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I got the Bestop Skyrider - Black Twill version - installed a while back. When I was waiting for my Bronco delivery, I had every intention of purchasing a Sunrider to go with it. Then I got the Bronco, removed the top, and knew the Sunrider would not work for me. I needed a hybrid top over both rows of seats, not just the front. I sent many nice emails and suggestions to Bestop over the next 12 months, reminding them of the great opportunity the 4 door Bronco had for a double Sunrider. Finally, my patience was rewarded, and the Skyrider was born! Here is my review.
Installation
Installation is very straightforward and simple. The instructions are well organized and easy to follow, with good illustrations. The only tool needed Is a ratchet with T30, T40, and T50 bits. The parts are labeled well, and many are marked with arrows facing the front. BUT, as seen in my install video, I had one issue on step 15. The control link arms are labeled with the front facing arrows, but my labels were installed on the wrong end. Realized at a later point and was able to swap them around pretty quick. I was able to install the Skyrider by myself in about 2.5 hours. I could have easily done it in under 2 hours if I had seen a video first, and wasn’t filming my own.
Operation
The Skyrider is very simple to operate. There are two latches up front, a quick pop and release of the handle will release the spring loaded latch. Then you must exit the vehicle, grab one of the arms, and pull it back. The side rails have a spring resistance which keeps the assembly from moving freely, but it opens quick and easy enough. There are only two positions, fully open and fully closed. I tried my best to open the Skyrider from within the vehicle, but that simply is not possible. To close, simply grab an arm, push it forward, enter vehicle, and snap the two latches closed. Less than 10 seconds to open or close. A shorter person might have some trouble grabbing the arms, my wife is 5' 2" and it took her a few tries to find a method that worked for her, tippy toes involved. For reference I demonstrate in the video, and I am 6’ 0”.
Fit/Finish
The fit and finish are simply outstanding. It truly looks and feels 100x better than any top Ford put on the Bronco. No covered wagon flappy top here. In my video I demonstrate how tight the fabric is along the edge of rollbar, I can’t stick a fingertip in, unlike the OEM softtop that you can stick your hand in. You can bounce a T40 bit on this thing, and I do. The edge along the front header looks great. Sewn seams are straight as an arrow. The rear Halo was an ingenious solution to the problem the “notch” caused. I could not find one blemish, and I tried. The Twill fabric feels very thick and substantial.
Noise
There are two types of noise, wind and road. My hardtop was one of the insanely loud ones. It was my biggest complaint about the Bronco. I am thrilled to tell you the Skyrider is unquestionably quieter than my hardtop was, for wind noise. No whistling above my head. I can have Bluetooth phone calls on the highway now, which was impossible before. The Skyrider does let in a little more road noise, but not as bad as I expected.
My hardtop panels were also very chatty. All kinds of random creaks and squeaks and rattles. The Skyrider has eliminated all of those weird noises I was pretty sure were coming from the hardtop. What a pleasure to my ears. The only noise I’ve heard from the Skyrider was a "slap" of the trampoline tight top against the rear bow cross bar. I tightened down the flaps as tight as possible, and that has been all but eliminated.
Color
I know this is a popular topic for the Sunrider and Skyrider. Why doesn’t it match the MIC gray. This was my biggest hesitation, and after living with it a bit, it is a total non issue for me. It is not as dramatic difference as pictures or video can make it seem. Let’s be honest, the Bronco exterior already has 50 shades of gray going on, this doesn’t make it any worse. I have had many compliments on the top, so people have noticed. I will say, my Bronco looks awesome with a black top, which brings back the painful mod top memories....
Seasonal Use
Living in South Texas, there is no such thing as seasonal use, but I know many of you want to go back to the panels for winter etc. As you can see in the install video, you will need to remove some Skyrider rails, and reinstall the OEM brackets. If you want to store the Skyrider completely assembled, it would be a pretty quick removal process. 13 screws and the top assembly and front rails are removed. Reinstall two factory brackets, and remove the bracket from clamshell. I think it would take about 30 minutes to be back to hardtop panels. If you dont have space to store it assembled, the shipping box is high quality and would be great for storing away for the winter. I would expect complete disassembly to take about as long as initial installation.
Overall
I love driving my Bronco with the top off, I removed my entire hardtop at least once almost every weekend. This is a feature I used more than I ever imagined I would. Removing the panels was a bit of a chore, but nothing that would deter me from going topless. Having said all that, I am lazy at my core, so anything that makes my life easier has my attention. I’m also not getting any younger, and that middle panel seems to be getting heavier. Now I’m throwing the top back daily. The OEM soft top is a hard no for me, ugly as sin and I could not deal with the limited cargo access. My interest in the Skyrider is rooted in convenience, and it really delivers on that topless at any moment lifestyle, while keeping the practicality of the hardtop. And it looks amazing. 5 stars from me! Anyone need hardtop panels?
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