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First Ride Home on 2016 RT Special Scared the Scrap out of me - Handling Help
- Thread starter airtire
- Start date
Congrats! Good looking machine. I have a RTS, purchased June 2016. Had balance issues with my victory Vegas 8 ball, I love the power of my Vic. But I have to admit the Spyder is my love to ride machine. July Aug Sept Oct it was too hot for me to ride in az, but now you can't keep me off of it. Scheduled for my first oil change Dec 13th. Relax don't grip the wheel or ride the brake. I have 3000 mi and ordered my second and third accessory. First was hwywy pegs. Today I got a skid pad my bottom is scratched up and an Akar...exhaust for a rumble. I love playing in traffic in the carpool lane. Relax loosen your grip and enjoy!
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Fat Baxter
Member
Welcome to the challenges of riding a Spyder! I, too, thought I'd made a mistake, but I kept at it. It took me about 1500 miles until I felt really comfortable. (FWIW, I had been riding BMWs for over 30 years.)
I'll echo two things already mentioned above: a light touch is essential, and tire pressure is very critical (the front tires have to be within a half a pound PSI of each other). I'll add a third one: the stock tires suck. I mean REALLY suck. I replaced the rear at 6500 miles with a General Altimax (no surprise; the rear tires are notoriously short-lived), but didn't really feel a change in handling (but I was grateful for better longevity). At around 12,000 miles I finally put some Kumho's on the front. Holy cow, what a difference!!!!! :shocked: I had presumed that Spyders were naturally twitchy and nervous, with a lot of feedback from the road, due to its short wheelbase and somewhat sporty suspension. Nope, it was the crappy tires. My Spyder is now butter-smooth on the road, and handling is MUCH more precise.
If you've got the money, get a BajaRon sway bar, and swap out the tires ASAP, regardless of remaining tread life. You'll be much happier for it.
Updated: For an example of how much difference a new set of tires can make, see this thread.
I'll echo two things already mentioned above: a light touch is essential, and tire pressure is very critical (the front tires have to be within a half a pound PSI of each other). I'll add a third one: the stock tires suck. I mean REALLY suck. I replaced the rear at 6500 miles with a General Altimax (no surprise; the rear tires are notoriously short-lived), but didn't really feel a change in handling (but I was grateful for better longevity). At around 12,000 miles I finally put some Kumho's on the front. Holy cow, what a difference!!!!! :shocked: I had presumed that Spyders were naturally twitchy and nervous, with a lot of feedback from the road, due to its short wheelbase and somewhat sporty suspension. Nope, it was the crappy tires. My Spyder is now butter-smooth on the road, and handling is MUCH more precise.
If you've got the money, get a BajaRon sway bar, and swap out the tires ASAP, regardless of remaining tread life. You'll be much happier for it.
Updated: For an example of how much difference a new set of tires can make, see this thread.
Last edited:
Dan McNally
New member
Did that solve your problem?
As a veteran motorcycle rider, you sometimes have to UN-Learn some things. This is usually only a problem in the first month of riding. I got scared on my first ride home too. Had to do with approaching an Ess turn a bit too fast. When I grabbed the bar for the brake, I just lost 25 feet of slowing and was in a deeper predicament.
Obviously I survived the error, but it did take another 200 miles to regain confidence and overcoming remorse..
Obviously I survived the error, but it did take another 200 miles to regain confidence and overcoming remorse..
airtire
New member
I had to go out of town for a few days, but I plan to take her out Sunday. I'll report back.
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Bob Denman
New member
Good Luck! :thumbup:
Remember, on a two wheeler, the bike is self centering. On a three wheeler (reverse trike) there are two wheels on the steering end, like a car; so minute active corrections are needed - as each tire travels its own path and hits different irregularities on the pavement. Kind of like the bike on LA's rain grooved highways - there is a bit of wandering to be expected.
Gumbeau
New member
Hang in there
Hang in there "rookie". You are now, where we all (or many of us) have been. The spyder is a beautiful, yet complex machine. In order to really enjoy it, you have to learn it's "ways". Once you learn the spyder, and it learns you, the fun will begin. On my ride home from the dealer, the "Big Dawg" and I were at odds. Add to that a light rain
️ during the last 15 miles and I thought I had made a big mistake. Thankfully I read the forum and joined a local Spyder Rider chapter. My rides are now fun, not challenging. I now have about 10k miles on the "Dawg" and I look forward to a lot more. Hang in there. You'll be happy you did.
Hang in there "rookie". You are now, where we all (or many of us) have been. The spyder is a beautiful, yet complex machine. In order to really enjoy it, you have to learn it's "ways". Once you learn the spyder, and it learns you, the fun will begin. On my ride home from the dealer, the "Big Dawg" and I were at odds. Add to that a light rain
️ during the last 15 miles and I thought I had made a big mistake. Thankfully I read the forum and joined a local Spyder Rider chapter. My rides are now fun, not challenging. I now have about 10k miles on the "Dawg" and I look forward to a lot more. Hang in there. You'll be happy you did.
al0vely
Member
I agree ... learn to drive it first and then decide what needs tweaked.
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Adjusting to a Spyder
I have been riding since the 60's. I have a Kawasaki 1600 Nomad and bought a 2009 SE5. The 90 mile ride home was fun, but interesting. I had to do a short stretch of interstate to get to the road home. The steering is very responsive, and it did not take too long to get used to it. It was 45 degrees, windy with occasional light rain for the ride home. I rode the Spyder quite a bit, as I put the Nomad away for the winter. I got used to the handlling rather steadily as I rode more. The Spyder is a different animal than a 2 wheeler, but as I have gotten used to it, and really enjoy riding it. I am looking forward to more time on the Spyder when winter is done.
I have been riding since the 60's. I have a Kawasaki 1600 Nomad and bought a 2009 SE5. The 90 mile ride home was fun, but interesting. I had to do a short stretch of interstate to get to the road home. The steering is very responsive, and it did not take too long to get used to it. It was 45 degrees, windy with occasional light rain for the ride home. I rode the Spyder quite a bit, as I put the Nomad away for the winter. I got used to the handlling rather steadily as I rode more. The Spyder is a different animal than a 2 wheeler, but as I have gotten used to it, and really enjoy riding it. I am looking forward to more time on the Spyder when winter is done.
JimVonBaden
New member
While tire pressure, laser alignment and other "fixes" may help, many of you seem to have forgotten how vastly different a Spyder is from a two wheel bike. The OP experienced the same as I did, and is similarly experienced. I have updated suspension and perfect tire pressure, and still feel it, though I have learned to adjust. Long years of miles on the two wheel bike will make anyone feel the Spyder is a scary bike to ride initially. My wife, with zero two wheel experience felt absolutely none of the issues I felt.
Learning the Spyder
I agree with Jim, riding a Spyder always puts me in mind of driving an old MG or Triumph sports car. They were a lot of fun after you found out the front end was going to stay attached to the rest of the car. The shaking and rain groove traking was part of the experience.
Now with the Spyders the twitching is ok, the relaxed riding style I have adopoted is working great. I hear other people complain that the Spyder does not lean, BFD, neither does your car. The Spyder demands time to be understood if you are coming from two wheels, if not it is the greatest ride in the world, no real worries of braking, shifting and balance.
The Spyder has opened up many doors to people who,due to phyiscal problems could never experience the thrill of open air riding.
My 2 cents.
I agree with Jim, riding a Spyder always puts me in mind of driving an old MG or Triumph sports car. They were a lot of fun after you found out the front end was going to stay attached to the rest of the car. The shaking and rain groove traking was part of the experience.
Now with the Spyders the twitching is ok, the relaxed riding style I have adopoted is working great. I hear other people complain that the Spyder does not lean, BFD, neither does your car. The Spyder demands time to be understood if you are coming from two wheels, if not it is the greatest ride in the world, no real worries of braking, shifting and balance.
The Spyder has opened up many doors to people who,due to phyiscal problems could never experience the thrill of open air riding.
My 2 cents.
Dan McNally
New member
Lots of good comments - "light hand" is critical - but I suspect that 25 PSI in the front tires was adding some "bounce" to his front end that would really make for a squirrely ride.
Probably a combination of all of the above.
Probably a combination of all of the above.
Newby too
I picked up my 2016 RT Limited on Sept. 9; did not ride it until a week. Right from day one I was experiencing something that no one thought to tell me about my new Spyder.
I was riding with friend who had purchased a used 2014; he moved his Spyder around like a little toy. I could not get mine to respond in the same manner and I thought I would never get it to "behave" and that I had to be doing something wrong.
The first issue was shifting it into reverse. It would take me many repeated tries for it to engage. The next issue was that the handlebars felt "stiff". Just moving it around was very taxing to me.
I now have over 4000 miles on the odometer and here is what I experienced. After about 2000 miles everything started to feel "looser"; the reverse suddenly began engaging on the first try. The handlebars moved very easily. All of the swaying suddenly was not there (which I attributed to relaxing my grip on the grips). I firmly believe that a new Spyder is "tighter" than a used one (makes sense to me).
I have been on motorcycles since I was a little girl with the last 20 years on the back of a goldwing, so I was used to the lean. I was warned there would be no lean with a Spyder so I was prepared for that and had no problem with just sitting there and riding. Around 2000 miles I took a long trip through a very scenic and twisty mountain range (over 50 miles of curves and at least a dozen switch backs). By the end of the day I had mastered taking the sharp curves with ease. Practice by riding certainly cured my fear of the curves and the sway. Using a push pull technique made turning easier for me after the handlebars "loosened up" I rode today and felt my first "float" while going around a curve coming down a mountain, which kind of surprised me but a second later it dawned on me what I was experiencing . . exciting to say the least. Riding my Spyder is my therapy and I can't get enough of it. It's so relaxing to me to just sit there and let the machine take me where she wants me to go. I love my Spyder.
Hang in there and just go ride for the enjoyment of it. Every time I get on mine now it feels like I am in control and it is all so easy. Every time I ride it, I love it more and more.
I picked up my 2016 RT Limited on Sept. 9; did not ride it until a week. Right from day one I was experiencing something that no one thought to tell me about my new Spyder.
I was riding with friend who had purchased a used 2014; he moved his Spyder around like a little toy. I could not get mine to respond in the same manner and I thought I would never get it to "behave" and that I had to be doing something wrong.
The first issue was shifting it into reverse. It would take me many repeated tries for it to engage. The next issue was that the handlebars felt "stiff". Just moving it around was very taxing to me.
I now have over 4000 miles on the odometer and here is what I experienced. After about 2000 miles everything started to feel "looser"; the reverse suddenly began engaging on the first try. The handlebars moved very easily. All of the swaying suddenly was not there (which I attributed to relaxing my grip on the grips). I firmly believe that a new Spyder is "tighter" than a used one (makes sense to me).
I have been on motorcycles since I was a little girl with the last 20 years on the back of a goldwing, so I was used to the lean. I was warned there would be no lean with a Spyder so I was prepared for that and had no problem with just sitting there and riding. Around 2000 miles I took a long trip through a very scenic and twisty mountain range (over 50 miles of curves and at least a dozen switch backs). By the end of the day I had mastered taking the sharp curves with ease. Practice by riding certainly cured my fear of the curves and the sway. Using a push pull technique made turning easier for me after the handlebars "loosened up" I rode today and felt my first "float" while going around a curve coming down a mountain, which kind of surprised me but a second later it dawned on me what I was experiencing . . exciting to say the least. Riding my Spyder is my therapy and I can't get enough of it. It's so relaxing to me to just sit there and let the machine take me where she wants me to go. I love my Spyder.
Hang in there and just go ride for the enjoyment of it. Every time I get on mine now it feels like I am in control and it is all so easy. Every time I ride it, I love it more and more.
