Can-Am Spyder F3-S vs. Harley Tri Glide For Fit

It has been an interesting journey owning both a 2015 Can-Am Spyder F3-S and a 2016 Harley Tri Glide Ultra. There is about a $14k difference in price but I swear, I had to spend a bunch to fit myself to the Spyder in comparison to the Tri Glide. I have a deteriorating left hip from injuries that made fitting the F3-S more difficult than my TGU.

First off, the Spyder did not come with a windshield like the Harley and so I had to experiment with two different shields to find one that worked well. Secondly, I had to mess with the seats on both machines with driver backrests for each and added a complete BRP Cannonball seat to the Spyder for comfort. On the Harley, I just added a $200 Air Hawk. Thirdly, the Harley needed floor board extenders to get the boards out a bit where the Can-Am required me to replace the footpegs for BRP floorboards to get comfortable.

Suspension wise, I added a DK Custom Lift kit on the Harley to make the ride better and added a Baja Ron Ronbar antisway bar on the Can-Am to make it corner flatter.

Grips needed to be changed on both trikes to add comfort.

It seems to me that it was a bit of a longer journey parts wise to get the Can-Am dialed into my personal physiology but I am happy to report that both rides now are pretty darn comfortable.

The performance of the two trikes is so different that it makes riding each of them on different days a real hoot!

The Can-Am has 115 horsepower and a very linear 3 cylinder Rotax engine that makes the 800 pound machine a real screamer. OTOH, the Harley is significantly down on horsepower and much heavier but has plenty of torque and just has an addictive rumble and feel as I ride down the road that brings gobs of smiles. I feel very fortunate to own both of them and now that the Can-Am is dialed in, the pleasure factor for both bikes is high and yet quite different in terms of how they get you down the road.

I found between the two to make it the way I like it cost about the same, maybe less for the Spyder compared to the Triglide.

Between the two the Spyder was far more comfortable for me. Went on a trip a few months ago and was really happy with the lack of fatigue compared to the Triglide.

Maybe a few more changes on the Triglide would make me test ride one again but have no plans anytime soon.

[QUOTE=trikermutha;400218]I found between the two to make it the way I like it cost about the same, maybe less for the Spyder compared to the Triglide.

Between the two the Spyder was far more comfortable for me. Went on a trip a few months ago and was really happy with the lack of fatigue compared to the Triglide.

Maybe a few more changes on the Triglide would make me test ride one again but have no plans anytime soon.[/QUOTE]

Trikermutha, It is so weird how different our bodies are in terms of all the little things that go into making a ride comfortable. For me, I had just the opposite experience where I had to spend a couple of grand and a LOT of fiddling to make the F3-S comfortable whereas the Tri Glide was less than a grand and not much creativity to make it fit me.

[QUOTE=Capt.Bob;400248]Trikermutha, It is so weird how different our bodies are in terms of all the little things that go into making a ride comfortable. For me, I had just the opposite experience where I had to spend a couple of grand and a LOT of fiddling to make the F3-S comfortable whereas the Tri Glide was less than a grand and not much creativity to make it fit me.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for posting Bob. I've been trying for years to get some people I know to listen to that. I have an Auto-immune disease called Anklyosing Spondylitis (AS). Simply declaring a particular trike as the best in comfort doesn't mean it will be for someone else. Getting even close to comfortable on most bikes is near to impossible. When I road my sisters GL1800 the 1500 miles up from TX I learned that no matter what I could do I just would not be able to sit on one comfortable (maybe if I could ride from the passenger seat). Most of the Spyder models too. I think I could do longer trips on the F3 if it had the right seat/bars/foot controls, but I've only spent 20 minutes on one. Loved the ride. Hated the traction control!

:D It would not let me do some maneuvers in a parking lot that I wanted to do.

I must get my feet/legs out in front of me. Any other riding position causes allot of pain/discomfort in the hips/lower back etc. I can not sit in that Sport bike "cruising" seating position.

[QUOTE=Keystone;400257]Hated the traction control! :D It would not let me do some maneuvers in a parking lot that I wanted to do
[/QUOTE]

Yep the traction control made it impossible for me to to get my Spyder up my driveway when it was covered with snow!... My Tri-Glide powers right up the driveway like a tank'''

[QUOTE=Capt.Bob;400248]Trikermutha, It is so weird how different our bodies are in terms of all the little things that go into making a ride comfortable.

For me, I had just the opposite experience where I had to spend a couple of grand and a LOT of fiddling to make the F3-S comfortable whereas the Tri Glide was less than a grand and not much creativity to make it fit me.[/QUOTE]

Now keep in mind I have the Limited Spyder you have the F3-S - I have never driven a F3 that could make some difference??

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[QUOTE=Keystone;400257]Thanks for posting Bob.

I've been trying for years to get some people I know to listen to that. I have an Auto-immune disease called Anklyosing Spondylitis (AS). Simply declaring a particular trike as the best in comfort doesn't mean it will be for someone else. Getting even close to comfortable on most bikes is near to impossible. When I road my sisters GL1800 the 1500 miles up from TX I learned that no matter what I could do I just would not be able to sit on one comfortable (maybe if I could ride from the passenger seat). Most of the Spyder models too. I think I could do longer trips on the F3 if it had the right seat/bars/foot controls, but I've only spent 20 minutes on one. Loved the ride.

Hated the traction control! :D It would not let me do some maneuvers in a parking lot that I wanted to do. I must get my feet/legs out in front of me.

Any other riding position causes allot of pain/discomfort in the hips/lower back etc. I can not sit in that Sport bike "cruising" seating position.[/QUOTE]

I have the same condition as you but went with the Limited model..They do have a F3 that can be bypassed or is setup that way now. Believe its the Daytona Model.

They call it the sport mode

[video=youtube_share;yInXuEcfsF0]https://youtu.be/yInXuEcfsF0[/video]

The TRIglide was way to hard over time on my body and decided to try the Spyder. The more I rode the bike the more I found out more time could be spent riding and enjoying it versus trying to get comfortable the entire ride time.

I will admit the Limited Spyder seat is ok but went with a Ultimate seat and I can sit on that for a lot longer time.

As Bob has posted you have to set the bike up the way that fits you. I haven't found one yet that it setup for everyone.