What's your secret recipe?

[Jeffmal]

So many threads about tires, windshields, alignments, shocks,
swaybars and more...
There are still a lot of us that are still uncomfortable with their Spyder especially at
highway speeds.
So...give us your best recipe that made your Spyder ryde as comfortable and smooth as possible!

 

[Bob Denman]

Nothing much special at all...
The standard 25" windshield at it's lowest setting...
BRP's rider backrest
BRP's adjustable air deflectors

Easy-Peasey...


Oh! I also had a Misty Mountain Sheepskin seat cover on my 2014: I'll have to consider getting another one for the new bike.

 

[JayBros]

What specifically are you uncomfortable with about your Spyder at highway speeds?

How about some numbers, please. "A lot of us" doesn't cut it without some empirical data.

 

[al0vely]

Just ride

It took me 500 - 1000 miles before I felt very comfortable at highway speeds. I have not subscribed to all the must haves - but added the accessories that increased my comfort as I continue to ride. I am even planning to remove the BRP vibration dampner because it fixes one problem temporarily then could cause another.

Keep riding - comfort and security will come to you.

 

[Jeffmal]

What specifically are you uncomfortable with about your Spyder at highway speeds?

How about some numbers, please. "A lot of us" doesn't cut it without some empirical data.

Still trying to figure out if the wind buffeting is causing the "twitchiness" or tires etc...
I did have the laser alignment and it made 0 difference to me. Still getting used to the Ryde, right at 1000 miles
but not completely comfortable that's why I'm looking for the secret recipe!

 

[SPYD3R]

1st RIDE

on my very 1st ride, i was very uncomfortable because i was expecting my SPYD3R to handle like a 2 wheeler....
i thought to myself, "wow, i've wasted some serious buck$"....
after about 200 miles of share fear and reservations, it & i started to feel way more comfortable....
by the time i hit 500 miles, it was all SMILES.... hyea:
had the SPYD3Rs been around back in the 1960's, i would have gone this route vs. 2 wheels...

farkle it to your liking, and give it a few hundred miles, and you'll be all SMILES like all the rest of us...
good luck & ride carefully....
Dan P
SPYD3R

 

[Easy Rider]

What specifically are you uncomfortable with about your Spyder at highway speeds?

How about some numbers, please. "A lot of us" doesn't cut it without some empirical data.

Add me.

But your request is unreasonable; I suspect on purpose. Not nice.

In it's stock configuration, the Spyder has an UNSTABLE feel to it.
It tends to "dart" around with little or no input from the rider.

Part of that is real and part is just a feeling.
Some riders are more sensitive to it than others, it seems.

Just because YOU don't find it a problem does NOT mean that there is something wrong with the riders that DO find it to be a continuing problem.
And I resent the implication that there IS something wrong with them (us).

I strongly suspect that the tires have a LOT to do with it, soft sidewalls and poor tread pattern and that a lot of the other "fixes" that we are encouraged to spend a TON of money on by well other well meaning owners would just be a waste of money for your average "old fart" sedate-style owners. But that's just a theory. I won't be testing that until I am thoroughly convinced that just more miles in the seat won't solve most of the problem. But so far, there was a big improvement and then a plateau where I am mostly comfortable except in "unusual" situations......and speeds above about 55 MPH seem to magnify the little things that are uncomfortable.

 

[Easy Rider]

but not completely comfortable that's why I'm looking for the secret recipe!

Just noticed that you are in Florida......not too far from me, I think.

I still believe that the wavy roads (the 2 lane ones mostly) in Florida are part of my problem.
It's hard to keep the surface level when the road is built on SAND.

Finding a wavy section of pavement while going around a curve is particularly unsettling.

 

[Blue Star]

The secret is time and miles

Just noticed that you are in Florida......not too far from me, I think.

I still believe that the wavy roads (the 2 lane ones mostly) in Florida are part of my problem.
It's hard to keep the surface level when the road is built on SAND.

Finding a wavy section of pavement while going around a curve is particularly unsettling.

I had this same problem with the wavy roads when I lived in Southern California, and it bothered me at first too. Once I realized it was the road, and not the bike it got better. I just learned to not hold on so tight, and adjust when the wavy part hit.

One thing I did to improve my confidence was to find a non-wavy road, and let go of the handle bars to see how straight the Spyder rode.
*Note: I had the cruise on, and held my hands about a half inch above the grips for safety when I did this.

Just give it some time, and miles. It will get better.

 

[UtahPete]

Still trying to figure out if the wind buffeting is causing the "twitchiness" or tires etc...I did have the laser alignment and it made 0 difference to me. Still getting used to the Ryde, right at 1000 miles but not completely comfortable that's why I'm looking for the secret recipe!

It's not the bike. Get out there and RYDE!

 

[Gator37]

Biggest improvement to me after coming from almost 60 years on two wheelers was the Sway bar and the Aleignment by Ann and Joe. Just takes a little getting used to.

 

[JayBros]

Add me.

But your request is unreasonable; I suspect on purpose. Not nice.

Did I accuse the OP of intentionally fabricating numbers? Not at all. Do I suspect the OP of being a troll? Absolutely not. Would I like to know how many Spyder riders are unsatisfied with how their bikes handle? Sure, absolutely. If there are unsatisfied riders then data is important in attempting to assess the reasons for the dissatfaction. Kindly do not impugn my questioning when I was simply asking the OP to give us an idea of just how many owners are unsatisfied with their Spyders.

 

[juscuz]

So far for me the biggest improvement has been the Baharon sway bar, WAIT, it's the laser alignment, WAIT, it's the 32 inch windshield, NO WAIT, it's the shad bags, DARNIT, it's the belt tensioner, OH WHAT THE HELL, it's the two up shock (yeah right) BUT Elka's soon, almost done, BUT no where near finished. RDL seats on order to make everything else more enjoyable for the long haul. WAIT there's more !!!!

 

[bcer960]

I agree with what many have said here, the wheel ruts in the road will pull you around. Honestly, relax your grip. It may seem like a hard thing to get used to but it does help.

Now as for mods, I have 2017 RT-S, Other than the daily commute. I generally ride 2-up with my wife. We have put about 13000miles in 2 summers of riding (still very much winter up here) and the 2 things I found that really made a difference to me are

1) sway bar
2) shock stiffeners from doc Humphrey.

I was able to buy 2 of the stiffeners from a guy who purchased the set, and only used 2 of them. The difference in corners was immediate, and as noticeable as when I put on the sway bar. The combination makes the spyder almost effortless around corners, and so much easier to ride.

Ray​

 

[Bob Denman]

If you buy a Spyder, and expect it to handle like a motorcycle: you're going to be VERY disappointed! nojoke
If you choose to NOT do the research, and learn what to expect: shoes fault is that?
If you're unwilling to take the time to learn something new: what do you expect?
Give it 500 miles, and then come back to us! :thumbup:

 

[Jeffmal]

I agree with what many have said here, the wheel ruts in the road will pull you around. Honestly, relax your grip. It may seem like a hard thing to get used to but it does help.

Now as for mods, I have 2017 RT-S, Other than the daily commute. I generally ride 2-up with my wife. We have put about 13000miles in 2 summers of riding (still very much winter up here) and the 2 things I found that really made a difference to me are

1) sway bar
2) shock stiffeners from doc Humphrey.

I was able to buy 2 of the stiffeners from a guy who purchased the set, and only used 2 of them. The difference in corners was immediate, and as noticeable as when I put on the sway bar. The combination makes the spyder almost effortless around corners, and so much easier to ride.

Ray​

[/QUOTE Who on this thread found an improvement with a taller windshield?
Does the windshield make for a better feel due to less wind buffeting or does it push the byke a little more??

 

[MercerLake]

Uneasy Riding!

Assuming that everything about your :spyder2: is set up correctly, that leaves the rider technique and the rider's brain, and this can be solved. If you've been riding two wheels for years the brain is trained that if you are leaning left or right then you must be turning, so it corrects for the input and turns slightly left or right. So there you go down the road "twitching" left and right, very unsettling. Now we add a road surface that tilts left and right and we have more input to the brain telling us that we are twitching even more!:yikes:
What I found for myself, is that I was trying to keep my body and head aligned vertically with the vertical axis of the bike which works on a two wheeler as most of the road induced motion is vertical except when your really turning. So the brain becomes "trained"! With the :spyder2: going down the road you have motion vertically (bumps and dips) and side to side tipping following the road profile. So if you are riding with your body attempting to align with the vertical plane of the :spyder2:the poor old brain is being told that you are turning every which way and tries to correct for the perceived motion making it worse as now you are really "twitching". Once I realized what was happening to me I decided to ride the :spyder2:like a horse and let it move around under me and basically keep my head somewhat vertical and relax. All of sudden my SPYDER became "friendly" and it now tracks down the road at any speed and I'm free to look around way ahead for pleasures and also for up coming dangers, as the cars aren't trying to kill you, they really are and truly don't see you. And looking far ahead also is a big part of smoothing the ride as you aren't trying to correct for every movement real or perceived. Hope this helps, try it on a lonesome road with no traffic and soon it will become second nature as you have to retrain the brain!

 

[pegasus1300]

So many threads about tires, windshields, alignments, shocks,
swaybars and more...
There are still a lot of us that are still uncomfortable with their Spyder especially at
highway speeds.
So...give us your best recipe that made your Spyder ryde as comfortable and smooth as possible!

I'm sorry Jeff,there is no secret sauce. It may have been easier for me because I came from 4 years on a Goldwing trike. I had already unlearned all my years of 2 wheel habits. I had my Spyder for over a year before I did laser alignment, Sway bar, or tires. I still took me a couple thousand miles to get really comfortable with the Spyder when I first started riding it. I can tell you that there comes a time when the "hunting" wont bother you any more,or may it never did hunt,or maybe it still hunts and I just don't care any more. I have ridden at 80mph for hundreds on miles in Wyoming,Montana and South Dakota. Being passed by or passing big trucks is not a problem to me. I find it very stable in cross winds. I bought my Spyder in June of 2015 and I have put 27000 miles on in that time.I would ride it anywhere at any speed. I also remember the 1st time I rode a Spyder I thought I was going all over the road. There is a learning curve and the only solution is time and miles. If you haven't done this have you front end checked out just to give you peace of mind that there are no mechanical problems and then just ride it.

I hope things work out for you and soon get to the point where it is all the fun you thought it was going to be.

 

[Jeffmal]

Just noticed that you are in Florida......not too far from me, I think.

I still believe that the wavy roads (the 2 lane ones mostly) in Florida are part of my problem.
It's hard to keep the surface level when the road is built on SAND.

Finding a wavy section of pavement while going around a curve is particularly unsettling.

You're probably correct...the real challenge is over 60mph!

 

[Mad Mac]

I have to admit, when I first test rode an '11 RT (about 15 miles worth), I thought it was somewhat "darty". Considering I had, at the time 45 years worth of two-wheel experience, I caulked it up to that. When I took delivery of our '14, I rode it home from the dealer (about 120 miles) on curvy Natl. Forest paved roads, and said "damn this thing is really squirrelly". I spent the next couple of rides getting used to it and had about 2K miles on it before I made any modifications, I.E. tire pressure adjustments and a sway bar. Just those two modifications made a world of difference, the machine rode and handled much better for me. Being "twitchy" on the freeway at speed due to the differences in road surfaces, I feel is an inherent characteristic of the vehicle and it's something you learn to adapt to, and if you don't get used to the basic feel of the machine, you can spend a lot of $$$ and just be chasing your tail! Or you could just sell it if you feel unsafe and try something else. Good Luck!! Mac:doorag:
P.S. Luckily I rode snowmobiles for about 15 years, and riding a Spyder uses the same technique as a snowmobile in my opinion.