My Other Trike

[IdleUp]

I know this is a Spyder Forum however here's some images of my other trike - it's a different animal then a Spyder, however for traveling it's tough to beat. Each bike has it's own merits and strong & weak points.

 

[TonyMac]

Wow! That is an awesome bike. I always thought I'd like a Gold Wing or some other derivative. Very nice accessories too.

 

[bjt]

That sure is a nice looking ride. :2thumbs:

 

[jimjel]

I had a Goldwing trike same color and with Champion trike kit same as shown in the pix. Loved it. Excellent long distance tourer. 700-800 mile days were a piece of cake. Sold it when I moved to Thailand a couple years ago. (when LaMont was on Iway-500 #6 or #7 hehehe). The GW motor is a work of art and will probably outlast a Spyder motor about 6 to 1.
The only negative with I found with the GW to trike conversion is that it upset the geometry of the original bike quite a bit, even with an EZ steer installed. I rode mine all over the TN and NC mountains including the Gap. When I pushed it really hard in the twisties I never once lifted or broke loose a rear wheel, but I did on several ocassions, break traction on the front wheel, which would hop sideways until it could hook up again. Talk about some extreme lateral loads on the forks and my pants when that happened. In retrospect, I think the trike was fine, I was just pushing it beyond its limits.

I love the Spyder design with the two wheels up front. That is the way to go for a trike. If /when I return to the US I will get a GSX650F or C50T, and a Spyder, and spend the winters in Florida and the summers in the TN/NC mountains. The only thing I don't like about the Spyder is the high level of maintenance and repair costs. I can wrench on a bike, but can't repair the complex electronics of the Spyder. A $150 labor charge to change the rear tire is about 4-5 times what it costs to change the rear tire on a Goldwing and I read on the other board, some guy just paid $800 for a 6000 mile service where they checked the valves. Can't imagine how expensive it could get if something major goes wrong and you have a dirtbag stealer.

JJ

 

[IdleUp]

I had a Goldwing trike same color and with Champion trike kit same as shown in the pix. Loved it. Excellent long distance tourer. 700-800 mile days were a piece of cake. Sold it when I moved to Thailand a couple years ago. (when LaMont was on Iway-500 #6 or #7 hehehe). The GW motor is a work of art and will probably outlast a Spyder motor about 6 to 1.
The only negative with I found with the GW to trike conversion is that it upset the geometry of the original bike quite a bit, even with an EZ steer installed. I rode mine all over the TN and NC mountains including the Gap. When I pushed it really hard in the twisties I never once lifted or broke loose a rear wheel, but I did on several ocassions, break traction on the front wheel, which would hop sideways until it could hook up again. Talk about some extreme lateral loads on the forks and my pants when that happened. In retrospect, I think the trike was fine, I was just pushing it beyond its limits.

I love the Spyder design with the two wheels up front. That is the way to go for a trike. If /when I return to the US I will get a GSX650F or C50T, and a Spyder, and spend the winters in Florida and the summers in the TN/NC mountains. The only thing I don't like about the Spyder is the high level of maintenance and repair costs. I can wrench on a bike, but can't repair the complex electronics of the Spyder. A $150 labor charge to change the rear tire is about 4-5 times what it costs to change the rear tire on a Goldwing and I read on the other board, some guy just paid $800 for a 6000 mile service where they checked the valves. Can't imagine how expensive it could get if something major goes wrong and you have a dirtbag stealer.

JJ

Thanks for the reply - there's no doubt the GW is a great bike, when it's come to traveling with the old lady that's our main ride.

Regarding maintenance that's the exact reason I bailed on a BMW 1200 LT - no dealers and repairs are off the scale when compared to the Honda. One thing about Honda they have the best network of dealers of any manufacturer.

I think as the Spyder get more popular we'll see more service centers and more realistic repair costs.

 

[Greg H.]

That is a very beautiful Honda! :thumbup:

 

[bjt]

... and I read on the other board, some guy just paid $800 for a 6000 mile service where they checked the valves. Can't imagine how expensive it could get if something major goes wrong and you have a dirtbag stealer.

JJ

That's what the Best warranty is for.

 

[Greg H.]

IThe only thing I don't like about the Spyder is the high level of maintenance and repair costs. I can wrench on a bike, but can't repair the complex electronics of the Spyder. A $150 labor charge to change the rear tire is about 4-5 times what it costs to change the rear tire on a Goldwing and I read on the other board, some guy just paid $800 for a 6000 mile service where they checked the valves. Can't imagine how expensive it could get if something major goes wrong and you have a dirtbag stealer.

JJ

........not to thread jack... but; this really has my attention and concern!

$800 for a 6000 mile service where they checked the valves??!!! I hope like heck (and, I don't really mean heck!!) that's incorrect! That would relegate the Spyder to a lot of down time in my garage. There is no way, I could hang with that! I'm calling my dealer, and checking that..

And, I doubt the B.E.S.T warranty would cover that, anyway.

Ok... Cool, Cool! I just spoke with my dealer. Under $300 for the 6,250 mi. service (including valve adjustment). Very Good!!

Okay! Back to the original thread!