F3 Limited vs. RT Limited

[ARtraveler]

All advice above is good. YOU have to determine which you like the best. They both have their quirks which either appeal or turn you off. Riding both will help you decide which is best for YOU.

Let us know what you decide. :yes:

 

[vtown biker]

Thanks very much for your comments Gary,

We are both short and not heavy. I really think based on the ride we had and the general comments on here, the RT is going to be the way to go.

I don't think Kelowna has a F3 to drive. We will be using ours primarily for longer trips as well and to the golf course during the week.

If there is anything else you can think of to help my "process" here is certainly welcome.

The people on this forum have been great to chat with on here. I am learning much on a daily basis.

Regards

Bob

Hi vtown biker/Bob

I saw your other thread but didn't get around to a response. I live south of Penticton and we bought our 2014 RTS from Banner. As you said, the only game in town, but we have been pretty happy with them. If/when you buy one, presumably in Kelowna, you will be doing your paper work with Stuart Gillies. He is a great guy to get to know. Has been there a long time and is pretty knowledgeable and very ready to help out if you need him. We always have long conversation when there, time permitting.

I seem to recall that you said in your other post that you aren't very tall. I'm not either at or used to be 5'7". Probably closer to 5'6" now and neither my wife nor I are heavy. I bring that up because of your decision making process. My wife, even though she is petite, is much more comfortable on the RTS although I do like the feel of the F3. We always travel 2 up. We came from large touring bikes so the Spyder is not our first kick at riding.

I think that the other major issue is how you intend to use your Spyder. We use ours almost exclusively for long road trips. If we were just going to cruise around locally and do some short trips, I think the F3 would be great. If you are going to do longer road trips then the RT is a great alternative. If solo most of the time the F3 might be just fine. We don't have and don't want a trailer to tow. Many folks that have the F3 also tow a trailer to make up for the reduced total storage space and in fact many with the RT also pull a trailer. Because we don't, the RT provides us enough space to do long distances as we pack efficiently.

So, my point is that you should take a look at your intended use and weigh what your plans are for future use and factor that into your decision. As others have said, ride both and see how it feels.

Good luck with your decision. Deciding is definitely a fun exercise. If I can help with questions, I'm happy to help as are most others.

Gary

 

[bcer960]

Thanks Ray,

Is Kamloops easy to deal with and do they have stock in the showroom?

I got a feeling with what everyone has said here, that we (my wife) will be more comfortable on the RT.

Bob

2 weeks ago I picked up a freedom trailer there. There was a red F3 inside the showroom, and a Champaign and a white (2 bikes) RT's out front. My friend just took the Champaign one out this past Saturday for a long test drive. He wanted to do the loop from Kamloops through Barrier then hwy 24 to Cache Creek and back, but Hwy 1 closed because of the flooding in Cache Creek.
The white one, I'm told, has 0 kms on it. I am also told that there is a 2018 asphalt and black RT Limited in the box on site as well. (this would be the color of choice for me ) They may have others there still boxed as well.

Give them a call.... great dealership.

 

[stmike 1800]

I filled out the test ride form on line ,but the dealer in my area has very limited stock ( one 2016 rtl and one 2018 rtl ). Have you seen spyders in a show room with 0 km on them .I guess the are put together and never test road .

 

[mark4Jesus]

For the wife, the rear seat on the RTL was more comfortable that the F3.

 

[Bob Denman]

For the wife, the rear seat on the RTL was more comfortable that the F3.

That Double-Bucket is hard for the Co-Pilots to resist...

 

[bcer960]

I filled out the test ride form on line ,but the dealer in my area has very limited stock ( one 2016 rtl and one 2018 rtl ). Have you seen spyders in a show room with 0 km on them .I guess the are put together and never test road .

Yes, when I bought my spyder it had zero km on it.

 

[TomG]

ref: f3 trunk extender

When you test ride the F3. If momma needs more room there is a trunk extender for the F3 now. I think 5" back. Do not remember which vender on here sells it. I think it is 400 bucks thou.

SpyderPops

 

[Tango]

For the wife, the rear seat on the RTL was more comfortable that the F3.

With my wife, it's the other way around. She prefers the F3 rear seat. :dontknow: Tom :spyder:

 

[Peteoz]

Thanks very much for your comments Gary,

We are both short and not heavy. I really think based on the ride we had and the general comments on here, the RT is going to be the way to go.
I don't think Kelowna has a F3 to drive. We will be using ours primarily for longer trips as well and to the golf course during the week.
Bob

If they don’t have an F3 to test drive, then your decision is pretty much made for you, Bob. You can’t really go wrong with either model. Get out for your RT test ride, and if you are pretty happy, make a list of potential issues and post them on here. Most should be easily addressed. The RT certainly does sound like it would be the best fit to your two up, long distance requirements as mentioned in your posts.
But just bear in mind that some of Gary’s comments about the F3 touring models are a little biased. That’s not having a dig at Gary, but just highlighting that every rider has slightly different requirements. There are plenty of F3 riders around here who are verrrrrry comfortable on long trips as well as just around town. There are plenty of riders who find the F3-L luggage more than enough for long two up trips. There are plenty of F3 riders who find the stock two up seating comfortable on long trips. I don’t, but I would have had to have a Russell seat built whether I chose the F3 OR the RT

I am an F3-L rider, and if I could have fitted on an RT, I probably would have gone down that path. Unfortunately a 38” inleg meant I couldn’t comfortably reach the brake pedal, and I would have worn out boots quickly using the soles of the size 15’s as brakes. You won’t have that issue

Good luck with your decision.

Pete

 

[bushrat]

mine too

With my wife, it's the other way around. She prefers the F3 rear seat. :dontknow: Tom :spyder:

My lady agrees with yours Tom; she also preferred the rear seat on the F3L. The main reason was that she sat higher on the F3L, relative to me, thus allowing her to see over my helmet rather than having to look past my ears. She felt very comfortable, and also liked the ride on the 'slightly smaller' F3L better; the auto-adjusted rear suspension is verrryyy nice.

 

[NM1HART]

I know the big difference

THE DIFFERENCE IS EASY
1)RT HAS A SLIGHTLY BIGGER TOUR-PACK
2) RT IS ONLY ADJUSTABLE FOR THE PASSENGERS COMFORT FLOOR-BOARDS, etc.
3) F3 LIMITED IS ONLY ADJUSTABLE FOR THE DRIVERS COMFORT FLOOR-BOARDS, etc. THERE IS AN ACCESSORY FOR THE PASSENGERS ARMREST. BUT YOU LOSE THE HAND HEATER.
4)Spyder RT Limited has an MSRP of $27,299 Seat Height: 29.7
5)F3 Limited has an MSRP of $24,499 Seat Height: 26.6
6) THE RT HAS ABOUT 1 1/2" MORE STEERING TRAVEL. AND IS ABOUT 2" WIDER
7)F3 IS LIGHTER BY ABOUT 33LB
8) BOTH HAVE THE SAME ENGINES Compression Ratio 12.2:1 Displacement (cc) 1330 Cylinders 3
9) THE F3 PASSENGER REAR SEAT IS LOWER.
10) F3 LIMITED THE TOUR-PACK IS REMOVABLE TO MAKE IT A F3-S FOR CONVERTIBLE MODE. YOU DO NEED A $299.00 ACCESSORY SHELL.

 

[shakin_jake]

I’ve enjoyed this thread. I’m kinda in the same boat as the op, in that I’m in the market for a Spyder and am faced with the either or decision (RT or F3). I’m currently riding a Ryker and enjoy it immensely but I hear the Spyder’s siren song. I liked Tom’s point of using your phone for the GPS. 20 years ago when I was piloting an ST1100 I used a Garmin Street Pilot when traveling coast to coast but the iPhone 11 I have now would be sufficient for mapping. That said the dual clocks on the street pilot was nice for data observation

Anyways, I totally agree with the need to ride both from an essential ergonomic POV. Happy Trails to all!


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

 

[vito1943]

I'm a new RT owner and more than happy that I bought this model. I looked at the F3 but the larger, and more effective windscreen on the RT made a big difference to me. And the ability to electrically raise or lower the windscreen was a real plus as well. I traded in a Honda Goldwing for my Spyder. The fairing on the Goldwing was much larger than the windscreen on the Spyder, but the RT's windscreen is much, much better are blocking the wind from the head and torso, while allowing good airflow than the Goldwing ever was. Recently while on a ride (two up) I got caught in a good rainstorm. Raising the windscreen on the fly made a huge difference, keeping me almost dry as well as comfortable. And personally, I like the seating position better on the RT, but that is obviously very subjective and folks should judge for themselves.