Let me start off by saying that every time I think BRP can't do better, they do. When I first saw this bike at the dealer show I was slightly bummed because there wasn't anything that jumped out that I wanted to change. It's very seldom I look at a bike and don't see something I feel needs improvement or something I could do to make it much better lookswise. I looked at this bike for hours and pretty much gave up and decided to look at what parts I already made for the F3 that work on the F3T. They did that great a job with this one. This isn't exactly what my version of an F3 bagger would look like but it's pretty darn close.
So looks is one thing but the real proof is in the ride and as much as I love my current F3S I've got to say this thing fills all its shortcomings. The first thing I noticed is how it's still just as fun as my F3S to ride but it's more RT like in the cockpit. The stereo blows away the stereo in my RT and it kills my 1400 watt Shark audio stereo on my F3S. The other nice thing is it operates pretty much exactly like my RT so changing songs and adjusting the volume comes second nature to me. The sound also increases with speed of travel so you're not having to try and adjust when you come to a stop and take off again. This is by far the best sound system I have ever owned on any bike.
The windshield is small and there is some distortion when looking through it, but at my height I'm looking far above it. For me there's just enough wind to let you know you're on a bike but not enough to feel like you're unprotected. Once again, they really did nail it on this one. I can listen to tunes with a 3/4 helmet at 70mph with no problem. For me this is a good compromise between an F3S and a RT, the best of both worlds.
The next thing I love about the T is having an airbag to adjust your pre-load. This makes a world of difference. I set mine up at 42 lbs and that seems to be the magic number for me. I was watching my wife Joan ahead of me and when she would hit some nasty bumps I would brace for them, but I glided right through them as if they weren't even there on mine. As much as I like the looks of the F3S round tube swingarm I wish it had the same airbag control. This is a must have if you're a heavier rider or you do a lot of two up riding. Once again, it's the best of both worlds. With this swingarm we'll be able to tow our RT622 trailer with the factory trailer hitch package I ordered with the F3T.
When we left the house today the wind was blowing about 30mph all the time and the bike did very well in that wind, better than my RT would have done for sure. The bike felt planted at all times and I never felt like it was going to get away from me. This was the kind of wind you really hate on two wheels. Even though today was my first real ride on it I felt right at home. Having my feet forward and sitting in the bike just feels so natural to me and then having an RT like dash reminded me of the hundreds of thousands of miles I put on my RT's since 2010. I kept telling Joan I didn't want to get off the bike, I just wanted to keep riding. We were communicating through headsets and I don't know how many times I told her how much I loved this thing. I just can't get enough of it.
This week I'll be getting Black Bandit and Triple Threat ready for the ride out to Daytona Bikeweek and then turn around and hit Spyders in the Bayou. The trip will be right around 3000 miles in two weeks and by then I'm sure Joan will feel as I do because she's the lucky one that gets to ride Black Bandit for that trip. Truth is she'll be riding it more than I will this year but that's okay because I know she's going to love it even though she's totally in love with her current F3S (Power Trip). The only thing I can see turning my head once again would be if BRP comes out with the factory turbo. I really hope they do, but give it a year or two so I won't feel so torn all the time. I think 2016 is going to be a great year for BRP and Can Am Spyder. Hope to see you guys on the road.