UK Ryker owners - Is a Ryker Rally Suitable for UK's Potholed Roads?

[forkhandles]

Hi All,

First time posting and have been reading/researching the Can Am’s since being intrigued a week ago researching the Sea-Doo brand.

Having promised the folks I'd never get a motorbike, a Ryker/Spyder seems a happy alternative. I appreciate and am well aware they don’t mitigate risks, with CoachBob being a great wealth of info and advice.

Since I was a kid, I have only ridden on the back of a scrambler, and a short blast as a passenger on a cousin’s powerful road bike. I have many years cycling experience, noting cycling at 40mph is a totally different experience (squared rule) to a far heavier motorised and 2 front wheel unit.

As a newbie, common sense says a Ryker is the way to go, and having gone down the Rally rabbit hole, it seems to be the best option for some gravel such as beach/National Trust car parks.

Watching 1RLiz and her first outing, and my experience with cars and right foot braking, a Ryker seems ideal, with the Rally having the better adjustable shocks for 2 up (some time way in the future) while today I'd have storage on the back.

Watching canamgirluk on bumblebee it further convinced me… until I saw 1RLiz and canamgirluk both separately taking a Spyder out, with both commenting on how improved the ride was. Then seeing Stikflotes post about swapping to a Spyder, for the same reason of bad roads over here in the UK, then takes me down the Spyder rabbit hole, and being used to flappy paddle gearbox changes and right foot braking should be natural.

So I'm looking for UK owners to share their experience of the Ryker and tell me if it’s suitable for our rough UK roads (in places as rough as unpaved tracks!).

I realise I need to learn, and it’s going to take me time to pass 20mph, 40mph, 60mph, and first I need to get all the gear (I have a shopping list) before I even sit on one!

Thanks and looking forward to the journey!

 

[mecsw500]

I ride my late model Sea to Sky here in the US Mountain West. Some roads are like the freeways and the urban surface streets are smooth enough. Up in the mountain canyons where I often ride, the roads suffer from not being regularly maintained and they suffer from freezing water and snow plow damage, so it’s a different matter up there.

My Spyder copes admirably with the less than ideal road conditions.

Having been born in the UK and ridden motorcycles for all of my youth there, the one thing I would always recommend is a decent set of waterproofs. That’s waterproof gloves and boots designed for motorcycling. I always used waterproof outer wear. I really never trusted the supposedly waterproof textile riding jackets and trousers. In England, you never really need Gore-tex breathable waterproofs. Just decent, fully waterproof, over-suits.

There is nothing worse than cold, wet hands, wet feet, or worst of all, a cold wet crotch. You need proper waterproof outer gear that you put on over your regular gear that will withstand all day in the rain. When it’s sunny, just roll them up and stow them as they take up little room. It rarely rains here, but when it does, oh boy it does! Torrential doesn’t begin to describe it. I just don’t trust the textile “waterproof” gear, especially the trousers part.

Here in the US, BRP (Can Am) offers rider training for trikes. Despite only needing a motorcycle license to ride them in my State, I took the course anyway. This was the best thing I could have done to come to terms with reverse trike riding. You can never get too much rider training in my book.

Frankly, with the UK’s changeable weather, the full fairing of a Spyder RT will perhaps make riding more enjoyable by keeping the worst of the weather off.

 

[TheMariner]

"Got any O's?"

Like just about everybody lately, we suffer from potholes & poorly maintained roads down here in Australia too. The advice you've been given is spot-on re a 3-wheelers ability to handle dodgy paved roads, but I'd like to add one extra point...

On a conventional motorcycle, one wheel is straight behind the other, so you only have 1 track to be affected by rough/potholed roads. In a car, you have 2 tracks, but in a 3-wheeler you have 3, because none of the wheels are in line. This means 3-wheelers tend to be more 'bouncy' because all the wheels are all in contact with different parts of the surface. It also makes dodging potholes, man hole covers, etc. a bit more difficult. The Owners Manual suggests running over any bumps with the rear wheel (not the fronts) if possible, but unless you want to finish your ride 2" shorter than when you started, don't do that! If you can, aim to pass over bumps/potholes with your footpegs, so that you miss both the front & rear wheels. If not, run a front wheel over it.

 

[nightfalcon]

I ride lots of pot holed rutted gravel roads. I've set up the suspension as best I can and added a steering stabilizer which makes hitting the pot hole less impactful. You will get better and better at dodging the said obstacles the more you ride. There is quite a bit of distance between the inside of the front wheel and the outside of the rear so it is possible to get past the small ones with some practice.

I have been thinking about taking mine to a suspension guru to see if they can work some magic... They did wonders for my closed cartridge forks on my old Triumph Tiger.

 

[Bfromla]

Dropping the rear tire into a pot hole kicks back like a mule! There are sweet spots that will miss all tires (under the foot pegs) which takes practice & finesse to achieve. Also, to achieve general ryding comfort, practice no death grip and learn how to push off on the pegs when cornering - see the Do's & Do Not's thread: https://www.spyderlovers.com/threads/dos-do-nots-for-new-spyder-owners.41346/

The hardest part for most seems to be just slowing down - too many are in a rush for nothing or too casual at sticking to the posted limits?¿ Find a class if they're available over there, even if just to gain some extra saddle time; maybe test ride multiple machines for comparison purposes; and if doing all that in multiple locations is possible, even better. Enjoy.

 

[forkhandles]

Thanks @mecsw500, that’s sound advice and while I’m not going to be a wet weather rider, and the current gear shopping list is mainly woven material jackets, I’ll ensure the waterproofs in my Overboard bag go with me!

Good advice on the boots too, I had not considered that, and the protection of the Spyder!
I’ve not managed to find a Can Am type school over here, I don’t think we have them in the UK. I’ve found motor cycle schools and shall be contacting them to see what they can offer.



Hi @TheMariner, indeed! One of the funniest sketches!!

That’s great advice, thank you! Will have a look at a reference point on the faring in line with the foot pegs, to be kind to the spine!


Hi @nightfalcon Ah yes, I’ve read other posts advising a steering damper, so that will be on the shopping list, and I'm with you on adjusting the shocks.


Thanks for the warning @Bfromla, and as you and @TheMariner have advised, it’ll take practice, but every day is a school day!

Pushing off the pegs – again thanks. I’ve seen some style of gripping the bike with your thighs, but that would probably be tiring and fatiguing over time…

Agree with you about being in a rush, it’s the same around our big cities, and we’ve got too many speed cameras and 20mph limits in places, and there’s plenty of fun to be had on our British twisty B roads at sensible speeds!



Thanks all, seems a Ryker will be fine, it's down to good riding experience and skills… and adjusting the shocks.

 

[Snoking1127]

If you English blokes spoke American English you wouldn't have such issues, UNLESS it was learned in a Southern State!

 

[mecsw500]

If you English blokes spoke American English you wouldn't have such issues, UNLESS it was learned in a Southern State!

The problem is I was raised in the East End of London. I've been in the US for 35+ years.

I'm now married to an American from the East Coast.

I end up not being able to remember which phraseology or spelling is which. I know most of the differences, I just get confused as to which one to use, especially when online.

My wife and my children just look at me in despair, like I just got off the boat.

I think I'm going to go to my grave in utter confusion.

 

[mecsw500]

Thanks @mecsw500, that’s sound advice and while I’m not going to be a wet weather rider, and the current gear shopping list is mainly woven material jackets, I’ll ensure the waterproofs in my Overboard bag go with me!

Good advice on the boots too, I had not considered that, and the protection of the Spyder!
I’ve not managed to find a Can Am type school over here, I don’t think we have them in the UK. I’ve found motor cycle schools and shall be contacting them to see what they can offer.



Hi @TheMariner, indeed! One of the funniest sketches!!

That’s great advice, thank you! Will have a look at a reference point on the faring in line with the foot pegs, to be kind to the spine!


Hi @nightfalcon Ah yes, I’ve read other posts advising a steering damper, so that will be on the shopping list, and I'm with you on adjusting the shocks.


Thanks for the warning @Bfromla, and as you and @TheMariner have advised, it’ll take practice, but every day is a school day!

Pushing off the pegs – again thanks. I’ve seen some style of gripping the bike with your thighs, but that would probably be tiring and fatiguing over time…

Agree with you about being in a rush, it’s the same around our big cities, and we’ve got too many speed cameras and 20mph limits in places, and there’s plenty of fun to be had on our British twisty B roads at sensible speeds!



Thanks all, seems a Ryker will be fine, it's down to good riding experience and skills… and adjusting the shocks.

I looked up the Learning to Ride a Spyder on the UK website at https://can-am.brp.com/on-road/gb/en/discover/learn-to-ride.html It was less than helpful. Your dealer might have more info. You could try contacting your local Motorcycle Safety Foundation or whatever the UK equivalent is. I remember when I was young and in the UK I took an advanced motorcycle riding course with the police. Perhaps you local Rozzers can suggest somewhere?