How many as of today? Random observations.

[shunkmanitu]

Since the RED SE-5 arrived before the RED SM-5 I am wondering if anyone has received a Red SM-5 yet and how many have their RED SE-5s?

Never thought I would be driving an a trike without a manual clutch but I am greatly pleased with my Spyder. I found that the shift is very smooth if I "blip" the throttle as I upshift. I am still practicing correct throttle use as I approach an intersection where I can slow to match the light and then roll on without stopping. Did figure out the only use for the dial speedometer while set in MPH is to impress on-lookers when it is parked. The spacing in MPH is too small and close together to be useful. The digital readout is great and will be even better as I practice using the different functions such as the trip settings.

I have yet to face an "emergency" situation where I still fear that 48 years of "countersteer" reaction might take over. I did spend some time on some minor twisties (Lillian Hwy between Blue Angel and Hwy 98) and plan to run several of the "river roads" around our place in Alabama. Still feel a little "twichie" as the corners get tight and i feel the urge to push the inside bar harder to maintain my line. I have yet to run wide enough to get into the oncoming lane or onto the shoulder.

The standard shield is "okay" in this 90+ weather but 4:45 AM tomorrow (today) will tell me more about what I will change to. Tony at PMS mentioned a much wider and taller screen that will cover similar to my after-market screen on my former Pacific Coast. Don't know which one it is yet, will find out more later this week.

If it gets any hotter than the indicated 98 today (only 92 according to the Subaru) I will probably be smelling roast long-pork from ny left leg. Should feel good at about 28 F this winter! I have lost enough weight that I should fit into my snowmobile "bunny suit" again. The flip shield on the half-helmet with the optional neck curtain and my Cabela's thinsulate gauntlets should make it quite comfortable

Will ride to dialysis tomorrow and the SS office Thursday to get my SSDI process started. Once I get it started I will have enough "disposable income" to start looking at mods. Still looking for secure long gun toting ability for the Sunday run to the Military Shoot at the Gun Club. My Benefactor (the salesman that hooked me up with the SE-5) at PMS mentioned a simple painted wooden bracket mounted on the front spoiler to hold my Viet-Warrior-Feather plate. From setting on one in the showroom I thought my 54" chest would require mirror extensions but not so on the road. In full dress winter garb I may wish for a wider view.

 

[NancysToy]

Still feel a little "twichie" as the corners get tight and i feel the urge to push the inside bar harder to maintain my line.

Try leaning into the corner a bit harder. This naturally relaxes the inside arm as you push outside both to turn and to lean. Helped me a lot. Of course as an old roadracer, I don't tend to countersteer anyway, at least not consciously. The best racers lean and shift their weight, it is the fastest way through a corner. You may also want to set up the preload on the front springs a little more.
-Scotty

 

[retread]

Check your tire pressure, mine was squirmy till I went to 20 psi front, 30 psi rear. Now it stays planted and takes curves like a marble down a drain pipe.

 

[2+1]

Since the RED SE-5 arrived before the RED SM-5 I am wondering if anyone has received a Red SM-5 yet and how many have their RED SE-5s?

You are the only one that I know of that has received a Red one of either model.:congrats: on that. I've been waiting since May for a Red SM5. With a little luck it will be here in the next 4 weeks. Maybe after that we'll cross paths somewhere on I-10 between Jax and P-cola. Have Fun and enjoy.

 

[Arch]

:congratsn the new red :spyder:I've been waiting since June and no word yet. Almost all ordered accessories are in already, just waiting on the bike. Did they say yours was a 08 or 09? Have read on the board that they are saying the red would be an 09.

Arch

 

[vtrider]

Ordered red SM5 back in late June, still haven't heard anything yet. Dealer expects delivery the end of this month. Who knows, It could be October! I do have my accessories at the dealer though, which include: Hindle exhaust, 5 spoke custom wheel kit, wheel trim kit, caliper trim kit, side panel trim kit, 12 volt power outlet and fog lights. I also ordered and received Symtech grip heaters, grip puppies and a Centech AP-2 fuse panel with a relay harness to connect all the accessory electrical stuff. I also purhased a new HJC CL-15 helmet and Cortech GS sport riding jacket. I guess you can say that I'm ready to "Spyder"!

 

[NancysToy]

Check your tire pressure, mine was squirmy till I went to 20 psi front, 30 psi rear. Now it stays planted and takes curves like a marble down a drain pipe.

I did that so long ago I forgot why. Thanks for the reminder. It worked so well for us that we never did jack up the spring setting.
-Scotty

 

[Smylinacha]

Hey! When you figure out how to mount that gun, I want pics! :thumbup::clap:

 

[shunkmanitu]

Thanks for the replies.

I will check the tire pressure but feel the suspension is a firm as I want it though I may give it a test run with it a little tighter. I think most of the problem is still from my years on bikes. I am getting smoother by the hour. The conversion is not as hard as I thought it was going to be, guess old Coyotes CAN learn new tricks!

I also road raced, a Trident, in the seventies and we DO counter-steer though when racing we add our body language to the effort. I never figured out counter-steering until I ran a friend's Servi-Car into a ditch when I was about seventeen. We didn't have a name for it until years later but we did do it. After about the third try I figured out how to ride it and learned at the same time the truth about how I rode my Duo-Glide!

I am very lucky for the chance to get the SE5 in place of the SM5 I originally ordered in May. I just rested a short while after dialysis this morning and was ready to ride. My bandages did not bother me as they would have if I had a cluch to contend with.

It is a good thing we are retired as we are finding out about the "wow" factor of the Spyder. Nearly anywhere we go we get the questions.

Stopped to see my wife's broker today and he reassured us that her $24,000 loss since the first of the year is only a tempory setback and well below the market loss %! Anyway since we have no other income the conversion of my little IRA to a Spyder was a much better choice than financing any part of it.

Stopped at IHOP for supper, we are getting old! Sunkawakanwi could not even eat her way through a "Senior Roast Beef Dinner" and I brought home nearly half of an "Appiteaser Sampler" The "take home" box fits neatly into the bottom of the trunk. Pixel, our resident 15yo Igmu (cat) was very happy to greet our foam box and us.

Got my Base Pass stickers from NAS Pensacola today, still in my pocket until I figure out where I want to put them on Iktome Luta. Also looking for a way to use my blue parking plackard without leaving it to be stolen. Just because I no longer am restricted to a cage does not make walking any easier. My legs are getting stronger hoisting my bulk up onto the Tryke. Sunkawakanwi needs more streching to get her shorter legs easily over the wide seat and clear the backrest.

I find that a mild blip of the throttle when upshifithg does smooth it a lot. Still getting used to the rather harsh down shifting and learning to smooth it a bit with throttle management.

If the new BRP super-size windscreen is everything Tony (at PMS) says it is it sounds like my first change. I don't care for the wind blast at much over 50 MPH. Did order the outdoor cover as I still need to clear out the garage here and only have a roofed over tractor and impliment storage on the farm. Need something to keep the critter footie prints off the paint.

Doubt that I will swap out the backrest for flat rack cover often as it does use a lot of trunk space. The wish list will have the Corbin or other color match hard bags to dress the tail. By the time we get two snowmobile suits in the trunk this winter there will be little room remaining.

Social Security Office in the morning and the rest of the day riding! Figure we will go up SR 97 and 99 in NW Escambia county for the pratice and the view. If we drop back down and cross the river on Muskoge RD we can work our way back to US 90 in AL and stop to see Crow Dog and check on the farm.

 

[Cundiffla]

Since the RED SE-5 arrived before the RED SM-5 I am wondering if anyone has received a Red SM-5 yet and how many have their RED SE-5s?

You are the only one that I know of that has received a Red one of either model.:congrats: on that. I've been waiting since May for a Red SM5. With a little luck it will be here in the next 4 weeks. Maybe after that we'll cross paths somewhere on I-10 between Jax and P-cola. Have Fun and enjoy.

What part of Jax, FL do you ride around. I am in Orange Park Area? :spyder:

 

[NancysToy]

I also road raced, a Trident, in the seventies and we DO counter-steer though when racing we add our body language to the effort. I never figured out counter-steering until I ran a friend's Servi-Car into a ditch when I was about seventeen. We didn't have a name for it until years later but we did do it. After about the third try I figured out how to ride it and learned at the same time the truth about how I rode my Duo-Glide!

I had a Servi-Car, too. Did take some serious learning. Never did get comfortable riding the little beast. I agree that we all used counter-steering, but didn't know what to call it. It was just natural to us, I guess. Road racing schools are having some trouble with the concept. Everyone coming up is taught countersteering in their MSF course. It is not the fastest way through a corner. Reg Pridmore spends a lot of time teaching people how to learn not to countersteer any more. Bottom line...if you get you weight shifted off the seat, and lean, the bike will turn, and will do so faster than if you apply a counter-steering force.

It has been interesting to see the progression of racing styles over the years. Early riders hung on to the big, steerhorn handlebars and worked at it almost as hard as steering a Spyder or sidecar. Some brave souls learned to lean their upper bodies. Hailwood showed them how to drop a knee. Then they started shifting their backsides off the seats. Now they combine the two, and nearly sit on the pegs in the corners. Knee pucks on leathers, who would have guessed back in the sixties?

Enjoy the ryde. I knew you would feel comfortable fast. Worked for me.
-Scotty

 

[seaspyder]

I have a red SE5 in my garage, after the silver one I originally purchased last Friday went into Limp Home Mode just a few miles from the dealership. I even got them to take off some of the cost for the paint difference!

Shifting is really smooth...no complaints so far. Wife loves it!

I took a yellow demo Spyder home for the night with a manual shifter while they got the red one ready for me. I liked it just fine. Had some fun learning to ride on a Spyder that wasn't mine :2thumbs:

 

[jwfranklin]

I just got back from my dealer. Last Tuesday he had said it showed my Red SM5 was set up to be shipped in Sept, and should have a ship date this week. When he went to look today it showed shipping in Oct. He checked further. It had been changed to a 2009 model and said there would be NO 2008 Red SM5's all would be 2009's. there were some Red SE5's shipped. Someone on the V8 board said they drove ,at a factory demo ride, a Red manual transmission.:dontknow:

Wayne