How does Oppo feel about the Polaris Slingshot?

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 05/27/2015 at 17:19 • Filed to: None

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So, with my dad and I riding more often, my mom wants to get in on the fun. Problem is, she’s short, with short legs, and she’s quite nearly 70.

So while looking at the Rebel, since her short legs pretty much preclude anything that isn’t a cruiser, we also looked at the Can-Am Spyders. But for the same price, it makes a lot more sense to pick something that’s actually fun.

It seems like the Slingshot mixes some of the best parts of a car and a motorcycle, compared to the Spyder which mixes the worst parts of an ATV and a Snowmobile.

I did get to ride along with the salesman driving, and it certainly seemed like quite a fun little critter, and the reviews I’ve read have been very positive, AND it weighs 200 lbs less than an Elise and SEVEN HUNDRED pounds less than an MX-5, so It seems like a cool proposition for me.

That said, does anyone have experience with these things?

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:22

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I have seen a couple driving around and they look awesome!

Gotta think they would be a lot of fun to drive/Hoon!

Michael Maguire > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:24

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I have no real knowledge of the drivability of them, but I like Matt Farah’s reviews of almost everything he drives... check it out

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:25

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Apparently, they’re fun to hoon.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:25

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http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/polari…

This might help.

misfitmascots > Michael Maguire 05/27/2015 at 17:27

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I like most of his reviews as well

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:30

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They look awesome. Get one while you can before they’re made illegal.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:30

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once step away from this.

EDIT. I thought we were talking about those yamaha trikes. Nevermind.

TheOnelectronic > Michael Maguire 05/27/2015 at 17:34

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Always like to get Farah’s take. He’s not afraid to complain about a car he likes.

uofime-2 > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:35

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There’s the legality issue surrounding them, but I’m guessing that a motorcycle license and a helmet are’t really an issue from your story is it? So that might not actually be an issue for you.

TheOnelectronic > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/27/2015 at 17:35

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Considering Texas reversed its decision and NM doesn’t really give a shit (we don’t even have a helmet law) I’m not too worried.

CRider > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 05/27/2015 at 17:36

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Why would these be made illegal? A trike with two front wheels is stable enough, and they’re legally considered motorcycles so they don’t have to meet crash requirements like a car would.

Jonathan Harper > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:38

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I’ve heard from someone who’s driven one that it’s not very awesome. Interior was not well put together, engine sounded like shyte, and the handling was anything but predictable.

TheOnelectronic > uofime-2 05/27/2015 at 17:39

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We don’t even have helmet laws here in NM, so it’s not a huge deal.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:40

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I’m meh on it to be honest. It’s cool but if I was buying a bike for $20K I’d get a Harley or Indian.

Sam > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:41

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I think their uniqueness outweighs any real complaints, not that I’ve heard many.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:41

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I think they’re hideous and I hope they all gain sentience and crash themselves into the nearest lake so their owners can use the insurance money to buy something that doesn’t assault my eyeballs.

Like the Morgan 3-Wheeler. Those are pretty.

boxrocket > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:41

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The Honda powersports dealership up the street from where I work has a red one on their lot, and I have seen it out and about on apparent test drives, so it’s getting attention.

I like a lot of things about it: Two-wheel steering for better stability, especially versus a traditional “trike”, room for two actually belted to the vehicle, and only requires a motorcycle license.

What I don’t like are the apparent lack of a top (AFAIK, I haven’t researched it), and that it’s a fairly large vehicle for those only certified and presumably used to driving a conventional motorcycle. Also, despite the availability of bright colors, it’s short enough that bro-dozers might not see it.

Preferable to the Can-Am Spyder, certainly.

TheOnelectronic > Jonathan Harper 05/27/2015 at 17:42

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I’d definitely agree that the engine sounds horrible, but that’s not hard to fix.

The interior is good for what is has to be, I think. It has to be able to be rained on for hours and still work, after all.

The handling comment is interesting, though. I’m certainly not willing to get one without being able to drive it myself, so we’ll see.

CRider > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:42

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Its definitely more car than bike, but it has to be more fun than a Honda Rebel so go for it.

If she can afford it, look at the Campagna T-Rex and Morgan 3 Wheeler, too.

TheOnelectronic > boxrocket 05/27/2015 at 17:44

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Huh. The license comments are interesting, since I don’t even think you can get a motorcycle license here without being licensed for automobiles as well. Despite the legal disclaimers, this is very much a car that’s missing a wheel, not a motorcycle with an extra one.

TheOnelectronic > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 05/27/2015 at 17:45

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It’s really not a motorcycle in any sense. It’s more like a cheap Atom that lost a wheel.

TheOnelectronic > CRider 05/27/2015 at 17:46

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The polaris has the definite advantage of not having to cross the country to get it serviced.

TheOnelectronic > CRider 05/27/2015 at 17:48

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For a while there, Texas decided a vehicle had to have a “saddle” to be a motorcycle, thus the Slingshot was neither a car nor a motorcycle, and thus not legal.

TheOnelectronic > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 05/27/2015 at 17:49

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No, no, tell us how you REALLY feel.

Funktheduck > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:50

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I saw one once

TheOnelectronic > Funktheduck 05/27/2015 at 17:50

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Pulitzer Prize candidate for investigative journalism, right here.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:52

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True, but according to NY it is. My previous statement, in relation to myself anyway, still stands.
Not saying they shouldn’t exist for people that want one, but they’re just not what I want.

505Turbeaux > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:53

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I hate the way they look, and haven’t taken one for a spin yet, but vs the Spyder this thing has to be far superior. Those handle like dogshit and just make you look like a poser

ZoopZoopLoops > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:54

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Dear Doug,

Should I buy my 70 year old mother a Polaris Slingshot?

Sincerely,

Zoop

Funktheduck > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:57

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Damn skippy. I should also get something for photojournalism for when I take pictures of cars I see

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 17:59

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You asked first...

CRider > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 18:08

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....

Minor inconvenience, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to do a road trip in a T-Rex anyway?

CRider > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 18:11

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Texas would probably say you need to open carry a revolver at all times to be considered a man, but since when does the Texas legislature ever make sense?

yamahog > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 18:20

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Kinda OT, but for us bikers with short legs, I present the Holy List:

https://www.google.com/fusiontables/D…

scoob > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 18:41

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If you’re concerned about how to live with it, I accidentally drove through a pretty rough neighborhood the other day and saw one of these in a pretty rough driveway there. To say it stood out is an understatement. There’s no way a person in that neighborhood could afford two cars, so this had to be the DD in that household.

So, there is at least one person in the world who DD’s a car you can drive here for 5 months per year.

FlimFlamMan > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 18:45

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No experience other than seeing one in the wild today on my way home from work. It was black and traffic was heavy (as usual - 95N in Miami). It really looks like a lot of fun.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 19:10

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Interesting concept... but unfortunately, ugly as sin, due to the eye-shattering bodywork design, and the wide-side-by-side seating arrangement that makes the middle of the car dictate how wide the front suspension has to be, and with NO taper to the single rear wheel.

Morgan 3-wheeler is a much better form factor, and more cohesive design.

Most of the 3-wheeled cycle cars use lighter, smaller motorcycle/snow mobile/powersports engines, not a GM Ecotec I4 car engine, like the Slingshot does. But Slingshot is powerful.

Frankly, for two people, I would either suggest staggered-side-by-side, with the passenger’s seat offset aft ward behind the driver’s shoulder, or just tandem.

if it is going to be as wide as a miata or ariel atom, it might as well have the fourth wheel on the back. A 4-wheel exoskeleton car like Ariel, for roughly the same money... and I’d take the fourth wheel, since the 3-wheelers don’t lean like a bike anyway.

I have to say, though... the Can Am Spyder F3 is kind of speaking to me, and is much more bike-like, aggressive looking, and smaller than the other Can Am Spyders.

The MotorcycleUSA review compared the three, and it was disheartening to hear that the CanAm had such invasive traction control that kiboshes the fun too early...

https://youtu.be/zuXWHGEBPT0

I still kind of wish there were a vehicle like the CanAm that had tilting front suspension, and used round-section motorcycle tires, for leaning and angular momentum for more traction.

Like a Tilting MotorWorks kit, but with the looks of the Spyder F3, as a cohesively designed machine, not a converted 2-wheel bike... or at least not a converted Harley/clone.

TheOnelectronic > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 05/27/2015 at 19:10

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No, no. Your candor is welcome.

TheOnelectronic > 505Turbeaux 05/27/2015 at 19:11

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I’ve yet to meet a motorcyclist who’s ridden the spyder and liked it.

TheOnelectronic > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 05/27/2015 at 19:12

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It’s classed as one because a “car” needs pesky things like airbags and crumple zones.

TheOnelectronic > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 05/27/2015 at 19:18

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The F3 is pretty much the same size as the others. I saw them side by side and there’s almost no difference. The pegs are also hilariously far forward, like a cruiser.

Everyone I know who’s ridden the can-ams has disliked them intensely. They may seem more motorcycle-like, but they’re really more of ATVs.

The Ariel Atom is $64,000. The Slingshot is $20,000. They really aren’t comparable. The Morgan is also $50,000+

The reason the Slingshot doesn’t have that fourth wheel is that by classing it as a motorcycle, they don’t have to adhere to the myriad crash requirements that chased the Elise out of the country.

And she and I both like the look of it, so that’s not a problem.

505Turbeaux > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 19:21

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yeah, and that is from a motorcyclist who is riding things as small as a 50cc Vespa. Still rather rock one of those than a Spyder

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > TheOnelectronic 05/27/2015 at 20:09

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Morgans are expensive. Ariels, too... but there are other exoskeleton cars, especially kits, that aren’t as expensive.

You mentioned that Slingshot is 700lbs lighter than Miata.

the Exocet kit uses Miata running gear in an exoskeleton format like Ariel Atom, and is 800lbs lighter than the Miata donor.

https://www.flyinmiata.com/exocet/index.p…

The kits range from 7500-8300$... considering how cheap a shagged-out-body NA or NB miata could sell for, and how reliable their drivetrains are... Theoretically one might be on the road for less than 20Gs, although it is not mid/rear engined like the Ariel.

I have heard some negativity about the earlier CanAms, and I understand that the F3 is a similar length, but it is MUCH less bulky, the marketing material says 40% stiffer frame, re-designed suspension, and weighs less, with a much more powerful 1330cc triple, instead of the previous 900CC twin. The only down-side I have seen in reviews has been the significant reduction in stowage capacity, and the higher likelihood of needing add-on saddle bags for that sort of purpose.

Actually, the reviews of the new F3 suggest that the feet-forward seating position actually is sportier (and adjustable for height and degree of preference) on that reverse trike than on the earlier CanAms with the more vertical leg position. Due to the centripetal force in a corner, and since the trike doesn’t lean, and on the earlier Can Ams, the center of gravity is high, it tries to leverage the rider out of the saddle to the outside direction of the corner, and the rider has to brace themselves from the handle bars, while also trying to steer, and can only brace their knees against the bodywork a little bit. I can understand why that would be less than ideal.

Supposedly with the feet-forward, and the 4 inch lower seat height, it is more like the Slingshot, or a sports car “down-in” seating position, and the rider naturally braces through their legs to the foot pegs to resist the centripetal force and keep themselves in the saddle, and it leaves the arms relaxed to more precisely control the steering, as well as having the significantly lower center of gravity for less roll effect.

It is a different game entirely than a leaning 2-wheel motorcycle that uses centripetal force and angular momentum in a lean to hold the rider to the saddle directly, and a higher center of gravity is advantageous for changing lean angle, and low-seat, feet-forward choppers are distinctly disadvantageous to handling, despite being a more comfortable seated position.

While CanAm F3 still doesn’t lean like a bike, neither do any of the other 3-wheel production vehicles, or an ATV, or a car, including Slingshot.

If you like the styling and the aesthetics, reportedly the slingshot is fun, but more akin to a 3 wheeled car than anything even resembling a motorcycle.

TheOnelectronic > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 05/27/2015 at 20:36

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But there’s no real priority on “motorcycle-ness” here. She just wants something open-air and fun, and a kit would just be too much time and effort for a family that isn’t particularly mechanically inclined. I’d love to put together something like one of the less-insane Caterhams, but that’s a significant endeavor, and unlike my mom, I have no compunction about something put together by an amateur.

It’s somewhat academic as she’s pretty enamored with the Slingshot. I doubt I could sway her at this point if I wanted to.

And I’ll admit that I don’t have any riding experience with the Can-Ams, so I shouldn’t judge them too harshly.

As to your comment about split-wheel motorcycles, There’s the system used in the Piaggio MP3 which, despite how you might feel about scooters, is damned cool. That would be neat to see in a motorcycle. There’s also the old Tomahawk concept, which used four wheels that moved up and down to lean.

TheOnelectronic > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 05/27/2015 at 20:44

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That was one of the ones I’d already read. I can’t seem to find much that -isn’t- from a press event.

Xyl0c41n3 > CRider 05/27/2015 at 21:28

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*looks down at the silver plated six-shooter in her thigh holster*

shit, I’m a man now?

well I guess the plus side is that now my lovely republic will consider me human enough to make medical decisions for myself. where’s the privilege line? I want to fill ‘er up.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

ok, ok. disclaimer for anyone else reading the above... I’m joking.

*gets flame suit out just in case*

CRider > Xyl0c41n3 05/27/2015 at 22:36

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When you’re carrying a .45 you get to make your own decisions and draw your own lines.