Hello from London Ontario Canada

[energeticheart16]

Just wanted to say hello to all and ask questions about Trike vs Spyder but also how old of a trike or spyder would be worth purchasing. Finances are sort of an issue so purchasing new of either is out of the question but was look for new to me. Aka used but good used. I’m fairly new to riding two wheels (only have 2 seasons under my belt) but am entertaining the option of 3 for reasons I won’t get into just yet. Anyway looking for suggestions, tips and advice. Thank you in advance for any and all comments.

 

[trike lady]

Hello & welcome to Trike Talk.
There are reasonable priced trikes out there, a good used GL1500 Goldwing to start out with

 

[ol' school]

Annette, welcome to Trike Talk!

 

[hardwickbv]

Welcome from Indiana!!!

Bob

 

[Marc H]

Welcome to Trike Talk Annette!!!

 

[Gorilla]

welcome aboard sorry no help just look it over real good possibly have a bike mechanic help you evaluate.

 

[Papa Zook]

Hi Annette,
I would suggest you look at Honda GL1800 trikes. There are lots of them on the market and the GL1800s are new enough that parts and service is widely available and they are the most reliable and serviceable trikes built.

 

[pwhoever]

Welcome Annette to TrikeTalk. There is a wealth of info here to find answers to your questions. I'm partial to GL1800 trikes myself. If you give a price range, that would be helpful with advice too.

 

[LadyonaMission]

Welcome aboard, Annette. Good luck on your trike search. I suggest you test ride various trikes, have a mechanic do a pre buy inspection before you make an offer.

 

[energeticheart16]

Hello & welcome to Trike Talk.
There are reasonable priced trikes out there, a good used GL1500 Goldwing to start out with

Thank you I will check them out

 

[energeticheart16]

Hi Annette, welcome.

From personal experience the Spyder are maintenance finicky. You must follow the maintenance schedule to the letter to have a reliable bike.

From personal experience Honda is way more reliable, even the old ones. I have a 23 year old Wing trike and it just runs with little more than the usual oil change and basic maintenance. Parts are still readily available.

Whatever you decide have it checked over before purchase if it’s a private sale.

There is a place on Keele St. In TO called AM Sales. They usually will have used trikes on sale for a decent price and they go over them really well before they let them go. Just keep an eye on their website. And they deliver.

New and Used vehicles for sale in Concord, ON - AM SALES​

We offer a large variety of new and used vehicles here at AM SALES. Find your next vehicle with us by clicking here to see our latest brand-new inventory.

www.amsalestoronto.com

Thanks for the info. So how far back could I go with the Goldwing without any issues with getting parts and not sacrificing features

 

[pwhoever]

Like I mentioned above, a big determination will be on how much you want to spend. If you are looking at GL1800 models, IMHO, I would avoid 2001-2004 because they are experiencing increased cases of the ECU failing and that could be a very expensive repair. They also had less capable cooling systems which would cause overheating in some situations.

Also, many dealers follow the "10 year rule" in that they aren't willing to touch models that are over 10 years old. But many Honda dealers also aren't willing to touch trikes anyway. Part of that has to do with limited shop space and also specialized lifts needed to raise them. But if you are handy or have a decent independent shop nearby, you probably won't have to worry about the 10 year rule.

Another thing to be aware of, as the models get older, Honda starts to discontinue a lot of the parts. That means being able to acquire good used parts are needed.

There are also several trike manufacturers that are no longer in business so acquiring repair parts will be difficult such as Champion and Lehman. Roadsmith is still going strong as is California Sidecar, Hannigan, Motortrike, etc...

And as far as trikes, I suggest looking for models with independent rear suspension. I just feel it gives a nicer ride than a solid rear axle. Most if not all now use IRS. And pay attention to driveshaft issues. I know that with CSC in early Cobra models had problems with the trike drivetrain. This got solved by updated driveshafts and modified rear ends early 2010's and Cobras along with all models built after that had the updated drivetrain.

Now as far as features, my suggestion is to go at least 2006-up as they have the more robust cooling system with larger radiators.

More on features, if you wish to have one with on board navigation, and especially since you are in Canada, I would suggest a 2012-up. The Canadian models from 2006-2010 are the same setup as the US models 2006-2008. They use CompactFlash cards to hold the map data, are limited to 2gb of data max and are obsolete. The last update was from maps that were over 8 years ago. The US 2009-2010 began using an updated system with SD cards and also had satellite weather and music capability with a subscription. 2012-up also added the ability to upload routes into the Navi. Now if you don't care about the Navi, then going back to 2006 is an option.

The 2006-up also started to incorporate the option for Factory heated seats and grips in the pricier versions. It is a nice concept and great when it works but, long story for another day, the backwards engineering cause them to be sometimes problematic. The 2006-up also added amplifiers and larger dash speakers to the audio system which helped improve the sound.

In 2007, they also began offering some models that featured airbags for safety. The air bag models featured all the options such as ABS, navi, etc... Im partial to the ABS option but some trike kits end up disabling it so you have to pay attention that it is still functioning. I know on my CSC, the option to keep that function is available and I did.

Sorry for being so long winded and I'm sure I still left some things out but at least this gives you a starting point. IMHO, if it is in budget, I would stay in the 2006-up market.

 

[energeticheart16]

Like I mentioned above, a big determination will be on how much you want to spend. If you are looking at GL1800 models, IMHO, I would avoid 2001-2004 because they are experiencing increased cases of the ECU failing and that could be a very expensive repair. They also had less capable cooling systems which would cause overheating in some situations.

Also, many dealers follow the "10 year rule" in that they aren't willing to touch models that are over 10 years old. But many Honda dealers also aren't willing to touch trikes anyway. Part of that has to do with limited shop space and also specialized lifts needed to raise them. But if you are handy or have a decent independent shop nearby, you probably won't have to worry about the 10 year rule.

Another thing to be aware of, as the models get older, Honda starts to discontinue a lot of the parts. That means being able to acquire good used parts are needed.

There are also several trike manufacturers that are no longer in business so acquiring repair parts will be difficult such as Champion and Lehman. Roadsmith is still going strong as is California Sidecar, Hannigan, Motortrike, etc...

And as far as trikes, I suggest looking for models with independent rear suspension. I just feel it gives a nicer ride than a solid rear axle. Most if not all now use IRS. And pay attention to driveshaft issues. I know that with CSC in early Cobra models had problems with the trike drivetrain. This got solved by updated driveshafts and modified rear ends early 2010's and Cobras along with all models built after that had the updated drivetrain.

Now as far as features, my suggestion is to go at least 2006-up as they have the more robust cooling system with larger radiators.

More on features, if you wish to have one with on board navigation, and especially since you are in Canada, I would suggest a 2012-up. The Canadian models from 2006-2010 are the same setup as the US models 2006-2008. They use CompactFlash cards to hold the map data, are limited to 2gb of data max and are obsolete. The last update was from maps that were over 8 years ago. The US 2009-2010 began using an updated system with SD cards and also had satellite weather and music capability with a subscription. 2012-up also added the ability to upload routes into the Navi. Now if you don't care about the Navi, then going back to 2006 is an option.

The 2006-up also started to incorporate the option for Factory heated seats and grips in the pricier versions. It is a nice concept and great when it works but, long story for another day, the backwards engineering cause them to be sometimes problematic. The 2006-up also added amplifiers and larger dash speakers to the audio system which helped improve the sound.

In 2007, they also began offering some models that featured airbags for safety. The air bag models featured all the options such as ABS, navi, etc... Im partial to the ABS option but some trike kits end up disabling it so you have to pay attention that it is still functioning. I know on my CSC, the option to keep that function is available and I did.

Sorry for being so long winded and I'm sure I still left some things out but at least this gives you a starting point. IMHO, if it is in budget, I would stay in the 2006-up market.

Wow that is extremely helpful albeit I don’t completely understand some of it. Lol. I’m thinking I will keep with the 10 year rule as I am not mechanically inclined nor do I know any trike or bike mechanics, at least not yet. Would a budget of $30,00 max be out of line for the Honda trike say 2014 to 2020? I am a total newbie when it comes to trikes etc and just want to do my research and have somewhat of an idea in what I need to ask sales person and also not get bsed because I am a woman. Totally appreciate your words of wisdom. Thanks again

 

[pwhoever]

Was the a typo and your $30,00 budget is actually $30,000?

 

[energeticheart16]

Yup. Sorry.

 

[pwhoever]

And just to add, a good start to figuring out a price on a trike is to use a site like Kelly Blue Book to figure out the price of just the bike (and I would use the trade in price IMHO) and then add about $10,000 to that price. Unfortunately you will not find a site that gives trike values so this is a great option. I would still try offering under that combined bike and trike add on cost to start with.

At a $30k budget, you will find plenty of choices out there and 2014-2017 should easily be in the realm of possibilities.

 

[pwhoever]

If you need any further clarification on anything in that "long winded" post, just ask away. If I can't answer, you will find plenty of others here that are more than willing to help out.

 

[energeticheart16]

And just to add, a good start to figuring out a price on a trike is to use a site like Kelly Blue Book to figure out the price of just the bike (and I would use the trade in price IMHO) and then add about $10,000 to that price. Unfortunately you will not find a site that gives trike values so this is a great option. I would still try offering under that combined bike and trike add on cost to start with.

At a $30k budget, you will find plenty of choices out there and 2014-2017 should easily be in the realm of possibilities.

Thank you. Sorry to sound stupid but what is IMHO. Oooh wait. In my humble opinion. Right. . Sorry ole gal here. Now any suggestions for finding a trike mechanic or what things I need to look at to be sure it’s a good purchase. I know for my bike they said to look inside the gas tank for rust. See total newbie here

 

[pwhoever]

Hahaha! You figured that one out just fine! But if you find rust in a GL1800 tank, you are in serious trouble as they are ABS tanks...

For finding a trike mechanic, I would suggest going to the different trike manufacturer websites and look up their approved installers. Many are also shops that will do repair work. Also by going to the different manufacturer sites, you can also research the different specs to each brand and a good way to learn more as far as the trike kits.

 

[pwhoever]

Oops, I wasn't paying attention that your budget is in Canadian Dollars so with exchange rate, that would be just under $22,000 USD. But that is still a good budget with a lot of possibilities. You should be able to find a lot of choices in that range. As I'm sure you're aware, if you find a dealer with a trike you are interested in, he is looking for top dollar in the sale. Don't assume that his price is what you would end up paying. Used prices have a lot more wiggle room over new prices. Make sure to negotiate...

 

[energeticheart16]

Thanks I’m guessing when u say abs u mean plastic ish. And don’t rust. Lol. Told you total newbie complete girl with little to no mechanical abilities. . Thanks for the mechanic tip too. Will just have to look, be patient and the right trike will show up when it’s supposed to. Great chatting with you Take care

 

[Pegasus1300]

While your budget may be Canadian you should be able to find late model low mileage Spyders in your price range. I would look for an F3T (touring) from 2017 and up. Ask if it has the factory warranty still enforce or the BEST warranty. BEST is the extended warranty sold by Spyder. You may even find am RTLimited in that price range. Good luck in your search and don't get in a hurry.
As an aside my mother was from just up the road from you in Brantford.

 

[energeticheart16]

While your budget may be Canadian you should be able to find late model low mileage Spyders in your price range. I would look for an F3T (touring) from 2017 and up. Ask if it has the factory warranty still enforce or the BEST warranty. BEST is the extended warranty sold by Spyder. You may even find am RTLimited in that price range. Good luck in your search and don't get in a hurry.
As an aside my mother was from just up the road from you in Brantford.

Thanks for insight and yup just 45 min down the road. Say hi to mom lol.

 

[energeticheart16]

Th

I disagree with only some of your assertions.
I have a 2001 GL1800, never had problems getting parts.
Up north it’s cooler so also never had over heating issues.
I have a Honda/Harley dealer who has no problems servicing it even at 23 years old. They also have a huge shop and a trike specialist.

Otherwise good info.

Thank you Appreciate all the various opinions cause I truly don’t know much about any of it. Thanks