LOOKING

[Gator37]

Hi I am not yet a Spyder owner, in fact have not ridden one but have been intrigued by them since seeing a small group last year while on a ride with my Blue Knight Club. I have ridden something two wheeled and powered since I was about 12 and now in late 70s am thinking maybe of something I don't have to physically keep up right. Am a little concerned about the transition, and if I will still feel like I'm riding a Cycle. Of course being out in the elements is a big part of that. I am a little concerned however when I find used Spyders for sale on the internet like Ebay, Craigs list etc. that they have so few miles on them when sold. Why do people get rid of them so quickly? Many have less than 5000 miles on them and some are a couple of years old. Shucks I put that on my Harley in a matter of a couple o months sometimes. Are there certain years that are better than others in the used field. Any advice would be appreciated.

thank you all. You have a very nice site here and have enjoyed surfing it.

Ken

 

[Bob Denman]

:welcome: or at least; "Spyder-Curious"
The Spyder does not ride, handle, or feel at all like a motorcycle... :shocked:
That's not a bad thing!
If you have any ATVing or snowmobilinng experience; they would be the closest approximations.
It takes at least a couple of hundred miles to make the transiton to "Life on a Tripod" seem familiar and comfortable.
It has a lot of advantges over two-wheelers:
Road surface conditions affect it much less.
Due to the width of them up front; they create a more noticeable presence on the road.
They offer the "paddle-shift" semi-automatic transmissions.
They are actually easier to start a new rider on/

Downsides? Sure! Nothing beats laying a bike over for a long sweeping curve... just finding that balance point, where the floorboards are just off the pavement... you don't get that here! :shocked:
My advice; find a dealer who can let you take one for a test-ride.
Keep an open mind about them...
And Good Luxk! :thumbup:

 

[Pennyrick]

Hi I am not yet a Spyder owner, in fact have not ridden one but have been intrigued by them since seeing a small group last year while on a ride with my Blue Knight Club. I have ridden something two wheeled and powered since I was about 12 and now in late 70s am thinking maybe of something I don't have to physically keep up right. Am a little concerned about the transition, and if I will still feel like I'm riding a Cycle. Of course being out in the elements is a big part of that. I am a little concerned however when I find used Spyders for sale on the internet like Ebay, Craigs list etc. that they have so few miles on them when sold. Why do people get rid of them so quickly? Many have less than 5000 miles on them and some are a couple of years old. Shucks I put that on my Harley in a matter of a couple o months sometimes. Are there certain years that are better than others in the used field. Any advice would be appreciated.

thank you all. You have a very nice site here and have enjoyed surfing it.

Ken

You have to take test drive to see. That will give you the feel but it still takes about 1,000 miles to get totally comfortable on a Spyder. I think that a lot of folks who have never ridden on two (or three) wheels fall in love with the idea but once they get the wind in their faces, the bloom kind of goes off the rose. Or, they put 300-400 miles on it and can't feel comfortable and put it up for sale.

Spyders are not unique to this. Most motorcycles for sale have very, very low mileage on them. Look through a dealer showroom sometime and you'll be surprised at how many bikes are very low mileage. Same reasons as above for selling.

I read somewhere that the average annual mileage on a motorcycle is less than 5,000. Since I know a lot of folks who handle 20 and 30,000 miles of riding each year there must be one heck of a lot who ride just a few hundred for that to be an average.

As far as years.... the new 14's are probably the best so far. The 2010's and 2012's were very reliable and the 2011's are good once the throttle body problems are solved (usually under warranty).

2013's not so much due to chassis changes getting ready for the bigger engine on the 2014's. Some folks have experienced overheating problems due to repositioning some stuff in making that change but also some have not and BRP has issued a fix for the problems.

You just need to go test riding and shopping.

 

[Jeriatric]

You have to take test drive to see. That will give you the feel but it still takes about 1,000 miles to get totally comfortable on a Spyder. I think that a lot of folks who have never ridden on two (or three) wheels fall in love with the idea but once they get the wind in their faces, the bloom kind of goes off the rose. Or, they put 300-400 miles on it and can't feel comfortable and put it up for sale.

Spyders are not unique to this. Most motorcycles for sale have very, very low mileage on them. Look through a dealer showroom sometime and you'll be surprised at how many bikes are very low mileage. Same reasons as above for selling.

I read somewhere that the average annual mileage on a motorcycle is less than 5,000. Since I know a lot of folks who handle 20 and 30,000 miles of riding each year there must be one heck of a lot who ride just a few hundred for that to be an average.

As far as years.... the new 14's are probably the best so far. The 2010's and 2012's were very reliable and the 2011's are good once the throttle body problems are solved (usually under warranty).

2013's not so much due to chassis changes getting ready for the bigger engine on the 2014's. Some folks have experienced overheating problems due to repositioning some stuff in making that change but also some have not and BRP has issued a fix for the problems.

You just need to go test riding and shopping.

:agree: & spend as much time as you can.......surfing SL. There's tons of info here.

 

[ARtraveler]

Welcome to SL. Previous posters have already mentioned my usual reasons. Also recommend going to dealer and doing a test drive to see if the :spyder2: is for you. Let us know what you do. :thumbup:

 

[Chupaca]

No looking allowed..!!

Lot said already and so true..it is very simple, don't armchair analyze it. Get out there ryde one and all your questions will be answered I guarantee..!! Wife bought me ours and I had only seen one on a commercial. Rode it home and did not put it away...Never tested one..good hunting..:thumbup:

 

[Silvervette05]

I got my 1st spyder a 2008 rs when I was 62yrs old I just traded it in for a 2012 RT S I, m 65 now and I love it lol

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

SPYDER LEARNING CURVE

Hi brother ( officer ) ?, first you have to ride one before even thinking any further........To bad we are not closer......second, when you do ride one , think car not mtc......It drives like a car, a convertible ......if you drive it like a MTC you are going in the ditch very quickly......And be very gentle when you steer it , yes steer it like a car......it doesn't take much to make it turn ( power steering ) and the ratio is way way quicker than a car's steering. Have fun, take it slow till you get the hang of it. I was a dyed in the wool Gold Winger till I found my Spyder.....I'll never go back...................Mike :thumbup:

 

[Motorcycledave]

I am also in my 70's

Hi Ken
Before you make any rash judgements go to a local dealer and take a test ride.... if you are used to a sport bike ride an RS
if you are into sport touring ride the ST and if you are into Luxo tourer ride the RT. they are all different and handle different
they are all fun but make no mistake they do not ride or handle like a motorcycle forget counter steering and hand brakes
they are very automotive in operation, all the braking is done with your right foot just like a car. You can get a semi automatic
I would suggest that it works great and no shifting or clutch work... just shift up with your left hand thumb and fingers it takes
no time to get the hang of it. After 56 or so years riding motorcycles my wife said get something that don't tip over so I got a
nice used 2008 GS sport model I made several mods to it and now it is great I feel safe and comfortable riding on it you get all
the wind in your face and bugs in your teeth from smiling just like a motorcycle... now I am almost 72 and I will buy another
one if I feel the desire. The best part of all..... you still get to go out with your friends and ride the poker runs and such with
out worry of it falling over.
Ride Safe and enjoy "Keep smiling"
Dave

Hi I am not yet a Spyder owner, in fact have not ridden one but have been intrigued by them since seeing a small group last year while on a ride with my Blue Knight Club. I have ridden something two wheeled and powered since I was about 12 and now in late 70s am thinking maybe of something I don't have to physically keep up right. Am a little concerned about the transition, and if I will still feel like I'm riding a Cycle. Of course being out in the elements is a big part of that. I am a little concerned however when I find used Spyders for sale on the internet like Ebay, Craigs list etc. that they have so few miles on them when sold. Why do people get rid of them so quickly? Many have less than 5000 miles on them and some are a couple of years old. Shucks I put that on my Harley in a matter of a couple o months sometimes. Are there certain years that are better than others in the used field. Any advice would be appreciated.

thank you all. You have a very nice site here and have enjoyed surfing it.

Ken

 

[liteft01]

looking

I feel your pain about not being sure this is the ride for you. Check with the BRP website.... they are starting 'Demo Days'. I have registered with my local dealer to ride in May.

 

[Highwayman2013]

Yes you must ride one to be sure. The most sorted out seem to be the 2012s. I got my wife an rt Limited in 2012, but I like it too. Thinking about getting a used one myself. Good luck!

 

[Rid'nrandy]

My experience has been on my wife's 2014 RT-L. I've been vacationing via two wheels for years. My last long distance bike was a 2008 Gold Wing. I am 63 and not yet ready to give up two wheels, but I decided it is time to start sharing the front seat with my wife on our long trips.
I got rid of my GW and trailer and we traded her 2013 in on a 2014 with trailer. Our first trip was over 3,600 miles from Iowa to Florida. We had a blast. My wife enjoyed the trip more and I was surprised how much fun I had (even my turns on the passenger seat).
The three wheel experience is definitely different than the two wheels, but still very fun! Also, I found the SE6 transmission to be a God send when dealing with the big city traffic. Another thing we have figured out , it is very important to still lean when going through the curves. You don't lean the bike of course, but leaning yourself helps hold the line going through the curves and allows you to take them at greater speeds.
I still have my two wheels for my daily commute and short day trips when she rides her Spyder and I ride my Indian. But now we are traveling on the Spyder.
Oh, and you don't have to have the big motor. I am just of the Tim Taylor school of more power.
When I am ready to completely give up two wheels, the Spyder will be the way I go. Great fun! :yes:
Next trip, California and Yellowstone this Summer.

 

[Vrooom]

Why?

To answer your question, why do they get rid, or sell on eBay? In my case the seller was ill and unable to ride and had only put 400 miles on the 2013 RTS before I bought it last June at auction. No regrets here.

 

[spyder-dude]

My only recommendation if you are use to riding a 2 wheel motorcycle is find a dealer that will let you take it out on a real demo ride. The BRP demo rides are great but quite honestly 15 minutes is just not a long enough time to really get use to the spyder in my opinion. When I first bought mine in 2007 (2008 GS) I bought when it was first announced. My dealer let me take it out for a two hour ride after explaining everything to me. At first I wondered what the heck I did to order this spyder but after about 30 minutes I was really liking it.

 

[SPYDERKIDZ]

Try it you'll like it we are pretty new Spyder Owners

Hi,
We were in Leavenworth Washington when we saw a Spyder parked. We asked a few questions of the owner and found our there was a dealer in Mt. Vernon Washington. We stopped in Mt. Vernon on our way home, took a test ride, and came back the following week to drive home our 2013 RT Ltd. It is a hoot. About 4000 miles and times ten that in smiles.
Jerry

Hi I am not yet a Spyder owner, in fact have not ridden one but have been intrigued by them since seeing a small group last year while on a ride with my Blue Knight Club. I have ridden something two wheeled and powered since I was about 12 and now in late 70s am thinking maybe of something I don't have to physically keep up right. Am a little concerned about the transition, and if I will still feel like I'm riding a Cycle. Of course being out in the elements is a big part of that. I am a little concerned however when I find used Spyders for sale on the internet like Ebay, Craigs list etc. that they have so few miles on them when sold. Why do people get rid of them so quickly? Many have less than 5000 miles on them and some are a couple of years old. Shucks I put that on my Harley in a matter of a couple o months sometimes. Are there certain years that are better than others in the used field. Any advice would be appreciated.

thank you all. You have a very nice site here and have enjoyed surfing it.

Ken

 

[nitsuawd]

Am a little concerned about the transition, and if I will still feel like I'm riding a Cycle. Of course being out in the elements is a big part of that. Ken

I had a GL1800 that I triked. I had your concern but with a traditional trike, unless you look down and back, you still see up front the part of the motorcycle you are used to seeing, so it wasn't too hard to get used to, other than the steering and handling. Now I am looking at the Spyder and it is quite different in that what you see up front is not a motorcycle front but a two-wheel wide front and it is very different. I think I am one who is going to need a very long test ride.

I am a little concerned however when I find used Spyders for sale on the internet like Ebay, Craigs list etc. that they have so few miles on them when sold. Why do people get rid of them so quickly? Many have less than 5000 miles on them and some are a couple of years old.Ken

My thoughts exactly. But i would not be surprised if a lot of people, who were not motorcycle riders, just thought the Spyder was "neat" and bought one thinking they would like it. Unfortunately they didn't. At least that's the feeling I am getting.

Since my wife and I rode a Gold Wing all over the U.S. and after converting to a Trike, we rode to Alaska and back, I think if I can adapt to the "reverse trike" Spyder, we will like it. Although I already know we will need to fork out $1200 for an Ultimate saddle because my wife does not find the Spyder saddle comfortable, "and if mama ain't happy..."