Review: The Can-Am Ryker... A Great Ride!

[greer]

I've never noticed any particular heat while riding my Ryker. I'm at near 19,000 miles on my '22. A fellow on the FB groups was at 89,000 some months ago, his is a '19, I believe.

Sarah

 

[nightfalcon]

Question for @BajaRon... I have a 2023 Rally, and I've found that any amount of cross wind on sealed roads unsettles the steering. I also like riding it on our roughish gravel roads, where hitting ruts and/or potholes easily takes the front end offline and is felt quite hard through the bars. I've played with the shock settings, but I think it's more a steering problem.

My question is, what would you recommend for improving the front-end compliance, a Sway Bar upgrade, or a Steering Dampener? I can't afford both I am leaning towards a dampener, but thought I'd get your opinion.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mikey]

I've never noticed any particular heat while riding my Ryker. I'm at near 19,000 miles on my '22. A fellow on the FB groups was at 89,000 some months ago, his is a '19, I believe.

Sarah

If you were to get your fingers down inside of the clutch housing, you would feel heat.

 

[BajaRon]

I've never noticed any particular heat while riding my Ryker. I'm at near 19,000 miles on my '22. A fellow on the FB groups was at 89,000 some months ago, his is a '19, I believe.

Sarah

The Ryker can be a 'Hot' ride. Going to Georgia in hot weather last year, I was getting a good deal of heat on my legs and lower body from my Rally. The catalytic converter is a big contributor.

Question for @BajaRon... I have a 2023 Rally, and I've found that any amount of cross wind on sealed roads unsettles the steering. I also like riding it on our roughish gravel roads, where hitting ruts and/or potholes easily takes the front end offline and is felt quite hard through the bars. I've played with the shock settings, but I think it's more a steering problem.

My question is, what would you recommend for improving the front-end compliance, a Sway Bar upgrade, or a Steering Dampener? I can't afford both I am leaning towards a dampener, but thought I'd get your opinion.

Thanks in advance.

Any off road vehicle will tend to 'Hunt' due to the less than positive relationship between tire and road surface. But from what you describe, I would tend to lean towards the steering dampener. However, if you just let the Ryker hunt and wiggle the handlebars, you may find that it tends to come back to center on its own. Still, I think a dampener will give you what you are looking for.

 

[nightfalcon]

Thanks very much.

I understand what you mean by 'Hunt' and wiggling the bars, the problem is at speed on a narrow gravel road being offline for even a second or two can end up less than optimal. On enduro bikes, steering dampener allow you to absorb the hit but keep your line, I'm hoping it will do the same for the Rally... I will see, I guess.

Thanks again for your comments

 

[BajaRon]

Thanks very much.

I understand what you mean by 'Hunt' and wiggling the bars, the problem is at speed on a narrow gravel road being offline for even a second or two can end up less than optimal. On enduro bikes, steering dampener allow you to absorb the hit but keep your line, I'm hoping it will do the same for the Rally... I will see, I guess.

Thanks again for your comments

Deleted as the information was not correct.

 

[nightfalcon]

The concern I have for the current steering dampener design is that it works against these unwanted forces at top of the steering assembly. This means that all components (linkage between the tire and handlebars) are receiving greatly increased shock and wear forces which the dampener is removing at the end of the line. I would rather see an automotive cure which would place the dampener at the source of the problem where only the much more robust tie rod ends were required to absorb the additional force.

On a motorcycle, you don't have any linkage. Just very robust forks and a head bearing. Having a steering dampener at the top of this assembly makes much more sense.

Agree, manufacturers are quick to use the word 'Rally' but as far as I am aware the only difference between the Ryker Rally and Sport is the formers longer front suspension... otherwise the front ends are spec'd the same. That being said, mechanical maintenance is easier and cheaper than replacing human parts (DAMHIK).

 

[greer]

If you were to get your fingers down inside of the clutch housing, you would feel heat.

And in the several days since my post we've had the heat index up over 100 a few times and I've been plenty warm. But no more in particular compared to the motorcycles I've ridden over the years.

Is there a cat delete pipe available for the Ryker?

Sarah

 

[Peter Aawen]

And in the several days since my post we've had the heat index up over 100 a few times and I've been plenty warm. But no more in particular compared to the motorcycles I've ridden over the years.

Is there a cat delete pipe available for the Ryker?

Sarah

Lamonster Garage has some Ryker exhausts, but they might be Out of Stock atm - still, it's worth a look. Just click on the Lamonster Garage icon up in the Top Right corner of the main Forum index page; then enter Ryker in the search field; and then chase the results on down to Exhausts/Ram Air Intake. :thumbup:

Or you could check out the RLS Exhaust offerings here:

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums...t-line-up-for-the-Ryker&highlight=rls+exhaust

Or just enter RLS Exhaust in the Search field up towards the Top Right of the screen; click on the 'Search Titles Only' button in the drop-down list; submit the Search; and take your pick of the threads posted in the Ryker sub-forums to see/hear what's available. hyea:

Good Luck! :cheers:

 

[BajaRon]

And in the several days since my post we've had the heat index up over 100 a few times and I've been plenty warm. But no more in particular compared to the motorcycles I've ridden over the years.

Is there a cat delete pipe available for the Ryker?

Sarah

You are affected by the heat index... But your motorcycle components are not. They only care about ambient air temps + added heat generated by friction and combustion.

 

[greer]

Thanks Peter and Ron. Looks like it's a full replacement exhaust or nothing when it comes to the Rykers. Thanks again.

Sarah

 

[BajaRon]

Thanks Peter and Ron. Looks like it's a full replacement exhaust or nothing when it comes to the Rykers. Thanks again.

Sarah

There really isn't much to the Ryker exhaust system. Just a header and catalytic converter. The cat acts as muffler and tailpipe. Get rid of the catalytic converter and you will get rid of the heat issue.

 

[LP1982]

Not much chatter about the Ryker on this forum. Not a big surprise as this is primarily a Spyder site.

The Ryker has a number of limitations by design. But Fun, Fast, & Nimble aren't on that list. We purchased a brand new Rally in 2019 when they first came out. We pretty much had to because we wanted to see if we could improve suspension and handling. But the silver lining turned out to be a great ride and a lot of fun.

There isn't an easier vehicle on the planet to drive. Throttle, steering, and single brake are all you need to master. No upshifting or downshifting, you're always in the 'Right Gear'. There are NO GEARS at all with a CVT transmission. Which works flawlessly, other than a possible jerk or hesitation off the line until you get the hang of it.

Smooth! Smooth! Smooth! With smooth power transfer and a drive shaft that will never vibrate like the belt on a Spyder. No 'Red Dust of Death'. No Sprocket Alignment issues or worries about rocks.

We love our Ryker (which at the time is OOS due to stealing parts to get a customer's Ryker up and running quickly). I just thought I'd give this product a plug. It's not a Spyder, by any means. Wasn't meant to be. But it is a worthy ride and, for some, it is the perfect answer.

Is $8500 out the door price (including fees and taxes) good for a 2023 Ryker 900 brand new? Thank you.

 

[chris56]

We now have over 36,000 miles on our 2018 Ryker 900 – it still runs perfectly, but we had to make some modifications to turn it into a 2-up version with enough space for our luggage.

It’s faster and easier to handle than our two previous Spyders (RS/RT), especially on our mountain roads and along the Italian coast! We wouldn’t switch back at the moment – but maybe they’ll offer a sportier Spyder in the future?

Greetings from Austria!

 

[Fvee3]

Is $8500 out the door price (including fees and taxes) good for a 2023 Ryker 900 brand new? Thank you.

I’d say yes

 

[greer]

Is $8500 out the door price (including fees and taxes) good for a 2023 Ryker 900 brand new? Thank you.

I would be all over that!

Sarah

 

[BajaRon]

Is $8500 out the door price (including fees and taxes) good for a 2023 Ryker 900 brand new? Thank you.

Get it before they change their mind!

 

[dgorila1]

New 2024 Ryker Sport

Just got my 2024 Ryker Sport 3 weeks ago. Had the dealer install the BRP larger Sway Bar since they were assembling the bike anyways out of the crate. I added a Ryker Steering Stabilizer from Slingmods that really makes a difference in the steering.
I'm still trying to get used to the steering wander, particularly at higher speeds and in corners on bumpy roads. Coming off a Harley Road Glide Ultra, so the ride is much stiffer.
Question for everyone: I'm 6'4, 250lbs. Front shocks are set at 3 and rear I have set at 3. I run the stock tires using the BRP recommended inflation (25 front, 28 rear). Is there a way to determine ideal shock settings for my weight to minimize the front-end wander, especially on bumpy roads and curves, or is it just a matter of getting used to the difference in ride than that of a 2-wheeler? Taking a ride out to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Maggie Valley in a few weeks, so trying to get the bike set up as good as possible to minimize steering hop/wander for a smoother ride.

 

[Peter Aawen]

.....
Question for everyone: I'm 6'4, 250lbs. Front shocks are set at 3 and rear I have set at 3. I run the stock tires using the BRP recommended inflation (25 front, 28 rear). Is there a way to determine ideal shock settings for my weight to minimize the front-end wander, especially on bumpy roads and curves, or is it just a matter of getting used to the difference in ride than that of a 2-wheeler? Taking a ride out to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Maggie Valley in a few weeks, so trying to get the bike set up as good as possible to minimize steering hop/wander for a smoother ride.
....

Before you start playing around too much with the shock settings, try actively relaxing your shoulders, dropping them & your elbows down, and easing your grip on the handlebars; then looking waaaaayyy ahead and gently guiding your Ryker where you want it to go rather than responding to every bump in the road &/or twitch in the steering. Because you've likely got more than DOUBLE the tire footprint under your Ryker than you had on the Harley, AND there's 2 wheels up front, there's invariably going to be more feedback from the road and the ride & steering will feel 'busier' than the Harley ever did; but by not fighting it, scanning well ahead, planning your path waayyy out there, and then NOT concentrating/fixating on the close in stuff, so that you can loosely guide your Ryker around the big hazards and gently guide it back on track after absorbing the littlies, you'll find it a lot easier & more relaxed riding. :thumbup:

Apart from that, a proper wheel alignment never hurt any Spyder/Ryker; that swaybar upgrade will've made some difference; and once you've worn out the factory fitted, vaguely round, black excuses for tires called Kendas, fitting a set of quality car tires and running them at an appropriate (lower) pressure for the significantly lighter loads they'll be carrying will make a vast improvement in your ride and handling, braking, traction etc... hyea:

And IIRC, there's an a/mkt 'Steering Damper' and a fix for the 'Ryker Left Turn Issue' (search on that! ) that might help too!!

But aside from that lot, you will find that having 2 wheels up front does make for a bit of wandering and a 'busier' ride than you're used to - but it's not a Harley, it's a whole lot more fun!! nojoke - At least, it will be once you get properly used to it; you iron out the 2 vs 3 wheel bugs in your riding style; you fit a good set of tires & run them at an appropriate pressure; and you really start developing the (different) riding skills needed to get the best from your Ryker!! Saddle time is your friend! In the meantime, check out my sig line... :thumbup:

Ps: Please check out my note re NOT using post titles in your post above. Thread titles that briefly ask your question on a new thread are fine, but if you're posting a reply in an existing thread, then please, just leave the title field blank.

 

[old Timer]

Is $8500 out the door price (including fees and taxes) good for a 2023 Ryker 900 brand new? Thank you.

YES it is.