Can't figure out which way the wheels should go?

[trikermutha]

I do not have a F3 but I do recommend a backrest and wind protection..I can drive for hours and not feel all beat up like the TRIGlide..

ONce you get use to things..Maybe a stiffer sway bar will finish up the ground flight..:thumbup: Maybe not if you are good with your current setup..

I agree read other posts and ride the spyder a bit more and go from there

 

[Capt. Bob]

JayBros and Trikermutha, Thanks for the great advice. I read the link that JayBros posted. I will be getting a sway bar as the F3 is not quite as laterally stable as I would like. I love the way the footpegs work in relation to body positioning and being able to counteract some of the centripetal forces that are exerted in some of the tighter stuff. I am definitely going to get the back rest and pretty much am leaning toward a windscreen as large bugs smapping you at high speeds here in the South are not a pleasant experience even with a full face helmet.

Having owned so many motorcycles but being very green with trikes, I am especially conscious of all the things I don't know as opposed to the few things that I do know. When I was taking some sweepers out West last month in the 70-80 mph range (80 mph posted speed limits), I was clearly trying to gauge the performance capabilities of my TGU to maintain a safety cushion. Some Spyder owners would be amazed that the relatively low center of gravity will allow a TGU to take twisties fairly aggressively. On a few curves, I think I was exercising less than stellar judgment but felt that I needed to test some of the limits of the trike I was on. I used to ride with a Sunday group and was #3 out of the usual 6 and you could place yourself wherever you felt comfortable and would not jeopardize the group. We would ride our sportbikes at about 8/10's staggered about 6 feet from each other in formation and that maintained a safety cushion. If somebody wicked it up and was pushing 9/10's, it was generally a recipe for disaster at some point. About every 4-6 months, one of my friends would wreck and some were quite serious. I looked at this behavior and advised my friends after doing this for a couple of years that it was less than sensible because even though we were on very rural roads and were all experienced riders and some racers, we were putting ourselves and others at risk. My friends sadly asked me "What's your point?". I dropped the group and never rode with them again and these were my "buddies". I was 52 years old and had finally grown up a bit.

So, please keep the suggestions coming. I am a GREENHORN on a trike and learning everyday. (I did race gocarts, autocross and jet skies but that doesn't count in the trike world).

 

[trikermutha]

some are saying the stock RT sway bar works great on the F3 or Baja Rons bars and links..
If you want a bit stiffer then new front shocks or Baja Rons Shock adjusters (these are the cheaper way to go) :thumbup:

windshields there are many out there just have to pick on you like..

 

[Capt. Bob]

I posted this afternoon on another trike forum and thought it would bring out a few smiles for some of you that have had to deal with the issues outlined in the post.

"With the exception of one 100 mile ride after my recent 6k cross-country journey in early June on the TGU, I had not operated the trike. Today was a beautiful day and I decided to head down to the Gulf of Mexico and Alligator point which is a promontory of land extending in the Gulf. The ride is about 65 miles for me to the end of the road on the point and I took some back roads to get there and some of them had canopies of trees overhead.

What was really amazing is how somewhat unnatural the ride was for about the first 45 minutes since I have been playing with my new-to-me Can-Am Spyder F3-S. The riding position, shifting, handle bar placement, brake placement etc. were all different and there was a slight learning curve in getting back on the Harley. I was LOL in my helmet thinking about how strange it is to transition between trikes when you have limited time really on either one. I have only owned the TGU for about 6 months and 12.5k miles and now have about 300 miles on the Spyder. They are very different in their seat positions and function and it is a real hoot to go between the two of them.

I plan to ride the F3 tomorrow and suspect that it too will feel a bit funny for a few miles and I will likely be grabbing for the non-existent handlebar brake. I did find that I was not as aggressively using my front brake on the Harley at first due to the change of procedure with the Can-Am but also know that the Harley has linked brakes but not in the same way as the Can-Am. In the near future, I will be practicing emergency stop procedures with the Can-Am and maybe the Harley on the same day so that I develop some strong muscle memory for the differences between the two trikes. The fact that the wheels are reversed between the two trikes does not make things easier

" Capt. Bob

 

[monkeyboymorton]

Glad you're enjoying it.

I've done the cast-off RT sway bar upgrade on mine. Great upgrade, makes it corner much flatter. See if you can pick one up on here for very little or free. Mine was free to a good home from a forum member in Spring Hill while we were on holiday in Orlando. I didn't change the end links - they are the same ones as on the RT. If they can cope with the cornering weight of an RT I'm happy to leave them on my F3.

I've also done the 2016 '2 up' shock and can recommend that as another good value upgrade. Can get them for around $165 on-line in the US. I got CFPS to price match the on-line price when I was over there. If you have a left over 2015 it's worth doing, much better ride on the rear.

I have the BRP rider backrest and it's very nice. Has an adjustment for angle and I'm getting great support of it now I've set it up just right.

Can also recommend the Shad bag kit if you want some luggage? Really nice quality kit for a much better price than the (not so high quality) BRP one.

I also have the heated grips but as you're in lovely sunny Florida.....................(not that I'm jealous)

Have a search on here for some pictures of the 2016 shock, how to fit the swaybar (intersting job!!), backrest and bags.

 

[Bob Denman]

:nopic: of both bikes: side by side? :2thumbs:

 

[Capt. Bob]

I need a backrest for the F3-S to make the U-Fit redo more comfortable and my front tire on the F3 is HUGE compared to the Harley. However, now I am getting confused when I mount my Tri-Glide:joke:

 

[Capt. Bob]

Bob D. You were probably thinking of a more conventional side-by-side than the previous post. It is hard to tell which bike is which except the wheels are in different places. I don't know which will attract the ladies better during Thunder Beach in Panama City, Florida so I included that side-by-side as well? My wife needs to know so she can sell that one.

 

[Bob Denman]

:clap: GREAT pictures!! :2thumbs:
And your picture actually points out a wonderful truth:
"When in doubt: choose both!"
(As long as your Wife doesn't mind: of course!)

 

[Capt. Bob]

:clap: GREAT pictures!! :2thumbs:
And your picture actually points out a wonderful truth:
"When in doubt: choose both!"
(As long as your Wife doesn't mind: of course!)

Shortly, The F3-S will have a windshield, backrest and a RonBar with BajaRon billet heim links (like early next week). I am very fortunate to have a patient wife that has stuck with me for 28 years. She is known to our friends as "Saint Wendy".