F3 Riders Question

[shortimer3]

Really like the looks of the F3. Will it be able to cross over for a highway rider and be comfy and really be ok for passenger, or go for RT.

[Peter Aawen]

Not an F3 Rider, but I do own & ride an RT; for what it's worth, I took a fairly long demo ride on an 2015 F3 and had a blast.... around town & for a 50 mi run out on secondary roads/twisties followed by a slightly 'shorter than 50 mi' run back down the freeway. It was great for that, but personally, I don't think I'd be keen on doing too many long touring runs on it; our 'touring' here generally involves 1000 plus miles & lots of 'secondary' roads - & after that ride my wife/pillion effectively kyboshed a move onto an F3 by stating that she refused point blank to even consider doing any of our regular tours on an F3 vs the RT!! She really didn't enjoy the F3 anywhere near as much as she enjoys the RT, even around town. Might be a personal thing, but....

Dunno if the 2016 F3-T or any of the other dressed up versions would make a great difference, but IMO, the F3 is a better solo machine that excels in the shorter runs, especially around town; while both my wife/pillion & I didn't rate it at all as a long range tourer. But we are already confirmed RT lovers.

[4 MARIE]

I really "like the looks" of a Harley.
Would I choose that or a Goldwing for getting down-the-road?

I would roll with function over form. Decide what you need your weapon for, and choose accordingly

[Nyparrothead]

The F3 is a comfortable ride and would be a great highway ride if not for 3 things..

The BRP windscreens SUCK.. F4 IMHO make the best choice but be prepared to pay 400-500 bucks for one;

The rear Sachs shock on the 2015 is a POS!!!! It is sprung at 160 lbs and no adjustment. The 16 is supposed to be adjustable but still a Sachs shock.. Why manufacturers cheap out on one of the most important systems on their bikes amazes me. Be ready to spend 400-900 bucks for a custom Elka shock similar aftermarket setup;

Vibration defect at highway speeds.. now many will excuse the defect away and make excuses and apologies for BRP but the fact is that there is a defect in the drive system. There is no reason that you should have to pay 24k for a bike and then have to start buying aftermarket bandaids to make the bike stop vibrating between 63 and 71. to install these bandaids you have to cut up the body panels on the bike and after installing them set yourself up to have any drive system warranty repair denied because of the tensioner. It is waaaaay to easy for BRP to say "the extra load on the drive components caused a failure" If you do not think they would do it to save a buck you are kidding yourself

just the way I see it...


Mark

[spydaman60]

I own an f3s (2015) and ride two up 99% of the time. the wife loves the f3 and has no complaints about the ride. we do have a cannonball seat which gives her a couple of extra inches of seat while taking the two away from my legs. i'm 5' 10" and use the position five linkage. it isn't the ride of the rt, but it's a lot more fun to drive. the shock is too soft for two up and we will be replacing it as soon as lamont gets his on the table. the new 2016 has a different swing arm and the shock is more suited for two up. in my eyes, that's the only shortfall of the 2015 f3! a ps. to that is she rode 8500 miles with me this summer!

[Bob Denman]

For strictly solo-riding: it's the F-3!
But when it comes to passenger comfort; there's not another saddle in BRP's line-up, that can compare with the RTs.

[bmccaffrey]

Rode 2 f3 absolutely loved them

Wifes choice would be rt

[shortimer3]

Rode 2 f3 absolutely loved them

Wifes choice would be rt

Sounds like RT wins the battle for highway usage, point A to point B

[Trekster]

Have not ridden two-up on my 2015 F3S yet, and probably won't be doing a lot of that. However, for just me riding it, I would not hesitate to do any amount of touring, highway miles or twisties that I felt like doing. I certainly would not label it as a machine that is strictly for short runs and only in town. That said... it is not an RT, and it was not supposed to be an RT. That's why BRP makes different models and naturally they don't have a lot of overlap.

On the other hand, from everything I've read, the 2016 F3 models that are specifically engineered to have more luggage capacity and seating for two riders - could very well begin to blur the line between an F3 and the RT. Needless to say, it's just a little early to know yet exactly what customer base BRP was targeting with the new 2016 F3 models. ...and how successful they were at achieving their goal.

[redrt]

We have both an RT and F3, If you are planing on a lot of long trips 2 up get with the RT. If its just a random 2 up trip the F3 is fine. We do have the F4 customs wind screen very nice great protection. We also put some Harley bags on the F3 great storage for trips. Also add a back rest if you get the F3.
Good luck and have fun Jim

[ABQSpyder]

Had a RT now a F3.
Ride 2 up most of the time.
I love the ride and my wife love's it more than the RT!
As the old saying goes to each there own!!
Enjoy.

[Ben Burped]

Well let me sum up the comments made by the previous posters about this topic.

The windscreen is not adequate and there is an inherent vibration at interstate speeds.

There is a need for an aftermarket seat for two up riding and the rear shock is too soft.

Bob actually says that for passenger comfort that there is nothing like an RT.

There is a "need" to spend several hundred dollars on an aftermarket windshield from F4.

"Harley" bags are needed for "long trips".

Finally there is the need to add a back rest.

I applaud the courage to face and admit these "shortcomings" on this site.

[Blickdave]

I'm a touring rider but only riding solo with my F3. My opinion between an RT and F3 decision for touring is more about body height and leg/arm length. I'm 6'3" and just don't fit on an RT as hard as I tried. The F3 requires lots of add on's to get touring capable and will add up to the cost of an RT when all said and done. The big advantage of the F3 over the RT is the lower center of gravity design making cornering much more enjoyable for both rider and passenger.


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[Rogue Hawk]

Really like the looks of the F3. Will it be able to cross over for a highway rider and be comfy and really be ok for passenger, or go for RT.

You can outfit the F3 for long touring. But by the time you pay for adding all the bags and better seat (Corbin is the best, imo), you would be better off with a Can Am touring model.