myths and prejudices...

[Paula]

Hi all! Just a small venting session... lol

I bought my spyder approx 1 month ago. I am having a great time on it! I bought my spyder for a few different reasons. The last straw was when my husband kept changing the seat on his Harley. Each new seat aggrevated my arthritis. I couldn't get him to change back to the old seat but he would do tweaks to the new seat-some made me less sore... other tweaks more sore... but all hurt!

I had my own motorcycle to learn on but it wasn't built for long touring. After every ride I was always glad to be home. I never truely felt relaxed on it.

So the spyder came into my life! Now I don't want to come home when I ride! The problem I see is people feel like it is a step down from 2 wheels and I so disagree! There is a lot to learn about how to ride one! And technique. It was easy having one path to choose for one pair of tires to fallow on pavement... It is a science to figure out the best path for 3 wheels on a less than flat road .

I ran into a person who said he missed "the lean". What does he do? Make his Spyder do all the cornering for him? Because, dang, I lean in the corners when I want! I lean with my whole body from my head to my feet when I want to zip around the corner like its on rails! I sit back and relax when I don't. It may be a different type of lean but it is still working with the machine.

How can we help people understand the spyder isn't a "step down"- just different? Different in its own fun and exhilerating way? I would hate for someone to miss out on this fun because of biasness . I know my hubby started to change his ideas after watching me on all the hair pin turns on our vacation .

Off to my next ride. Have a fun weekend everyone!

 

[spyderCodes]

The Spyder is a snowmobile on wheels.
It isn't a motorcycle, it isn't a SlingShot.
It is another class of vehicle that returns an open road feeling to the people on the vehicle.
It corners like a Spyder.
It does not lean but requiures concentration from the Ryder to complete the turn.
It's fun.
But, it ain't a motorcycle.
It looks kind of like a bike but it isn't.
Those who have never ridden one can be excused for their ignorance.

 

[Dan McNally]

It is all about closed minds and preconceived notions. Open-minded people already get it - closed-minded people don't, and never will. :banghead:

You didn't buy your Spyder for others - you bought it for you. If you love it, like I love mine, that is all that matters. hyea:

The rest is just background noise and may be safely ignored! nojoke

 

[ingramwc]

I agree!!!! Love what you ride and love the ride!!! We all chose to ride Spyders for different reasons, but the one common link is we like being in the open air and feeling the freedom
that provides!!!
Y'all ride safe out there!!!!!!:yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes:

 

[BigGuy66]

Why We Ryde

I was having some trouble with balance issues (I'm 68) and we didn't want to stop riding. We are members of a motorcycle group (CMA) and they don't have a pedestrian division. I have had friends ask about how it rides and I said what others have said - it rides and turns like a snowmobile or a ski-doo. We are VERY happy ryders now. And there are now three Y-factor ryders in our group. Not all old folks either. We continue to ryde and pull our Bunkhouse with ease. Glad we Spydered up!! :spyder2:

 

[Fjrwillie]

Hi all! Just a small venting session... lol

I bought my spyder approx 1 month ago. I am having a great time on it! I bought my spyder for a few different reasons. The last straw was when my husband kept changing the seat on his Harley. Each new seat aggrevated my arthritis. I couldn't get him to change back to the old seat but he would do tweaks to the new seat-some made me less sore... other tweaks more sore... but all hurt!

I had my own motorcycle to learn on but it wasn't built for long touring. After every ride I was always glad to be home. I never truely felt relaxed on it.

So the spyder came into my life! Now I don't want to come home when I ride! The problem I see is people feel like it is a step down from 2 wheels and I so disagree! There is a lot to learn about how to ride one! And technique. It was easy having one path to choose for one pair of tires to fallow on pavement... It is a science to figure out the best path for 3 wheels on a less than flat road ��.

I ran into a person who said he missed "the lean". What does he do? Make his Spyder do all the cornering for him? Because, dang, I lean in the corners when I want! I lean with my whole body from my head to my feet when I want to zip around the corner like its on rails! I sit back and relax when I don't. It may be a different type of lean but it is still working with the machine.

How can we help people understand the spyder isn't a "step down"- just different? Different in its own fun and exhilerating way? I would hate for someone to miss out on this fun because of biasness ��. I know my hubby started to change his ideas after watching me on all the hair pin turns on our vacation ����.

Off to my next ride. Have a fun weekend everyone!

I came off 2 wheels last August when I purchased the Spyder. My FJR sat until this spring and finally sold it. I didn't have the desire to get back on it and my GF now can go along on the trips I do. It isn't a step down, its a step in the right direction for those of us that want to continue to ride. Forget about the biasness, you are having FUN and that's all that counts.

Willie

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

SPYDERING

Dear Paula, there is a saying " you can't fix stupid " ..... It's true. MEAN people should just be IGNORED ... You have figured out that the Spyder is a unique machine. People who haven't experienced it or took the time to master it, just can't understand the JOY you / I / we feel :yes:...... I've been Spydering for 8 years now :clap: and even if I could re-turn to two wheels ....well I just wouldn't. Sooooooooooooooo enjoy your discovery ......ride safe - ride happy .......Mike :thumbup:

 

[Bob Denman]

Hi Paula!
If you just ride your own ride, and not worry about what other folks think; you'll be much happier!
After all...

https://youtu.be/ptve3tDmKlg

 

[easysuper]

myths and prejudices

My wife would agree with you Paula, althow she had no previous riding experiance , after learning to ride our first spyder incase I got sick or hurt, she fell in love with ryding and went out and bought her very own spyder, after 14 months and 25 K miles later she traded that one in on a 2015 .
not bad for a 65 year old newbie!

 

[Chupaca]

Well Put....

Great venting...the kind I like to see once in a while. You are right and you have found your ryde so ryde it and enjoy it and let the rest keep up with you....:2thumbs:

 

[ARtraveler]

Well put Paula. Pay no attention to what other people say. You got a :ani29: because you like it and that is what counts. There are some very vocal ignorant people out there--nothing you can do about that.

I bought the first :spyder2: to be sold in Alaska. No test ride, no preview, no nothing but a cycle magazine "whats new" article. Put down my $500 and waited eight months for it to arrive.

When it arrived I was ecstatic. It drew people like flies to you know what. Got one of those comments--"it looks like a snowmobile"--well--it did. :roflblack:

When I bought it, my other bike was a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000cc V Twin. I always liked big iron--but got the :spyder2: because it was new and exciting to me.

Now, I own two :ani29::ani29: and no big iron. Health does not permit me to heft 900# around any more. I miss the "lean" a little bit--but am glad I can still ride. Over 125,000 miles just on :spyder2::spyder2:'s and its working for me. :yes:

 

[Habib]

Hi all! Just a small venting session... lol

I bought my spyder approx 1 month ago. I am having a great time on it! I bought my spyder for a few different reasons. The last straw was when my husband kept changing the seat on his Harley. Each new seat aggrevated my arthritis. I couldn't get him to change back to the old seat but he would do tweaks to the new seat-some made me less sore... other tweaks more sore... but all hurt!
<snip>
How can we help people understand the spyder isn't a "step down"- just different? Different in its own fun and exhilerating way? I would hate for someone to miss out on this fun because of biasness . I know my hubby started to change his ideas after watching me on all the hair pin turns on our vacation .

Off to my next ride. Have a fun weekend everyone!

100% in agreement, thanks.:thumbup:

 

[Habib]

The Spyder is a snowmobile on wheels.
It isn't a motorcycle, it isn't a SlingShot.
It is another class of vehicle that returns an open road feeling to the people on the vehicle.
It corners like a Spyder.
It does not lean but requiures concentration from the Ryder to complete the turn.
It's fun.
But, it ain't a motorcycle.
It looks kind of like a bike but it isn't.
Those who have never ridden one can be excused for their ignorance.

Sounds like a Harley rider.:joke: Ridden both two and now three wheels and still my Spyder is my bike. 3 wheels? Yes. Heck of a lot different to ride? Yes. But still it's my bike.

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

my cousin owns a bmw m/c rental company in ca. he looks down at my spyder. he also looks down at any bike that
is not a bmw, i don't care. i just know when a 2 wheel bike crashes i guess i will look down at the guy who fell while i
help him up.

 

[Lurker]

Hi all! Just a small venting session... lol

I bought my spyder approx 1 month ago. I am having a great time on it! I bought my spyder for a few different reasons. The last straw was when my husband kept changing the seat on his Harley. Each new seat aggravated my arthritis. I couldn't get him to change back to the old seat but he would do tweaks to the new seat-some made me less sore... other tweaks more sore... but all hurt!

I had my own motorcycle to learn on but it wasn't built for long touring. After every ride I was always glad to be home. I never truely felt relaxed on it.

So the spyder came into my life! Now I don't want to come home when I ride! The problem I see is people feel like it is a step down from 2 wheels and I so disagree! There is a lot to learn about how to ride one! And technique. It was easy having one path to choose for one pair of tires to fallow on pavement... It is a science to figure out the best path for 3 wheels on a less than flat road &#55357;&#56837;.

I ran into a person who said he missed "the lean". What does he do? Make his Spyder do all the cornering for him? Because, dang, I lean in the corners when I want! I lean with my whole body from my head to my feet when I want to zip around the corner like its on rails! I sit back and relax when I don't. It may be a different type of lean but it is still working with the machine.

How can we help people understand the spyder isn't a "step down"- just different? Different in its own fun and exhilarating way? I would hate for someone to miss out on this fun because of biasness &#55357;&#56841;. I know my hubby started to change his ideas after watching me on all the hair pin turns on our vacation &#55357;&#56396;&#55357;&#56842;.

Off to my next ride. Have a fun weekend everyone!

This is a great statement and the root of this all resides in the history of trikes and trike conversions. Prior to BRP and the Spyder the conversion to a trike was definitely a step down and a compromise. The backwards trikes handle like wagons and steering is harsh and unnatural. The marketing for the last 50 or 60 years has been this is for the old people with bad knees. :sour:
BRP had the right idea which was to design a trike that first appeals to all ages and does not lean. There is no advantage to a multi wheel (3 or more) vehicle to lean in fact just the opposite. A leaning vehicle suffers from diminishing clearance and traction during turning as there is no proper weight transfer so no traction gain as is the case in all vehicles that do not lean. And any trike which puts the two wheels up front will have a tuned steering system. It is the same setup as all non-motorcycle type vehicles use.
We just returned from the Rockies and rode the "old dirt road" or Falls river road. it's dirt and gravel and we saw jeeps and suv's but not one 2 wheeler. Why? Well because the leaners don't work well on dirt and gravel. If you want to be sporty and want to really ride then a properly designed 3 wheeler will be the vehicle of choice.

What I have found is those who are "real" motorsports riders meaning they ride motorcycles, ATV and snowmobiles catch on quickly and find the trike every bit as enjoyable as those other motor sports. It's the "macho" riders who can't seem to grasp the idea the even a 4 year old girl can lean but it takes a sports minded individual to understand what real handling and enjoyment is all about.

BRP has started the trend towards the right way of doing things and a trike that is not a compromise but rather an extension of motorsports enjoyment.

 

[retread]

I started riding when I was 12, 1954, with a Cushman step through, since then, I've had everything except BMW, BSA, Guzzi, and a handful of other brands. I've had VW trikes, a heavily modified Harley Servicycle, and now I'm on my second Spyder. I've heard "why don't you get a REAL bike", and many other interesting statements and or questions. When the questioners got questioned, they couldn't come up with an answer.
Basically, I ride what I like, and in 62 years of riding, I've had faster, and scarier, and many other descriptions for machines that we ride, but I've never had this much FUN! Another plus, to me, is that most people who ryde Spyders, have nothing to "prove" as far as badness(?), or anything else.

john

 

[JerryB]

Hi retread,

Re: I started riding when I was 12, 1954, with a Cushman

I started riding when I was 13, 1954, with a DoodleBug. A very small 2-wheeler.

The next summer, my brother & I pooled our money and bought a Cushman.

Small world, :yes:

Jerry Baumchen

 

[kamper]

new to the spyder world too.

We are only five months into our spyder and my wife gets mad if after work we can't go for at least a little ride. This is our first bike so it works great. She is actually learning to ride so probably be another in the future.Were only in our 40s so maybe found something early.:yes:

 

[Pirate looks at --]

Bottom Line

It just doesn't matter what anybody thinks. Just enjoy the ryde! As Bob would you can call my motorcycle anything you want! I call it fun! :doorag:

 

[MidTNDawg]

I too started at age 12

I started riding when I was 12, 1954, with a Cushman step through, since then, I've had everything except BMW, BSA, Guzzi, and a handful of other brands. I've had VW trikes, a heavily modified Harley Servicycle, and now I'm on my second Spyder. I've heard "why don't you get a REAL bike", and many other interesting statements and or questions. When the questioners got questioned, they couldn't come up with an answer.
Basically, I ride what I like, and in 62 years of riding, I've had faster, and scarier, and many other descriptions for machines that we ride, but I've never had this much FUN! Another plus, to me, is that most people who ryde Spyders, have nothing to "prove" as far as badness(?), or anything else.

john

The year was 1948 and the ride? A Cushman which you had to shift. The shift lever was under the seat on the left side. Also ride a Servicycle but I had/have no knowledge of any H-D involvement.

Here I am 80 y.o. and still I am thrilled every time I ride.