

It sounds like you are catching on quickly. Practice, practice, practice will get you where you want to go quickly. I drove two wheelers for over 40 years before getting on the :spyder2:. I too felt like it would flip over at first. No such thing even came close to happening, and I have never activated the nanny due to going around curves.

Overcontrolling and the death grip are what makes the :ani29: feel squirrly. This will diminish as you get more familiar with the :spyder2:.

After you get confident, you will find you can take curves at 15 to 20 more than posted (did I say that? :roflblack--but, make sure you are driving within your safety limits.

Keep us posted as you continue on your adventure.

:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:REALLY !!!!:yes::thumbup:

 

[Ken Thomas]

All GREAT information.

ENJOY!!!

:clap::agree::spyder::cheers: