Hate to be a party pooper but...

[RICZ]

I follow a few Spyder groups on Facebook. Some of the questions and answers are not only bazar, but show that; 1. They didn't read the manual and 2. That they are not on this forum. So I provide a link to steer them this direction.

 

[mrpeeps240]

Don,t hold the bars tight,u r pushing againest the power steering

 

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: and :congrats: on your new Spyder even though you may not be feeling the magic at this point.

Coming from two wheels also, back in 2008 (GS/SM5) it took me about 1500 miles to get used to the quirks. I am considered one of the "slow" :spyder: learners. 175,000 miles and seven :ani29: :spyder2: :spyder:'s later, I am still enjoying the ride. Traded off my last two wheeler about two months ago. Now it's my two F3's. One belongs to the Lady Linda.

All of the advice above is good and right on. Let me add a helpful read that you may enjoy.
https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums...t-Do-s-and-Do-Nots-quot-for-new-Spyder-owners

Hang in there and you too will be enjoying it. :yes:

 

[pegasus1300]

In the riding club I belong to in my area of 15 members 5 of us ride Spyders ,but despite telling them how good this sight is I am still the only member here.

"You can lead a horse to water ....etc.etc.etc." and sometimes salting the oats doesn't help.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Wife was in the driveway one afternoon as I was putting my 1985 Venture away coming home from work. She told me that after all the years we had been together, she really wanted to start going on rides with me. I jokingly said "Well, we will have to buy a different motorcycle then." "OK" she said, and walked into the house. The rest, as they say, is history!
Wanted a trike, no more holding up a bike at a red light sort of thing. A work friend had an F3, said you've got to try a Spyder! Went out and rode a couple, liked the RT best. Ended up getting a used 2014 RTL, and have proceeded to put over 30k miles on it, about a third of them 2-up.
The hardest thing for me was to loosen my grip on the handlebars. It's going to wander a bit more than you're used to, just because you've got more rubber on the road, more contact with the bumps and cracks and all the other stuff that roads can throw your way. You have to unlearn the 2 wheeled-ness that you're comfortable with, and learn the ways of 3 wheeled-ness. We've all done it! Get out there and ride, ride, and ride some more! Have fun! Isn't that why you own a Spyder??

If you haven't had that Spyder " LAZER " ... aligned this may be the wandering feeling .... I have had My 14 RT over 100 MPH and could actually Remove all hand- to- grip guidance. .... And it will track straight ..... good luck .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Personally and as a frugal thinker (wife calls it world class cheap) I would have the alignment checked first. Why? First, because BRP does not do the best job aligning Spyders on the assembly line. Second, many shops that do laser alignments will not charge for the service if the Spyder is within spec. Third, if the Spyder is out of spec and it is properly laser aligned it will make the biggest difference in handling because all three wheels will be aimed in the proper direction. Fourth, having Ron's sway bar installed after the alignment will have no impact on the alignment; i.e., it will not have to be realigned. The sway bar will have the most impact on cornering and in crosswinds and passing semis at interstate speeds. Installing the sway bar first won't help if the Spyder is out of alignment spec. You'll have a better performing Spyder sway bar-wise but the alignment will still be lousy.

:agree: X's 10 ..... Mike :thumbup:

 

[Piratezz]

My Spyder dealer, where I bought the Spyder, did the laser alignment, with no extra cost for me, The dealer were I bought the spyder is also the importer for the whole Benelux,( I am from the Netherlands) and every spyder/ ryker he sells from his dealership, gets this alignment, He is a Championship racer, and won a few titles in his day, He thinks it's important to ryde with confidence, not all dealers are stealers.

even when I testdrove a spyder, he went along, and was giving me pointers, I also came of a two wheeler (dirtbikes/ and cruisers) ofcourse it helps that he is a good friend of my father, hahahaha

 

[shakin_jake]

In the riding club I belong to in my area of 15 members 5 of us ride Spyders ,but despite telling them how good this sight is I am still the only member here.

"You can lead a horse to water ....etc.etc.etc." and sometimes salting the oats doesn't help.

~~~I totally agree with you regarding the quality of this site I've only been on the internet a little better than 20 years. In that time I have frequented quite a few forums for whatever motorcycle or scooter (including a few for sidecars) I was riding Some were great, others mediocre. The quality of the members here is high The mods aren't too shabby either=

As to the OP and his current Can Am problems, I'm not going to pile on. He received plenty of good advice. I will say this though (perhaps I'm contradicting myself?= The two Can Am on road three wheelers I bought new from the same dealer (CycleZone Topeka Kansas), they both (2020 Ryker Rally/2021 Spyder RT Limited) were aligned properly. Both, and I mean this w/o exaggeration, feel like riding on rails. New fresh rubber, proper alignment on a trike, is tantamount to safe riding

In regards to tires, I always felt the price you pay for tires to be a good investment in your predictable outcome of how your machine will ride and handle. A good lesson I learned when I started my motorcycle roadracing career back in 1995 was my introduction to using race rubber on the race track. My first day in roadracing school I rode my street bike to the race track. It had potential to become a race bike yet on that first day I rode it on the racetrack for the track portion of the roadracing school, I attended, I left my DOT street tires on, mainly because I didn't have a lot of time to swap tires for race rubber. Needless to say, going into the turns at speed using DOT street tires instead of softer compound race rubber, it felt like riding on marbles going in to the turns. What a revelation the first time I got on the track and had race compound tires on my bike The difference was night and day yet the same can be said for using rain tires on the track in wet weather. They too are essential if you want to ride at 10 tenths in the wet

The point I'm trying to make in the aforementioned paragraph, and how it relates to riding a three wheeled Can Am on road vehicle like the Ryker or the Spyder series, its essential to have a fresh set of rubber on your rims. Bad tires will give you a bad ride There's no economy there, in fact, iffy tires are a liability I've been in a fortunate position this past week as I just took possession of a new 2021 Can Am Spyder RT Limited I haven't checked the DOT date on the tires but I have an idea they were built within the last 15 months. This RT I just purchased goes down the road straight like its on rails I did check tire pressure all around They (the selling dealer) set the air pressures according to the manufacturer's spec. 20 PSI in the fronts, 28 in the rear, that's for the stock Kenda tires and although many here gripe and moan about the stock Kenda's, for the string straight (mostly) roads I ride here in north central Fla., they work just fine

That's it, rant off But just to recap, tires are cheap (read: not costly) Just remember, when going down the highway or any road, the only thing keeping you afloat is your tires and the amount of air pressure keeping them round


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
I may not agree with what you say...
but if you say it with fewer words I'll try harder...

 

[LifeLongRider]

I think what you are feeling is completely normal for a new owner. I owned my 2019 F3 Limited for over two years and loved it - - but . . being 6'2" and 230 lbs I never could get comfortable on it, even using an Airhawk cushion. After two hours in the saddle my hip joints were hurting so bad I had to get off. Consequently I sold the Spyder and went back to two wheels, which in my case was quite a decision because I'm 74 years old with health issues. Bought a new Indian Chieftain and couldn't be happier. The Spyder was a great ride and I never had any issues what so ever, but they're not for everyone.

 

[BajaRon]

IMO the most important thing is be open minded and recognize that being an experienced two wheel rider does not make you an experienced three wheel rider. Recognize and accept the fact the Spyder is different, especially in cornering. Look for those differences and then figure out how to deal with them. As far as buffeting let your body be buffeted and stay loose on the Spyder. The Spyder will track straight as long as you don't let your body movements get transferred to it.

To a great extent you ride a two wheeler but you drive a Spyder, especially in corners.

Excellent advise. Well said!

 

[wmjweber45]

Hi, Greg. Been there. Got my F3L for the same reason. Hated it, but hated not riding even more. Eventually we came to an agreement. I would stop trying to ride it like a motorcycle and it would stop trying to put me in the ditch. It took me over a year before I stopped hating it for what it was not and started appreciating it for what it is. I enjoy riding it now, though not near as much as I did two wheels. The Baja Ron sway bar made a huge difference in handling for me, and perhaps a custom seat would make you feel less cramped. Anyway, I can't walk all that well, but with the Spyder I can still ride.

 

[ChicagoSpyder]

Riding a Spyder was easy for me as mentally I looked at it as my summertime snowmobile, and you do get the best handling when move your body weight around the cockpit. I found the stock seat on my F3L wanted to keep me stuck in the center of the seat, so when I had Lamm rebuild my seat I had him open it up so I could move my arse around the cockpit easier.

 

[sledmaster]

Riding a Spyder was easy for me as mentally I looked at it as my summertime snowmobile, and you do get the best handling when move your body weight around the cockpit. I found the stock seat on my F3L wanted to keep me stuck in the center of the seat, so when I had Lamm rebuild my seat I had him open it up so I could move my arse around the cockpit easier.

Ditto. Those of us familiar with riding a snowmobile take to the Spyder almost instantly. The body influence is quite similar. We actually lean slightly forward and into the corner (think leaning towards the inside front tire slightly) and it goes like telepathy. If you just sit there the centrifugal force will pull your weight to the outside, which is un-nerving. So it works well to lean your upper body slightly forward and into the corner. Very contrary to a 2-wheel rider's intuition.

Chicago Spyder - love your snowmobile photo from the Firesteel Bridge on the Bill Nichols trail there between Mass City and Twin Lakes!

 

[Fat Baxter]

For me, dumping the front Kendas made a MUCH bigger difference than a laser alignment and sway bar, which I had done before I got the new Kuhmos. Completely different machine -- more composed, less head wagging, MUCH better cornering.

Dump the Kendas NOW. Any other brand tire will be a marked improvement.

 

[RykerRider1959]

Ditto. Those of us familiar with riding a snowmobile take to the Spyder almost instantly. The body influence is quite similar. We actually lean slightly forward and into the corner (think leaning towards the inside front tire slightly) and it goes like telepathy. If you just sit there the centrifugal force will pull your weight to the outside, which is un-nerving. So it works well to lean your upper body slightly forward and into the corner. Very contrary to a 2-wheel rider's intuition.

Chicago Spyder - love your snowmobile photo from the Firesteel Bridge on the Bill Nichols trail there between Mass City and Twin Lakes!

I have had the same reaction with my Ryker. Absolutely no issues with having to learn to ride it. Probably the same reason as you, I have been riding sleds for 53 seasons, with over 200,000 miles under my belt...It just feels like a natural transistion...Im so impressed with this 600 motor I might just go buy a new Ski-Doo with a 600 ace...I remember crossing those Firesteel bridges for the first time waaay back in 1983 on a bagger trip from Eagle River,Wi to Copper Harbor,Mi...Semi-Retired transplant from Elmhurst,il...

 

[Schreckftw]

IMO the most important thing is be open minded and recognize that being an experienced two wheel rider does not make you an experienced three wheel rider. Recognize and accept the fact the Spyder is different, especially in cornering. Look for those differences and then figure out how to deal with them. As far as buffeting let your body be buffeted and stay loose on the Spyder. The Spyder will track straight as long as you don't let your body movements get transferred to it.

To a great extent you ride a two wheeler but you drive a Spyder, especially in corners.

Love that you said be open minded. That made all the difference for me. At about 1500 miles I started to realize what the Spyder was and was not. It completely changed the way I ride and how I felt about it. For me I was able to let go of the motorcycle mentality I was holding on to. This is hard to explain but I think most will understand. For me I honestly feel the throttle is the only connection I shared with a motorcycle. I felt more connected to a motorcycle. It was an extension of me when I moved. Its hard to put in words. The way I sit on my RTL, corner, shift, break, and just generally feel are all different and that is very OK with me. I loved two wheels but I love this just as much just in a different way. Its weird but I enjoy the openness more and I am more open to what's around me because I am giving less thought into to the physical ride IMO.