RS rider takes the F3 for a demo ride.

[DrewNJ]

Not really disagreeing. Also, i would never say I'm faster than anyone, that's not my style..... We ride, and enjoy riding. We also don't care what anyone else chooses to ride, as long as they DO ride it. We have fun on everything, and I find myself very lucky to see some really interesting machines. We DO ride pretty hard sometimes and I've had a lot of fun on track days too!

The cram down throat comment is a generalization, not directed at you. It's funny because every time something new comes out, there is all the hype and hoopla and the people on here saying its so much better....blah blah blah, gotta buy and "trade up"... Blah blah blah.... Then the smoke clears and people realize that it's not always the truth. Seeing quite a few newer very low mileage f3s out there.....

As for people moving from RS to f3, that's great. But a lot of those moves were people who do more cruising/touring and many already had their RS setup that way. Remember, for a long time the RS was about the only thing out there so cruiser peeps were converting an RS to a cruiser. The f3 is a cruiser by design, so it works.
However, I have yet to see any true RS sport rider go to an f3 for performance gains, mainly for the reasons a few of us have posted.
Remember, the average age on here caters to the cruiser/touring comfort crowd....not the sport riding crowd.

What's even funnier is that I unfortunately find my RS moving to that sport touring end of things as its seeing more 2 up riding than solo. Mainly because I have other bikes that are more fun to chase the corners on.....maybe I'll buy an f3 or RT....but if I do I already know I'm going to be slower in the curves.

[Ogre]

Well, I went for an Indian Demo Day at the local dealer, who also is the only CanAm dealer around. While there I sat on every CanAm he had. Sadly, they do not allow test rides except for "demo-days" and this was one of the few that I could make and it was ONLY the Indians. That being said. The RS was surprisingly comfortable, but I would need floor-boards (he had a used model with ISCI (?) boards that I loved, but not the seat which pushed my 6'5" self WAY too close to the handlebars. The RT was OK, but too busy. I loved the ST and the F3 felt like home. I did notice that even just sitting on them, my tailbone was supporting all my weight when sitting on the F3, but I did feel like I was sitting IN as opposed to on the bike. Ergonomically, the F3 is ideal for me, at least without test riding. I really wish that more folks around here and with whom I ride had Spyders, that would let me take them for a spin, especially the different seating positions!

[Mike Ard]

Not really disagreeing. Also, i would never say I'm faster than anyone, that's not my style..... We ride, and enjoy riding. We also don't care what anyone else chooses to ride, as long as they DO ride it. We have fun on everything, and I find myself very lucky to see some really interesting machines. We DO ride pretty hard sometimes and I've had a lot of fun on track days too!

The cram down throat comment is a generalization, not directed at you. It's funny because every time something new comes out, there is all the hype and hoopla and the people on here saying its so much better....blah blah blah, gotta buy and "trade up"... Blah blah blah.... Then the smoke clears and people realize that it's not always the truth. Seeing quite a few newer very low mileage f3s out there.....

As for people moving from RS to f3, that's great. But a lot of those moves were people who do more cruising/touring and many already had their RS setup that way. Remember, for a long time the RS was about the only thing out there so cruiser peeps were converting an RS to a cruiser. The f3 is a cruiser by design, so it works.
However, I have yet to see any true RS sport rider go to an f3 for performance gains, mainly for the reasons a few of us have posted.
Remember, the average age on here caters to the cruiser/touring comfort crowd....not the sport riding crowd.

What's even funnier is that I unfortunately find my RS moving to that sport touring end of things as its seeing more 2 up riding than solo. Mainly because I have other bikes that are more fun to chase the corners on.....maybe I'll buy an f3 or RT....but if I do I already know I'm going to be slower in the curves.

When I bought my 2010 RS I was initially very disapointed in the handling as it was not much fun "chasiing" corners. It came with crappy shocks and there was not much information on how to keep it from wallowing around anytime you tried to push it into a corner. After spending thousands on shocks, sway bars, shock relocater blocks, exhaust, seat and numerous handle bars finally got it where it was ok cornering. Still no where near what my motorcycles did in the past but acceptable. I don't know what it takes to be defined as a "true RS sport rider" but I did everything I knew how to do trying to get my RS to be able to handle the tight twisty roads we have in Idaho.

I will say that I have not ridden a bone stock F3 as mine was set up with the Baja Ron Sway bar, upgraded Fox float shocks all around and cat delete pipe but as I have said comparing the RS to the F3 the F3 comes out on top. Faster, smoother, more comfortable and better handling. I actually have fun "chasing corners" again. Corners that I had to slow down on the RS I am able to accelerate through much better than on my RS. Say what you want about the seating position but being seated 3 plus inches lower helps along with where your legs are help in hard cornering.

I get the sport bike seating position on motorcycles that lean in the corners, but on the can am RS never worked for me. Sit too high so forces in hard cornering trying to push you off to the outside and being all scrunched up just never worked.

You said you have yet to see a "true RS sport rider" go to an F3 for performance gains and maybe I am not classified as "true" but I did buy my F3 for the improved performance and handling and am very happy that I did.

[Sarge707]

When I bought my 2010 RS I was initially very disapointed in the handling as it was not much fun "chasiing" corners. It came with crappy shocks and there was not much information on how to keep it from wallowing around anytime you tried to push it into a corner. After spending thousands on shocks, sway bars, shock relocater blocks, exhaust, seat and numerous handle bars finally got it where it was ok cornering. Still no where near what my motorcycles did in the past but acceptable. I don't know what it takes to be defined as a "true RS sport rider" but I did everything I knew how to do trying to get my RS to be able to handle the tight twisty roads we have in Idaho.

I will say that I have not ridden a bone stock F3 as mine was set up with the Baja Ron Sway bar, upgraded Fox float shocks all around and cat delete pipe but as I have said comparing the RS to the F3 the F3 comes out on top. Faster, smoother, more comfortable and better handling. I actually have fun "chasing corners" again. Corners that I had to slow down on the RS I am able to accelerate through much better than on my RS. Say what you want about the seating position but being seated 3 plus inches lower helps along with where your legs are help in hard cornering.

I get the sport bike seating position on motorcycles that lean in the corners, but on the can am RS never worked for me. Sit too high so forces in hard cornering trying to push you off to the outside and being all scrunched up just never worked.

You said you have yet to see a "true RS sport rider" go to an F3 for performance gains and maybe I am not classified as "true" but I did buy my F3 for the improved performance and handling and am very happy that I did.

With Every Word!!! I traded my GS because I was starting to "Worry" about the forces in hard corners trying to un-seat me and the Inability to Brake as hard as I "Might" need to with the crotch rocket position.
The F3 Has Given me the Confidence to corner Harder than ever and Stop on a dime- I do test emergency stops and the F3 is superb! With that 3 cylinder torque You "Feel" like your sitting on a Hot Rod!
Only thing (Selfish) is I wish it had the gearing of the 2012RT Manual 5 Speed because I wasn't shifting out of second till I hit 60 mph if I was in a rush and I feel the extra gear on the Manual F3 gets in the way of acceleration- BUT I understand the touring people need 6 gears So I'm OK with it!

[TommyBwell]

I did not post earlier because I have not pushed my F3 hard in the corners so this morning I did. As mentioned if we we're talking about two-wheelers there is no question that you can go faster with your feet under you than in front of you as your feet can play a much more important role in your steering than they do on a Spyder. I feel the most important thing for the rider on a Spyder in a fast corner is to lower your center of gravity and not get thrown off. You do not have the ability to influence the direction of the Spyder by weighting one peg or the other. When I was cornering fast and hard this morning I was pushing myself hard into the seat with my outside leg gripping the tank with my inside leg and sliding my inside cheek slightly off the seat to the inside while moving my body towards the inside hand grip. The forward pegs gave me additional leverage to push myself securely into the seat. I felt attached and fast. With that ability combined with the lower CG, relaxed nanny allowing you to better pivot the machine through the corner plus the additional HP and torque I feel that any rider could go faster through the twisties on an F3 than anything else in the Can-Am lineup. IMHO YMMV

[Mike Ard]

I stayed out of this because I have not pushed my F3 hard in the corners so this morning I did. As mentioned if we we're talking about two-wheelers there is no question that you can go faster with your feet under you than in front of you as your feet can play a much more important role in your steering than they do on a Spyder. I feel the most important thing for the rider on a Spyder in a fast corner is to lower your center of gravity and not get thrown off. You do not have the ability to influence the direction of the Spyder by weighting one peg or the other. When I was cornering fast and hard this morning I was pushing myself hard into the seat with my outside leg gripping the tank with my inside leg and sliding my inside cheek slightly off the seat to the inside while moving my body towards the inside hand grip. The forward pegs gave me additional leverage to push myself securely into the seat. I felt attached and fast. With that ability combined with the lower CG, relaxed nanny allowing you to better pivot the machine through the corner plus the additional HP and torque I feel that any rider could go faster through the twisties on an F3 than anything else in the Can-Am lineup. IMHO YMMV

I'm not trying o start an argument and I do understand the sport bike riding position on motorcycles. The harder you lean into a corner the more you are pushed into the bike by the natural dynamic forces. Since the spyder doesn't lean I always felt like I was fighting the natural tendency to push me off to the outside. I don't get that feeling on the F3 and am able to crank through the corners faster than I ever could on the RS.

[TommyBwell]

I'm not trying o start an argument and I do understand the sport bike riding position on motorcycles. The harder you lean into a corner the more you are pushed into the bike by the natural dynamic forces. Since the spyder doesn't lean I always felt like I was fighting the natural tendency to push me off to the outside. I don't get that feeling on the F3 and am able to crank through the corners faster than I ever could on the RS.

I agree with you and feel the ability to push back into the seat helps. I don't think it's an argument but a discussion of different opinions on a forum. I'm just didn't have one before today other than knowing the F3 starts with a lower CG and a softer nanny.

[qasamm]

I can push my F3 harder than my custom RS that I thought was perfect. The F3 has a better throttle roll, great positioning and more options on pedals/bars for riding position.


Sam Mancuso
2015 F3-S and 2009 RS

[torquehound]

My dealer has my RS in the shop right now. They are still waiting for parts but were awesome enough to loan me an F3S for the weekend so I could still go on a planned ride. I think I am in love.

[Rob Rodriguez]

" You do not have the ability to influence the direction of the Spyder by weighting one peg or the other."

This simply is not true. I can't speak to an F3 but if you ride your RS with the bars straight and you apply pressure to one of the foot pegs the bike will drift in that direction. A snowmobile works exactly the same way and the technique works on both an RS and a sled.



"Since the spyder doesn't lean I always felt like I was fighting the natural tendency to push me off to the outside. I don't get that feeling on the F3 and am able to crank through the corners faster than I ever could on the RS."

I agree with this and it confirms what I have said previously. You allow yourself to ride faster, harder on the F3 because you feel more comfortable without the feeling of being pushed off. That doesn't mean the F3 has any greater performance (power, handling, etc) than the RS (or RT or ST), it just means you allow yourself to reach a greater performance level because you feel more comfortable.

Wow, this thread has taken on a life of its own.........It all comes down to what works best for you for each of the bikes. Not everyone is the same. Ask 50 people the same question and you get 50 different answers. Ride 50 bikes and you'll have pros and cons for all of them. We are all on the same Spyder team here. Just because the F3 doesn't work for me doesn't mean I'm trying to convince everyone else it wouldn't work for them. We are all free to have our own opinions and choices.

[Sarge707]

" You do not have the ability to influence the direction of the Spyder by weighting one peg or the other."

This simply is not true. I can't speak to an F3 but if you ride your RS with the bars straight and you apply pressure to one of the foot pegs the bike will drift in that direction. A snowmobile works exactly the same way and the technique works on both an RS and a sled.



"Since the spyder doesn't lean I always felt like I was fighting the natural tendency to push me off to the outside. I don't get that feeling on the F3 and am able to crank through the corners faster than I ever could on the RS."

I agree with this and it confirms what I have said previously. You allow yourself to ride faster, harder on the F3 because you feel more comfortable without the feeling of being pushed off. That doesn't mean the F3 has any greater performance (power, handling, etc) than the RS (or RT or ST), it just means you allow yourself to reach a greater performance level because you feel more comfortable.

Wow, this thread has taken on a life of its own.........It all comes down to what works best for you for each of the bikes. Not everyone is the same. Ask 50 people the same question and you get 50 different answers. Ride 50 bikes and you'll have pros and cons for all of them. We are all on the same Spyder team here. Just because the F3 doesn't work for me doesn't mean I'm trying to convince everyone else it wouldn't work for them. We are all free to have our own opinions and choices.

Well said!! It obviously Is Not for everyone because they are having a Hard time selling them? I Like mine !

[Mike Ard]

" You do not have the ability to influence the direction of the Spyder by weighting one peg or the other."

This simply is not true. I can't speak to an F3 but if you ride your RS with the bars straight and you apply pressure to one of the foot pegs the bike will drift in that direction. A snowmobile works exactly the same way and the technique works on both an RS and a sled.



"Since the spyder doesn't lean I always felt like I was fighting the natural tendency to push me off to the outside. I don't get that feeling on the F3 and am able to crank through the corners faster than I ever could on the RS."

I agree with this and it confirms what I have said previously. You allow yourself to ride faster, harder on the F3 because you feel more comfortable without the feeling of being pushed off. That doesn't mean the F3 has any greater performance (power, handling, etc) than the RS (or RT or ST), it just means you allow yourself to reach a greater performance level because you feel more comfortable.

Wow, this thread has taken on a life of its own.........It all comes down to what works best for you for each of the bikes. Not everyone is the same. Ask 50 people the same question and you get 50 different answers. Ride 50 bikes and you'll have pros and cons for all of them. We are all on the same Spyder team here. Just because the F3 doesn't work for me doesn't mean I'm trying to convince everyone else it wouldn't work for them. We are all free to have our own opinions and choices.

You are right in as much as it comes down to what works best for each individual. I first posted a response to what I took as a negative evaluation of the F3 based on a 25 mile ride. This was on a new machine which by your own statement was not set up properly or broken in. The evaluation that was written more closely resembled to me someone who had never ridden a Spyder writing something negative with little actual experience. It seems like Spyders take enough grief from the uninformed two wheel group without fellow Spyder owners piling on.

I also take exception to your perception that you are somehow better to judge and discount my ability to evaluate two machines set up pretty comparably over the same roads and conditions.
I have been riding all manner of motorcycles, sleds, and ATV's of all types since the 60's and believe I have a pretty good idea of how to evaluate a machine. I certainly wouldn't have written such a review of an RS based on a 25 mile ride. It took me a few weeks to adjust to the different style before I became comfortable on my first Spyder RS.

Is the F3 perfect? No. There are two things I feel BRP missed the boat on the F3. The first is there should have been a windshield from the factory and second they should have put a better rear shock that could be adjusted for riding two up. It was like they cheaped out on what is otherwise a very capable machine.

I have said this in just about every post on the subject......Ride them all and see which one works best for you. Do not reject the F3 based on the negative comments posted here.

[Rob Rodriguez]

You are right in as much as it comes down to what works best for each individual. I first posted a response to what I took as a negative evaluation of the F3 based on a 25 mile ride. This was on a new machine which by your own statement was not set up properly or broken in. The evaluation that was written more closely resembled to me someone who had never ridden a Spyder writing something negative with little actual experience. It seems like Spyders take enough grief from the uninformed two wheel group without fellow Spyder owners piling on.

I also take exception to your perception that you are somehow better to judge and discount my ability to evaluate two machines set up pretty comparably over the same roads and conditions.
I have been riding all manner of motorcycles, sleds, and ATV's of all types since the 60's and believe I have a pretty good idea of how to evaluate a machine. I certainly wouldn't have written such a review of an RS based on a 25 mile ride. It took me a few weeks to adjust to the different style before I became comfortable on my first Spyder RS.

Is the F3 perfect? No. There are two things I feel BRP missed the boat on the F3. The first is there should have been a windshield from the factory and second they should have put a better rear shock that could be adjusted for riding two up. It was like they cheaped out on what is otherwise a very capable machine.

I have said this in just about every post on the subject......Ride them all and see which one works best for you. Do not reject the F3 based on the negative comments posted here.

I don't think I'm am better at judging your abilities than you. Just like I don't think you have the right to call my "review" of the F3 negative. My initial post was my opinion (you certainly have one and so does everyone else) of riding the F3 for about 25 miles and riding an RS for about 11,000 miles. I really don't care if you like or value my opinion but I do take offense to being called negative or a "hater" just because I don't think an F3 is a bike I'd purchase or like riding for a long period of time. I could have easily labeled you negative to the RS based on your comments but its your opinion and you have every right to feel that way. Who am I to say that you should like the RS better than the F3.



Yes, I do believe 25 miles is enough to know if I'm going to like the F3 seating position. If I left any bike thinking....."well, I might grow into it" then its definitely not for me.

[Michael211_2000]

For me aesthetics count as much as performance, and I just didn't care from the moment they released the F3 for the look of the thing. And the tiny front storage compartment... I couldn't live without the 13 gallons of storage in the front of my RS!

I saw an F3 up close at a dealership a few months ago, and it didn't look any better in person (to me) than it did in pics. Just not my type of Spyder I guess.

But different strokes for different folks... I won't knock anybody for loving their F3. I enjoy curvy roads on my RS just fine and dandy though, even with stock sway bar and shocks. So to each their own.
The important thing is you OWN and RIDE a Spyder!

- Michael

[Mike Ard]

I don't think I'm am better at judging your abilities than you. Just like I don't think you have the right to call my "review" of the F3 negative. My initial post was my opinion (you certainly have one and so does everyone else) of riding the F3 for about 25 miles and riding an RS for about 11,000 miles. I really don't care if you like or value my opinion but I do take offense to being called negative or a "hater" just because I don't think an F3 is a bike I'd purchase or like riding for a long period of time. I could have easily labeled you negative to the RS based on your comments but its your opinion and you have every right to feel that way. Who am I to say that you should like the RS better than the F3.



Yes, I do believe 25 miles is enough to know if I'm going to like the F3 seating position. If I left any bike thinking....."well, I might grow into it" then its definitely not for me.

I suggest you go back and re-read my comments with respect to your "opinion". No where on any of my posts did I cast any aspersions to your not liking the seating position after 25 miles. I did say and I stand by stating that it was misleading and unfair to say that the F3 had little (or no) increase in power based on a machine not broken in and not properly set up. I most certainly did not say "well, I might grow into it"

Also if you were to go back five years or so ago you would find many comments from me defending the RS from the two wheeled bunch saying much the same thing that you posted here and on the F3 fourm.

It really eases my mind to know that you "really don't care" if I like or value youor opinion. How on earth would I be able to sleep otherwise.

[PistonBlown]

Ok before this get's any more heated...

You don't bring out new products to appeal to existing customers, you look to move into new segments.

The F3 was bought out to fill a large hole in the Spyder lineup which it has done that successfully. The F3 is not a replacement for the RS, ST or RT and it's not there to compete with them. I think these new F3 bagger versions in particular are a clever addition to help spread sales.

It is going to appeal to some existing customers, particularly those that were not completely satisfied with their existing Spyder, but that's not it's primary purpose. You can make some money by 'farming' existing customers but you still need to hunt for new ones to expand.

Having now ridden an F3 my original concerns have been confirmed, however I also understand why it would appeal to other people. I've always had 'sit on' bikes e.g. Honda VFR 750, Triumph 750 etc. The only 'sit in' bike I had, a Suzuki Intruder, was the only one I didn't enjoy. So it's not surprising the RS suits me while the F3 doesn't. However I have a mate who's always had 'sit in' bikes (his first bike was a Honda CM125), he's now looking at his first Spyder - an F3. No doubt there will be plenty of gentle ribbing between us on our respective rides but then that's always been the case:-)

[PistonBlown]

Actually carrying on from my previous comment...Just found the following photo's that me and my mate took of each other when we had our first bikes. Me with my CD175 and CG125, he with his CM125. Easy to guess which of us would end up with an RS and the other an F3:-)

[GIMP410]

I'm not sure I was putting forward an "in depth" review and I really wasn't trying to mislead anyone about anything. I was simply giving my opinion about what I liked and disliked about the F3 vs my RS after a 25 mile demo ride. You have your opinions and I have mine....that's fine with me.

I will say this about your comment "I find I can power through corners at speeds I would never dreamed of on the RS and it does it with no effort and it is getting better the more I ride." I doubt this has very little, if anything to do with the actual performance of the F3 and I suspect this is true for you because you feel more comfortable on the F3 than the RS and therefore will let yourself "push it" more. In effect, because you sit down into the F3 more the sensation of being pushed off the bike by the corner centripetal force is less then it is on the RS. With less centripetal sensation you feel more comfortable and confident and therefore allow yourself to go faster through the corner. In reality I'm sure the RS and the F3 can power through a corner at the same speed before the nanny kicks in if the rider will allow himself/herself to push the bike to that limit.

Rob thanks for your sharing your thoughts/opinions on the RS. I've been looking at Spyders and have seen quite a few nice RS models for sale. I myself rode sportbikes got yrs until I lost the use of my legs in an accident. Contrary to what most people think I thought the sbk riding position was more comfortable and could ride for hrs before stopping. Let me just say, before anyone has negative reviews about this, that this is my opinion only. I would just like to know if a 2011 RS in clean shape, no accidents, mechanically sound, is worth $9000? I can't just go to a dealership and test ride them. This is in no way disrespecting anyone who has a F3 or another model.

[Michael211_2000]

Why would you think you might be disrespecting someone? They make different model Spyder's because well... different strokes for different folks, and all that!

Depending on how low the mileage is and whether it's been maintained properly (and assuming you like the color scheme), that's a pretty good price on a 2011 RS.... if it's an SE5 model, it's a VERY good price in fact!

I'm almost at 15,000 on my 2012 RS and just love the thing, wouldn't trade it for any other Spyder model it fits my needs and wants perfectly.

- Michael

I would just like to know if a 2011 RS in clean shape, no accidents, mechanically sound, is worth $9000? I can't just go to a dealership and test ride them. This is in no way disrespecting anyone who has a F3 or another model.

[Rayelljay]

This thread is a fun read...I have similar not quite negative feelings about the F model seating model.

I rode for many years but more in the sports cruiser "genre"...My last were a V-65 Sabre and a 900 Trident. For years I've ridden with my feet kinda under my butt.
I bought a bog standard '11 RS-sm and got a more comfortable seat and risers and I can ryde fer hours...I haven't been on here for months 'cos Borys the Spyder gives me no problems.
I've looked at the F but not taken a dryve...if I can't get my feet under my rear end with comfort, its a no-go for me.

[Yazz]

This is a fun thread!

Guess I'm one of the few who kept their GS/RS and bought a F3...

The GS is a hoot to ride. Went on a bunch of road trips and can keep up with almost anyone in the twisties on her.

Why I bought a F3? When I started riding, it was with the feet forward position. It just feels natural. Saw the F3, saw it can have cruise control and the rest is history.

Still unlearning the 'hanging ham' technique of the GS, to keeping your butt planted on your seat that the F3 seat dictates. I'll get there.

Love them both equally, but differently...

[bmccaffrey]

This is a fun thread!

Guess I'm one of the few who kept their GS/RS and bought a F3...

The GS is a hoot to ride. Went on a bunch of road trips and can keep up with almost anyone in the twisties on her.

Why I bought a F3? When I started riding, it was with the feet forward position. It just feels natural. Saw the F3, saw it can have cruise control and the rest is history.

Still unlearning the 'hanging ham' technique of the GS, to keeping your butt planted on your seat that the F3 seat dictates. I'll get there.

Love them both equally, but differently...

Good comment Yazz

[Smokinspyder]

I would still love to ride one! Don't get me wrong I LOVE my GS, but I wouldn't mind riding one to see if I have the same opinion!