Spyder as a daily driver? Pros/Cons?

[pegasus1300]

I am a motocommuter

and have been for over 50 years. First on the motorcycles I owned then on the Goldwing Trike and now on the Spyder RT.My current commute is about 16 miles one way. I live in Utah so I am shut down for about 3 months out of the year and iffy another 2 but I still manage 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year. I find the weather protection on the Spyder RT to be very good and of course the 3 wheels makes it much more stable in iffy weather. My biggest concern in the winter months is the huge amount of salt they use on the roads.

 

[ES44AC]

I ride my RTS everyday I possibly can. I do try to avoid the rain if possible. I rode most of the winter 29 degrees and above. I think I hate 93 and above worse than the cold. I do drive my truck about 250 miles a month and about 900+ on the RTS.

 

[IGETAROUND]

Daily driver

I ride daily, rain or shine from when the snow is off the roads in March till snow that stays in November. You have to invest in the correct gear to keep you DRY and WARM as needed. Then you can commute in comfort!!hyea::clap::thumbup::yes:

​Al in Kazoo

 

[asp125]

With the drivers around here, I would kill myself on the Spyder. I'd rather sit in rush hour traffic with the ac on and in comfort than the Spyder. On a bike I can sometimes filter. At least on the Spyder I can use the HOV lane which improves things somewhat. If I didn't have to work in a major metropolis I might enjoy it more. Commuting sucks the joy out of riding unless it's somewhat rural or small townish.

 

[Grandpa Pete]

It's my mode of transportation. I also ride in the winter if there's less than 2 inches of snow on the roads. This is'nt a "Toy" for me. It's what I got:thumbup:. BTW, I just hit the 43,000 mile markhyea:hyea:. They are made to ride:thumbup::thumbup: have a great ride......Grandpa Pete

 

[Tazzel]

I would rather save the miles. I commute on my modded 50cc scooter. The little sucker can push up to 65mph which is good enough for any road but the highway. I can scoot around city traffic and park at the front door of my office. Plus its a blast to ride.

 

[PaladinLV]

I am retired!
However, since 2009 my Harley was and now Spyder remain my main means of transportation.

AJ

Anyone one on the forum use their spyder as a daily rider/driver for work commutes ? I guess this would apply on non snow or heavy rain days I live in the South, so for the most part, I'd deal with rain and occassional snow and deep freeze weather. Anyways, im considering it. Pro's/Cons?

 

[sandeejs]

Ride to Work - Yes!!!

I ride to work whenever I can. Skip it if it's raining, snowing etc. The only drawback is that I end up at work.
~Sandee~

 

[tobor9]

Contact Tobor9 & SDM: they have two RTs, and nothing else!

View attachment 137171

:clap:

:thumbup:

Thanks Bob,thats right we sold both cars almost two years ago. since we live in Charleston,SC we rarely get snow and if we do we will have to just go slow(if snow bad they will close down bridges and we will be stuck at home)

 

[Stumpy6Guns]

With the drivers around here, I would kill myself on the Spyder. I'd rather sit in rush hour traffic with the ac on and in comfort than the Spyder. On a bike I can sometimes filter. At least on the Spyder I can use the HOV lane which improves things somewhat. If I didn't have to work in a major metropolis I might enjoy it more. Commuting sucks the joy out of riding unless it's somewhat rural or small townish.

My 25 mile each way commute is a mixed bag. Close to home it's rural, but 10 miles out I'm in the city, and it gets worse as I get closer to work. No HOV lanes on the roads I use, so I sit in hot traffic a good portion of the drive. Traffic speeds are all over the place; I can be doing 5mph one minute, speed up to 70, and then hit the binders again. Gotta pay close attention!
I drive my Ridgeline a couple days a week so I can pick up stuff that I can't carry on the Spyder- pool chlorine, paint, lumber, etc. It is certainly quieter and cooler than the Spyder, but it slurps gasoline nearly twice as fast. 16 mpg vs 30 mpg.

 

[thepower]

Thanks for all the responses! As of now, I ride my 2012 RT into work twice a week 46 miles round trip. Here in Atlanta, I have access to HOV lanes & I can take side roads home incase of rain or traffic. I am able to fit my laptop in either the back case or the front trunk which is cool. TOWards, the end of the year, I am allowing VW to buy back my car (Dieselgate BS) & really do not want to jump into another car if I don't have to. I can fall back on my wife's car if i need to for super bad weather, so just pondering my options at this point

 

[jtpollock]

Every day unless it is raining or snowing have a nice 36 mile commute one way.

It's the only way I can maintain my sanity, crazy would be a very short trip. Keep the rubber side down and enjoy the ride...:yes::yes: jtpollock

 

[drhunt204]

I have an one day a week that I ride my spyder to work. Why? Because on the other days I live about one mile from work; but one day a week I have to go about 50 miles to another office. I could ride my spyder to work everyday but I would hate to quit riding after one mile!

I try to ride that one day a week from spring to late fall. I have rode in heavy rains; but no snow. However, I did ride in January one time because we had a day that got into the low 50s. It did get back into the upper 30s before I got back home that night!

 

[paraflyer1966]

i ride my 2012 rts pretty much everyday to work unless its raining hard when ready to leave the house.

Same thing here, I get at least 3 days per week of Spyder riding.

 

[TuckMiddle]

Bingo

My RT-Limited is my only vehicle... :thumbup:

...But the Missus has a RAV4 that she'll let me in!

Identical situation, except my 2011RT has 66,000 on it now. We're both retired and Nancy lets me drive her Rav4 when I've been good. So, I don't get to use it much. I do have a backup, my 1986 Honda Helix. If I could only get my daughter's 2 year old Boxer to stay on the back seat, I'd use the RAV less. Nellie is Nuclear powered and no way to get her to sit still. :cheers:

 

[Gray Ghost]

Here in Atlanta, I have access to HOV lanes & I can take side roads home incase of rain or traffic.

I used to live in Newnan and worked near the Atlanta airport. I rode my Venture for work unless it was pouring rain, or cold enough that ice might be a problem. Most of my business travel was for a week or more at a time, so if it was in a couple days ride I took the bike there as well.

I guess what I see as the reason for not using a bike as a commuter comes down to issues such as the office dress code. Not sure I would ride if I was required to be in a suit and didn't have a way to ride without wrinkling the clothes. And storage for items I need to carry everyday.

On second thought, if I had to do downtown Atlanta during rush hour I might not take a bike. Too many idiots who do not even notice if you are beside them in a monster truck before they cut you off.

 

[Darren111]

Weekend Toy

I have a company van that I use for work during week and I ride my Spyder at the weekends.:yes::yes::yes: