I was 37 when I bought my Spyder and I own 2nr litre bikes which I use regularly.
I initially looked at a Spyder because we have 2 kids under 10 and we were looking for a fun toy we could enjoy with them. My wife used to have a bike but won't ride one since having kids. So we got her a Can Am Outlander Max (2 seater) quad, which was great fun but not that stable on roundabouts or anywhere where you have to turn the handlebars more than about 20 degrees.
We looked to add a used Spyder to the fleet or another quad so we could go out the four of us. So off we went for a test ride, I came back beaming from ear to ear and decided it would definately be an RT we would be going for. After waxing lyrical about the experience my wife decided to have a go a week or so later, she also loved it. Used RT's were thin on the ground but we wanted the extra rear end to support the kids more than an open st/rs. The V twin was great as both my other bikes (Aprilias) have exactly the same V twin motor.
I purposely stayed away from the triple because I have a real soft spot for them (I love the Sound of the MV Agusta triples and been fighting off getting one for a few years). Curiosity got the better of me however and that was it, enjoyed the experience a lot more and it confirmed to me that was the way to go. This and the fact that used RT's were 75% of the cost of the triple anyway so it just didn't stack up financially with all benefits considered. We sold the quad and plumped for 2 Base RT 1330 Spyders.
Now that I have a choice of what to use for my 50 mile round commute everyday, through a mixture of twisty lanes, dual carriageways, villages, what gets used most?? Well, last year the Spyder covered 1500 miles. 500 of those with my son on the back and alongside my wife. The motorbikes have done 800 and 1000 miles, the higher mileage one accounted for a touring/camping long weekend which made up about 600 of those miles.
It's fair to say that the Spyder got more use than any of the other toys and I really enjoy it. I would be lying if I didn't admit that some of the reactions from the odd 'fellow' biker is disappointing but this is a minority. These people I guess view a Spyder with contempt for not being a 'proper' bike or as being for pussies that can't handle a real bike - small minded idiots! It's their problem, tbh most bikers nod as ususal as they would toward another biker (don't know about the US but bikers share great comraderie in the UK and generally nod to one another). With the Spyder I've actually only had one idiot rub his tummy and nod his head up and down as to mimic laughing. I was hoping Karma would find him a patch of spilt diesel moments later :roflblack:
The thing is, the Spyder isn't a bike nor does it pretend to be. It does however emulate 80% of the biking experience but with so many more positives which in many respects easily outweigh the 20% shortfall. Sometimes you want that pure 100% experience, but increasingly I only want that 20% of the time, because in the real world I head for the door and think what am I taking today, and the majority of the time the answer is the Spyder.
It has so many advantages over the bike, while still letting me enjoy most of the biking experience with better relative safety (more visible to other road users, better stability in response to typical road hazards - diesel spills, poholes, wet drain covers) I don't have to dress up in boots and protective trousers, just throw on a jacket, helmet and sometimes gloves. I can store my helmet in it and carry waterproofs or any other items I might need without having a rucksack. I'm better protected from any road film messing my clothes up and finally, it's just so much more comfortable. Just because I'm a biker doesn't make the Spyder an either/or proposition, it sits very well next to a fleet of bikes. For me its the cruiser in the fleet. I have a nutter Tuono super naked and an adventure Caponord with all the panniers sharing garage space. Each have their merits and I love them all. The Spyder I can enjoy with my family however and that time/those experiences are priceless. We have added to that experience with a full set of Sena 20S intercoms which are quite simply fantastic and have added another whole dimension to the experience.
I'm looking forward to the season getting underway for us again in the next few weeks. I guess what I'm saying above is that the Spyder isn't for over the hill bikers, just bikers (or those wanting to enjoy the biking experience) that want to enjoy the open road with better comfort, practicality and safety. Performance wise the Spyder is pretty good really, I probably ride mine much harder than Can Am intended on my own, I enjoy it, but the VSS does come on regularly, probably that's a good thing as it prevents me from being able to keep pushing until I'm off the road and I've now learnt to drive around it but I would like a dynamic mode for use in the dry.
I would say cost is the biggest factor in them not being more popular although my local dealer has a '14 RS entry level bike for £12,995 which is great really, would be nice to make them more accessible. This 'should' push used prices down a bit making entry to ownership even more achievable although in reality it doesn't seem to quite work that way, quite often, new can actually be much better value for money!, especially when due to the rarity they hold their value pretty well!
cheers
Nito
:clap:
