kentompkins
New member
A few of you may know that I have ridden long rides in the last four summers with a small group named Country Roads Group Riding. I visited National Parks in the West (2013), Nova Scotia (2014), Canadian Rockies (2015) and, this year, the West Coast. Each of these rides was at least 7000 miles; most were 8000+. To see a couple of thousand pictures of this year’s ride, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/C0UNTRYR0ADS/?fref=ts
I assumed my 2014 RTS would run well though I was concerned about tires, brakes, oil – the expendables that need maintenance throughout the ride. The Spyder ran flawlessly hour after hour, day after day. I couldn’t have asked for a more trouble-free ride. Door to door (the trips start in Knoxville, TN) I rode just under 10K in three long weeks.
I noticed when I started out that my tires made a “wah-wah” sound so I was determined to have the alignment checked in TN. Both local dealers do not offer laser alignment and had no time to align it the old-fashioned way. So knowing that I would be near Pro Caliber in Vancouver, WA in a week, I made an appointment with them assuming no real problems occurred before that date.
The sound increased in volume and the front end was, indeed, out of alignment. I feared I might have to replace all three tires but was advised that I probably could complete the trip and get home on the tread I had.
I chose Pro Caliber because I knew that Shawn Smoak is a Service Dept. Foreman there and that he would go over the Spyder very carefully. Now, if you don’t know about Shawn and his almost daily vlogs, you should. He comes through VERY clearly as a Spyder rider, long time motorcycle rider and leading tech. You get a sense from his videos that there isn’t very much about a Spyder he doesn’t know. I knew my bike was in excellent hands.
The repairs took almost all day: they changed the oil, laser aligned the front, balanced the wheels at a local shop and then reassembled it all.
So, my first point is about my high respect and personal like of Shawn. He is a really caring, sweet guy and, as I said, knows everything about bikes especially Spyders. If you are in the Vancouver area, you should meet him. You’ll come away liking him as I did.
My second is that I can’t think of a better bikes for long rides than the Spyder. It is maturing as bike, there are more and more serious dealers out there (though still not enough), and it is easier to modify to our needs than many other touring bikes.
Finally, I have owned three Spyders since 2008. Each became a better companion on the road. For me, my 2014 is a perfect bike – stable, reliable and fun to ride. Shawn Smoak helped make my ride “perfect”. Search him out.
https://www.facebook.com/C0UNTRYR0ADS/?fref=ts
I assumed my 2014 RTS would run well though I was concerned about tires, brakes, oil – the expendables that need maintenance throughout the ride. The Spyder ran flawlessly hour after hour, day after day. I couldn’t have asked for a more trouble-free ride. Door to door (the trips start in Knoxville, TN) I rode just under 10K in three long weeks.
I noticed when I started out that my tires made a “wah-wah” sound so I was determined to have the alignment checked in TN. Both local dealers do not offer laser alignment and had no time to align it the old-fashioned way. So knowing that I would be near Pro Caliber in Vancouver, WA in a week, I made an appointment with them assuming no real problems occurred before that date.
The sound increased in volume and the front end was, indeed, out of alignment. I feared I might have to replace all three tires but was advised that I probably could complete the trip and get home on the tread I had.
I chose Pro Caliber because I knew that Shawn Smoak is a Service Dept. Foreman there and that he would go over the Spyder very carefully. Now, if you don’t know about Shawn and his almost daily vlogs, you should. He comes through VERY clearly as a Spyder rider, long time motorcycle rider and leading tech. You get a sense from his videos that there isn’t very much about a Spyder he doesn’t know. I knew my bike was in excellent hands.
The repairs took almost all day: they changed the oil, laser aligned the front, balanced the wheels at a local shop and then reassembled it all.
So, my first point is about my high respect and personal like of Shawn. He is a really caring, sweet guy and, as I said, knows everything about bikes especially Spyders. If you are in the Vancouver area, you should meet him. You’ll come away liking him as I did.
My second is that I can’t think of a better bikes for long rides than the Spyder. It is maturing as bike, there are more and more serious dealers out there (though still not enough), and it is easier to modify to our needs than many other touring bikes.
Finally, I have owned three Spyders since 2008. Each became a better companion on the road. For me, my 2014 is a perfect bike – stable, reliable and fun to ride. Shawn Smoak helped make my ride “perfect”. Search him out.
