[NorthStar]

Marc, on 04 September 2009 - 09:16 AM, said:

So, do you think the RT will lure current or potential Goldwing buyers?

If so, why and if not, why don't you think so.

I recently sold my Goldwing GL1800 and purchased a Spyder RTs and 622 trailer package. The primary reasons for "converting" to a three wheeler were safety and riding comfort. After riding two wheelers for 40 plus years it suddenly dawned upon me that what I truly enjoyed about riding was the sensation of riding in the open air. Yeah, it was fun to accelerate hard through twisties and occasionally feel the rush of speeding down the highway way past the posted speed limit, but at the end of the day I came to realize that simply cruising in the open air turned my crank.

As for safety, I have found that anything on three wheels during a rainstorm handles far better than two wheelers on slick oily pavement. I drive in all weather conditions and the stability of the Spyder as compared to the Goldwing is far superior. There is no comparison in acceleration and handling through turns when you compare the two machines, but for me, I appreciate the fact that the Spyder has enough power to cruise comfortably at highway speeds and I really don't need to blow anyone off the road anymore.

Goldwings are in my opinion the ultimate two wheel touring machines. Well built and very comfortable for both rider and passenger. Anyone can drive a Spyder with a very short orientation period, while the same cannot be said for a 900 lb plus Goldwing. If you want a safe motorcycling experience and are in no hurry to break the sound barrier or scrape you floorboards you can't go wrong with the RT. I have driven all types of motorcycles and can truthfully report that the Spyder RT gives me what I want in a touring experience. Will the RT convert two wheel touring fanatics from their current ride? Probably not, but it sure as heck will open up the touring experience for many others that were closed off to this experience because of safety concerns and physical limitations.

[Spydermc]

I just traded my '06 Gl1800 {with less than 20K miles) for a RT. I have no health problems, I just the like stability of the 3rd wheel and not a conversion. riding a rt will change most wingers minds. I really like my RT. thats my story and I am sticking to it.

[MangoMike]

My last three bikes were: a Goldwing, a Victory Vision and an Ultra Classic. All great bikes, but I wouldn't give up my RT-SE5 for any of them. At 67 I've just gotten tired of holding up a big bike. With the RT all my concerns are gone and I can just relax and enjoy the ride, on whatever kind of road it takes me, and under any conditions. My wife says the RT is the most comfortable ride she's ever been on.

Mike

[bodymanpainter1]

I traded my 08 Goldwing in Feburary 2010 for my RTS and love the RTS but I all so loved my Goldwing but it just got to hard for me to hold it up when I stopped or 2 up riding or fully loaded and did not want to end up with 42k in my Goldwing if I triked it so I made the trade and do not regret it but I do wish the RTS was as dependable as the Goldwing was, that being said I had no issues in over 2 years with the Goldwing and in a little over 3 months I have had 4 issues already and most likely more to come ( rear shock issues )they are junk! But over all I am still happy so far with the RTS.

[Tking63]

This is my first post and I have to say I was looking at the goldwing and have decided on a RT more than likely will be a RT-S but no there yet. be a couple of years probably. I went and sat on one yesterday for awhile. Need to pay down the bikes I already have. But sure was comfortable to sit on. I can't wait to see what they add on in the next couple of years.

[bodymanpainter1]

bodymanpainter1, on 23 May 2010 - 12:48 PM, said:

I traded my 08 Goldwing in Feburary 2010 for my RTS and love the RTS but I all so loved my Goldwing but it just got to hard for me to hold it up when I stopped or 2 up riding or fully loaded and did not want to end up with 42k in my Goldwing if I triked it so I made the trade and do not regret it but I do wish the RTS was as dependable as the Goldwing was, that being said I had no issues in over 2 years with the Goldwing and in a little over 3 months I have had 4 issues already and most likely more to come ( rear shock issues )they are junk! But over all I am still happy so far with the RTS.

Update: I gave up on the RTS and traded it for a Cruiser because of all the problems and down time, I plan to keep watch on this and other forums and when BRP can prove there dependability I will buy another RTS.

[Sal vaga]

Let me start by saying I have never liked a Trike...I've ridden Cruisers for 20+ years and had decided I wanted to move over to a Tourer. I did my rsearch and visited all the dealerships. I ruled out the Victory Vision just because,, I was torn between Goldwing and HD Ultra, but the Ultra would have been more about image, let's face it, the Wing Is King! I put a deposit down on a 2010 nav/comfort when a friend ask if I had seen the Spyder RT. I had not but pulled it up on the net....my wife said right away "That's us". I put a hold on the wing and set out to find a dealer....had to wait a few months for a demo ryde, that's all it took, Put my $1000 down on a PE (and made a call to my Honda dealer cancling the wing). Picked it up December 31st and haven't looked back. Best purchase I ever made !

[akspyderman]

Ahh! The Goldwing. When Spyders first came out I really believed that Honda was going to lose a lot of Wingers to the Spyder. Being a senior, a little short (5'5"), and a bad back to top it off--I could not wait to sell off my Kawasaki Vulcan 2000cc when I saw the 2008 Spyder. The Spyder gave me the ability to continue to ride and not have to worry about balancing 950# on two wheels. In short, the Vulcan 2000 was too much bike for me. I had previously owned a Yamaha Venture, and a Kawasaki Voyager. I did test sit the older version of the Wing--but found it to be more cumbersome than the Venture, so I ended up with the Venture. I actually test sat a Goldwing last Saturday, and was impressed with the center of gravity. I actually could reach the floor with my feet and was able to lift the wing off the sidestand much easier than the Vulcan 2000 I had. The price tag on the loaded wing was 27K--the same price I paid for my 2010 RTS. I do like the 1800cc engine, the smoothness and quitness that it puts out, as well as the proven reliability that the Wing has provided over the years. If I were comfortable with that big of a two wheeled bike again, I would probably opt for the Wing. However, I need the stability of three wheels, so the vote defaulted to the Spyder RTS. I recently purchased an unsold 2009 Vulcan 900 LT Classic, which fits me perfectly, handles great, and is just right for me to heft around, so now I feel like I have the best of two different riding styles for me.

This post has been edited by akspyderman: 16 August 2010 - 08:27 PM

[PhilWil]

Marc, on 04 September 2009 - 09:56 AM, said:

I wonder how most owners get to riding a GoldWing. I assume they buy smaller bikes to start and continue to work their way up to the Wing. I think that's an advantage the RT will have. I would never suggest a newbie start out on a Wing, but I would not have a problem suggesting a new rider jump on an RT.

My first motorcycle was a '74 Yamaha 750 triple with hard bags and a Windjammer fairing that i purcahsed in '76 from a private owner. I road this until '90 and traded it in on a '89 Honda Pacific Coast. I traded the PC for new '93 GW Aspencade and added a cyclemate trailer. Then traded that for a '00 Wing. I kept that for about a year and bought a Pearl Orange GL1800 in Aug '01 and sold the Cyclemate and bought a bushtec trailer. The "Orange Crate" and trailer are now sitting in my garage waiting to to traded on a '10 RT-S SE5 with 622 trailer if it ever gets to my dealer. Made a down payment on the 21st and was told they could get one "no problem". Later in the day they called saying the only blue one they could get was a demo with less than 300 mi. or a new one in black. I said get the black and was told they would probsbly get on Mon. or Tues. I went to the bank & got a loan approved and was waiting for a call that they had the RT-S. Called on Tues and they still didn't have it. They did call on Thurs. with a VIN# but I'm not going to the bank and sign the final papers and get the check until they have the bike in house. I already got screwed out of a blue at my local dealer when they sold it out from under me.

[pennyr]

I have a '10 Spyder RT and my husband has a GoldWing Trike. We each like our rides but the fact that mine is semi automatic versus his five speed manual is the deciding factor in my mind as to which is the better bike.

In this part of the south east there is a huge market for Trikes. Our local Trike shop can't find enough Gold Wings to put trike kits on. They are averaging three to four sales per week on triked out Goldies from '99's to '09's and sells them anywhere from $23-$35,000 depending on options. The trike shop owner is constantly scouring the country for good clean used GoldWings and sells his trikes all over the country.

We have three Can Am dealers within twenty miles of us and while they move product out the door they do nowhere near the volume the Triked Gold Wings do.

Pennyr

[sikhspyder]

If so, why and if not, why don't you think so.
[/quote]

GW hands down. I would not dream of giving up my GW for a Spyder, I have both. Having said that a GW trike was modeled for those that were weak in the knees, I may get there someday. It gave them a thrill to be able to ride again.
The RTs has made it slightly cheaper for those whose legs have given out, to be able to ride again, especially if they find an excellent used. I rode my GW from Philly to Maine and the Spyder to DC, GW was the much much better ride.
Biasses does break out when one has GW than the other and vice versa BUT when done in comparison ( not the trike ) GW owners who have the Spyder keep Spyder for the " traffic light speed ", tho my modified GW will have it for dessert.
The trike need some modification and on my recent trip to the plant in Japan, they are seriously looking into it, shaft and all, vis a vis RTs.

GW 2 wheels over any Spyder anytime

[sikhspyder]

Sal vaga, on 16 August 2010 - 01:31 PM, said:

Let me start by saying I have never liked a Trike...I've ridden Cruisers for 20+ years and had decided I wanted to move over to a Tourer. I did my rsearch and visited all the dealerships. I ruled out the Victory Vision just because,, I was torn between Goldwing and HD Ultra, but the Ultra would have been more about image, let's face it, the Wing Is King! I put a deposit down on a 2010 nav/comfort when a friend ask if I had seen the Spyder RT. I had not but pulled it up on the net....my wife said right away "That's us". I put a hold on the wing and set out to find a dealer....had to wait a few months for a demo ryde, that's all it took, Put my $1000 down on a PE (and made a call to my Honda dealer cancling the wing). Picked it up December 31st and haven't looked back. Best purchase I ever made !

Should have got the GW and the smile would have been larger and longer. BUT wife comes first.

[sikhspyder]

MangoMike, on 10 May 2010 - 02:09 PM, said:

My last three bikes were: a Goldwing, a Victory Vision and an Ultra Classic. All great bikes, but I wouldn't give up my RT-SE5 for any of them. At 67 I've just gotten tired of holding up a big bike. With the RT all my concerns are gone and I can just relax and enjoy the ride, on whatever kind of road it takes me, and under any conditions. My wife says the RT is the most comfortable ride she's ever been on.

Mike

Age does that. Aged rider RTs....maybe just as I Had stated.

[doctor]

sikhspyder, on 30 August 2010 - 11:03 AM, said:

Age does that. Aged rider RTs....maybe just as I Had stated.

After owning a spyder for 2 years, I've got to say that I would rather have a sports car with ragtop. They handle better, get better gas mileage, cool in the summer, warm in the winter, safer than a three, or two wheeler, don't have to put on any motorcycle gear, and the cost is really cheaper than a rt with trailer. I've sold my spyder, and when I get to where I can't hold up a motorcycle that's what I'll be getting, a Corvette.

[ben721364]

There's no question in my mind that the old GL1800 is a very good touring motorcycle and that most trikes based on the GL1800 platform are very good, if the kit is properly installed and maintained. I further agree with you that final drive utilizing a drive shaft has long been considered the standard for touring motorcycles. This conventional wisdom is changing rapidly as motorcycle engines become more torquey and motorcycles become heavier. The first take-off item to sell following GL1800 trike conversions is almost always the FD unit. FD units cost a lot more than reinforced drive belts and are more expensive and time consuming to change. Considering the vehicle weights and the HP, the Can Am Spyder compares favorably to GL1800 1F/2R trikes though it is a bit down on torque. That said I never used all the torque either of my GL1800 or K LT trikes had.

Twodog185, on 04 September 2009 - 12:02 PM, said:

A Goldwing with 1800 CC motor, proven, is a formidable contender. IMO, if you took both bikes, rode them equally, pulling same weight, across the same terrain, the Goldwing motor would have less stress on it per CC. Also, the driveshaft is a much more realiable type of drivetrain.

If I was looking for a touring cadilac, and I found a Goldwing with 100K, proven records of maintenance, the miles on the motor would not be a consideration. I'd be looking at other aspects to make sure the "goodies" were working.

If BRP doubled the CC and installed a driveshaft, I'd trade mine in regardless of the downside money I'd have to put into it.

[Motogordo1]

I have had Goldwings in the past, but never past the 1500cc model. They are fantastic machines. Fast, Smooth and very comfortable. However, I now have the 2011 Spyder RTS/SE5,which I am very happy with. It seems as though the only two cycles that are converted to trikes are the Harley & the Goldwing. Today I saw 2 Goldwing trikes at my BRP dealer in Bensalem, Pa. (East Coast Cycle Center). One was white and the other silver. They were absolutely beautiful. I should have talked to the owners but two of my friends and I went to visit Brian Harley in Langhorne,Pa. just to see what they had.
As much as the GW is great for touring, I no longer want to move around the heavy machines. The BRP dealer also said that the Spyders are much more stable then any trike, because of it's configuration of the two wheels up front. I believe him and have heard that from many riders. Every bike isn't perfect,and I am sure many will buy the Harley's and GW's because of their reputation for being great bikes.Even if the handling is better on the Spyder, I am sure some will still purchase the Trikes. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. I am waiting for the Ninja riders to have someone come out with a NINJA trikes. That ought to be interesting. The way those young people drive those things is rediculous. They do wheelies and figure 8's all over the highways and back and forth from lane to lane.

Gordon

This post has been edited by Motogordo1: 18 August 2011 - 10:43 PM

[Motogordo1]

I have a 2011 Spyder RTS/SE5. I really enjoy riding it. I now have just about 1,900 miles and am getting 36 mpg as of yesterday. I always fill it to the top to make sure I get accurate readings on gas mileage. I was riding yesterday and was up to 170 miles on the odometer and still no light going on. When I filled it up,it took 4.50 gallons of gas. Not bad.
Actually, I was always talking to my honda dealer in Cherry Hill, N.J. and asking him if he ever gets any trikes. The answer is no. You don't see very many trikes in this area. I did see 2 Honda GW Trikes a couple of days ago at my Spyder dealer (East Coast Cycle Center, Bensalem,Pa.). They were really beautiful and fully loaded. If I had seen one of these at the time I bought the Spyder, I might have had to make a real decision as to which one. The Honda dealer and the Spyder dealer both said the Spyder is much safer and has many stabilizing features. All this being true, since I am an easy going rider and don't like living on the edge, I might have purchased the Wing Trike. One of my friends has a Harley Trike, and he bought it because he was having problems with his legs and could no longer lift the 2 wheeler. He only wanted a Harley Trike since he is a diehard HD rider. Harley riders love their machines and also the fact that they are made in the U.S.A. At least the Spyders aren't produced in China yet. However, down the road, who knows ? LOL.
All in all, it's different strokes for different folks. Each to his own.

Gordon
Everyone, including all the Harley riders I see on the road, give THUMBS UP to the SPYDERS. Plus, all the women in their cars want their husbands to buy the three wheelers so that they can ride also and feel safer.
August 18, 2011

This post has been edited by Motogordo1: 18 August 2011 - 10:46 PM

[George Lewis]

I have a Gold Wing Motor Trike and a 2011 RT-S SE5. They are different rides, both good rides and fine machines. I triked my second GW due to my Korean War knee started acting up and I could not hold the GW as well as I used to. I triked and would not go back to two wheels. My GW is as stable as, maybe more so, than my Spyder. It depends on the road, air pressures, shock settings, etc. If a dealer says a GW trike is less stable than a Spyder, ask him how many miles he has on a Wing trike. I rode my Spyder today and will ride my Wing tomorrow....will keep both....love both for different reasons. The electronics on the GW are superior to the Spyder, by far. I have had no trouble with the Wing or Spyder, however some have. Ya can't go wrong with either...or both...

[Precept123]

Marc, on 04 September 2009 - 09:16 AM, said:

So, do you think the RT will lure current or potential Goldwing buyers?

If so, why and if not, why don't you think so.

I just purchased a RT Limited White to replace my Black Gold Wing Trike - California Side Car Custom Cobra Design. Loved my Trike, but after completing a 10,151 mile trip in May from Coast to Coast and back, several things bugged me. My shoulders were in terrific pain from shoving the Trike on curvy roads during the 35 days we were on the road. The Can-am is much easier on my shoulders. Also, my left hand from the clutch was almost stuck in the "crimp" position from all the gear changes made on the trip, especially in the LA traffic. Again, the Can-am solves that problem. The other issue was riding in the mountains in Colorade, Wyoming, and Northern California with the light snow, fog, smog - not being able to see through my rain coated Gold Wing windshield and fogged up helmet. The Can-am makes it possible to lower the windshield and be able to see. That's why I changed from a Gold Wing to a Can-am Spyder.