Old Gold Wing rider considering a 2012 RT need help finding a fair value for it and advice.

[charliebeagledog]

Thanks for the welcome, I'm new to three wheels and Spyders.

I had two Gold Wings - an '84 used and I bought a '97 brand new, then sold it around 2021 and bought my wife a Mazda Miata when she was going through cancer, but I haven't been back on two wheels or ever tried three. I'm 63 now and met a really neat gentleman in his late 70's/early 80's living his best life and loving the Blue 2012 RT he bought new. We met last summer or the summer before, and we talked for a good 1/2 an hour about his experience. We exchanged information in the event that he ever was considering giving it up. This week, his son called me and told me of the unfortunate passing of his dad this winter. He isn't interested in keeping the the bike and they had already talked about calling me.

I don't know how to accurately value the bike to get a fair win-win price on a transaction if I move forward, and I'm looking for some help.

I used the Vin decoder on the Forum which says it's an RT, but his son said it was the loaded model with a windshield that goes up and down and it has heated driver and passenger hand grips. I don't know the difference between the various RT models and need a bit of an education here.

It has 30,000 miles on it, and last fall the dealership did a major service, fitted new tires - $368, replaced a defective kill switch $616, and did a Fuel and intake repair for $1212. Total bill for repair was $2600 in Nov 2025.

I called and talked to his old service writer and verified that regular maintenance has been done at the dealer (incidentally the same dealership I bought my Wing from 29 years ago!)

There doesn't appear to be any accident history on the bike and it seems pretty clean and well maintained.

I wouldn't feel safe on two wheels, but I might consider three (I know I'm getting older, my reflexes have slowed, and I'm certainly not as strong as I was 15 years ago or so when I sold my Gold Wing) Also, we are in Wisconsin, so I would only be able to ride about 6 months a year.

Does the Motorcycle Safety Foundation allow Spyders to participate? I would take a course every other year when I rode, just to keep my skills up, and I might do it annually now.

Are there good years and bad years in the Spyders? Is 2012 a decent year and how long do these bikes tend to last when well cared for?

What's changed since 2012 that would make me want to consider a newer one as opposed to this bike?

I know this is a lot of questions, and feel free to point me to any good resources I should read as well as your personal experiences.

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences here! I'll upload pictures from my phone once the post is approved for public viewing

 

[BajaRon]

Like any vehicle, trying as many as you can will answer a lot of your questions in ways that a text reply here isn't going to be able to do. The 2012 was a decent year for the Spyder RT. 30k on a decently maintained Spyder is no big deal. But you may find your local dealership may not work on a Spyder over 10 years old.

Price seems to have a wide range. So again, that’s a ‘Shop Around’ issue.

The RT went to a 1330 motor in 2014. And all Spyders after 2016 have the same 3 cylinder transverse power plant having replaced the original 998 V-Twin. Improvements have been made over the years.

Some try out the platform with a relatively inexpensive older machine like the 2012 you are considering. Then they move up into a newer model once they understand more of what they are looking for. Others just jump to the front of the line from the start. It all depends on factors that only you can address.

 

[jdgretz]

To add to what BajaRon said (you should listen to what he says), in 2020 the Spyder did a facelift and changed the rear top box. It really changes the whole look of the bike. In 2024 the infotainment screen was redesigned. Also at some point they went to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission on all Spyders (not the Ryker - very different animal), where you shift up (paddle shifter), but the bike will downshift on it's own, or you can manually downshift. Among the minor/major changes:

At some point the factory CB option went away​

The full manual transmission went away in 2020 I believe​

2023 was the last year of a direct aux audio input to the bike's sound system​

The only streaming audio the bike now supports is Apple Car Play​

Three basic designs - the Ryker (entry level, low, feet forward riding position); the F3 (think cruiser. Sit in the bike, not on the bike. Feet forward riding) although it is the sportier of the Spyder versions; and the RT - touring bike. More like a Goldwing than a VTX or Shadow.​

As to pricing - that gets a bit tougher. A quick look at CycleTrader.com shows 2012 RT going for around $8.3k to $9K, but there are some nice looking 2015s for the same price ($9K). I'm guessing that somewhere in the low $8K range to $8.5 is reasonable.

I moved from a GL1800 to a 2024 Spyder RT Limited in December of 2025. Adverse long term use of statins (Lipitor) took me out of the heavy two-wheel game in 2023 and it took me a few years to firstly, admit to myself that I am probably no longer safe on my long solo trips on a 1000+ pound motorcycle, and secondly, to recover sufficiently that both the wife and I feel confident I'll be just fine doing those trips on a Spyder. I'm heading out for a planned 8,000 mile trip in August and plan to be gone for most if not all of the month.

It is a completely different animal from a two-wheeler. Still a lot of fun, but much different. The first few rides may scare the bejeesus out of you, but after about 500 miles you really start to get the hang of it. With three wheels, you may find your riding season is a bit longer than when on two-wheels. It's not a snow machine, but with good tires and some common sense, you are probably much more stable and safer in the wet.

Oh, and I'm 78. You'll find a number of folks in their 80s out terrorizing the countryside on these things.

Good luck, and keep asking questions. Everyone here is willing to help.

jdg

 

[JC4givs]

To add to what BajaRon said (you should listen to what he says), in 2020 the Spyder did a facelift and changed the rear top box. It really changes the whole look of the bike. In 2024 the infotainment screen was redesigned. Also at some point they went to a six-speed semi-automatic transmission on all Spyders (not the Ryker - very different animal), where you shift up (paddle shifter), but the bike will downshift on it's own, or you can manually downshift. Among the minor/major changes:

At some point the factory CB option went away​

The full manual transmission went away in 2020 I believe​

2023 was the last year of a direct aux audio input to the bike's sound system​

The only streaming audio the bike now supports is Apple Car Play​

Three basic designs - the Ryker (entry level, low, feet forward riding position); the F3 (think cruiser. Sit in the bike, not on the bike. Feet forward riding) although it is the sportier of the Spyder versions; and the RT - touring bike. More like a Goldwing than a VTX or Shadow.​

As to pricing - that gets a bit tougher. A quick look at CycleTrader.com shows 2012 RT going for around $8.3k to $9K, but there are some nice looking 2015s for the same price ($9K). I'm guessing that somewhere in the low $8K range to $8.5 is reasonable.

I moved from a GL1800 to a 2024 Spyder RT Limited in December of 2025. Adverse long term use of statins (Lipitor) took me out of the heavy two-wheel game in 2023 and it took me a few years to firstly, admit to myself that I am probably no longer safe on my long solo trips on a 1000+ pound motorcycle, and secondly, to recover sufficiently that both the wife and I feel confident I'll be just fine doing those trips on a Spyder. I'm heading out for a planned 8,000 mile trip in August and plan to be gone for most if not all of the month.

It is a completely different animal from a two-wheeler. Still a lot of fun, but much different. The first few rides may scare the bejeesus out of you, but after about 500 miles you really start to get the hang of it. With three wheels, you may find your riding season is a bit longer than when on two-wheels. It's not a snow machine, but with good tires and some common sense, you are probably much more stable and safer in the wet.

Oh, and I'm 78. You'll find a number of folks in their 80s out terrorizing the countryside on these things.

Good luck, and keep asking questions. Everyone here is willing to help.

jdg

Well said!

 

[Snoking1127]

I bought my first 2018 RTL in the fall of 2020. In January of 2024 I bought another 2018 RTL in the Asphalt Grey color I really like, and did a 6 day 1850 mile bucket list relocation of the first Champaign Color one to Washington State from Arizona. In the fall of 2025 I sold the Washington one, a month or so later while back in Arizona, I found another Asphalt Grey one back in Washington. My son checked it out, took delivery, and stored it for me over the winter. I arrived back in Washington in the mid/later part of May and now have this newest one all modded up the way I want it.

I like the full digital dash that started with the 2018 models. So I am going to have almost identical summer Washington Spyder and a winter Arizona one. The Wa Spyder is the full chrome edition and the Az is a dark model that I have added many of the chrome parts to. All three have/had PPA ORB chrome wheels added.

I took the Arizona trike course on a brand new 2020 RTL back in the fall of 2020. I had been practicing before the trike course on my 2018 and was not fond of the brake pedal location of the 2020+ Spyder RT's. I could afford a couple brand new Spyders if I wanted, however, I like my 2018's. So to me, the 2018-2019 are the holy grail of the funky looking Spyder RTL trikes. The three cylinder ACE motor and SE6 transmission in my mind is the only way to go with a Spyder. All three of my 2018's have had the sprocket and transmission output shaft recalls completed at no cost.

I am 82 and really enjoy riding my Spyder's. I ride a bit spiritedly when by myself and a little more conservatively when riding two up. I am a "car tire" and HD sway bar guy from the get go, having put very few miles on my trikes with BRP preferred Kenda tires and OEM sway bar. But enough miles stock to know the difference that good tires and the HD sway bar brings to handling. I do all my routine services myself, including removing and reinstalling the rear wheel to install new General Altimax RT43/45 tires.

If you have ridden snowmobiles, that really helps in learning to ride the Spyder. Out on the open road, I run cruise control most of the time, just resting my hands on the handle bars and 'gliding' the trike down the road vs trying to steer it down the road. A tight grip and "steering" out on the open road will have it going all over the road.

Good lucky with whatever you decide to buy.

 

[Nokesy]

Thanks for the welcome, I'm new to three wheels and Spyders.

I had two Gold Wings - an '84 used and I bought a '97 brand new, then sold it around 2021 and bought my wife a Mazda Miata when she was going through cancer, but I haven't been back on two wheels or ever tried three. I'm 63 now and met a really neat gentleman in his late 70's/early 80's living his best life and loving the Blue 2012 RT he bought new. We met last summer or the summer before, and we talked for a good 1/2 an hour about his experience. We exchanged information in the event that he ever was considering giving it up. This week, his son called me and told me of the unfortunate passing of his dad this winter. He isn't interested in keeping the the bike and they had already talked about calling me.

I don't know how to accurately value the bike to get a fair win-win price on a transaction if I move forward, and I'm looking for some help.

I used the Vin decoder on the Forum which says it's an RT, but his son said it was the loaded model with a windshield that goes up and down and it has heated driver and passenger hand grips. I don't know the difference between the various RT models and need a bit of an education here.

It has 30,000 miles on it, and last fall the dealership did a major service, fitted new tires - $368, replaced a defective kill switch $616, and did a Fuel and intake repair for $1212. Total bill for repair was $2600 in Nov 2025.

I called and talked to his old service writer and verified that regular maintenance has been done at the dealer (incidentally the same dealership I bought my Wing from 29 years ago!)

There doesn't appear to be any accident history on the bike and it seems pretty clean and well maintained.

I wouldn't feel safe on two wheels, but I might consider three (I know I'm getting older, my reflexes have slowed, and I'm certainly not as strong as I was 15 years ago or so when I sold my Gold Wing) Also, we are in Wisconsin, so I would only be able to ride about 6 months a year.

Does the Motorcycle Safety Foundation allow Spyders to participate? I would take a course every other year when I rode, just to keep my skills up, and I might do it annually now.

Are there good years and bad years in the Spyders? Is 2012 a decent year and how long do these bikes tend to last when well cared for?

What's changed since 2012 that would make me want to consider a newer one as opposed to this bike?

I know this is a lot of questions, and feel free to point me to any good resources I should read as well as your personal experiences.

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences here! I'll upload pictures from my phone once the post is approved for public viewing

My 2012 RSS covered 245,000 klm before I sold it and it was still running just fine. Not as comfortable as my 2013 RT Ltd (I had no hesitation on buying an older machine). There are many here who say their dealers will not work on a unit over 10 years old, but I have never had an issue, I would check on the dealers near you to see if they will.

As long as you take care of the bike and do the maintenance, I don't think you will have a problem

2014 and up have 6 speed transmission and 1300 cc motor. Updates on their electronics as well.

RT Ltd have everything on them, even cruise control, etc, etc. and if you are buying a one in the 2012 range, I would go for the Ltd. nNot much more cost than the RSS or RT, but as you get older like me, the comfort is what you go for.

Buy as new a Spyder as you can, but don't be worried about age as long as it has been maintained.

Researching the internet on each year you're looking at will give you all the information on each unit and pricing in your area.

Good luck.