Old Harley Rider considering a Spyder - load limit concerns?

[JohnnyG56]

I'm an old time Harley Roadglide rider and I'm considering a Spyder RT Limited.

My wife and I are fulltime RVers (7 years) and I see a lot of Spyders in the RVing community. We have a 5th wheel toy hauler (Momentum 351MS) with about 10.5 feet of space in the garage. So, the Spyder should fit.

Sometime this week, I'm going to test ride a one to see how we fit. One of my biggest concerns is that combined, we are around 550 pounds for the two of us, which exceeds the capacity of the bike. Add the junk that we will carry for a long weekend, and I think we are looking at 650 pounds.

Will that make the bike dangerous, should I look elsewhere?

Thanks

-JG



Full time RVer since 4/2016. Newmar Mountain Aire 4523 - 2016 Jeep Rubicon - 2012 Harley FLTCR.
2022 F450 Platinum, 2022 Momentum 351MS-R Toyhauler with Curt Flex Air hitch and MORryde Independent Suspension
Also considering a Polaris General XP 1000 4 Seater and a Can Am Spyder RT Limited

 

[Dasmoetorhead]

Looks like your 90 lbs over (460 lb limit) without cargo. At least that's what my owners manual has listed.

 

[baxter]

owners manual states fully loaded with passenger max out at 556 lbs.

 

[ARtraveler]

The extra weight will for sure affect the driving experience with the Spyder. Dare I suggest one Spyder for each person??? Not all can do that, but some can.

:welcome:

 

[chipveres]

My wife and I total 615 pounds, and we like to ride 2-up. Three suggestions: 1. Make sure the air-ride bag and its fittings are in good shape. 2. Put the Elka Stage 2 shock on the rear. 3. Put the BajaRon sway bar on the front. Happy motoring!

 

[Dasmoetorhead]

Can am specs say Max load is 494 lbs for riders and gear. My F3S is 439 lbs max.

 

[Pooch]

JohnnyG56...
Be SURE your ramp opening on the toyhauler is wide enough for the Spyder (or any trike) to enter before you purchase a Spyder.
Some of the toyhaulers have an inset on each side of the ramp opening which limits the entry width, although the interior of the garage may be wide enough.
That type ramp entry is ok for a 2-wheeler but definitely can be a problem for a 3-wheeler.
Let us know what you decide.

 

[BajaRon]

With some suspension upgrades, I'd say you will be fine. There are a lot of riders out there exceeding the stated weight limit with no issues. Personally, I think that spec. is underrated. Stock suspension is weaker than it probably should be. Fine for most. Inadequate for heavy riders.

You might consider a trailer. You can carry more and it will take a good deal of weight off of the Spyder.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

No one mentioned what would concern me ..... STOPPING .... It's simple physics, the more weight the longer it will take to stop - period. ..... the suspension can be addressed with better parts .... So can the Brakes, BajaRon ( a sponsor & parts supplier here ) has EBC brake packages that will greatly improve the Stopping power of your Spyder ..... Don't even consider any model other than an RT .... your wife will love you for it .... When you take your test drive ( do it alone - first ) , drive it like a CAR, .... NOT A TWO WHEEL MOTORCYCLE .... It will feel " twitchy " at first ..... Just GUIDE the steering, it should come properly aligned, and should track straight without much input. The only real steering I have to do is in a Parking lot..... good luck , keep us informed .... Mike :thumbup:

 

[JohnnyG56]

Dare I suggest one Spyder for each person??? :welcome:

Thanks! We live full time in our RV, so having two would be near impossible. We pull our 5th wheel with an F450, the Spyder will be in the garage of the RV. We want to get a Polaris General side by side. My wife will pull that behind the jeep on a trailer. The Jeep is limited to pulling 3,000 pounds. An aluminum trailer and the 4 seater General will max it out.

My wife and I total 615 pounds, and we like to ride 2-up. Three suggestions: 1. Make sure the air-ride bag and its fittings are in good shape. 2. Put the Elka Stage 2 shock on the rear. 3. Put the BajaRon sway bar on the front. Happy motoring!

Good suggestions, thanks!

JohnnyG56...
Be SURE your ramp opening on the toyhauler is wide enough for the Spyder (or any trike) to enter before you purchase a Spyder. Let us know what you decide.

Our ramp and door opening are around 8' wide. We have plenty of space for the Spyder, but thanks for watching out. Space and weight are always a concern when you have a RV.

With some suspension upgrades, I'd say you will be fine. There are a lot of riders out there exceeding the stated weight limit with no issues. Personally, I think that spec. is underrated. Stock suspension is weaker than it probably should be. Fine for most. Inadequate for heavy riders.

You might consider a trailer. You can carry more and it will take a good deal of weight off of the Spyder.

I'm not sure my wife would enjoy riding in the trailer..... Because of the way we live, I am not sure we would do any trips longer than a weekend. When we toured on the Harley, we had a trailer. We loved our setup.

No one mentioned what would concern me ..... STOPPING .... It's simple physics, the more weight the longer it will take to stop - period. ..... the suspension can be addressed with better parts .... So can the Brakes, BajaRon ( a sponsor & parts supplier here ) has EBC brake packages that will greatly improve the Stopping power of your Spyder ..... Don't even consider any model other than an RT .... your wife will love you for it .... When you take your test drive ( do it alone - first ) , drive it like a CAR, .... NOT A TWO WHEEL MOTORCYCLE .... It will feel " twitchy " at first ..... Just GUIDE the steering, it should come properly aligned, and should track straight without much input. The only real steering I have to do is in a Parking lot..... good luck , keep us informed .... Mike :thumbup:

Agreed, it is RT or bust. Good idea to upgrade the brakes too.

Thanks All!!!
-JG

 

[javajaws]

You'll be fine but will probably want to upgrade the rear shock...which is a pain to replace since you need to take off all the side plastic. You'll probably want to replace the front ones as well as put a new sway bar on it. Unless you just like crotch rockets there should be plenty of power to get you around.

 

[BajaRon]

I'm not sure my wife would enjoy riding in the trailer..... Because of the way we live, I am not sure we would do any trips longer than a weekend. When we toured on the Harley, we had a trailer. We loved our setup.

Didn't really intend to suggest your wife riding in the trailer. But I must admit, an intriguing concept. Would eliminate the occasional violent banging on the back of my helmet.

 

[canamjhb]

Another thought is to make sure you replace the OEM Kendas. They are tires that are manufactured to questionable standards and not made for heavy loads. They even are stamped that they are for "special motorcycle use only". Even though they are made to fit on a J car rim, they are not adequately made to handle the weight of anything other than the lightest vehicle. The tires may very well be the weakest link in the chain of weight capacity for an RT Spyder. Good luck..... Jim

 

[Little Blue]

Heavy Duty Spyder

:chat:...I have read all the posts.
Do your homework before making a Spyder purchase.
Definitely need to find a 'Good Spyder Dealer' and ask 100s of questions.
Good Spyder Dealerships are hard to find sometimes.

As explained in the previous posts there are a lot of good concerns that will need to be addressed.
Please take the necessary time and do it right.
I am hoping for a happy ending.
Good Luck on Your Mission. ....:thumbup:

 

[Jdr00ejr]

I'm an old time Harley Roadglide rider and I'm considering a Spyder RT Limited.

My wife and I are fulltime RVers (7 years) and I see a lot of Spyders in the RVing community. We have a 5th wheel toy hauler (Momentum 351MS) with about 10.5 feet of space in the garage. So, the Spyder should fit.

Sometime this week, I'm going to test ride a one to see how we fit. One of my biggest concerns is that combined, we are around 550 pounds for the two of us, which exceeds the capacity of the bike. Add the junk that we will carry for a long weekend, and I think we are looking at 650 pounds.

Will that make the bike dangerous, should I look elsewhere?

Thanks

-JG

You don't mention what year your RoadGlide was but if you actually do the math on the Bike weight and the GVWR on the RoadGlide you will find that it actually has a similar capacity to the Spyder. They have to put something to satisfy the lawyers/etc. Can you ride it, and will it be safe - my unprofessional opinion is yes. This is in no way telling you to do it - you have to make that decision on your own. ;-)

Several have given you several great suggestions here. With regard to the toy hauler make sure the opening is wide enough - looks like you confirmed it's 8' wide - so no worries there. How long is your door? The incline angle is something you will want to keep an eye on - make sure you are not bottoming out anything when loading/unloading. The nose of Spyder is really low - but more critical and not obvious is just over midway back on the left you will see a piece angled down on the bottom - this is part of the shifting mechanisms - and can easily get hung up backing off a trailer if the breakover angle of the ramp is too steep.

Swaybar upgrade is a recommendation of mine for 2 up riding for sure. The recommendation of Elka Shock upgrades is also a good one given your combined weight. Riding 3 is different from 2 - but it's a great time for sure. I have a Victory Vision and a Spyder F3S and wouldn't want to have to give up either - for very different reasons.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[JohnnyG56]

Didn't really intend to suggest your wife riding in the trailer. But I must admit, an intriguing concept. Would eliminate the occasional violent banging on the back of my helmet.

When I first met my wife, she had never been on a motorcycle. I took her for a very short ride. She said that if I don't stop leaning the bike, she would not go for a ride again. Fast forward 2 years. We were on a MC trip in Montana. She was knocking on my helmet and screaming that her speed limit is 90 MPH.

If I could tow a barcalounger with a smart 50" TV and in motion starlink, she would be that happiest person on the planet.

Truth be told, she is a pretty good passenger.... the comment about the barcalounger is true....

-JG

 

[JohnnyG56]

You don't mention what year your RoadGlide was but if you actually do the math on the Bike weight and the GVWR on the RoadGlide you will find that it actually has a similar capacity to the Spyder.

I have a Victory Vision and a Spyder F3S and wouldn't want to have to give up either - for very different reasons.

Good luck on your journey!

Thanks. The Road Glide Ultra is a 2012. We can add a bit more air to the shocks and it is super stable.

Before buying the Harley, we had a 2008 Vision (had a 2007 Kingpin too). I've had a few MCs in my time, the Vision was my favorite by a lot. As for my wife, that was the only MC that they truly enjoyed riding.

-JG

 

[BajaRon]

No one mentioned what would concern me ..... STOPPING .... It's simple physics, the more weight the longer it will take to stop - period. ..... the suspension can be addressed with better parts .... So can the Brakes, BajaRon ( a sponsor & parts supplier here ) has EBC brake packages that will greatly improve the Stopping power of your Spyder ..... Don't even consider any model other than an RT .... your wife will love you for it .... When you take your test drive ( do it alone - first ) , drive it like a CAR, .... NOT A TWO WHEEL MOTORCYCLE .... It will feel " twitchy " at first ..... Just GUIDE the steering, it should come properly aligned, and should track straight without much input. The only real steering I have to do is in a Parking lot..... good luck , keep us informed .... Mike :thumbup:

I thought about mentioning braking. But the Spyder stops pretty well stock. And stopping is easily upgraded. Though the added expense should always be considered.

I would be interested to know how the Road Glide stopping distance with the same load and a total contact patch of maybe 20 sq. in. (front & rear). Would compare to a Spyder with a total contact patch of closer to 75 sq. in. 45 or so of this on the front tires where 70% of the stopping power is.

 

[Motorcycledave]

I'm an old time Harley Roadglide rider and I'm considering a Spyder RT Limited.

My wife and I are fulltime RVers (7 years) and I see a lot of Spyders in the RVing community. We have a 5th wheel toy hauler (Momentum 351MS) with about 10.5 feet of space in the garage. So, the Spyder should fit.

Sometime this week, I'm going to test ride a one to see how we fit. One of my biggest concerns is that combined, we are around 550 pounds for the two of us, which exceeds the capacity of the bike. Add the junk that we will carry for a long weekend, and I think we are looking at 650 pounds.

Will that make the bike dangerous, should I look elsewhere?

Thanks

-JG



Full time RVer since 4/2016. Newmar Mountain Aire 4523 - 2016 Jeep Rubicon - 2012 Harley FLTCR.
2022 F450 Platinum, 2022 Momentum 351MS-R Toyhauler with Curt Flex Air hitch and MORryde Independent Suspension
Also considering a Polaris General XP 1000 4 Seater and a Can Am Spyder RT Limited

NOTE: THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION.... Just crank up the suspension to the max and when the tires are used up put on car tires and not the tires that it came with. I have Continental's on mine they handle great and get much better millage.
NOTE#2 at first you will not like it because, let's face it, it is not a motorcycle and does not handle like a motorcycle, don't try counter steering that don't work on a Spyder. But after you get used to the way it handles and rides, you will wonder why you didn't get one sooner.... You are going to love the automatic trans... no clutch or brake levers is a bit much to get used to...

 

[JohnnyG56]

NOTE: THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION.... Just crank up the suspension to the max and when the tires are used up put on car tires and not the tires that it came with. I have Continental's on mine they handle great and get much better millage.
NOTE#2 at first you will not like it because, let's face it, it is not a motorcycle and does not handle like a motorcycle, don't try counter steering that don't work on a Spyder. But after you get used to the way it handles and rides, you will wonder why you didn't get one sooner.... You are going to love the automatic trans... no clutch or brake levers is a bit much to get used to...

Good suggestions.

When I get the Spyder, I will likely put the BajaRon sway bar on it, just because it make sense. The other mods will be added on as needed basis.

I imagine that in an emergency stop situation, I'll be grabbing for the front brake and clutch until I get used to the single peddle concept. Fortunately, the Harley has a break in about the same location as the Spyder, so nothing new to learn there.

-JG