Pulled the Trigger

[wmjkweber02]

Well, I finally did it. The dealer was offering what I thought was an excellent price on their last 2019 F3 Limited so I finally joined the Spyder owner club. Due to arthritis and age, I know I have to give up on two wheels. I have only been out twice, not counting riding it home. Here are my initial thoughts.

The ride is definitely squirrely. The configuration, with the CG behind the two wheels is more maneuverable, but inherently unstable. When I was flying ultralights, most of them had tricycle gear which is very stable on the ground. When I built my own, I chose a conventional gear design (taildragger). The advantage was much less weight and complexity. When I first took it out for ground work I wondered what I had gotten myself in to. I just could not keep it straight. That wheel layout is unstable on the ground and the plane wanted to swap ends. I finally got used to it, made corrections instinctively and grew to enjoy the greater maneuverability. I expect the same will be the case with the Spyder.

On the plus side, the ride is much more comfortable and quiet than I expected from the test rides and riding class I took. There is plenty of storage for touring, even more than my old Goldwing.

On the negative, the brake pedal is way to high and the dealer says there is no way to adjust it. I have to lift my foot uncomfortably high to apply, due to my arthritis. That means slower reaction times.

The windshield will definitely be replaced. I get significant buffeting and a lot of distortion, I have seen a number of very useful recommendations on this forum. I will probably go with Show Chrome clear.

I need to be careful shifting riding position as a any uneven pressure on the handlebar can throw you into the next lane before you know what happens.

I hope I never need a jump start, as the battery access is not convenient.

The mirrors are another problem. Located on the body and farther way than on a car or motorcycle, I cannot see directly behind me and the field of view is pretty narrow. I added stick-on blind spot mirrors and that helps a lot, but I still can't see directly behind. The adjustment is tricky because there is too much stiction and they cannot be adjusted from the riding position.

On my motorcycle, I always rode left of center in the lane. Likewise, in a car the body is positioned left of center. On the Spyder I have to keep reminding myself that my body needs to be over the center of the lane. When I forget, the pop-pop-pop from the lane markers remind me. I'm sure that will become instinctual as well, over time.

My girlfriend is anxious to ride, but understands I need to get fully comfortable myself before that happens. Not sure how long that will take - several hundred miles at least. On the second ride I was significantly more comfortable, but I'm still not ready for prime time.

BTW, where do you keep your garage door opener?

Anyway, thanks for reading and I just love this forum for all the good tips I am finding.

P.S. I now have a Honda CTX700 DCT/ABS tricked out for touring available. I love it, but I know I need to give it up, hopefully to a good home!

[LeftCoast]

I’m going to leave it to the F3 owners to address your concerns so I’ll just say welcome to the family! Over time you will get used to and love the ride!

[ARtraveler]

and on your new F3. You may find the following link helpful concerning handling issues. https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...-Spyder-owners

I will address a few of your comments. "The ride is definitely squirrely."

The above link will answer most of your questions about squirrely. There is a learning curve on the Spyder. Most find it to be 500 miles or so. It took me 1500 because I am a slow learner. Most find that over control is the cause. Very little input is required. I just bought a 2019 F3L and it is the most "loose feeling" of the six spyders I have now owned. I like it.

the brake pedal is way to high I totally agree. There is an aftermarket wider brake pedal that I am going to add to mine. Hopefully it will make hitting the pedal easier. I still have to lift my foot more than I like though.

So far, I am happy with the windshield and the mirrors. I will give it a thousand miles or so before making any changes there.

The garage door opener is currently riding in my left front pocket. I can activate it by just pushing on the jacket. Very convenient...IMO.

[TheCajun1957]

I changed over to a 2018 F3 Limited from a 2014 RTL. People can state what they will. Here is my 2 cents worth, that I found when swapping over.

1. Laser Alignment and Sway bar will help with the squirreliness. Make sure tire pressure is within .5 of each other.
1a. Next best would be change to car tires.
2. LaMonster Garage brake bar will lower the brake pedal to comfortable level.
3. F4 25" windshield with vent and side wings.
4. TricLED Wide view Mirrors, were a game changer for me.

Doing the items above changed the ride for me and my lady from should I keep this spyder to WOW what a ride.

[ARtraveler]

I changed over to a 2018 F3 Limited from a 2014 RTL. People can state what they will. Here is my 2 cents worth, that I found when swapping over.

1. Laser Alignment and Sway bar will help with the squirreliness. Make sure tire pressure is within .5 of each other.
1a. Next best would be change to car tires.
2. LaMonster Garage brake bar will lower the brake pedal to comfortable level.
3. F4 25" windshield with vent and side wings.
4. TricLED Wide view Mirrors, were a game changer for me.

Doing the items above changed the ride for me and my lady from should I keep this spyder to WOW what a ride.

That's the third WOW I have heard from other F3 owners. Sounds like we made a good decision.

[Highwayman2013]

2016 F3L here. Laser alignment and sway bar helped ours. I made my own brake bar to lower the brake pedal. 1/2" shorter did the trick for me.

[T.P.]

http://www.lamonstergarage.com/can-a...rod-lamonster/

T.P.

[TheCajun1957]

If your girlfriend is feeling cramped behind you due to the smaller passenger seat area, Spyderpops has the top box extension, Worth every penny.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

BTW, where do you keep your garage door opener?

I don't know what the tupperware configuration is on the F3, but on my RT I took an opener, soldered wires from the PC board connections to a two way, momentary on, center off, switch which I mounted in the dash. The opener guts are in a plastic bag under the tupperware. I open either door with this setup.

[ADVentureRyder]

Buying a Lamonster water bottle holder did the trick for the garage door opener. The thing mounts to the left side frame and comes with a neat little bag that holds it perfectly, easy to get at and protected from the elements.