Spyder RT verses Spyder F3 Limited

[JimH]

Hi all:

New to the forum. I am looking to buy an F3 Limited or RT. I like the riding position of the F3 and seems like I could sit all day on it. Any opinions on either. I plan on doing some longer rides, but mostly shorter ones. I will have a passenger occassionly who liked the RT better for riding, and I will admit I could not feel them on there unlike the F3.

The machine was really neat and I look forward to getting one of them in the near future.

Thanks in advance.
Jim

[Highwayman2013]

The best way to tell is to ride both. My wife has a 2016 F3L and it is great for long trips solo. The advantage is being able to adjust the foot boards and handle bars to make it comfortable. Passenger comfort we have no idea about.

[Pirate looks at --]

No one can really give you an answer to this question other than you! If you feel more comfortable on the F3 that should help answer your question. If you want a passenger more often than not, that should be considered as well. Feature wise they are comparable. Engine and transmission are the same, they both have the same rear sprocket and gear ratios, cruise control etc. The big question is one you have to answer, and only you! Good Luck!

[Spydermike]

You should look at what's most important to you and figure out which one does that best. Also consider how that might change down the road. If I was 10 years younger I probably would have went for the F3.

I was drawn to an RT mainly because I have visions of doing long trips some day with the wife and friends. I figured that was better suited for it (just my opinion).

But really....can you go wrong with either ?

[MNBK]

Just transitioned from a 2010 RTS to a 2017 F3L and said the difference is amazing for her. She has had both hips replaced and said the seating position for her is perfect. Her comments are: easier to ryde, more comfortable, easier to steer through curves and she likes the fact that on the F3 she sits "down in" the spyder vs "sitting on" it like she did on the RTS.

These are just her findings and opinions. The best way for you to decide is to ryde both, with and without a passenger and make your own decision. Everyone is different and looks for different things in their rydes.

Happy hunting.

[DGoebel]

and I do too.... As others have put it you should really try to ride both, with your passenger and get that feel. I grew up( kinda, over the last 40 years) riding "sit-up or lean into" kind of bikes, never felt comfortable in the "laid back" position that the F3 puts me in, but I've only really rode f3's for an hour or less. The RT felt "right" to me and my wife loves the passenger seating and security she gets back there. She said on the F3 she felt like she was gonna flip over backwards (could be my driving style).
I (We) bought the Spyder to do long trips together and have had more of them on the Spyder than the the previous 28 years of marriage with cycles in our life. If the F3 works for your riding style then that's what to get. If you get a great deal and later decide the RT was the "right" one, someone will buy that F3 off of you. They're very popular too.

[Arion]

As several have said, it is entirely a personal choice having weighed the pros and cons of each model. We started with a 2015 RT-S and then added a 2012 RT Limited and are very pleased with their performance, comfort and carrying capabilities. My wife likes her 998 twin and I like my 1330 triple and that means we're both happy.

Last March we rode from San Antonio to Tucson and Bisbee, Arizona, and return and were very satisfied with our RT Spyders. They performed flawlessly both on the Interstate and rollercoaster back roads. We discovered we actually carried too much in the way of clothing, gear, and other personal stuff. We could have left a good deal at home as it happens but, in the great American tradition, our stuff expanded to fill the available space!

Recently we visited one of our local Can Am dealers and examined a new F3 Limited. We were surprised at how much less storage is available. Except for the tail trunk, which appears to have a more useable shape, the integrated side cases and frunk were noticeably smaller, in our opinion. Also we're not big fans of forward controls and short windscreens. The other side of that coin is that the F3 Limited is a very nice looking machine. Still, we're pleased with our choices.

Good fortune with whatever you select and have safe, enjoyable and memorable adventures.

[Kiry]

I'm very happy with my F3. When I hit the dealerships, I was fully targeted on the RT, until I rode it. I'm all leg, and well, i didn't care for the leg stance, and the sitting up high. I much preferred the F3 and that sporty "closer" to the road feel (to me).

I'm very glad to have asked him to pull out a F3 for me to test drive as well. From there, I went and sat in the F3 during my learn to ride course. There I really enjoyed that lean in, and learned to drift the bike.

It really is dependent on what you want, what your body tells you it feels comfortable in, after all you are the one that is driving it. Good luck!

[grandbug]

I own a 2015 RT-S and I have driven the F3 Limited about 5 times on a test drive. I was all set to trade my RT on an F3 Limited until I did a test drive with the wife on the back. Neither one of us were comfortable. So like most others have said, you need to do test drives and figure out what is most important to you.

[Peteoz]

Hi all:
New to the forum. I am looking to buy an F3 Limited or RT. I like the riding position of the F3 and seems like I could sit all day on it. Any opinions on either. I plan on doing some longer rides, but mostly shorter ones. I will have a passenger occassionly who liked the RT better for riding, and I will admit I could not feel them on there unlike the F3.
Jim

This type of question has been asked many, many times, Jim. Passenger comfort is a big factor, especially if you are looking to do long trips. Everyone has their individual reasons for preferring one or the other, but the general consensus has been that passengers are more comfortable on an RT, rather than an F3, for those types of trips.

Since you have already had a test ride, and like the F3 while your passenger likes the RT, it looks like the two of you have to make a call on what’s more important........your comfort as a rider, or your passenger’s comfort......or can one of you compromise? Good luck.

Pete

[blacklightning]

As stated by others, you have to try them yourself and see which works best for you. The only thing that I believe most can agree on is that the RT has the nicest heated grips (2 heating settings instead of just on and off). Other than that, I personally do not miss my RT at all. Love my F3T. But if the wife rode more, I would have kept the RT.