Help W/Decision Goldwing to Spyder RTS

[Chazzman]

Hello Everyone, I have ridden 40 years, 30+ bikes... My wife enjoys riding and our Havanese named Annie. I ride moderately aggressive and like carving up the twisties, wife no so much, lol. I am starting to like the thought of 3 wheels on the ground and slowing my pace down. L4 and L5 disc deterioration and neck issues adds to this consideration . I am not a conventional 3 wheeler kind of guy. I did ride the base spyder 2 or 3 years ago, just about 10 miles. I am planning on riding the RTS when the weather permits.

I would like to hear from some 2 wheel guys that went to the spyder. I would also like recommendations on the 2011 or 2012. I can get a pretty good deal on the 2011, I really like the white limited but can't see the difference in price from the RTS to the Limited.

I hope for a 2 hour test ride. I am concerned if I will enjoy 3 wheels 6 months down the road, after riding two for so many years. I plan on trading my 2005 Wing and my 2011 V-Strom if I do purchase the RTS.

I have read here about dying problems and the limp mode kicking in. I have never had a problem with my wing, really don't want to start having issues on a brand new machine. Any advise or opinions would be appreciated addressing any or all of the above. Thanks in advance...

 

[SteveMac]

First off, Welcome to the BEST website for SpyderLovers anywhere.

I ride a Spyder RT primarily due to injuries I suffered in a motorcycle crash several years ago.

There are a few tips that will help you. First, obviously no leaning with the Spyder,, well the Spyder doesn't lean anyways. You will experience some G Forces in turns early on that will feel foreign to you as a two-wheel rider, but you will easily overcome that.

You will also hear folks on here to tell you to NOT over grip and/or over steer. It is true, I run 80+ mph with only the heels of my palms resting on the grips and a well setup Spyder will track like it is on rails.

You can't beat the comfort and your wife will love it. My wife has the arm rests (and I the back rest) and she says she is more comfortable riding on the RT seat than our big SUV. No joke.

Don't read too much into the Limp Modes and or the running issues. Two reasons, it seems to me that there were more problems with that a year ago than we see today. I think that is due to better dealer setup and information that this very site, SpyderLovers has armed its members with. There are guys on here who are knowledgeable about every aspect of the Spyder.

There are still issues to be certain, but thankfully we are seeing fewer and fewer. Those that do have issues definitely do have frustrations, no doubt. But in my opinion, the problems are a small percentage of the Spyder universe.

I myself have 10,000 trouble free miles on my RT and I have been border to border North and South on it with no worries.

Finally, if you have a chance at all, come to SpyderFest in April 2012 ( www.spyderfest.com ) it is a grass roots event that is for SpyderLovers by SpyderLovers. It is hosted by one of the premier Spyder dealers in the nation, Cowtown in Cuba Missouri. The BIG benefit for you will be that the Official BRP Demo van will be there and you can test ride Spyders to your heart's content.

Who knows, you may even ride one home!

I'll stop now and let others chime in. But :welcome:

 

[ARtraveler]

:welcome:There are a few Gold Wing riders on the site that either changed to, or bought a :spyder2: as an additional ride.

I have never had a Wing--but have owned more than 25 two wheelers over the years. I still have a Vulcan 900 LT as a second ryde.

There have been some issues with the :spyder2:'s but there seem to be less complaints over the last year.

I have owned three different :spyder2:'s 2008, 2009, and 2010 RTS. Over 60,000 combined miles and no major problems other than the recalls.

If you are considering 2011 vs 2012, there was not much change between model years other than color selection. I do like that 2011 white one a lot. There is a recommended dealer list on site, and I would recommend considering your purchase from one of them. There have also been some dealerships that have little or no mechanical knowledge--stay away from them--the :spyder2: is too complicated a machine for incompetent mechanics. There are threads on some of the bad ones that are still in business.

A good test drive should convince you if the :spyder2: is the right decision for you.

 

[MMcc]

2 to 3 wheels

Like you I have been riding since before I was legal back in the 50's. More bikes than I can easily remember. In 2009 I saw and rode my first spyder. Less than 10 miles. Went home and thought about it. Made the move and bought one on ebay in Atlanta GA. I live in Minnesota so rather than trucking it home I bought a one-way plane ticket and rode it back. I figured that would give me a good chance to learn the bike and see if it was really for me. After 8000+ miles on it I moved to the RT. During that first summer my other bikes got used less and less. Sold them off one at a time. The 95 PCH was the last to leave. It did not have 13,000 miles on it at the time it was sold. Never missed two wheels after the spyder. I find that I can ride the RT as fast and aggressive as I want.

My daughters boy-friend had also been a long time rider. Got him interested in the spyder and one week-end we went out and found a used one for him. In one year he has put on close to 18,000 miles. Only one problem for him was a leaking plastic radiator tank. Replaced that in a few hours. He also got rid of his other bikes and once and a while speaks of finding a sidecar rig but keeps telling me. "I love my spyder". Doesn't miss 2 wheels at all.

Yes, there is a learning curve, but if you have ridden any ATV's you will find it very similar. Plus you get to meet lots of folks with questions everytime you stop for gas or lunch. I don't mind the questions but soon a crowd gathers and you get to repeat the information a few times. Get use to it as it is a fact of :f_spider: life.

 

[pro10is]

First off, Welcome to the BEST website for SpyderLovers anywhere.

I ride a Spyder RT primarily due to injuries I suffered in a motorcycle crash several years ago.

There are a few tips that will help you. First, obviously no leaning with the Spyder,, well the Spyder doesn't lean anyways. You will experience some G Forces in turns early on that will feel foreign to you as a two-wheel rider, but you will easily overcome that.

You will also hear folks on here to tell you to NOT over grip and/or over steer. It is true, I run 80+ mph with only the heels of my palms resting on the grips and a well setup Spyder will track like it is on rails.

You can't beat the comfort and your wife will love it. My wife has the arm rests (and I the back rest) and she says she is more comfortable riding on the RT seat than our big SUV. No joke.

Don't read too much into the Limp Modes and or the running issues. Two reasons, it seems to me that there were more problems with that a year ago than we see today. I think that is due to better dealer setup and information that this very site, SpyderLovers has armed its members with. There are guys on here who are knowledgeable about every aspect of the Spyder.

There are still issues to be certain, but thankfully we are seeing fewer and fewer. Those that do have issues definitely do have frustrations, no doubt. But in my opinion, the problems are a small percentage of the Spyder universe.

I myself have 10,000 trouble free miles on my RT and I have been border to border North and South on it with no worries.

Finally, if you have a chance at all, come to SpyderFest in April 2012 ( www.spyderfest.com ) it is a grass roots event that is for SpyderLovers by SpyderLovers. It is hosted by one of the premier Spyder dealers in the nation, Cowtown in Cuba Missouri. The BIG benefit for you will be that the Official BRP Demo van will be there and you can test ride Spyders to your heart's content.

Who knows, you may even ride one home!

I'll stop now and let others chime in. But :welcome:

+1, Everything he said. All great advice and all true.

Definitely take a test ride but please don't expect it to feel just like a motorcycle because it's not a motorcycle, it's something similar but different. Don't be put off by the new sensations. Within a short time you'll actually come to love the way a Spyder rides. It tracks the feel of the road like nothing else. The two wheels up front follow every aspect of the pavement, the tilt of the road, the undulations... You feel far more connected to the road than on a bike. I'm not saying it handles better than a bike, I'm saying in my opinion the overall sensation just feels better. Once you get used to it it's very addicting. You just can't wait for that next ride.

 

[Pandy]

What Steve said

It seems to be a lame way to post, but he did sum it up rather well. I transitioned from a Wing to the Spyder in March of last year. Similar case to yours in the lumbar spine department. 17,200 miles later I would not, or rather could not go back. As for the twisties, we have done the Dragon twice as have many other Spyderists, try it you'll see.

Patrick

 

[NancysToy]

I can't add much but my endorsement. The others have said it all. My BMW sits in the garage, and the Spyder gets all the miles. I am spoiled rotten! As was said, there is a learning and adjustment period involved, and a different riding technique. If you have a love of the twisties, especially two-up, you may want to consider adding the Elka shocks...although the 2011/2012 shocks are reasonably good, and a vast improvement over 2010. Better yet, you could consider one of the special edition RTs that Cowtown is building for Spyderfest. No major improvement from 2011 to 2012, either should suit you well. You read about problems on the forums, but the incidence is greatly magnified. Most of us have put many thousands of miles on our Spyders, without incident. All vehicles have difficulties. One thing I would suggest is multiple test rides. On the first, you will be trying to figure things out, and you will undoubtedly overcontrol the Spyder and probably wallow a bit in the turns. On the second or third ride, things start to fall into place. It takes several hundred miles to feel natural to most riders. We hope to have you here among us as a fellow owner real soon!

 

[NorthStar]

Ex Goldwing Owner

Like you I have been riding two wheelers for many, many years. My last ride was a 2001 GL1800. I enjoyed scraping the floorboards on occasion and the exhilaration of accelerating out of the curves. However, as the years went by, I began to lose my penchant for excessive speed and realized that I simply enjoyed driving in the open air and smelling the roses along the way. Safety and comfort started to take on a bigger priority and I started seriously considering something other than a two wheeled touring bike. Along came the Spyder RT and after reading many articles and visiting a few forums I decided to try one out.

My first 30 minute ride, riding a manual shift RT, was less than joyful as I spent the first ten minutes trying not to over compensate with the power steering. Eventually I settled down and started putting the RT through its paces. I definitely was not sold and went home and thought long and hard about what I had experienced. I went out for a second one hour demo run and this time I tried the SE5 transmission. Bingo! I was sold. This was exactly the set up I was looking for and the rest is history.

I do admit that the first 500 miles or so there were plenty of adjustments to be made as I learned to master the nuances of this machine, as compared to my Goldwing. If you like touring with a definite safety and comfort factor being your primary drivers then take a few test drives and see if the RT turns your crank. Take it slow at first until you get the feel for the steering aids and you will soon find yourself pushing the envelope. If you are at all like me, you will know if this machine is right for you. I should also mention that my wife would never want me to go back to a two wheeled bike after riding on the RT. She feels so much more comfortable on this machine and doesn't miss the floor board scraping one bit. :yikes:

 

[TuckMiddle]

GW vs Spyder RTS

Ditto most of above.
I have 8 vertebrae welded together and some arthritis issues and thought it was time to go to a trike. A friend stated he was going to a Spyder when it was time. I demoed one, bought it that day. It's a pleasure to ride it. I added the Utopia front back rest, as I really can't ride without the support. It's the most comfortable thing I own. My Lazy boys don't even come close, and neither do the cars. My Road Glide is unused and I guess I'll have to sell it. I had a GW 1100 and 1800 and while they were comfortable, didn't come close to my RTSM5. I added Elkos, right brake lever and a bunch of other useful items. You will not be disappointed, once you get use to not leaning and the lack of acceleration at low RPMs. You just get use to it. Maintenance costs are probably close to a GoldWing for the normal checkups and a little higher for unexpected events, especially electrical, due to the BUDS proprietary computer system and the many things it's required for. Would I do it again. You betcha.
Good luck
:yes:Tuck

 

[MarkLawson]

I have both a Goldwing (my 3rd) and two Spyders. Love the Goldwing, but it is rarely ridden these days. I have chosen to keep it because of the cost of getting back into a Goldwing if I sell and then decide I want one again.

The biggest adjustment will be steering. The Spyder does not lean, so you cannot use counter-steering as you do on all your two wheelers. I found this to be confusing at first. My brain said "turn right" & my arms responded with a slight nudge to the left (counter-steering) as they have for 20 years & 165,000 miles. On a two wheeler, this would have initiated a right lean, thus making a right turn. On the Spyder, it resulted in a left turn. This baffled me at first because the counter steering was done without conscience thought, just muscle memory. I had to stop & think about what was going on & realized why the Spyder was not handling the way I thought it should. After that realization, everything came together.

One other change in steering I noted, was the timing to initiate the turn. Again, on a two wheeler using counter steering, you make the initial turn adjustment slightly before the curve so the bike will then be in proper position when you enter the curve. On the Spyder, I found that I was beginning my turns slightly before I entered the curve, causing me to have to make a correction mid-turn. On the Spyder, wait until you need to turn before you initiate the turn. It'll help.

 

[Chazzman]

Thanks for the response everyone... My wife and I are both enjoying the thought's of more comfort and safety. I am getting more excited daily, that's not a good sign for the bank account! I have my eye on a new 2011 RT Limited. I will update you with the progress.

 

[Oldmanzues]

I only have about 23 K on on both of my Spyders. I had a 08 RS/GSSome things to do with old age, comfort and packing space made me chang to a RT. I fully agree with all the good coments on here. I love my Spyder.

I ran the Dragon several times on my ST1100, decided I was getting a little old to scrape pegs, quit that. Bought a GS/RS and just had to see how it worked, worked great several times. I kind of trotted the Dragon with the RT, not because of the Spyer handling, but me.
I have over 400K on two wheels, all most all back roads. I hate interstates.
Anyone else out there, like me, wanted a brand new 1948 Indian Chief while the were in High School.
OldmanZues

 

[GnA]

Hello Everyone, I have ridden 40 years, 30+ bikes... My wife enjoys riding and our Havanese named Annie. I ride moderately aggressive and like carving up the twisties, wife no so much, lol. I am starting to like the thought of 3 wheels on the ground and slowing my pace down. L4 and L5 disc deterioration and neck issues adds to this consideration . I am not a conventional 3 wheeler kind of guy. I did ride the base spyder 2 or 3 years ago, just about 10 miles. I am planning on riding the RTS when the weather permits.

I would like to hear from some 2 wheel guys that went to the spyder. I would also like recommendations on the 2011 or 2012. I can get a pretty good deal on the 2011, I really like the white limited but can't see the difference in price from the RTS to the Limited.

I hope for a 2 hour test ride. I am concerned if I will enjoy 3 wheels 6 months down the road, after riding two for so many years. I plan on trading my 2005 Wing and my 2011 V-Strom if I do purchase the RTS.

I have read here about dying problems and the limp mode kicking in. I have never had a problem with my wing, really don't want to start having issues on a brand new machine. Any advise or opinions would be appreciated addressing any or all of the above. Thanks in advance...

As long as you adjust your expectations (I ride moderately aggressive and like carving up the twisties) the spyder is certainly fun (and can be a work-out in the twisties, if you push it) but it will not do what a Wing can do. However, the RT is very comfortable and offers some advantages that the Wing can't... not having to balance and put your feet down. If you have the ability to hold on to the Wing... you should.

Another option is to take a weekend or a week long vacation to Arizona and rent a spyder from us and put a thousand miles on it and see what you think.
When my wife first started on the spyder, she went back and forth for a few days before she decided it was much more fun than her VTX 1300.

I've been riding an 1800 Wing since 2002 - best 2-wheel ride on the road (for me)!

In my opinion, three days to a week on a spyder is a pretty good amount of time to make a sound decision.
Try it before you buy it.... that's why we rent them!!! :thumbup:

 

[STUNMUN]

Why I bought a RT

Hello Everyone, I have ridden 40 years, 30+ bikes... My wife enjoys riding and our Havanese named Annie. I ride moderately aggressive and like carving up the twisties, wife no so much, lol. I am starting to like the thought of 3 wheels on the ground and slowing my pace down. L4 and L5 disc deterioration and neck issues adds to this consideration . I am not a conventional 3 wheeler kind of guy. I did ride the base spyder 2 or 3 years ago, just about 10 miles. I am planning on riding the RTS when the weather permits.

I would like to hear from some 2 wheel guys that went to the spyder. I would also like recommendations on the 2011 or 2012. I can get a pretty good deal on the 2011, I really like the white limited but can't see the difference in price from the RTS to the Limited.

I hope for a 2 hour test ride. I am concerned if I will enjoy 3 wheels 6 months down the road, after riding two for so many years. I plan on trading my 2005 Wing and my 2011 V-Strom if I do purchase the RTS.

I have read here about dying problems and the limp mode kicking in. I have never had a problem with my wing, really don't want to start having issues on a brand new machine. Any advise or opinions would be appreciated addressing any or all of the above. Thanks in advance...

In June I traded my much loved 07 Wing for an RT. The decision was gradual over a two year period of wondering if I could pick up the Wing and also what a small amount of sand in the road could do to me. After 35 motorcycles I have made the switch to something that has caused total obsession. Apart from the fact that I am mobbed everywhere I go, that people can't keep their hands off of my Spyder, that questions about it range from the bizarre to the ridiculous, that after 46 years of biking on just about anything with two wheels and having covered this continent from Mexico to Alaska, I can honestly say "Thank you Lord" for this contraption. I know that there are many machines out there worthy of accolades of durability, beauty, sound etc, but my Spyder with my questionable knees and desire to drive the safest motorcycle ever built keeps me pumped up. I watched a trike go over while manuvering at about 15 MPH and decided against triking my Wing. I have friends that have turned their attention away from biking due to their age or fear of an accident-pitiful. I don't want to do that. In conclusion, this ain't a car minus a tire or a motorcycle plus a tire. It is a whole new way of traveling.

I always seem to want to carry stuff so an RT was more suited for me. Good luck shopping.​

 

[REDSPY]

I still have my Goldwing but as everyone else has said, it does not get ridden as much now we have the Spyder RTS. One thing I will add is that it takes a good 1000 miles to get comfortable on the Spyder. I started on my annual 2500 mile trip (with my poor buddy on his Harley) just after a little over 600 miles on the Spyder. All I can say is that during the trip it hit me how much more relaxed and safer I felt versus being on the wing. Riding in the rain was just one factor but it was the overall comfort.

I still enjoy the wing and have no plans to sell it but next year's trip will again be on the Spyder RT.

Red Spy

 

[StanProff]

been riding 45 years.

I have rode 2 wheelers all my life and still have 5 in my garage :doorag: I am 60 years young and in decent shape (so I'm told) for my age. After a year and a half I sprang for the RT S spyder. for the first 1000 miles or so I wasn't sure of this thing, it does take some getting use to after the life time on two wheelers. Well, after almost 8000 miles that includes a cross country trip my wife and I took back in september I have three words to say: Spyders are Awesome! I love it. my wife loves it. The two wheelers barely get out of the garage now, the Spyder is the bike of choise for me now. I would never have said that 2 years ago. All I will say is go for it, give it a couple of thousand miles and you will be hooked just like the rest of us!!:yes:

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

TO WING OR NOT TO WING

WENT TO A DEALER A FEW YEARS BACK WITH MY BEST FRIEND AND FELLOW LONG TIME WINGER TO TEST DRIVE SOME SPYDERS ( NO RT'S BACK THEN ) I PROBABLY GOT THE BEST ADVICE FROM THE MNGR. WHEN HE SAID DON'T EVEN THINK OF THIS AS A MOTORCYCLE.....DRIVE IT LIKE THE ULTIMATE 3-WHEEL CONVERTIBLE....SO I DID...AND STILL DO...IT'S THE BEST...I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH IT TRUMPS THE WING IN THE COMFORT DEPT.....ANY WING CAN STILL OUT-RUN IT BUT CAN'T OUT-DISTANCE IT...NO WAY.....GOOD LUCK.....I HAVE FOUND CURES FOR MOST OF THE STUPID FAULTS THAT PLAGUE A LOT OF THE SPYDERS AND AM VERY VERY VERY HAPPY WITH MINE....MIKE..:thumbup:

 

[BikerDoc]

Like so many others I have ridden nearly every brand conceivable over the past 40 years but nothing has given me as much fun as the Spyder

 

[SpyderLady]

Agree with everything above. I too have disc issues and was told by the Dr I should no longer ride two wheels. I have limited range of motion and shared his concern. Spent two years depressed and then I found the Spyder. Yes took some time getting used to not leaning etc, but I would not go back. Just sold my 09 RS and will be picking up my 2011 in a few weeks. Not a lot changed on 2012 so I went for the 2011 to save me some $$.

Agree with stevemac come to spyderfest. BRP will be there, Cowtown has specials going on and you can see how much fun spyderriders can have. Good luck

 

[BajaRon]

Personally, I don't know. I've owned about a dozen motorcycles in my life but never had any interest in a Goldwing (though I did own a naked Goldwing called a Valkyrie). That's as close as I've gotten. The Valkyrie is a great bike, by the way.

But I've got stories, I've always got stories.

Story #1
Lamont and I pulled up to a brand new, beautiful Gold Wing trike at Hardies right after he got his first RT. Lamont parked his beautiful Black RT right next to that Trike and we walked inside. It was easy to spot the Winger's (husband and wife) and as is Lamont's habit, we sat where we could see the Spyders. After a bit the Winger's get up to leave and we wait.

Of course they looked at the RT. Mostly the wife at first, we could see her talking about the RT, then the husband couldn't resist. Didn't look like they were in a hurry so we went outside, just to be neighborly of course.

The husband would ask Lamont about a feature on the RT and then say, 'My Goldwing didn't come with that'. After that happened several times he asked if his wife could sit on the back. Of course Lamont said yes. She climbed up, sat down and got comfortable. Then the strangest look came over her face and her husband said 'What!?'. Then she timidly said, 'This is more comfortable'.

The guy asked Lamont how much the RT cost. After he heard the answer he said, 'I've got over $35k into this trike and I don't even have the front rake kit on yet!'.

Story #2
Lamont and I were riding back from the big Magog Spyder ride-in. I believe we had ridden about 400 miles and were in Pennsylvania when we stopped for fuel. While paying for fuel 2 Winger's (2 wheel types) found us because they recognized Lamont's RT outside. They were all happy to meet Lamont in person and they started asking questions about the Spyder (doesn't everyone!)

They said things like 'They don't look very comfortable' and 'I'll bet you can't go nearly as far on one of those as you can on a Wing'. Not much bothers Lamont and he just answered their questions by saying he was able to ride as far on his Spyder as he could on any other motorcycle he'd ever ridden. And that the RT was the most comfortable motorcycle he'd ever ridden.

They both kind of chuckled and bobbed their heads to that. Turned out these guys were going the same direction for a few hundred miles and they asked if they could ride a leg with us, Lamont said 'Sure, why not'.

Lamont usually rides lead (he's got the GPS). He watchs the road and I watch him. It's worked for thousands of miles. All I have to do is be able to see his tail lights. The Wings fell in behind me.

We usually run 125-150 between fuel stops (miles, not MPH!). At about 100 miles those 2 wings started to lag behind a bit. At 125 miles they took an off ramp. We stopped for fuel at about 140 miles and Lamont asked me what happened to them. He expected them to get off with us. I said I don't know, we were either running too fast or too far for them and they gave up a ways back.

Now I know it was the riders and not the bike. Certainly it can't be all that hard to do a 140 mile leg on a Wing. It's just that these 2 guys were giving us grief about how they could go so much further more comfortably, and then dropped out.