My Black Friday shopping

[Woodswoman]

Welp, I made a deal yesterday on this 2016 F3-S, with a shade less than 4,000 on the odometer.

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It should be delivered in two weeks or so, after the brake position and handle bars are changed out for me. Then the long wait begins until Spring, at which time I can start to determine whether this was a good decision or not.

I've covered my tail, however, by keeping my well-beloved Honda CTX700.

[ARtraveler]

Our shopping is also being done by the internet this year. Nice to be able to order anything from my desk.

[BearBait]

Arachnophilia is apparently a contagious disease.

[CopperSpyder]

On the new to you Spyder!! That looks like a nice ride. I hope you get a chance to ride once or twice before the snow flies.

[Woodswoman]

On the new to you Spyder!! That looks like a nice ride. I hope you get a chance to ride once or twice before the snow flies.

Not very likely, I'm afraid. We've had a couple of light snow events here already in the northern Catskill Mountains, and the state DOT has salted the main roads several times. That stuff makes a mess on a vehicle.

I'll have the winter to think and re-think about how I want to fix the new machine up. Mod #1 will be a Baja Ron sway bar, for certain.

[bigbadbrucie]

Not very likely, I'm afraid. We've had a couple of light snow events here already in the northern Catskill Mountains, and the state DOT has salted the main roads several times. That stuff makes a mess on a vehicle.

I'll have the winter to think and re-think about how I want to fix the new machine up. Mod #1 will be a Baja Ron sway bar, for certain.

I’m not saying don’t buy the Baja Ron swaybar, but what I am saying is ride it first, maybe you don’t need one yet. I’ve had my RTS since 2015 and still don’t feel the NEED. Myself, I’d replace the OEM tires first. jmho *****

[justsmile0808]

Oh he's a beauty!!! My first was a 2015 F3-S, white with orange. Also had Shad bags, cannonball seat, passenger backrest, 17" windscreen, short reach bars, 12V/USB power supply on the bars...the list goes on. You will love him - and will be getting rid of that Honda in no time!! I also treated myself to a Spyder for Black Friday - a 2020 F3 Limited in Magma Red (black edition). I think we've started a new holiday!!

[Shadowrun]

Congratulations! Looks like YOU WIN BLACK FRIDAY Its a gorgeous machine.
You made the RYGHT Choice!
I’ve only had mine for a month, and I still just sit and catch myself staring at mine sometimes.

Sorry to hear about Salty Snowy roads. Definitely not your friend.

Newbie to Newbie- All the days I can’t ride, I been reading over the Do’s & Don’ts. And my Owners Manual.
And maybe... I been holding on to it like a dolphin ride at SeaWorld, when its been parked in my garage for the winter...

Both have been invaluable & eye opening this past month.
Lots o’stuff to save you headaches in there.

[Shadowrun]

...treated myself to a Spyder for Black Friday - a 2020 F3 Limited in Magma Red (black edition)

And it came with a Magma Red COAT TOO!

[Woodswoman]

I also treated myself to a Spyder for Black Friday - a 2020 F3 Limited in Magma Red (black edition). I think we've started a new holiday!!

Congratulations!!!

My purchase wasn't a black Friday deal, per se. It's simply that I happened to have that day off work, so I had time to travel to the dealership 3 hours away to look at the machine.

[ARtraveler]

Oh he's a beauty!!! My first was a 2015 F3-S, white with orange. Also had Shad bags, cannonball seat, passenger backrest, 17" windscreen, short reach bars, 12V/USB power supply on the bars...the list goes on. You will love him - and will be getting rid of that Honda in no time!! I also treated myself to a Spyder for Black Friday - a 2020 F3 Limited in Magma Red (black edition). I think we've started a new holiday!!

Very nice.

[pegasus1300]

This is my Black Friday shopping20201127_141405.jpg

[ulflyer]

Beautiful color; congratulations. Make sure they change the oil and filter. Doubt its ever been done with such low miles.

[RICZ]

Mod #1 will be a Baja Ron sway bar, for certain.

I followed the advice of many here AND BajaRon himself. Get to know your bike first over at least a couple thousand miles then do the tires and bar one at a time, so you get to know what each does. I replaced the front Kendas with good car tires - I went with Federal Formoza, but there are other good choices. That was at 4K miles and the improvement was dramatic. After 5K miles I installed Ron's sway bar got to road test it just today. And I have two words to say; OH YEAH !!!

[Woodswoman]

I followed the advice of many here AND BajaRon himself. Get to know your bike first over at least a couple thousand miles then do the tires and bar one at a time, so you get to know what each does. I replaced the front Kendas with good car tires - I went with Federal Formoza, but there are other good choices. That was at 4K miles and the improvement was dramatic. After 5K miles I installed Ron's sway bar got to road test it just today. And I have two words to say; OH YEAH !!!

I have a little experience with this, actually.

Two years ago, my husband bought an F3-T. He offered to let me take it out for a spin, of course, and ... well, let's say I was underwhelmed. The Spyder felt too doggone squirrelly.

Mike joined this forum (his forum name is BearBait), and after reading up and researching, he bought a Baja Ron sway bar.

In my opinion -- and Mike's -- it transformed the ride. I took another spin, and came back grinning, saying, "OK, this is finally FUN!"

[Arion]

Welcome to the world of three wheels. Nice looking machine too. Spring won't come soon enough to upstate New York we're guessing. Your experience is much like my wife's; the single major difference is that she didn't keep her CTX700 but exchanged it for an RT Limited. We now ride three or four times as much as we used to on two wheels and we're loving it.

[Saluda]

Congrats and enjoy.
We have some heavy spenders here.

[Mikey]

I like your choice in xmass shopping!!! But if it was me I would get a friend that has a enclosed trailer and let me use it to move it to a warmer area for a week or two and run it out till you need a oil change, screw this wait till spring crap, come on!!!!

[Woodswoman]

Finally scheduled for delivery. I should have the F3 in my garage on Monday.

<Fingers drumming>

[obiwanbill]

there will be occasional warmer days in the midst of all this devilish 30 degree crap. Same issues in NW Ohio with weather. My Spyder in shop June-Nov this year awaiting Covid delayed replacement parts from factory and of course when all parts finally received, the tech went out for a 14 day "vacation" due to exposure. Bundling up some, had about 4 good riding days since getting her back on 23 Nov.

[Little Blue]

Enjoy your Ryde Time and Stay Safe.......

[Woodswoman]

there will be occasional warmer days in the midst of all this devilish 30 degree crap. Same issues in NW Ohio with weather. My Spyder in shop June-Nov this year awaiting Covid delayed replacement parts from factory and of course when all parts finally received, the tech went out for a 14 day "vacation" due to exposure. Bundling up some, had about 4 good riding days since getting her back on 23 Nov.

Oh, wow, that's gotta sting! Glad you got in a couple of saddle days, @obiwanbill.

Biggest problem with winter riding where I live -- the northern Catskill mountains, ski country -- is road salt.

We've had some light snow events in the last month, and the state DOT has salted the main highways. Well, OK, but I can still ride local roads, right? Umm, no. Unfortunately we had enough last week that the village and town both hosed the local streets with salt and sand. So much for my plan/hope to at least take my new F3 out for a few miles, to get the feel and scratch the itch, and also circulate some StaBil. If I were to do it, my machine would be a muddy, salty mess in short order.

I'm glad at least that it's supposed to be generally good weather tomorrow for delivery, since the machine is coming down from Rutland, Vermont. By Wednesday, we stand a fair chance of having some decent snow.

<sigh> It's hard to be patient. I've been through wintertime bike purchases a number of times in the 20 years since I took up motorcycling. It's always exciting and a drag, all at the same time.

[Peter Aawen]

I know that road salt can be an issue over your way (I bought a really cheap car waaayy back in the late 70's while I was working over there for a while; it was cheap cos it'd seen a lot of salted road miles, but it only hadta last until I left.... and it didn't! ) but have you ever tried Lanotec or Lanolin??

In a former life, I used to do LOTS of beach, salty, & 'highly corrosive sand' miles (literally millions of them! ) and (besides the afore-mentioned) none of the vehicles I used ever rusted out or even showed signs of rust, cos I used (repeatedly) Lanotec/Lanolin as an underbody/in-body/almost all over vehicle part sealer!! I'd meticulously clean the underbody first, even pressure sprayed INSIDE the chassis rails (one of the very few places I'll use a pressure sprayer on any vehicle! ), and make absobloodylutely sure there was NOWHERE that salt, sand, or mud could hide.... then liberally spray Heavy Duty Lanolin around the underside of the vehicle; inside the chassis rails & in any little nooks & crannies that could trap sand or mud or other stuff; in the engine bay; on any moving parts that were exposed; and I'd repeat this often (usually after cleaning any salt/corrosive mud or sand etc off after every longish trip - so maybe more often, but at least every 10,000 miles or so?! ) and after that early experience, didn't matter where in the world I'd been driving, I NEVER had another vehicle with any rust issues! Still don't!!

Me old mate Roothy has been using it probably longer'n anyone I know, and he swears by the stuff! (No affiliation with this product &/or Roothy, apart from some years of friendship as we each went our ways!) Check it out via the link below - easy enough to apply; even easier to re-apply; and cheap enough that you can be pretty liberal with it & repeat applications as & when you feel like it, or even more often if you are that concerned/that way inclined!

https://roothy.com.au/product/lanoli...SABEgIzDPD_BwE

So even if you don't intend ryding on salty roads unless it's unavoidable, this stuff might make you juuust a little more ccomfortable about the occasional foray out there when the roads might be salted!


Ps: it also arguably makes your vehicles a little easier to clean, too! Not sure I'd completely agree with that, but underneath any vehicle, it'll certainly make it easier to get the nasty stuff off!

[Woodswoman]

Progress! The new machine is in MY garage now.

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[glennm]

Woohooooo!!