15/16 Changes

[Darren111]

Thank you

Darren,
The 2015 F3 rear shock has a 360# too weak spring & not stiff enough dampening on stock rear shock, so it totally bottoms out with rear shock compressing until end of shock travel is a solid hit, putting tremendous stress on 2015 F3 rear frame subsection that BRP has acknowledged cracks the rear frame area!!
I have an Elka stage 2 rear shock with a 800# Eibach spring (8" long x 2 1/4" ID) that lifts rear to normal ride height even with 2 up riding!!
So you can see the stock rear BRP F3 shock spring is way too soft for even the driver in normal riding.
The 2 up 2015 F3 BRP shock replacement with a little stiffer spring probably works ok for driver only.
But I would suggest using that $200 toward buying a Elka stage 2 rear shock with a much stronger spring/dampening set up for your riding style!!
The 2016 F3T & Limited solved the rear shock bottoming by installing a rear RT air dampener that you can adjust the air pressure to lift up rear for a stiffer ride for 2 up riding.
Hope this explains rear shock bottoming for you: bottoming is NOT good.
Enjoy.
Jim

Jim thanks for explaining this to me and in detail too, all good for us newbies to know:thumbup:

 

[Midian]

Your paying a lot for saddlebags on the new F3T and it still cant fit a helmet. Lamo

You're actually paying a lot more for a superior riding experience and the technology they put into it. Shame on them for not planning on what to do with your helmet when you stop somewhere to walk around. The F3T/Limited, to me, gives a far superior riding experience over the RT. Like I said, why would I spend so much money on something to then have to change the sway bar to get it to perform well? And aesthetically, the F3 in all its variations wins out.

Oh the problems of the 1st world.

 

[Peter Aawen]

...... The F3T/Limited, to me, gives a far superior riding experience over the RT. Like I said, why would I spend so much money on something to then have to change the sway bar to get it to perform well?.....

The RT is aimed at a fairly significantly different riding demographic to the F3, a group largely intent on spending more time on the bike touring than the group more likely to buy the shorter duration 'cruiser' type of riding biased F3, even with the 'T' changes! It comes down to whatever particular ride floats your particular boat - and some will like one, others prefer one of the alternatives; but your choice, as odd as it may seem to many, may still be valid (if you like the 'foot forward sit up & beg' style of riding..... Many don't! )

When it comes to ride & handling, if an RT rider just wants to tour & take their time wandering, then the stock sway bar on the RT is more than up to the task of 'performing well' for them, just like the stock sway bar on the F3 (of any persuasion!) is up to that perceived task for some F3 riders. BUUUT, if they want to push their RT a little harder, then yeah, forking out for & fitting a stiffer sway bar will significantly improve its handling characteristics, but you don't HAVE to do it unless you want to go harder/faster!! Upgrading the bar is just one way of personalising the ride & handling, just like fitting an RT sway bar to an F3 will significantly improve its handling characteristics! Or better yet, if you are up for it you could fit a BajaRon sway bar to your F3 & you'll get an exponential improvement in cornering & handling!!

 

[Midian]

The RT is aimed at a fairly significantly different riding demographic to the F3, a group largely intent on spending more time on the bike touring than the group more likely to buy the shorter duration 'cruiser' type of riding biased F3, even with the 'T' changes! It comes down to whatever particular ride floats your particular boat - and some will like one, others prefer one of the alternatives; but your choice, as odd as it may seem to many, may still be valid (if you like the 'foot forward sit up & beg' style of riding..... Many don't! )

When it comes to ride & handling, if an RT rider just wants to tour & take their time wandering, then the stock sway bar on the RT is more than up to the task of 'performing well' for them, just like the stock sway bar on the F3 (of any persuasion!) is up to that perceived task for some F3 riders. BUUUT, if they want to push their RT a little harder, then yeah, forking out for & fitting a stiffer sway bar will significantly improve its handling characteristics, but you don't HAVE to do it unless you want to go harder/faster!! Upgrading the bar is just one way of personalising the ride & handling, just like fitting an RT sway bar to an F3 will significantly improve its handling characteristics! Or better yet, if you are up for it you could fit a BajaRon sway bar to your F3 & you'll get an exponential improvement in cornering & handling!!

I'll definitely give the sway bar a try, go ahead and buy one for me. Experiments are always sponsored so go ahead and provide the materials and I'll report back what I think. Oh yeah... and don't forget the labor for installation. :2thumbs:

 

[Peter Aawen]

Many who post here have already done that experiment & reported back for others to benefit from the findings, & there are even entire threads full of posts talking about the improvements the sway-bar upgrade make, so it seems you are waaaaay to late to get onto the 'sponsored experiment' band wagon.

This far down track you just hafta read all the threads & reports where others have posted their findings & then make a judgement call like the rest of us before putting your money where your mouth (butt? Riding senses?? RT or F3!??) is! :thumbup: That said, I think I can vaguely recall one(?) poster suggesting that the upgraded sway-bar wasn't quite as good as everyone else suggested, but for the life of me I can't find said post right now.... so it musta been my imagination.

 

[Ph2ocraft]

Obviously there is a line drawn in the sand between the F3 and RT riders.
I'm definitely on the F3 side.
The RT, in my opinion is ugly and just plain too much.
I would never (even though I can easily afford it) NEVER lay out the cash for an RT when the F3T does everything I want.
...and for the gentleman who says I'm spending too much to get a fairing and bags you're entirely incorrect. What I get is the air bag in the rear, gauge package and a slew of other items I'll let you search out for yourself.
We haven't even gotten into how much better I personally feel the F3 feels over the RT. I will leave my final opinion for a few months down the road as I've only got a couple hours ride time on each.
I really do value every bodies input but I AM an F3-T kind of guy at this point

 

[Midian]

Many who post here have already done that experiment & reported back for others to benefit from the findings, & there are even entire threads full of posts talking about the improvements the sway-bar upgrade make, so it seems you are waaaaay to late to get onto the 'sponsored experiment' band wagon.

This far down track you just hafta read all the threads & reports where others have posted their findings & then make a judgement call like the rest of us before putting your money where your mouth (butt? Riding senses?? RT or F3!??) is! :thumbup: That said, I think I can vaguely recall one(?) poster suggesting that the upgraded sway-bar wasn't quite as good as everyone else suggested, but for the life of me I can't find said post right now.... so it musta been my imagination.

Ah, you're being cheap now. I want to see for myself. So, if you stand by your position then plunk down the money and show me.

 

[Midian]

Obviously there is a line drawn in the sand between the F3 and RT riders.
I'm definitely on the F3 side.
The RT, in my opinion is ugly and just plain too much.
I would never (even though I can easily afford it) NEVER lay out the cash for an RT when the F3T does everything I want.
...and for the gentleman who says I'm spending too much to get a fairing and bags you're entirely incorrect. What I get is the air bag in the rear, gauge package and a slew of other items I'll let you search out for yourself.
We haven't even gotten into how much better I personally feel the F3 feels over the RT. I will leave my final opinion for a few months down the road as I've only got a couple hours ride time on each.
I really do value every bodies input but I AM an F3-T kind of guy at this point

I couldn't agree more! No one expected the F3T to be this popular and this excellent of a machine. As far as the RT being ugly... looking at it from the side it looks like a big corrective shoe. It's profile looks like one big mold of plastic, no thanks.