Hope this will help. I own a 2010 RT SE5 and have ridden 23K miles on it. My Spyder died and left us stranded in Mississippi, a very expensive break down. However, I don't mean to bash Spyders, we have loved it. But, we want to do some long distance riding and the Spyder just doesn't work for us. The smallish engine will travel at highway speeds, but it feels like your "grinding down the Interstate" rather than soaring, like you do on a large touring bike.<br />
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I rode my first GW trike the other day and we are hooked. Getting rid of the Spyder and buying the GW which we will convert.<br />
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The Spyder (newer models) are a lot of fun on the backroads. I've done a lot to upgrade mine, but I still don't consider it an adequate long distance bike.<br />
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Ride both, and not just around the block. My breakdown is not typical, and could have happened to any bike, but I can't trust it after this experience.