First Drive: 2008 BRP Can-Am Spyder

Previews

A new type of vehicle promises motorcycle thrills without the pain.

The open-air experience of a motorcycle can be terrifically fun, but there’s an obvious problem: motorcycles fall over, resulting in definite injury to the ego and possibly to the body. BRP, the company that makes Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Can-Am ATVs, and Sea-Doo watercraft, thinks it has a solution: a three-wheeler called the Can-Am Spyder.

Three-wheelers are not new. The British company Morgan got its start almost 100 years ago with a trike that drivers sat in and drove more or less like a car. The Spyder pilot, however, straddles a motorcycle-like seat and turns the two front wheels with handlebars. By the way, the Department of Transportation considers the Spyder a motorcycle, and in all states except California, Delaware, and North Carolina, you’ll need a cycle license to ride it. In those other three, a car license will do.

The idea here is to bring the motorcycle experience to a vehicle that’s much easier to operate. Motorcycles can be tricky to learn, as the control layout is different, and you have to shift your weight and lean into corners. Sure, plenty of folks figure it out—about 700,000 street bikes are sold every year—but the learning curve can be a barrier to entry.

The Spyder has several features that make it easy to ride. Whereas motorcycles typically have a hand lever for the front brake and a foot pedal for the rear, the Spyder’s brakes are linked and actuated only by a right-foot pedal. And, very unusual for bikes, these are standard anti-lock brakes, and the Spyder also has a traction- and stability-control systems. Steering effort is light, thanks to electric assist, a vacuum booster lightens the clutch pull, and a reverse gear aids parking. If this sounds like “Motorcycling for Dummies,” you’re right. Although hard-core knee draggers may deride the Spyder as a cycle with training wheels, it’s not really meant for them. It is, however, undeniably fun to ride.

We didn’t get a chance to do an instrumented test, but from our brief ride, it was obvious that the Spyder has plenty of poke. A water-cooled 1.0-liter V-2 pumps out 106 horsepower, which the company claims should be enough to propel the roughly 750-pound trike to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Frankly, it felt quicker than that, with instant response available anywhere in its 9500-rpm range.

Driving Impressions and Availability

What struck us most, however, was how quickly we were piloting the Spyder with confidence. After the first few minutes of riding, we had already buried the throttle and turned hard enough to engage the nondefeatable stability-control system. Most of us wouldn’t attempt riding a two-wheeler that aggressively. Another useful thing is that it helps you lean into turns. That’s a good thing because, unlike in a car, the rider’s body position has a noticeable effect on the vehicle’s response and, in addition, leaning alleviates the uncomfortable sensation that a hard turn might eject the rider. We found that, despite the power steering, it takes a healthy push on the handlebar to turn the wheels. The suspension—aided by tires that are inflated to only 14 psi—easily soaked up bumps and potholes, however, and the brakes arrested forward momentum with striking authority.

In short, the Spyder is easy enough to pilot that riders can relax and enjoy that in-the-elements feeling that’s likely one of a motorcycle’s main attractions. If this sounds good to you, be prepared to pony up $14,999 when the Spyder goes on sale in September. For more information, go to www.can-am.brp.com.

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