Performance mods or scrap F3-S?

[PMK]

Last time I checked the speed limit was only 75. He wants to ride with a group that push the limits, I get it. Spyders are for people that want to have fun but also want to stay as safe as possible doing the thing they love.

I would tend to agree with that applying to many riders of Spyders.

As for pushing the limits, I know I have never ridden with the original poster that I am aware of. For all we know, their limits are possibly less than ours.

I have a friend that says I drive my Tacoma like an old man. He get's furious over that when we go to lunch. If we do a mountain bike ride, he then thinks I am trying to kill him since he can't keep up. It all depends, when I need to go fast I can, but seldom need to any more.

Kind of like the old age and treachery overcomes youth and talent T shirts...

PK

[Mike Ard]

25k mistake on the ride home for you...My first ride was 250 miles, at night, in the rain with a helmet that did not fit. I had several hours to consider various other possibilities. However one common thought kept me headed home, my wife was wanting to enjoy something new to her and do it together. She commented a few nights back after I installed a set of Corbin armrests for her. She is noticing many of the mods are for her...doesn't bother me really, if she enjoys riding and these are small prices I pay, then so be it. She does also realize I have gotten some great used items and since I do all the work on the machine, she knows it is even a better value. Also it is done by me for her.

PK

Same with me.....Thought my 2010 RS was a huge mistake when I first got it but over time learning new techniques and unlearning others came to love the Spyder. Watching some of the youtube vidios, especially the ones bashing the spyder you can just tell that they have never been on one and don't have a clue!

[Bob Denman]

25k mistake on the ride home for you...My first ride was 250 miles, at night, in the rain with a helmet that did not fit. I had several hours to consider various other possibilities. However one common thought kept me headed home, my wife was wanting to enjoy something new to her and do it together. She commented a few nights back after I installed a set of Corbin armrests for her. She is noticing many of the mods are for her...doesn't bother me really, if she enjoys riding and these are small prices I pay, then so be it. She does also realize I have gotten some great used items and since I do all the work on the machine, she knows it is even a better value. Also it is done by me for her.

Mine was only about 60 miles...
When my Missus say them, her first comment was, "They could be like the GoldWing we had, when we were first married." (That was 1983...)
I knew that I was in it... the learning curve was less than 250 miles for me. I was coming out six years of riding a heavily-modified Yamaha Grizzly in the dirt, rocks, mud and weeds...
As an insurance Dude; I've been less impressed with speed, than I am with drivability..
As a fifty year Type One Diabetic; I understand my own physical limitations...

[PMK]

That's the thing about this topic and other like it. Spyders, while different are fun in their own way. A sport bike they are not. A sports car they are not.

Sadly the original poster got a line from his dealer. Whether he was well informed or not was his choice.

PK

[Bob Denman]

Totally!

[spr_chicken]

I ride with a group of sport bikes every other Sunday. Most are 600cc and 750cc. I don't seem to have any issues keeping up with them on the roads we ride on. Most of them are pretty impressed on how well my F3s handles and how quick it is stoplight to stoplight and pulling out of the turns.

[Capt. Bob]

My 2015 F3S is sort of like my "sport trike" because of the light power assisted steering and suspension mods. I have a Harley Tri Glide Ultra as my "Barco Lounger" trike. It took a ton of mods for me to get comfortable with the Spyder. My 250 mile ride home was frankly painful with no backrest, footboards or windshield. I don't know about the OP but when I have gotten the Spyder to the ton mark, the thing feels kind of loose and seemingly pushing through a lot of air. Many years ago, I owned a broad series of sport bikes and they all felt very planted at 150. They were designed for those speeds and there was no drama. Taking a Spyder up over 100 seems like a royal waste of time and certainly was likely not what the machine was intended for.

I would think at age 33 that this is likely not the "bike" for the OP. However, I am also concerned that the OP doesn't have much of an appreciation of the depreciation the trike experienced when he drove it off the showroom floor. I don't think he will be happy with the hit he is going to take on the resale but he could chalk it up to a learning experience. I have NEVER just accepted what someone is telling me that is trying to sell me something. I would do my own independent research and often times found that the salesperson was much less informed than I was at the time of purchase. Oh, lest the OP think that I am just an old geezer which I am, I have a street legal sports car that will do 0-60 in about 3 seconds and 0-100 in under 5 seconds with a top speed of about 160+ .

[Grandpot]

Everyone seems to agree it is not the fasted thing on wheels. If you are the hot rod tinkering type, why not do an engine swap with something that really has some performance. If you do that, the biggest concern will then be vehicle stability. Just thinking out loud.

[StanProff]

My 2015 F3S is sort of like my "sport trike" because of the light power assisted steering and suspension mods. I have a Harley Tri Glide Ultra as my "Barco Lounger" trike. It took a ton of mods for me to get comfortable with the Spyder. My 250 mile ride home was frankly painful with no backrest, footboards or windshield. I don't know about the OP but when I have gotten the Spyder to the ton mark, the thing feels kind of loose and seemingly pushing through a lot of air. Many years ago, I owned a broad series of sport bikes and they all felt very planted at 150. They were designed for those speeds and there was no drama. Taking a Spyder up over 100 seems like a royal waste of time and certainly was likely not what the machine was intended for.

I would think at age 33 that this is likely not the "bike" for the OP. However, I am also concerned that the OP doesn't have much of an appreciation of the depreciation the trike experienced when he drove it off the showroom floor. I don't think he will be happy with the hit he is going to take on the resale but he could chalk it up to a learning experience. I have NEVER just accepted what someone is telling me that is trying to sell me something. I would do my own independent research and often times found that the salesperson was much less informed than I was at the time of purchase. Oh, lest the OP think that I am just an old geezer which I am, I have a street legal sports car that will do 0-60 in about 3 seconds and 0-100 in under 5 seconds with a top speed of about 160+ .

My John Deere tops out at 7

[SpydaRay]

I ride exclusively with sports bike ryders and like a previous poster they are impressed with it as I ride with a couple 600s and 1000s. I never have a problem staying with them and for me it handles great at top speed. Most spokes bike ryders will only get there bikes a little over 100 for only short periods of time. And im only 34 years old. I had a two wheel 600 zx6r and i love and enjoy riding my spyder alot more. I have the normal F3 that i have to manual shift so its still has its fun. and the feeling of going from 2nd to 3rd will throw you back. Its all preference and good riding. I think the spyders arent really marketed well from younger riders and most ppl associate them with older riders and women which isnt true. you can have tons of fun on a spyder young and old. Thats why i have been contemplating doing a you tube vlog to show ppl you can ride these and have a blast. it is definitely not a sports bike but there is nothing wrong with riding it like one as the torque is great in the mid gears. Ryde on fellas. sorry for any typos im not a english major.

[jcthorne]

It's hardly slow. 0 to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds. You must have a very fast car!

2.95secs

Yes, the car is faster. Spyder is more fun....

[ARtraveler]

I see this is an older thread. (7/2015) I am thinking the OP has made a decision. He made a total of six comments and the last one was a kind of ticked off statement. He did not hear what he wanted and moved along.

His final post:
"No getting chains yanked here. And I must say for a community I really don't like being associated with you guys, not all but most have very rude comments to say.

I will not even think of .50 on every dollar are you slow?
I did research and knew it wasn't a 180 mph bike but being promised more at the dealer which we have one which now I know has a horrible rep for lying. I thought it was a little more advanced when purchased no Internet search said top speed.
As for cruises status a ton of bikes include that class including a hyubasa yes it's true, although I'd classify it as a drag bike.
I never expected to keep up with a crotch rocket but I expected more by far.

I asked for advice and thank those of you honestly answering it. Those of you trolling sorry but you're very unhelpful and should stop giving this site a bad name. "

If it was a real situation, very sorry he made a $30K mistake. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Meanwhile, back at the SL site ...

[CA Railwhale]

Thanks for all the advice and if it were not for me having way too many toys as is and most friends having sport bikes I just don't think I'll ever feel the passion of the putting around till I'm much older I'm actually 33 and I loved the looks for ever but the sales man told me many lies to talk me into the f3-s where I was looking at the cheaper rt. He had me convinced it would be better in most ways. Now I do admit it's sexy and will get the most attention no matter what. But I am a little out of place with riders around here. No 3 up clubs or anything and like I said friends just don't ride well with 3 up.
I guess I'm looking to sell before I hack because it's showroom perfect.
I have listed it on Craigs list. Any recommendations where to list it? I paid 21 k and I want 19950 which I think is fair for a 500 mile bike.

One of the major attractions of the F-3 is that there are very few of them around. I'm constantly getting questions about mine. plus it's a blast to ride. It'll comfortably do eighty five to ninety mph which is plenty fast enough for me.

[DriftersWay]

I wouldn't hold your breath for any real performance upgrades in the near future. There just isn't a big market for them. There's more of a market for geezer mods like lighting, extended pegs, floorboards, windshields, and bags.
Enjoy your f3 for what it is and consider adding a second bike to your garage.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

GEEZER MODS LMAO

[Workdirections]

Ok I bought a new 2015 f3-s sm6, and it just doesn't impress me performance wise.
I would be more than happy with a 6th gear with some power but I top Rev my 5th at like 115 mph and shift to 6th and nothing really changes its like the computer stops throttle response. I can't understand how a 1330cc engine is barely faster than a 998cc.
I know it's new but before I wait 3 years for some decent add-ons and I'm not talking a turbo (cost outweighs the performance)
Is there any chance of nanny limiting I couldn't imagine pipes and air intake add that much. I love the torque but I don't like being the slowest "fat kid" (3 up) bike I know I'm not gonna beat the 2 wheels r1 and hyubasas but come on more speed scotty!

Should I just sell it? I do love the comfort and torque. But I can't live with my car going faster

I know this is an old post but can't see this being the last time someone has this query. This is what I found
1. if your intending to ride with your friends who have sports bikes don't expect to do 150 mph on it.
2. You will definately need to make some changes - handling is everything on the F3 so I would recommend changing all the suspensions to adjustable ones (I use foxes)
3. Upgrade anti roll bar
4. Change exhaust

All these will effectively make the F3 make more contact with the road so you can go into corners better and ride more aggressive when you need to. The exhaust change gives you more grunt (sound - i use two brothers) plus adds a bit more power.

When I first got my F3 i thoroughly researched it, test drove it a few times. But admittedly soon found that cornering and stability was lacking now it's fully spec'd up it handles perfectly at speed, the superbike guys i ride with are very impressed that i am able to keep up with them when riding at a reasonable speed (in terms of superbikes). plus it gets so much attention. remember bike life is expensive.

[Richardv]

It has been my experience that more modern engines don't break in as quickly as older engines. The new harder materials and coatings make it so the rings don't seat as quickly as they did in the "old days". There are a number of things that I listen to and feel that let me know when my engines are broken in. First is how tight the engine is when you start to rev into the higher rev band when new and as it frees up as it gets broken in. Then there is the pitch of how the engine sounds and feels. As the engine breaks in the pitch changes and the engine smooths out. Probably the easest to tell is fuel mileage. As the engine breaks in the gas mileage goes up.

That said you can baby an engine too much which is nearly as bad as pushing it before it is ready. My key to proper break in is reving through the gears up to when the engine feels tight and not push beyond that point and never running at a constant throttle. As the engine loosens up I push as far as the engine lets me and is "happy". When I am done I have an engine that wants to rev right to the limit and is very smooth doing it.

As for how long it takes I never go by the manual but rather what the engine tell me along the way. For example our new Jeep trail hawk is just now broken in and has 5,500 miles on it. Our Scion FRS had almost 7,000 miles on it before it really started to sing but once it did.....boy does it ever!

My Dad taught me to listen to and feel the engine back when I was just a kid and the lessons he taught me have served me well over the last 55 or so years.

One comment on sleds is my favorite sled was the original Ski-Doo TNT 340 RV. It wasn't worth a damn in deep powder but was almost better than sex on broken trails.

.....what about the 640.....

[Tazzel]

When I had my RS, I had a crotch rocket guy come over to my Spyder and asked "how fast does that thing go" I told him I had never tested it but I thought they could go up to 110 to 120mph. He said "well I can go 160mph on my whatever whatever" I said that's great but what good is that if the speed limits top out at 75mph?

He just kind of looked at me funny and walked away.

[Trbayth]

When I had my RS, I had a crotch rocket guy come over to my Spyder and asked "how fast does that thing go" I told him I had never tested it but I thought they could go up to 110 to 120mph. He said "well I can go 160mph on my whatever whatever" I said that's great but what good is that if the speed limits top out at 75mph?

He just kind of looked at me funny and walked away.

Don't know what his tone of voice was when he said that but my answer would have been "that's cool. How often do you go to the track?" If he said never then I would have asked "so what good is 160mph top speed?"

[Bob Denman]

c99a7af34ddf47e98658a5c226a29972.jpg

[SpyderF3-s]

IMHO-It's a Spyder, not a rice rocket! SELL IT!

[Considering a Spyder]

I stumbled on this forum since im thinking of buying F3 Spyder this summer and because they are very uncommon here in Sweden i also checked some international forums like this one and some youtube clips. I am still very interested in a Spyder and i think the performance will be good enough for me since im more familiar with cars and atvs then with sportsbikes.
I must say that this thread on this forum made me a bit hesitant because of the tone here. I really hope that this isn't typical for the Spyder community in general.
I mean from what i understand this thread was about someone who wondered how to increase the performance of the Spyder and to me that seems like a valid question even if i personally think the Spyder would have more than enough power for me. To me that question is still interesting more from an engineering standpoint because it seems like the engine of the F3 would be able to handle more power than it does at the moment and if im not mistaking the same Rotax engine when used in other vehicles does have more power so it makes sense to be curious if there is any way to get more performance out of it.
So i was a bit surprised that so many went on the defensive and told him to sell the bike instead of trying to answer the question.
And sorry for my poor English, its not my first language.

[Firefly]

I appreciate the valid responses those that are just commenting to up their posts status, that's just mean I really want to know info. I was sold a bike that had potential and had no reviews I found about performance most were on the 998cc. I am trying to be honest with myself but if there is honestly not a chance this attractive bike can achieve more speed (and I don't drive excessive fast I just like a little burst every now and then) if I wanted a cruiser I would not of bought a sport bike which the dealer let me test in a 2 mile area no expressway test and a pushy sale. Which I do regreat. If I could of had a longer better test I would of know better. But from a mechanical standpoint it has potential it seems to be limited by electronics.
would anyone (without abusing me and accusing me of trolling) have any ideas if it's software\programmer or open intake and exhaust. And would these be a viable option in the future? Or is there not a market for this? After all this was a 21 k investment and I could of bought 2 BMW top of the line racing bikes but this is comfortable.

I'm really looking for a good reason to keep it.
if you are around ky and want it I'll be selling it otherwise after my first checkup is finished. I find it to be fair at 19950.00 (I know this is not the place to sell but it's my thoughts) I'm eating 2k for my taxes and dumb luck. 6th miles on it clean no lean title.

Wow.. where to start...
1. The F3 IS a cruiser.. not a sport bike.
2. It can do over 140mph. Just how much faster did you need?
3. It's a quick bike 0-60, 60-90,etc. are pretty quick. Quicker than the 998.. I've owned both.
4. You can add a Power Commander, but it's not going to give you that much extra.
5. You can still buy brand new 2015 F3's for under 15,000... so the sale price of yours is going to be more in the 12,000 range depending on miles and add-ons.

Good luck. Perhaps a GG Taurus is more what you'd like... 185 HP and runs like a bat out of hell. $80,000 and you can have one. If you didn't get the test ride you needed then you shouldn't have laid down the cash... I would walk and go to a different dealer.

Good luck, but I think you're chasing unicorns here....

[Bob Denman]

Beating the Dead Horse.jpg

[Capt. Bob]

Wow.. where to start...
1. The F3 IS a cruiser.. not a sport bike.
2. It can do over 140mph. Just how much faster did you need?
3. It's a quick bike 0-60, 60-90,etc. are pretty quick. Quicker than the 998.. I've owned both.
4. You can add a Power Commander, but it's not going to give you that much extra.
5. You can still buy brand new 2015 F3's for under 15,000... so the sale price of yours is going to be more in the 12,000 range depending on miles and add-ons.

Good luck. Perhaps a GG Taurus is more what you'd like... 185 HP and runs like a bat out of hell. $80,000 and you can have one. If you didn't get the test ride you needed then you shouldn't have laid down the cash... I would walk and go to a different dealer.

Good luck, but I think you're chasing unicorns here....

Firefly, The only concern I have about your post is item #2 where you suggest that an F3 can run 140mph. You must have a special one because I think mine runs out of steam significantly South of 120mph.

[Tazzel]

Who brought this thread back to life? The original poster purchased and F3 early on thinking for some reason it was a crotch rocket.