Do I really need a new swaybar?

[rpatsh]

I ride my F3s pretty aggressive in the corners and am always looking for twisties, I still have the stock swaybar and have no intentions of changing it. the front alignment that Squared Away did on it made a great imptovement on how it handles but I love it the way it is.

Bob

[Machinegunner]

I had the Ronbar on my 2008 GS and my 2011 RS-S. I live 12 miles from my dealer and realized I wanted on my new F3-S. That said, will a heavy sway bar from an RS fit a 2010 RT? I have a friend that is interested.

[Chupaca]

At 200 miles you don't....at 1000 you may still not need one. No one really needs one these machines are set up well from the git-go. Do you think you need one..?? You will know if the time comes....

[MikeinGA]

The F3 does handle well right out of the box. No doubt the best handling Spyder of all. When I do prototypes for a product I depend heavily on 'Test Pilots'. I can't afford to buy a new Spyder every time BRP changes something. Usually I have no problem finding willing Spyderlovers for this thankless job. But not so for the F3. I tried to talk several people into testing this bar kit on their F3, but I got the same answer. 'My F3 handles so well I don't want to mess with it'.

Finally, after some shameless badgering, one of my good buddies who also does installs said he had a customer with an F3 that wanted to have a bar installed. He said he'd install the bar and go riding with this customer who was willing to swap F3's during the ride to compare. I was thrilled because you can't do any better than having a veteran, experienced Spyder rider jump between F3's on a road that he knows. Not to mention the feedback from the customer would also be invaluable.

When the phone call came I was a bit apprehensive. But the word I got was; 'The F3 handles great with the stock bar. But it handles FANTASTIC with the Ron-Bar! Both he and his customer (who was very happy by the way) were amazed at the improvement.

Need, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. But until you've ridden an F3 with, and without a Sway Bar upgrade, it's hard to say, without reservation, that you don't need it. Sometimes we are satisfied because we don't know what we're missing!

But I'm always happier when a customer puts some miles on their Spyder and gets to know it intimately before upgrading the bar. They are much more impressed that way!

Ron you miss one. It makes it safer to ride in high wind and on the highways. When passing/being passed by large trucks that have a large air wake.

Mike

[monkeyboymorton]

I did the RT cast-off sway bar upgrade to my F3. I too thought it was great at first but as I put more miles on and started to be more agressive I didn't like the amount of lean I was getting on roundabouts and tight turns.

With the RT bar it corners much flatter and you can turn in more aggressively wihout so much body lean. It no longer feels like it's trying to tip me off it any more!!

If you were concerned about it making it stiffer or a harsher ride, it doesn't do any of that. It's exactly the same until you come to put some steering angle in.

Can also recommend the 2016 '2 up' shock, much better than the 2015 one. If you have a left over 2015 I would consider it even if you ride solo. Unless you have a 2016 MY of course in which case you should already have it.

[PrairieSpyder]

Ron you miss one. It makes it safer to ride in high wind and one the highways. When passing/being passed by large trucks that have a large air wake.

Mike

I encounter cross-winds a lot here in Kansas, and it's especially tough going among the hills where there's sudden winds. The RonBar really helps that.

[BajaRon]

Need? No, probably not. Then again you likely did not NEED the F3 either. You wanted it, perhaps after you test rode one.

Get used to the way your new F3 handles. Then drive one that has a BajaRon bar installed and you WILL want one too.

I have not had a single customer get a sway bar installed that was not grinning ear to ear the first test ride. Its an amazing improvement. But no, you do not NEED it. The stock bar does its job as designed and will likely never wear out.

Very well put. I should delete my post and insert yours (with credits of course)!

[BajaRon]

Just the person I wanted to ask. So, will a BajaRon sway bar help my F3-S to perform significantly better in terms of body lean around the tighter twisties? I have heard that putting RT sway bars in is a big help. Could you please articulate which one works the best and why? One last question would be, why purchase the upgraded links? Thanks in advance for your answer. I am REALLY, REALLY interested in hearing from an expert on these questions. Capt. Bob

The Stock RT Bar is stiffer than the Stock F3 bar and many have gone that route. The Stock RT Bar will give you improvement in handling and overall stability, especially in cross winds and when passing large semi's on the Freeway. But the stock RT bar is not as stiff as the RonBar for the F3. Though not as pronounced as going straight from the stock F3 bar to the F3 RonBar, you will still get a significant improvement when going from the stock RT bar to the RonBar for the F3. You also get a bit more improvement if you replace the stock plastic Heim Joint Links with the BajaRon Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links because the stock plastic links stretch a bit absorbing some of the sway bar effect.

Some who were initially happy with the Stock RT mod on their F3 got to where they were still getting too much lean and purchased the stiffer F3 RonBar.

When I say 'Stiff', I don't mean a stiffer or harsher ride. The ride is more controlled but not 'Stiffer'. It's something that is difficult to explain but very obvious when you ride.

I had the Ronbar on my 2008 GS and my 2011 RS-S. I live 12 miles from my dealer and realized I wanted on my new F3-S. That said, will a heavy sway bar from an RS fit a 2010 RT? I have a friend that is interested.

You cannot interchange any 2008-2012 sway bar with any 2013+ Spyder model or vise-versa. They will not fit. Within these 2 design models you can interchange bars. But just because it fits does not mean it will give you an improvement. Be careful swapping sway bars. The wrong one can definitely make things worse.

Ron you miss one. It makes it safer to ride in high wind and one the highways. When passing/being passed by large trucks that have a large air wake.

Mike

You're right. And this is a big one to many. Especially those who live or plan to travel where it may be flat, but cross winds are common. The sway bar does much more than get you through the twisties faster. Though this may be the biggest fun factor aspect.

[Capt. Bob]

The Stock RT Bar is stiffer than the Stock F3 bar and many have gone that route. The Stock RT Bar will give you improvement in handling and overall stability, especially in cross winds and when passing large semi's on the Freeway. But the stock RT bar is not as stiff as the RonBar for the F3. Though not as pronounced as going straight from the stock F3 bar to the F3 RonBar, you will still get a significant improvement when going from the stock RT bar to the RonBar for the F3. You also get a bit more improvement if you replace the stock plastic Heim Joint Links with the BajaRon Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links because the stock plastic links stretch a bit absorbing some of the sway bar effect.

Some who were initially happy with the Stock RT mod on their F3 got to where they were still getting too much lean and purchased the stiffer F3 RonBar.

When I say 'Stiff', I don't mean a stiffer or harsher ride. The ride is more controlled but not 'Stiffer'. It's something that is difficult to explain but very obvious when you ride.



You cannot interchange any 2008-2012 sway bar with any 2013+ Spyder model or vise-versa. They will not fit. Within these 2 design models you can interchange bars. But just because it fits does not mean it will give you an improvement. Be careful swapping sway bars. The wrong one can definitely make things worse.



You're right. And this is a big one to many. Especially those who live or plan to travel where it may be flat, but cross winds are common. The sway bar does much more than get you through the twisties faster. Though this may be the biggest fun factor aspect.

Ron, Thanks for your detailed reply and explanations. I just ordered one of your swaybars with billet aluminum heim joint links for my 2015 F3-S. The multiple benefits of increased cornering stability and crosswind taming sold me. Capt. Bob

[BajaRon]

Ron, Thanks for your detailed reply and explanations. I just ordered one of your swaybars with billet aluminum heim joint links for my 2015 F3-S. The multiple benefits of increased cornering stability and crosswind taming sold me. Capt. Bob

Once you get a chance to ride the RonBar, let us know what you think! Good, Bad or Ugly!

[KID Ryker]

Yeah you make sense

Does the F3 come from the factory with a stiffer sway bar?

Pam

No. Did replace sway bar on wife's F3S. Yes it does help the F3.

[KID Ryker]

Need? No, probably not. Then again you likely did not NEED the F3 either. You wanted it, perhaps after you test rode one.

Get used to the way your new F3 handles. Then drive one that has a BajaRon bar installed and you WILL want one too.

I have not had a single customer get a sway bar installed that was not grinning ear to ear the first test ride. Its an amazing improvement. But no, you do not NEED it. The stock bar does its job as designed and will likely never wear out.

You installed on the Wife and sister-in-law F3. And yes we did not need it. But man it nice. Thanks

[Pirate looks at --]

Just a different perspective. When we bought our RT I thought the same thing. Why would someone design a $30,000.00 machine that needs to have a $200.00 part added to it to improve handling and performance. For one they need to keep production costs down as low as possible I. Order to maximize their profit. They are also designing a product for the masses and realize that will all of the different Ryding styles out there they can't customize each motorcycle to the individual because of reason number one. This allows each of us the opportunity to "customize" our own ryde.

So I was scepticsl about the Ron Bar. The most uncomfortable experience for me early on was being on the interstate and passing or being passed by trucks. Even with two up, that motorcycle felt lie it moved two feet when passing or in a heavy cross wind. I kept hearing that th Rone Bar was the way to go. A dealer had a sale with zero installation cost and I went for it.

Our RT is like a rock on the freeway, wind doesn't faze us as we travel down the road, and in the corners all I can say is that motorcycle does exactly what I fell it to do, and the nanny doesn't kick in as quickly because of the reduced body roll.

So so in really we don't know any better until we try something new.

[cmarsala]

So I've had my brand new 2015 F3 for just over a week now and I don't even think there are 200 miles on it. Been doing a lot of reading online about replacing the anti-swaybar. Really? Right out of the box my new Can-Am F3 needs fixn'?! How many people out there are riding their F3 stock without changing the swaybar? Are you happy with it or is a replacing the sway bar something you want, but haven't gotten to for some reason?

Before I bought my 2015 F3S I did a bunch of research, read through the forums to see what other were saying about it and I came to the conclusion that everyone complained about the handling. For a variety of reasons I don't get to ride mine much, so when I do, I play hard on it or should I say as hard as this 64 year old body can take it. All though the F3 handles well, it could of been much better from the factory. Being an old Harley and Hotrod guy, I just had to improve on it to make it handle like it should have from the factory. Since I was on a very limited budget I had to do the cheap and tried stuff, so the first thing I did was the Baja Ron sway bar with the LaMonster links, (the OEM links are PLASTIC) then the 2 up rear shock. Both of these made one hell of a difference, all the sway and unnecessary rocking was gone, handles like a true sports car does going thru the twisties. I also did the cat delete pipe, bottom end torque and midrange power are greatly improved. I think I will replace the rear 2 up shock with an Elka as funds become available. So was all of this necessary, from a personal stand point YES, but not everyone's riding style is the same, so if you're comfortable with the stock set up, then leave it and enjoy your ride, the only person you have to please is yourself

[Martin Slovakia]

So I've had my brand new 2015 F3 for just over a week now and I don't even think there are 200 miles on it. Been doing a lot of reading online about replacing the anti-swaybar. Really? Right out of the box my new Can-Am F3 needs fixn'?! How many people out there are riding their F3 stock without changing the swaybar? Are you happy with it or is a replacing the sway bar something you want, but haven't gotten to for some reason?

For me not only Swaybar is a problem but also the shocks. But that one I was explaining in the video <strong>
In terms of swaybar, I do drive a lot, I do drive a lot like crazy and I can tell you, the whole bike corners much better with the new swaybar + its much easier to turn, like you do have a powersteering wheel.
I did drive on the friends bike for 3min without the swaybar, and then was the time when I really felt the difference.
Would I do it again - definatelly. Is it really necessery? I dont think so, more the shocks will help.

[Tazzel]

For me not only Swaybar is a problem but also the shocks. But that one I was explaining in the video <strong>
In terms of swaybar, I do drive a lot, I do drive a lot like crazy and I can tell you, the whole bike corners much better with the new swaybar + its much easier to turn, like you do have a powersteering wheel.
I did drive on the friends bike for 3min without the swaybar, and then was the time when I really felt the difference.
Would I do it again - definatelly. Is it really necessery? I dont think so, more the shocks will help.

Yes but I would do the upgraded swaybar first then see. When I had my RS I did the front Elka's first and then a year later did the swaybar just because I had already purchased it at the same time that I purchased the Elka's. Could not really tell the difference that the upgraded swaybar had been installed because the Elka's were doing the job. I believe you only have to do one or the other and since the swaybar is cheaper, I decided to just upgrade the swaybar on my F3. Do I think the Elka's would improve it even more, probably.

[Capt. Bob]

Yowser! I got my BajaRon F3 swaybar and billet heimlinks today in the mail very promptly from Spyderpops. There order processing was phenomenally fast. I invited a neighbor over tomorrow morning and we are going to install that "bad" bar and links. As Ron requested, will let folks know what I think about the ride after install and a few rides. Bit by bit, this F3-S is coming together.

[Capt. Bob]

Okay BajaRon, Your product with the exception of a few glitches in the instructions is so right on the money that I can't believe it!

The plastic heim links that come stock with the F3-S are pure crap. The BajaRon billet aluminum heim links are so much more robust, beautiful and functional with the increased structural stability. In fact, the heim joints were pretty frozen up on the stock links. Secondly, when I compared the anti-sway bar from you vs. the stock bar, there was no comparison in terms of beefiness. Additionally, the nylon bushing blocks are so much nicer from your kit than the factory plastic ones.

After installation, I went out and rode the F3-S around some cul-de-sacs we have in our private community and the lateral stability of the trike was instantly noticeable and very much improved. I aired up the fronts in between the recommended pressure to 19 psi and the rear to 29 psi which is right in the middle of the recommended three psi range for front and back tires.

The only glitches in the install were the lack of a heads up on removing the two frame bolts that are underneath the sway bar and need to be removed to get the swaybars in and out. The only other omission was the recommendation that I remove the two small underside ABS planels in order to get to the bushing block bolts on both sides. This only took a couple of minutes and made the job much easier. I was using Spyderpop's v 2.2 for the install if that helps sort out where I had gotten the information.

Unfortunately, we have a 107 heat index this afternoon and I didn't have the energy to ride more. However, there is tomorrow morning

Thanks again for a great product Ron. It is living up to all the hype I read about it and it is NOT a placebo effect (BTW, I have owned about 8 high-performance sport bikes like R1, VTR1000, Ducati 748, etc. so I understand suspension feedback or lack thereof).

[ThreeWheels]

I can't speak for the F3, but I can relate my experience with the RT.
I had a 2010 RT that ABSOLUTELY needed suspension upgrades.
I bought my 2014, and right out of the box standard configuration, it handled better than my 2010 with all the upgrades.
Nevertheless, after riding two up for a season, I got the RonBar and, although the upgrade isn't essential, it's still very welcome.

[Capt. Bob]

ThreeWheels commented that a RonBar is not essential but welcome. A nice sentiment that I think is born out of the application.

In the case of the Spyder F3-S, after a spirited 120 mile ride this morning, I consider the RonBar with billet aluminum heim links from BajaRon to be essential for the following reasons:

1. It significantly flattens out the lean of my stock 2015 F3-S.
2. It allows for significantly faster cornering with much improved suspension dynamics and I suspect significantly increased safety margin.
3. It supposedly helps with crosswinds but I haven't experienced that yet.

Today, I rode the same twisty roads that I had experienced with my F3-S in a stock configuration. It was truly amazing how differently the trike performed and how much I was comfortably able to significantly step up the pace.

There is an analog to this that occurred with my Harley Tri Glide Ultra which was not designed for spirited high-speed curves but takes them much better than non-Harley trike riders are aware of. A company called DK Customs designed an upgraded lift kit (as have some other designers) that put more weight on the front wheel which makes for increased stopping power, lighter felt handlebar pressure and improved shock response. The mod IMO is not quite as transformative as the RonBar but it really helped with the big Harley trike's handling characteristics.

In the case of the BajaRon anti-swaybar, the transformation really "wakes up the trike" IMO and creates a significantly different experience. I know that with time, I could have gotten more used to the stock setup and body lean and probably ridden at this more spirited pace but the RonBar just made the transition so much easier and seemingly much more effective as a dynamic curve machine which is why I bought it to complement the Tri Glide.

Now my F3-S is "whispering" to me to take it to the NC mountains and let it play to its hearts content which will hopefully happen in the next 30 days.

One other thing that made a big difference on the ride this morning were the Spyderpops foam grips (great $14 investment) that I also installed last evening. The stock grips are much too small for my tastes and require more grip than the larger foam grips which allow for a very light touch on the handlebars and for me, increased precision in my steering inputs.

I would imagine that those that are not interested in a bit more spirited riding will find the RonBar to be less impressive. However, for my style of riding for this type of trike, the RonBar is the REAL DEAL! Thanks Ron for taking the time to sort this out and produce a product that has such significant and immediately positive results for some of us. Bob

[Deer Slayer]

...

[Capt. Bob]

I think it is just something that Sheep do. This is what makes the hobby interesting. But then I don't have a heavy F3 or RT. If you want a machine to handle well keep the weight low. Drop about 50 lbs from your body and notice a great inprovment.

Well, I don't know? I guess having owned 96 two-wheeled motorcycles and 2 trikes does not make me an expert, that's for sure. However, I have tracked a 748cc sport-bike and raced autocross with a car I owned that would do 0-60 in 2.7 seconds with racing slicks and pull 1.5 g's without wings or 3 g's with front/rear wings, but what would I know Baaaaaaa, the bleating of a sheep Have you even ever seen a stock F3-S sway bar vs. the BajaRon, Ronbar before posting your insightful thoughts? I guess everybody is an expert on the Internet

[Pampurrs]

Well, I don't know? I guess having owned 96 two-wheeled motorcycles and 2 trikes does not make me an expert, that's for sure. However, I have tracked a 748cc sport-bike and raced autocross with a car I owned that would do 0-60 in 2.7 seconds with racing slicks and pull 1.5 g's without wings or 3 g's with front/rear wings, but what would I know Baaaaaaa, the bleating of a sheep Have you even ever seen a stock F3-S sway bar vs. the BajaRon, Ronbar before posting your insightful thoughts? I guess everybody is an expert on the Internet

Since we're all sheep, I guess maybe BajaRon should change his name to Baaaaa ha Ron

But he did refer to riding as a "Hobby" so perhaps he was confusing us with his knitting club.

Pam

[Malathion]

Why all the hate on OEM links. I was visiting a friend recently that ride BRP sleds and four wheelers. On inspection I seen they use the same plastic links my Spyder has. His machines see terrain and jumps climb over logs and what not all. I ask him if he kept spares in case I'd ever need one and was told he had never broken one yet on any of his six machines.
So are you all having a different experience?

[Capt. Bob]

Why all the hate on OEM links. I was visiting a friend recently that ride BRP sleds and four wheelers. On inspection I seen they use the same plastic links my Spyder has. His machines see terrain and jumps climb over logs and what not all. I ask him if he kept spares in case I'd ever need one and was told he had never broken one yet on any of his six machines.
So are you all having a different experience?

Malathion, No hate on this end.

However, in post #33, BajaRon advised "You also get a bit more improvement if you replace the stock plastic Heim Joint Links with the BajaRon Billet Aluminum Heim Joint Links because the stock plastic links stretch a bit absorbing some of the sway bar effect."

What did surprise me is that my 2015 factory demonstrator F3-S Heim Joints with 6k miles were frozen on the stock links. That was not impressive to me. Ron does not seem to overplay the benefits of his billet aluminum links by stating you get a "bit more improvement" and for the extra $60 something bucks, I figured what the heck. When I did remove the OEM links and found the heim joints to be frozen, I figured that they might not be providing as much support for the flexing of the RonBar as the billet aluminum ones. I had asked this specific question in a previous post on this thread to ascertain why I should spend an extra almost $70 for the BajaRon links. Another company selling the RonBar offers their own links (Lamonster) but I figured that Ron had likely done extensive testing before coming to market with his specific links so I went with those. Not being an engineer or having much experience with these machines, I felt it prudent to rely on the inventor's suggestions. No hate whatsoever for the stock setup in general. However, it surprised me how much body lean there was in the stock configuration for the F3-S which is suppose to be a flagship performance trike and I prefer a more taut ride to negotiate twisties more adroitly.