Oversteering

[bumper60651]

I am a novice to this sport (and love it) and having only rode 2-wheeled scooters up to 200cc, my average speed has not exceeded 45mph. I am wanting to get out on the highway with my Spyder but it seems really freaky to me to exceed 55-60 mph. Here in CA the speed limit is 65mph for most driving. I get freaked out when someone comes up on my tail at 55 and stays there. I've read about oversteering (how do you know that) and relaxing my grip and have tried to experience that. The buffeting of the wind and the small inputs I put into the steering really seem to be major factors. I really want to get out onto the highway and show my 2-wheeled friends I can do this. Any encouragement you can give me would be more than appreciated. Thanks

 

[Questions]

if you have problem with oversensitive steering there might be to much toe-in on the spyder. or you are just not used to 3wheels yet.. it handles more like a car and wanna turn a little and ive noticed you do alot of correction when it leans if you are used to 2wheels..
give it more time and you will be able to max it out and have no fears
its like learning to ride all over again

how many miles have you ridden now? you need a couple before you will feel totaly safe.

 

[spydsense]

Get some time riding under your belt on all the side and country roads before you venture to the highways..... then you will be ready and know your machine and will feel more comfortable...

 

[CyncySpyder]

Welcome to the SpyderHood

:congrats: on switching to 3 wheel'n & :welcome: to the SpyderHood. This is one of the best sites for any information Spyder related :firstplace:

Seems you've already done some research on your oversteering issue. I know the RS/GS & RT are 2 very different machines when it comes to handling, but as you mentioned, wind buffeting has a lot to do with twitchy steering.

This morning, on my way into work, (19F) I rode for a few miles with the shield on my RT-S all the way down, & I swear, especially with my full helmet, I felt like a bobble head. With my head be'n blown around, that energy transfers to my upper body & ultimately down my arms & to my hands. Even with using a light grip, I was constantly overcorrecting just try'n to keep it str8. Mind you, my RT-S seems most comfortable on the highway at 80 mph, so this was not
fun at all. After about 5 miles & getting exhausted, I put my shield back up to
1/2 way, and WALAH!!!! a totally different ryde. So smooth, so comfortable ...... Even at 80+

So yeah, try'n to divert the wind from making you into a bobble head will help,
along with a light grip. Having your dealer check for toe-In to make sure that's not an issue can't hurt either.

Other members have upgraded the front shocks on the RS/GS model, some with Elkas and other After Market sets, & others seem to love the handling
they get from putting the 2010RT shocks on the RS/GS.

Sorry I can't offer more advice for you, but I'm sure some of the more
experienced members of the forum will chime in & provide some additional
suggestions.:2thumbs: Oh yeah, along with the lighter grip, make sure when going into a turn, lower your center of gravity & lean
INTO the turn. My 1st ryde was a 120 road trip home, most all on the
expressway at 60+ & I didn't know this little secret back then. Needless to say, I learned real quick! :roflblack:

Give it some time & practice & you'll be love'n it like the rest of us :thumbup:

 

[retread]

Check your tire pressure, if they are too low, the Spyder will wallow. Try 18 to 20 psi in the fronts and 26 to 30 in the rear. Set up a course in an unused section of a parking lot and get used to the way it handles, also, body english works, lean into it.
The owners manual has a good section on this. Ryde safe, have fun.

john

 

[fastfraser]

:congrats::welcome::spyder2: ON.

Get some back road or parking lot time in the saddle until you get the feel of the:spyder2: before you take it on the highway

 

[Eraser]

:congrats::welcome::spyder2: ON.

Get some back road or parking lot time in the saddle until you get the feel of the:spyder2: before you take it on the highway

And,doing what you are doing...speaking with other Ryders.We all started at the same place.
:welcome:

 

[Lamonster]

:welcome:
Don't feel bad, I was the same way when I got my Spyder. It took about 200 miles or so before I learned to relax my grip and steer it like a 4-wheeler and not a motorcycle. Keep at it and you'll be fine. :doorag:

 

[pjp623]

Get some time riding under your belt on all the side and country roads before you venture to the highways..... then you will be ready and know your machine and will feel more comfortable...

:welcome: I have ridden everything from 2 wheels to 10 wheels and the Spyder is unlike anything else with wheels, even trikes. If anything it comes closest to a snomobile for me. In the beginning I also was getting discouraged, but given time and miles, you'll get used to it and love it. Keep tuned to this forum. :chat:

 

[SpyderWolf]

:welcome:

As others have stated, it may take a few hundred miles before you unlearn all of your motorcycle riding habits and get used to the feel of the Spyder. If you are still having problems after that, get it checked out by a dealer.

 

[groundeffect]

:welcome:
Don't feel bad, I was the same way when I got my Spyder. It took about 200 miles or so before I learned to relax my grip and steer it like a 4-wheeler and not a motorcycle. Keep at it and you'll be fine. :doorag:

:agree: Going from two to three wheels I found the same - sensitive steering.

 

[jedd]

:agree:with all keep at it comfort will come, either yourself or your dealer can check front springs on shocks and make sure they are set to the highest setting this may drastically help if not can easily be reversed.:congrats::welcome:

Jim:thumbup:

 

[ARtraveler]

:welcome: and :congrats: on your new :spyder2:. The advice above is all good and right on. As an experienced two-wheeler rider I found the learning curve to be about 500 miles. My spouse, a novice rider, only took about 200 miles or so--since she did not have any two wheel habits to unlearn. The tendancy for the bike seeming to wander or go off on its own usually comes from driver input. See how little input you can use as you go down the road. Tensing up, or hard gripping on the handlebars also seem to add to the input. The advice to go to a large parking lot and practice is also very good. Get the feel of the bike in first and second gear and practice your inputs per the owner manual and the video. If available, slower rides on curvy twisty roads are good--the less traffic the better. You should get confident before hitting the big highway. Going 55 in a 65 zone is an invite for trouble. Cars like to play bumper tag because they feel you are holding up the show. If you make an error, it can be bad. Stick with it, drive safe, and shortly you will have the confidence to ride anywhere.

 

[bumper60651]

I wish to thank all of you for your suggestions regarding what I perceive to be oversteering on my part. I will check with the toe-in issues, check my tire pressures and check out the shocks. This is whats nice about having a forum to discuss these issues when I don't know of any other :spyder: riders in this area to discuss this with. I should have mentioned in my first posting that I have logged over 600 miles since I purchased my :spyder: in September of 2010. I driven mostly back roads and run errands into town on a daily basis. I will say this much, when I was riding with a 2-wheeled friend one day and hit a pretty good crown in the road, it got my attention right away. I've since learned to read the road and compensate for the crowning. Thanks to all again.:clap:

 

[BajaRon]

Just 3 tips from me.

Relax

Relax

Relax

But I know it's hard to do. You'll be tense just thinking about relaxing. It's a mental thing that just naturally runs down your shoulders and arms once you get the hang of it.

But you'll find yourself getting stiff and tense just at the wrong times at first. The Spyder seems like it's hunting because it feels every little bump, tilt and imperfection in the road. And it seems like it needs constant steering attention.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, it's more like riding 2 wheels in the sand. Let the maching take care of the little stuff. Only steer when you actually want to turn.

It's a learning curve. Once you get the hang you'll wonder why you had so much trouble.

You'll know when you've got it because you'll ride..... Relaxed!hyea:

 

[boborgera]

Just 3 tips from me.

Relax

Relax

Relax

And after you learned to RELAX;SMILE:congrats:

 

[Raptor]

Check your tire pressure, if they are too low, the Spyder will wallow. Try 18 to 20 psi in the fronts and 26 to 30 in the rear. Set up a course in an unused section of a parking lot and get used to the way it handles, also, body english works, lean into it.
The owners manual has a good section on this. Ryde safe, have fun.

john

Yes, this is an excellent point. Since the Spyder is brand new, I think your front end is probably OK, but I don't want to assume. But let's start with the riding skills first.

As well as the owner's manual, there is a DVD that you should have received that actually has really good training material on it. It shows you how to set up a course in an empty parking lot and do all kinds of drills to get you used to the new sensations you are feeling, as well as proper riding technique.

It does take a while - especially if you are used to 2 wheels. I think the guys transitioning from 2 wheels to the Spyder need more time because it's really counter-intuitive from what you knew before. Stick with it, watch that DVD, do the drills. I think this will really help your confidence rise sharply. I went from parking lot to street to highway to the twisties. And now I shred pretty well!

Welcome to the family, Spyder Rider!! :welcome:

 

[Bob Denman]

Just 3 tips from me.

Relax

Relax

Relax

QUOTE]

:agree: Trust that the folks who built this thing designed it so that it can do what it's meant to do without causing "Big eyes & Brown shorts" :shocked:

My first sveral miles were also a bit on the tense side until I remembered to loosen up a bit on the grips...

 

[BajaRon]

Just 3 tips from me.

Relax

Relax

Relax

QUOTE]

:agree: Trust that the folks who built this thing designed it so that it can do what it's meant to do without causing "Big eyes & Brown shorts" :shocked:

My first sveral miles were also a bit on the tense side until I remembered to loosen up a bit on the grips...

I think the issue is, you can't get something without giving something up. It's the old 'Can't have your cake and eat it too'.

If you make a vehicle so anyone can jump on it and go then you're probably giving up quite a bit of potential and performance that an experienced rider is going to want.

There is, of course, a balance point. But where does that lie? A different place for each rider.

As stated before, I hated my Spyder for 2 to 3 hundred miles. But now that I've gotten the hang of it, I would change very little.

When I didn't know how to ride my Spyder it was 'Twitchy'. Now that I know how to ride it, my Spyder is 'Responsve'.

The problem is not in the machine, it's the brain. And mental can take awhile to overcome. It seems the more experience you have on 2 wheels, the longer it takes to get the hang of a Spyder. But once you do, it is an amazing ride.

 

[SpydeRider2010]

everyday that I ride, it takes me a couple of minutes to adjust to the steering aspect. and you will... in time, get used to the steering.

the power steering freaks me out a bit. you touch it, and that's where its going.

I ride a curvy mountain road to work and back, everyday; so I get a workout, and love it. it has one tight switchback and numerous curves, with only a few straight shots. it's a training course for me... in preparation for Deal's Gap in the spring.

sidewinds and truck tailwinds just suck. its a big thing to get used to. but you do get the hang of it, as you go.