Newbie Spyder Rider Introduction

[XLT]

Thanks for all the awesome feedback and welcomes! I definitely will do some parking lot practice before a full on road assault. But I gotta tell ya, I'm just dying to hit the road for a good day long adventure (maybe even more). I am currently going back to college full time and plan on utilizing my Spyder a lot for commuting. The trunk will come in super handy for holding my textbooks. My Spyder won't get as good of mileage as my MINI but its still gonna be a hard choice in the morning when I'm headed out the door. LOL!

A MINI AND A SPYDER....COOL!

 

[Oldmanzues]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. So which is more politically correct to use: RS or GS? :dontknow:

Welcome to the Spyder web.
I have never been politcally correct in my life, so no help on that.
OldManZues

 

[awood279]

Yeap, a MINI too! It's my 2nd. First was a Cabrio Second is a Clubman. Her name is Trixy. Here's a pic. of her outside my vinyl guy's house with her brand new hot pink stripes. Pretty obnoxious, right? LOL!

 

[stormtrooper]

:congrats: welcome :yes::yes:hyea:hyea:

 

[bullant12]

welcome:congrats: Just a suggestion - practice with the Spyder in a clear parking lot, it takes some getting used to. But when you get used to it, WOW.:doorag:

john

:agree: Now the wife wants to learn how to drive it. But I will have her practice on a parking lot and take her to the DPS and take both written and ridden exam since she doesn't want to get on a 2-wheeler. I'm trying to convince her into doing the MSF course but oh well...:chat:

 

[awood279]

Ya'll are gonna slam me for this but....I haven't even test driven a Spyder, let alone the one we just bought in PA. So I'm not 100% sure how they handle or what to expect. In my mind I'm envisioning it to be similar to a four wheel ATV. Is there any truth in what I'm expecting? Or am I totally off course? (Be gentle please, LOL!)

 

[MouthPiece]

PC is an abridgment of our right to free speech. Call it whatever you want. Welcome, and I do hope you love yours as much as I love mine.

Chris PE# 0004

 

[Boriken]

:congrats: and welcome! I think '08 and '09 were GS's and the '10s were switched to RS. I would just call it " my phantom", and enjoy the ryde!

:agree: that's what I call mine.

 

[ntxYguy2009]

welcome and :congrats: on your new :spyder2:!

David

 

[NancysToy]

Ya'll are gonna slam me for this but....I haven't even test driven a Spyder, let alone the one we just bought in PA. So I'm not 100% sure how they handle or what to expect. In my mind I'm envisioning it to be similar to a four wheel ATV. Is there any truth in what I'm expecting? Or am I totally off course? (Be gentle please, LOL!)

It is similar. If you have ridden an ATV, it will seem very familiar to you. There are differences you are going to want to be aware of. There is a skills course in the manual and on the DVD (also available on YouTube). Lay out some soccer cones or half tennis balls in a parking lot and do some practice before you hit the road in earnest. It pays to know the machine and its quirks and capabilities before you get stuck in traffic in an uncomfortable situation. A couple of days of practice, a little time on the secluded streets in your neighborhood, and you'll be hitting the highways and rush hour with confidence in no time. Enjoy the Ryde!

 

[Lisbeth]

Welcome

You will love your new Spyder. Like you I took a motorcycle safety course, but never felt truly comfortable on a bike. So after having a motorcycle license for eight years, but mainly riding on the back of my husbands bike, I finally got my own. In March I got a 2010 RS-S and have almost put 4000 miles on it so far. I also strongly recommend doing the riding drills. My husband insisted, and we set up cones at an abandoned runway. Since I grew up riding four wheelers, I would say the Spyder handles somewhat like a Four wheeler. Have fun and ride safe

 

[awood279]

Thank you so much Scotty & Lisbeth. I will definitely sit down with my honey and watch the youtube video (DVD might not make it thru the resale) then go practice. We have some little cones we picked up for me to practice with after I took the MSF course. We'll have to put them to use again.

Thanks the up about my 4 wheeler notions. Good to know that I won't feel 100% foreign on my 1st trip out.

I do have to say.....1) this week is going to take forever! We pick up my Spyder on Saturday! 2) I wanna ride it! NOW!!

 

[bullant12]

Thank you so much Scotty & Lisbeth. I will definitely sit down with my honey and watch the youtube video (DVD might not make it thru the resale) then go practice. We have some little cones we picked up for me to practice with after I took the MSF course. We'll have to put them to use again.

Thanks the up about my 4 wheeler notions. Good to know that I won't feel 100% foreign on my 1st trip out.

I do have to say.....1) this week is going to take forever! We pick up my Spyder on Saturday! 2) I wanna ride it! NOW!!

I know the feeling! I'm on business travel right now and I miss riding my Gray Recluse!:yikes:

 

[Lone Spyder Ryder]

Welcome to the wild world of Spyders

welcome
Hi Angela,
I hope you enjoy your Spyder whatever you decide to call it! I never road anything before I bought my Spyder. Most the people I have talked to say riding it is very much like a snowmobile. When I picked mine up I went out into the parking lot and rode it around in circles at low speeds. Got it up to about 25 and slammed on the brakes a couple time. Did some slow full turns in both directions, and then went and got a hamburger. Took a ride that weekend with a couple other Spyder rides and at the end of 18 months had put 25472 on it. You are going to love it I am sure. I would get 4 or 5 hundred mile on it before riding 2 up.
I don’t know about politically correct but I called mine everything in the book in the 18 months I had it. I told myself I would never own another one but in only took about 6 weeks without it before I bought another one.
Have fun and ride safe.
leoejr
:congrats:

 

[GloryRyders]

welcome and :congrats: Hope you can make it to :spyder2:fest in April

 

[COOLMACHINE]

Have fun.

Congrats Angela,
The spyder is certainly a blast to ride. I'm sure your daughter will love hanging on to you while on the machine. Have fun!

 

[awood279]

I know I am going to have to fit the urge to just hop onto it and disappear for a couple days! LOL!! Gotta take it to the local high school parking lot and get used to it first.

I told my honey the other day, "Here in a few weeks I will be done with Fall semester and then I don't have to go back to school for a month. Guess what I'll be doing while you're at work?" He said he was gonna hide the keys from me! :roflblack:

Good lord, it's only Wednesday!! I have a whole 3 days till we pick it up!!! I'm dyin' here!!! :helpsmilie:

As for Spyderfest, big trouble there! We have a MINI Cooper event that we attend every year at Fontana Village near The Tail of the Dragon (Minis on the Dragon) and it overlaps the end of April & beginning of May. So we're gonna have to pick and choose each year, I guess. Maybe one year MOTD then the next year Spyderfest. :dontknow:

However, I did notice on Spydertalk that there is a SITS (Spyders in the Smokies) which looks like it occurs at the end of September each year. Totally do-able! We already are planning on attending that one!! Anyone know the projected dates for 2011?

 

[Bob Denman]

(Has anybody had the guts to tell her that she's within easy rding distance to the Tale of the Dragon yet??):spyder:

 

[awood279]

Dude! I totally know! We go there every year for a big MINI Cooper event. I really want to go to SITS next year too!

 

[Bob Denman]

Now why didn't I remember that as a MINI owner that's like a trip to Walt Disney World? My bad... :shocked:
Well now you've got 2 good reasons to go! :2thumbs: