• There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.

Now I remember why I stopped buying this

Ok, maybe I'm dense or something, but every time a magazine reviews the Spyder it seems like most of the folk here get their panties all in a bunch.

You bought it because you like it, what possible difference does it make what some mag flack (or anybody else) says about it? Are y'all just insecure? Or do you need the masses to validate your riding decisions?

As a former V-Strom rider I'm very familiar with people calling it ugly. I never let it bother me, especially when I was riding right on their butts in the twisties on their "superior" sport bike.

Not trying to pick a fight here, I'm really curious what the obsession with the Spyder in the press is?
You make a good point, Jim. Really, my beef is with short-sighted writers in general. I don't particularly care what they have to say, and I never even read a review until after we bought a Spyder. That's not so for a great many people, however, who dwell on what these "authorities" say. I guess we all like our Spyders so much, we hate to think that anyone will be unfairly deprived of the joy (or pain) of trying one for themselves, just because they read a poor review in some magazine. In addition, I would hate to see a great product wither and die in the marketplace, leaving us all with orphans, when that product has so very much to offer.
-scotty
 
This reminds me of what the press said about the Wright Brothers Invention, the newspapers said it was a useless contraption..... I guess not much has changed in the press since 1908.

Mad Matt
 
Rest assured, I have ridden most catagories of motorcycle with the majority being sportbikes. If anyone is on the fence about the Spyder for a reason other than cost, DO NOT let this mag make your decision about buying. Get out there and ride one, I road it twice. In regards to cost, I know many people that have bought their motorcycle/motorcycles 2 or 3 times from having an accident that is easily avoidable on the Spyder. The conversion may take a little getting use to, but if they saw what I did on my Spyder this past weekend, they would fire the writer and interview me along with the sportbikes I road with this weekend. I find it interesting that the writer/rider had a difficult time with these so called training wheels. This is an amazing multi capable machine that may find you pulling a trailer 2 up or untangling a twisty road at speed, then finishing off the days events getting groceries or cruising over to the local fast food...rain or shine!
 
Last edited:
ROADBIKE magazine has posted positive articles about the Spyder for the past several issues and an article and pictures of the HomeComing event.
 
I enjoy riding the Spyder for 3 main reasons:
1. It is safer than a bike in most cases for both me and my passenger.
2. It is a dream in a parking lot
3. Because of 1 and 2 above, I spend much more time in the wind.

For those reasons, I will likely keep the Spyder if I have to choose between it and my bike. However, the fact that a Spyder does not lean like a bike simply makes it more work to ride. IMO, if it leaned, it would be perfect. If someone designs something as cool as the Spyder that leans, I will be off the Spyder bus in a heartbeat.
 
Motorcylist magazine has a write up on the Spyder, under the title "Training Wheels". The writer thinks the top speed is governed, doesn't think it handles, "the machine can't find one clean arc and hold it, even on smooth, clean pavement. It lurches and crabs all over, no matter how smooth you are at the controls." I wonder if he was on it more than 10 minutes. On the other hand, he had nothing but good things to say about the Piaggio MP3 500 he rode. Maybe a little bias involved.

The savouring of something fine in life takes time, while idiocy comes straight away.
 
Luckily, the issue of Motorcyclist with this awful review is my last issue. I long ago decided to let the sub run out. I prefer Rider, although even their review didn't do the Spyder justice.

I would have liked to see a review comparing the Spyder to some of the Harley or Gold Wing trikes. I know the Spyder is not a motorcycle and don't expect it to be. I rode a Gold Wing trike the day before I purchased my Spyder -- the Psyder was much more fun, while the Gold Wing felt like driving a sofa...

Just sayin...
 
Back
Top