331 Mile F3 Test Ryde

[den1953]

Large V-Twins

I'm riding a Victory Cross Country (1734cc) with Stage One and previously had a Triumph Rocket III Touring (Inline Triple @ 2297cc) which was the strongest accelerating cruiser I ever had. I had a Yamaha Star Roadliner 1900 (1858cc) prior to that which was pretty quick too. I don't think there will be anything hairy or scary about the F3 in terms of acceleration. At least to me anyhow

 

[Bob Denman]

All of this talk about how fast the F3 accelerates has me confused. It's an 850 lb machine with 115 hp and 96 tq. BRP claims 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. That puts it's acceleration on par (or slower) than large V-twin cruisers like H-D, Victory and Indian. Very few people would consider any of those "fast" machines. That's also in the realm of many sports sedans. I think we've gotten a little carried away with our first impressions here. My wife will have hers next month and I'll post back if I need to admit I'm wrong.....

So; you haven't even ridden one yet, and you STILL feel prepared to talk about how it accelerates? :dontknow:

 

[bikeguy]

So; you haven't even ridden one yet, and you STILL feel prepared to talk about how it accelerates? :dontknow:

Until the F3's are widely available to ride, I think it's legitimate to consider their performance based on numbers. Numbers don't mean everything but they are a good starting point. Personally, I don't see them as being hot-rods, either. BRP claims 0 - 60 times of 4.8 seconds for the F3 but they claimed 0 - 60 times of 4.5 seconds for the '08 and '09 GS/RS's. So, according to BRP's own numbers, the RS's are still the hot-rods in the stable. There are a lot of things that are desirable about the F3 depending on your taste, for me I love the looks of it. I just don't see it as being a hot-rod.

Cotton

 

[petegtsv10]

So; you haven't even ridden one yet, and you STILL feel prepared to talk about how it accelerates? :dontknow:

I didn't intend for this to be at all negative concerning the F3. I am actually eagerly anticipating it's arrival at our house. (I never warmed up to the RT even though my wife loves it) I'm just amused at reading how quick some feel a 4.8 second 0-60 feels. You don't hear people with mid 4 second cruisers (typical) worrying about needing a backrest to stay on the bikes! With all the turbo sedans on the market now, sub 5 second cars are at every stoplight. We are really looking forward to the increased performance over the non-Ace RTs, however.

 

[OJ UK]

All of this talk about how fast the F3 accelerates has me confused. It's an 850 lb machine with 115 hp and 96 tq. BRP claims 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. That puts it's acceleration on par (or slower) than large V-twin cruisers like H-D, Victory and Indian. Very few people would consider any of those "fast" machines. That's also in the realm of many sports sedans. I think we've gotten a little carried away with our first impressions here. My wife will have hers next month and I'll post back if I need to admit I'm wrong.....

I believe the acceleration comparison is with other Spyders not two-wheelers, a similarly powered bike is always going to be quicker than a trike.
......There are no figures for standing quarters yet which is hardly surprising as no-one yet owns an F3. When you are sitting that low down rather
than the higher position of the RT/RS the perception of speed is greater.
I also believe that Lamont reckons that the 4.8 sec. 0-60 might be a bit conservative. By the time that SpyderFest arrives there'll be quite a few riders
who will be able to confirm their findings. I might even have ridden mine enough to pass an opinion.

 

[den1953]

Power to Weight

I agree that a two wheel motorcycle that might weigh 100 pounds or more less with the same horsepower & torque will indeed sprint a good deal quicker. Power to weight ratios are the biggest reason for a vehicle's quickness or slowness. Gearing and traction are important for getting "out of the hole" while aerodynamics becomes huge at speed. A two wheel motorcycle has a much narrower profile as well as a weight advantage. But that's not really what makes the Spyder so special as it's a different animal, apples & oranges so-to-speak.

 

[MikeP]

Fast n quick are two measurements that are different and yet both relative to how fast or quick you've been on something else... I've been on a race track in cars on motorcycles on pavement as well as off-road.. I've been over 180 mph on a motorcycle and almost 160 in a car so speaking for myself,, I think I have a pretty good sense of what fast / quick is.. Having said that,, the modifications I made to my 13 RTS made me happy ,, but I'm moving to an F3 because I think I'll be happier given the fact it's so much lighter n more nimble than what I currently ride.. I think I'll be quite satisfied = fast n quick enough for me

 

[JYM GERD]

Sounds like the F3 is going to be a success!