Man, am I relieved! (2012 RT Limited newbie issues)

[Questions]

My wife and I picked up our new 2012 RT Limited last week. Of course we immediately jumped on and did 100 miles.
I have to tell you, we weren't impressed. After 35 years of high-performance motorcycles, I was lugging the engine a bit, (I don't know why) and the suspension was, well, awful - as set by the factory. I was afraid we might have made a mistake.

After reading the manual a bit and spending some time here and on other enthusiast sites, I adjusted the front spring pre-load to maximum and decided to go at it a bit differently. (I'm 6'3" 270 lbs and my although my wife isn't heavy, she isn't petite, either) I took a short solo scoot and thought it handled a lot better, although weather and other commitments kept me from doing a thorough test.

Today (Monday) we took the Spyder out again, taking a twisty route with a few those nasty "reverse elevation" curves. I am very pleased to say that the bike held up well, *much* better than on our first 2-up ride. I moved my shift points up a few thousand RPM and did a bit of the "snowmobile booty shuffle" on the worst corners, putting my weight forward and into the curve - helping keep the inside wheel down and the suspension in the "normal" range. I won't normally ride that way 2-up, but this was a test after all.

To get down to it, our "second impression" is that the Spyder will make an interesting middleweight tourer, which is exactly what we were looking for. I'd like to ride an RT with upgraded springs, shocks and sway bar to see whether such things would be worth the investment or not. The bottom line, though, is that the bike now feels safe and comfortable. I'll be a little sad to put it in winter storage later this week.

 

[Ga Blue Knight]

I am very happy that you are getting it all sorted it out. The Spyder is a blast, but a different sort of blast than two wheelers. I had been riding for around 35 years, mostly BMW and Motoguzzi sport tourers, and was so certain that I had made a really awful mistake for the first 100 miles on the Spyder. The next 100 I felt that maybe I could live with all of the lousy ride issues. Now I can't understand what I was complaining about! It's a great ride but really different if you are a past motorcyclist. Search the forum for the " new rider tips " post and it has a pretty good readers digest version of dos and do nots. One word of caution. You can spend as much as you paid for the Spyder on "absolutely needed" trinkets and farkles! While everything available is great make sure you really need it first. The main areas that most folks add on stuff is for Heat management, floorboards, seats and luggage. I don't have any heat issues or luggage problems as my wife packs lite. But I do have "Seal" floorboards and will some day buy a Russell Day Long seat. Be very careful with electrical connections. make sure all the relays and fuses are seated tight and the negative battery terminal is secure! I check them regularly. Each person is different as to what they need to be comfortable or what they want the bike to look like. All in all ride it like you stole it and don't panic if something seems off. Just contact the forum and you will get lots of great advice. BRP is a great small company and tries hard to meet customer needs but it is a small company. If you work with them on issues they usually come through. Get to know your dealer well and if they seem to be a problem find a better more experienced one. Have fun, ride safe, ride often, it's all about the ride.

 

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to our family! :2thumbs:
Getting the suspension set up properly has always been an interesting source of conversation in here... :shocked:
As you found out; it's pretty "limp" as delivered :shocked:; you certainly went in the right direction with your changes! :thumbup:
You mentioned some snowmobiling experience... That goes a long way in helping to get acclimated to :spyder2:

 

[NancysToy]

There are probably a few other things going on here. As you have learned, the Spyder RT is equipped with a "touring" suspension, which has proven to be too soft as usually delivered, for two-up work, heavier riders, or spirited cornering. It also takes most riders a good 1000 miles before they get a real feel for the right body english, cornering line, and the Spyder's handling characteristics. A stouter anti-swaybar and/or performance shocks may be considerations in the future, but as you get used to the Spyder, you may find you don't really need them. BTW, check the tire pressure. Somewhere around 18- front and 28 - rear seems to work better than the factory recommendations for most of us on the RT.

 

[ARtraveler]

:agree: x 2. The ride will get better as you put more miles on the :spyder2: and become one with the machine. Try shifting points of 4500-5500 as well as keeping your :ani29: in that range. For slower roads that means second and third gear for most riding. I don't even use 5th gear unless I am riding over 60 mph. The Rotax likes higher revs for its power band.

:congrats: on the new ryde.

 

[Bob Denman]

:agree: The Rotax engines DO like to spin! :thumbup:

 

[Sarge707]

Most of my around town, secondary road driving is 2nd and 3rd Up to 50 MPH.
It will pull much better at 4,500 when you hit the gas than 4,000.
The RT is a LOT more comfortable in 40-45 degree temps than my GS/RS because of the big windshield !!
It will be my winter Snowmobile of sorts!!!:roflblack:

 

[asp125]

Me too. When I first bought my RS it felt heavy and slow compared to sport bikes. I almost wanted to sell it. After 1700 miles it feels less like a sofa and more like a tourer. It's still slower in the twisties than a sport bike, but every time I pop open the luggage or drop a picnic in the trunk I grin a little.

 

[Questions]

There are probably a few other things going on here. As you have learned, the Spyder RT is equipped with a "touring" suspension, which has proven to be too soft as usually delivered, for two-up work, heavier riders, or spirited cornering. It also takes most riders a good 1000 miles before they get a real feel for the right body english, cornering line, and the Spyder's handling characteristics. A stouter anti-swaybar and/or performance shocks may be considerations in the future, but as you get used to the Spyder, you may find you don't really need them. BTW, check the tire pressure. Somewhere around 18- front and 28 - rear seems to work better than the factory recommendations for most of us on the RT.

Interesting. The dealer recommended and put in 17/25, which is where its at now. 1 PSI in the front may make a difference with low-pressure tires. Given the higher-than-average load, higher is probably a good place to start.

I'm going to try to avoid obsessing over the handling and just enjoy getting used to the Spyder. Winter in the inland PNW is no time for riding, (we'll keep the snowmobile comparisons figurative) so it annoys me to have to put it away for the next six months. In case anyone is wondering why I bought a 2012 at the very end of the season, it was about the money. The dealer had a substantial markdown on their remaining 2012 inventory, so I decided to buy one at my advantage instead of waiting until spring and competing with the rest of the herd.

Thanks!
--jim

 

[MidLifeCrisis]

You can get a ton of goodies for the savings. Congrats and enjoy

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2

 

[NancysToy]

Interesting. The dealer recommended and put in 17/25, which is where its at now. 1 PSI in the front may make a difference with low-pressure tires. Given the higher-than-average load, higher is probably a good place to start.

I'm going to try to avoid obsessing over the handling and just enjoy getting used to the Spyder. Winter in the inland PNW is no time for riding, (we'll keep the snowmobile comparisons figurative) so it annoys me to have to put it away for the next six months. In case anyone is wondering why I bought a 2012 at the very end of the season, it was about the money. The dealer had a substantial markdown on their remaining 2012 inventory, so I decided to buy one at my advantage instead of waiting until spring and competing with the rest of the herd.

Thanks!
--jim

I'd probably try the 17/25 for a while. There is no clear consensus about rear tire pressure, as far as tire wear is concerned. Some say more air, some say less. My biggest concern with 25 in the rear would be the load rating. If you go anywhere with the rear pressure, go up. The average for the RT seems to be about 28, but anywhere 26-30 is common. Up front, the pressure more greatly affects both ride and handling. The factory spec of 15 gives the softest ride, but the Spyder wallows in the corners and can be sqyuirmy going down a bumpy road. A lot of people use 20 up front on the RS, but the RT handling isn't as crisp at that pressure, to me. The 2010s were real squirmy there, but the later Spyders are better. 17-20 seems to be the norm, with the average near 18. Play with it a bit, and see what suits you best. Sharp dealer! Most quote the book as far as tire pressures go.