Would you buy...

[Dragonrider]

This thread might help some of those "lurking", and trying to research what they want to put their money into......

Given the fact that most of us are "boomers", and probably considered "early adaptors" as well, if you were going to buy a Spyder today, would you buy an RS or RT? Why?

Having actually had both, I can say I wouldn't have looked twice at the RS, having tried the RT. This is from the guy who originally did not like the concept, and had spent a lot on RS farkles. In hindsight, the farkles targeted the shortcomings I saw and experienced. Some of those, (performance stuff) were either adjustment of expectations, or additive (hindle, green filter, JB, etc.), which I don't want on my RT.

My bias comes from the fact that (1) I'm a very big guy, and (2) my preference over 35 years of riding is cruiser/touring - I wouldn't ride a sportbike, even if that was my only choice (I bought one and sold it the same week). My favorite two wheelers are (1) Valkyrie, (2) V-rod, and (3) BMW K1200LT - all of which had bags, Corbin seats, windshields, etc. - and I've owned and Ariel, Bridgestone, Harley, Honda, Kawi, Suzuki, Triumph, & Yamaha. Each has had its Pros and Cons - with the V-rod being the most fun, and the Valkyrie the most trustworthy.

Having said that, I only managed to wait a year before buying a RS - a fun (local) ride, after adding bags, seat, windshield...... and only 18 months before succumbing to the RTS, to which I will add a seat, hand brake, and a few cosmetics - otherwise, it's a perfect match for my general needs.

I, and probably others, will look forward to additional posts and comments. :chat:

 

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for the perspective! :thumbup:

 

[rogerb]

I too have had different brands of two wheelers. Each brand and style has its pros & cons. In May I broke an an ankle which pretty much shut me down from bike riding for a couple of months or should have but just for the heck of it I stopped to look at the new RT's. Couldn't even try one out due to ankle (insurance regs) Deciding I was going to ride no matter what, I bought one. 11000 miles and 5 months later I have absolutely no regrets for that decision. A spur of the moment decision that hasn't come back and bite me in the butt. :2thumbs:

 

[ARtraveler]

As a rider who prefers "touring" type bikes, I too prefer the RT over the RS model. I have had many two wheelers over the years, and most of them ended up with bags, windshields, etc. I bought into Spyder early on and had one of the first to hit Alaska. Over the two years of ownership, I farkled it with over $4K worth of "touring" amenities. Eventually though, when the RTS came out, the 2008 was traded off. I have only put a Corbin seat and some lighting accessories on the RTS because I am pretty happy with the "touring" goodies that are already on it. A year and 15,000 miles later, the RTS remains pretty much "unfarkled".

 

[NancysToy]

This is as individual a choice as there is. We have one of each, and would not want it any other way. We have both ridden each, but my wife strongly prefers her RS with the touring shield and bags, while I prefer the RT...possibly due to being much taller. On the other hand, I prefer my BMW R1100RT sport tourer over their K1200LT land yacht. I also greatly enjoy the time I spend on my vintage sport bikes. For a good run at the twisties, I will take Nancy's Spyder over mine. I guess it depends on the individual, his/her needs and preferences, and the type of riding a person does. Like the essay questions in high school, there is no right answer. My suggestion for anyone considering a purchase is to demo ride each...perhaps multiple times, then make a choice.

 

[chris56]

in my hard the GS was the better one - but my RT has all the "ideas" i wanted to have - during the winter i plan to build up something like a ST .. smaller wheels of the RS aso .. needs some more ideas..

 

[Dragonrider]

I agree with you Scotty - it is an individual choice, but we might help the newbies by sharing the path we took to the choice, and/or why we ended up where we did.

Do shorter folks, or women, prefer one over the other? and so forth

 

[retread]

I went with the GS in early '08, blew my back out and can't support or pick up a two wheeler any more. If the RT had been available, I'd probably have one, but it would have been a hard choice.

john

 

[fastfraser]

I have a 2009 SE with 40,000K on it that I spent a fortune on trying to make it into a RTS that it will never be ! So I pulled the trigger on a 2011 Limited that I will spend another small fortune on to make it my own .

 

[frank3]

I much prefer the RT simply because I ues it mostly for longer rides. I love to make long trip with this machine and never feel like my rear is betten. Any in town ridding I do is to/from office or short trips. Love the open road and that's exactly what this was made for. I've added a few things to it like 12V outlet for electronic items and a back rest. Don't see any need for a heated seat but really like having the heated grips.
On the other hand, I found the RS much too like a crotch rocket for my 66 year old, tall frame. Didn't enjoy it much at all and I notice a lot of people adding items to their RS in order to make it as comfrotable as the RT, which it will never be.

 

[OldDog]

Lurker

I'm one of those lurkers. I'm presently newly retired and looking to purchase an RTS-SE5. I owned a Harley and a Honda Shadow Sabre. The Sabre was absolutely trouble free. It looked brand new when I sold it. One of my pipe dreams is to get the Spyder RTS and ride to Yellowstone. I went there last year on an 8600 mile Western USA vacation. It was one the most memorable times of my life. My interest in the RT is touring and the obvious three wheeled stability. Oh Yeah, its also a great looking machine.

Old Dog:thumbup:

 

[Yazz]

I agree with you Scotty - it is an individual choice, but we might help the newbies by sharing the path we took to the choice, and/or why we ended up where we did.

Do shorter folks, or women, prefer one over the other? and so forth

I'm a lady, 5'7 and ryde a GS. Had the privilege of a loaner RT for a day. Think I'll stick with what I have. Haven't put many add-ons to Spydee. Like her the way she is. Not into gizmo's either. Around town, have the small windshield on. For touring, put the big windshield on and have my floorboards. Spydee can hold an amazing amount of luggage too.

Like Scotty said, it's an individual thing...

 

[FANG]

I have a 2008 GS and love it -- however had they made the RT at the time I probalby would have opted for that one as I eventually want to be able to do some touring with my better half. I think the RT would be more comfortable for her.
Having said that I am not willing to commit to the money they want for the RT when I am 2 payments away from title free ownership of my spyder.

 

[Eraser]

I'm 6' 190 and find the RS fairly comfy with a tweek here and there...and it's fast!:thumbup: Not comfy enough for touring though.We bought an RT for touring....works for us.

 

[wyliec]

I like my 2008 SM5. Don't care for the transformer look of the RT. I'm still young at heart and the GS/RS fits the bill.

The person thinking about purchasing a spyder should try the different models. Like Scotty said, it's a matter of personal preference. Pretty much anything said here is subjective.

 

[VaughnCat]

I agree with you Scotty - it is an individual choice, but we might help the newbies by sharing the path we took to the choice, and/or why we ended up where we did.

Do shorter folks, or women, prefer one over the other? and so forth

Vaughn and I first chose the RT so we could ride 2 up, but in just a few days we both knew I'd been bitten hard by the sporty RS. And now -- 9 months later -- we have plenty of gas receipts for both.... after 16000+ miles on the RT and 6000+ on the RS.

And yes, :agree: it is an individual choice . . . .
sometimes ya feel like a nut, sometimes ya don't :joke: . . . .

I'm 5'4" ... not too short...not too tall... and we've set the RS up with a Corbin custom seat & backrest as well as the KewlMetal fully-adjustable risers and it's a perfect fit for me.

But it never fails. . . . I'll be riding along on the RT, listening to my tunes, thinking 'ah, this is the life!' only to switch to the RS and find myself thinking 'wow, it doesn't get any more fun than this!' :2thumbs:

If we're riding more than a couple hundred fun miles and taking both Spyders, we'll trade off . . . . but if we're planning on doing a long, hard day of riding, you'll probably find me on the back of the RT, leaning back into that comfortable backrest.

So, for me, it comes down to the raw sport (RS) or sporty comfort (RT). It's all good . . . and there is soooo much fun to be found in either saddle.

Ryde safe!

Cat >^.-.^<
:doorag:

 

[Neez]

I'm 68 years old, 5 ft 8". I live in BC where there are lots of mountains and canyons and the twisties are what I live for, so my ryde is, and will be, the gs/rs-se5. I have done a few mods for distance travel, though: Givis, BRP shield, BRP 1" riser, KM brackets and highway pegs. The RT is an awsome machine, but touring is not why I ryde.

 

[Bob Denman]

I've owned bikes that pretty much run the gamut of design permutations... from GoldWings down to a GB500 that was a blast to play with! Age and health issues forced my hand and took me off the street a couple of year's ago. The Missus and I were still looking at Trikes, but hadn't discovered the Spyders until this June... then all Hell broke loose! We looked at both models and felt as if the RT would better serve us... more carrying capacity and a more relaxed riding posture just seemed more in sync with us two "olpharts" pounding the asphalt once again. The RS models look great, but just didn't feel as comfy for a couple of folks out covering the backroads in big chunks at a time...

 

[Brevet05]

I've never owned a bike; fell hard for the 2008 SM5, and much to my wife's dismay, found a good deal on a demo and bought it. I rode it so much that she overcame her concerns and rode a few times with me, but never any great distance. Finally, in order to share the ride, we opted for the 2010 RT-S. So, we've having put 8,000+ miles on the SM5 (RS) and 5000+ on the RT-S, I'd agree that they both have their strengths and weaknesses. For the raw pleasure of the ride (look at Yazz's 'Exhausted Spyder Rider' photo from the Scavenger Hunt), you can't beat the RS. The RT-S has been described by non-riding friends as a three-wheeled Cadillac, and that's an apt description. I love riding either, but my love only loves the RT-S, so that works for me.

Knowing what went into our decisions may help a prospective buyer, but it's also an interesting exercise. Like many, I put a lot more accessorizing effort/expense into the SM5 (risers, custom seat, Triple Play, Fender Tips, Mudflap Lights, Spiralus custom wrap, trunk popper, etc) partly because it's a more Spartan platform, but also because the RT-S is pretty near what I needed it to be. I've started getting to the point where I will buy the mudflap lights for the RT-S, but don't really have any other ambitions, as the TricFenderz and GloRyders have really spruced up the RT and taken care of my lateral visibility concerns. Otherwise, I've only added an Inspector Gadget trunk shelf and a trunk light. Besides, the aftermarket for the RT isn't nearly as mature as for the RS, and few options have fit my desire/budget matrix.

A trifle wordy, but if you want to accessorize, definitely buy the RS. If you want to ride, either will suffice, but your butt will probably appreciate the comforts of the RT.

 

[Firefly]

I think it really comes down to riding style. I prefer the RS because I like an aggressive ride from time to time and can easily set it up for touring too.

I think you may see a correlation between age and selection of the RT also--- no offense intended -- I just don't see too many sub 40 year olds on RT's......