Utter Crap in 2015 BRP released the new F3 series, F3 manual and the F3-S was Semi there was never a F3-S manual
Sorry Bruce but that simply is incorrect. They've always offered the F3-S in both manual and semi-auto. There are people out here who own them.
Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
Sorry Bruce but that simply is incorrect. They've always offered the F3-S in both manual and semi-auto. There are people out here who own them.
Ok I here what you saying Firefly its just odd I have never struck that here in NZ and I've been involved in selling the F3 series here since they arrived. I take it all back what I said.
Ok I here what you saying Firefly its just odd I have never struck that here in NZ and I've been involved in selling the F3 series here since they arrived. I take it all back what I said.
Maybe things are different over there?
Spyder #1 - 2008 GS SM5 Premier Edition #1977. RIP after 80,000 miles.
Spyder #2 - 2012 RT SM5. Traded in after 24,000 miles.
Spyder #3 - 2015 F3 SM6. Put 13,000 miles on and sold it.
Spyder #4 - 2017 F3 SM6. Too good of a deal to pass up!
For me I want the F3-S with the manual transmission. I already have a 2015 RT Ltd with the semi auto so when the wife rides it I want to go back to the clutch and shifting gears.
As spring is fast approaching, I have to reconsider the lever effort on my wife's' F3s. I put the assist kit on last summer, and to tell you the truth, I see "MAYBE" a 10% improvement. Dont get me wrong, it is improved. But She needs a better lever pull than that. And frankly, the improvement was not worth the money. So I guess I'm asking, have any of you had this same experience, and what did you do about it?
I'm considering putting a small vacuum canister in line to the solenoid.
Thanks Dave.
I have a 2015 F3S SM6, yup you read it here, it's a 6 speed manual, Sorry Bruce!
Damn, I was wondering all this time what that silver thing was on the left side of my handlebar on my F3S I thought maybe it was a brake lever but was told that my 2015 F3S only has a foot brake lever I thought my trike was a semi-auto so I just STOMP on that little lever on the left side of the engine and it seems to shift gears semi-automatically. Since I don't have a hand paddle, I can't use the stomping technique to make that little lever go the other way.
As spring is fast approaching, I have to reconsider the lever effort on my wife's' F3s. I put the assist kit on last summer, and to tell you the truth, I see "MAYBE" a 10% improvement. Dont get me wrong, it is improved. But She needs a better lever pull than that. And frankly, the improvement was not worth the money. So I guess I'm asking, have any of you had this same experience, and what did you do about it?
I'm considering putting a small vacuum canister in line to the solenoid.
Thanks Dave.
I had our dealership install my clutch assist and it helps me, but everyones hands are different. Riding with a cramped hand is not fun. Been there, done that.
If you start a new thread with your clutch assist problem/solution, someone will know how to help you.
Joy
Very Happy Ryder... '09 Phantom and a '15 F3-S
If you don't slow down, they can't catch you..
If you don't give up, they can't win.
What a long strange journey its been.
I personally do not feel a need for a clutch assist on my 2015 F3S but do realize how stout it is in terms of pressure required to pull in and keep the lever in the disengaged mode. When I am in town, I immediately shift into neutral to prevent any extra strain on my hand/wrist/arm. It is amazing that the clutch handle on my Spyder is more stout than my Harley Davidson trike which is a machine not built to as elegant standards IMHO.
And to make matters even more confusing, BRP dropped the manual option from the F3T and L for 2018. Not available on the RTL either and the RTS was discontinued.
So now the only bikes available with the manual are the base model F3 and base model RT.
And to make matters even more confusing, BRP dropped the manual option from the F3T and L for 2018. Not available on the RTL either and the RTS was discontinued.
So now the only bikes available with the manual are the base model F3 and base model RT.
...odd - BRP's website shows the 2018 F3-S and F3-T as having a manual option (selected for them to "help me choose" and then selected manual transmission from the filter options).
.....maybe they're stopped in 2019? ....or for only specific markets for 2018?
Boris - The Spyder
Monster FI Stage 1, Elka Stage 2 F&R, BajaRon Swaybar, Lamonster Links,
Akrapovic Straight Shot Silencer, Madstad Windshield, Cannonball Seats, Driver Backrest, Driver Footboards,
15" Fat 6 Chrome Wheels, LED Headlights, LED Fog Lights, Chrome Handlebars, Chrome Frame Caps, Front Cargo 12v Power Outlet Kit,
Ram Phone Mount, USB Power (Handlebars), Full-Size Brake Pedal, Lamonster 3rd Peg w/ Kuryakyn Trident Large ISO-Pegs, Cross-Country Detachable Saddlebags
2015 F3 , Stock I use the Extended Brake Pedal Silver with black stripes and Can-Am Red/Orange accents
To tell you the truth I LOVED the 5 Speed manual on my 2012 RT because of the ease of shifting and the wide Gears- Hitting 60 in 2nd Gear- Now my 2015 F3 (With the vacuum assist) is More of a Pain in the Butt because of the gearing? If I were getting a 6 speed I would get the SE6 !!!
fortunately I do not have a problem with the clutch effort but I have heard several who do. I notice that the Spyder hydraulic line is a somewhat small diameter(at least to me). At a Honda dealer today I looked at the size of the hydraulic clutch lines on other bikes to compare. A Honda Wing, and some other Honda have larger diameter lines as do BMW and Yamaha. I would look to those with hydraulic experience to comment on what a larger line might do to lessen the force needed to operate a hydraulic clutch.
Not offering this as a suggestion, just a curious question.
Well, I did it this weekend... installed the F3 upgrade clutch 'kit' to get the vacuum assist.
I have the installation instructions from BRP in a PDF format... going to doctor them up a little and then will share with anyone who wants them.
It's a simple install, but also a pain in the ass. Getting the hose that runs from the clutch cover to the intake snorkel off the intake was a royal pain.... and I ended up breaking the 'nipple' off.
I've got some pics I'll share when I get some time. Instead of trying to epoxy the 'nipple' back on I decided to plug the hole and then just drill a new one into the snorkel. I then used a 1/4" threaded to barbed PVC fitting and epoxied it to the snorkel. At least I think it was 1/4"...it was small for sure. This gave it better stability since the threaded part went inside of the snorkel. The hose went on the barbed side just fine.
The hoses are barely long enough to reach to the other side where they have you put the solenoid, which I ended up zip tying instead of mounting with screws.. it's just too damn tight to do much work in there!
One thing the instructions leave out is which way to have the arrow on the check valve point. It should point TOWARDS the air intake (away from the solenoid).
Anyhow.. it works like a charm and my carpal tunnel will be happier now!
While I had it apart I also put in Lamont's LED headlight bulbs and his LED foglight kit. Both were super simple installs and well made products.
If anyone wants a copy of the PDF install for the clutch, send me a PM with your email and I'll forward it over. I'll also try and see how to post a PDF out here.
Do you have the part number for the kit to get the vacuum assist? I was just at my dealer and they couldn't find it. Never mind, I found the pdf file that was posted. Sorry about that.
Last edited by CA Railwhale; 03-31-2018 at 05:17 PM.
Do you have the part number for the kit to get the vacuum assist? I was just at my dealer and they couldn't find it. Never mind, I found the pdf file that was posted. Sorry about that.
The parts for the vacuum assist are in, parts cost is $170.00 and the dealer estimates a hour and a half labor for the installation. Total about $340.00 and it looks to be well worth it since I now have clutch elbow and the doctor won't allow me to ride the bike.
The dealer installed the vacuum assist today. It's an immense improvement. The funny thing is that they couldn't find the service bulletin and when they called BRP they were first told it woldn't work on a F3, then they got a call back from someone else who got them the documentation.
Originally Posted by Bruce B
Utter Crap in 2015 BRP released the new F3 series, F3 manual and the F3-S was Semi there was never a F3-S manual
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I thought maybe it was a brake lever but was told that my 2015 F3S only has a foot brake lever
I thought my trike was a semi-auto so I just STOMP on that little lever on the left side of the engine and it seems to shift gears semi-automatically. Since I don't have a hand paddle, I can't use the stomping technique to make that little lever go the other way. 
Ryder... 
