Initial impressions F3 Limited

[baileydale]

Initial longish ride F3 Limited impression...have owned 2011RSS,2014STL, 2015F3S
First 150 mike ride, two up


Interstate, freeway...smooth!!! Steering very light and easy. Most road bumps and ridges have disappeared.
Very twisty mountain road... feels like it kinda “ floats “ into turns before it sets. Thinking this will get better as I get used to the air ride.
At 65 years old the dash is hard to read, wish I could make the font larger.
Seems to down shift on its on a bit later than I would like.
Windshield... quite a bit of head buffeting both me and passenger. Added my x-screen this morning and thinking that will take care of that.


Overall very pleased with our new girl. She hasn’t told us her name yet

 

[Pirate looks at --]

Suggestion, don't wait for it to downshift, just do it yourself!

 

[Rattlebars]

At 65 years old the dash is hard to read, wish I could make the font larger.

Yup. With all that acreage they are still bound to analog speedo & tach. Get with the program. Digital speedo & tach with analog graphics running around the outside and make the friggin' digital screen way bigger! My solution was to get a fresnel magnifier and cut it to size and mount it in front of the digital display. There is a hunk of tin can metal sticky taped to the dash and a neodymium magnet sticky taped to the fresnel (behind the dime). Tucked down into the steering head and bent a little to attach the magnet. Helps some, but one needs to shade it with a hand when the sun is just right (or wrong depending on your optimism index).

 

[newbert]

Rattlebars - I don't know what the Fresnel Magnifier has to do with down-shifting, but I like the idea of using it to see the dash display clearer. My eyes ain't what they used to be....

I wonder if taping a couple of these to the center of the dash display might do the trick! They're individually too small but taping two vertically next to each other might work. (I just want to be able to read the top and bottom bars again.)

Anyone have any thoughts about that?

 

[Rattlebars]

Rattlebars - I don't know what the Fresnel Magnifier has to do with down-shifting....

I can complain about the crappy way the board software is implemented on this site, but it was a bad edit of the quote. Check my post again....

Here are the fresnel sheets I used to make the one pictured in my post showing how it was cut. You have to cut it in the center of the big page sheet. Taping together small ones won't work.

>CLICK ME<

 

[bushrat]

Absolutely agree

... with every point of your initial assessment of the F3L. I ryde the 2017 version.

As your ryding time increases, you'll love the handling more and more, especially in the twisties, where you can carve your turns. Yes, the BRP computerized program is slow to downshift on its own; do as Pirate says and Peter Aawen always encourages - go ahead and downshift early on your own, according to your instincts. Great fun!!! Yes, the small displays (fonts) on the screens are a BIG disappointment on BRP's part; they do need a vast improvement. The added X-creen will help somewhat to reduce, but not totally eliminate buffeting. I'm currently using same, but have also tried the 'Tall Boy' shield and an F4 Custom. The Tall Boy protects a bit more than the short stock shield, but seemed 'noisy' to me. The F4 is by far the quietest and gives most comfortable ryde, but is much wider. The short, stock shield with X-creen is great for hot summer ryding, allowing air to flow around sides hitting my arms and chest sides, while pushing frontal flow up over our heads. My setting allows me to look over the top at anything more than 40' down the road; through the shield at closer. I'm 5'10" and ryde 2-up much of the time. Enjoy your Spyder. You have a great machine - whoever she is.