Can-Am

Far from treating the global pandemic as an excuse to rationalise its line-up, Can Am is actually increasing the number of models it offers and is introducing a whole raft of improvements to existing models in both the Ryker and Spyder ranges. But they are not stopping there and thought about those who want to take their trike off-road with a new RALLY version... This is nuts!

The Can-Am marque is a builder of modern, Delta-configured trikes that fall under the expansive Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) umbrella. Currently, the factory produces two distinct vehicle families – the Spyder and the Ryker – to cover the sport segment, the touring section and the just-for-fun group. Stability and safety equipment are constants across the board to make this brand particularly new-rider friendly.

The Spyder F3 and F3-S have always been all about that sport-rider life, and Can-Am takes it up a notch again this year with its newest iteration of the F3-S Special Series. Y-frame construction delivers the stability that trike users are looking for while a souped-up engine provides the fun-factor for the fiery-eyed pegdraggers among us. With great power comes great responsibility, so the “SS” comes with a robust electronics suite geared toward helping you keep it dirty-side down and between the lines. BRP is in a great position to shape the Delta-trike market, so let’s take a look at the details and see what kind of competition this special Spyder can expect.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder F3-S Special Series.

Can-Am carries its sport-cruising roadsters, the Spyder F3 and F3-S, into 2019 with the 100-plus horsepower Rotax engine, as always with minimal design features in order to keep weight down and performance up. The spectacular safety package also reprises its role with traction control, stability control, and ABS on board. Spyders are still something of a curiosity and not quite what you would call mainstream just yet, but the Bombardier Recreational Products presses forward with the F3 / F3-S duo as both its entry-level and most sport-tastic rides in the lineup.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder F3 and F3-S.

Can-Am announced the newest addition to its funny-backwards-trike lineup with the all-new Ryker model that BRP hopes will open up a whole new market for prospective entry-level trike riders. (Trikers?) The Ryker comes with all the electronic fandanglery that you’ll find on its large-displacement siblings, but comes with a choice in powerplants between a mid-size mill and one that falls closer to a liter. An automatic transmission delivers twist-and-go operation for the ultimate in rider friendliness, even for folks who are complete strangers to having their fists in the wind. Could this be BRP’s new big shoo-in? Only time will tell, but meanwhile, we can certainly dissect this most-interesting machine, so let’s get to it.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Ryker.

Is being a woman and wanting to ride a motorcycle a big deal nowadays? It isn’t as much a ’big deal’ now as it was a few decades ago. Our culture is more open to folks of the female gender doing anything and everything we want to do, but there is still a certain barrier when it comes to riding a motorcycle. Why? Because traditionally, bikes were designed with men in mind, at least 5’ 8” tall and with enough upper body strength to wrestle the weight and pick one up if it ended up on its side. Women were generally relegated to cruisers because we are typically shorter than men and cruisers have the low seat heights. That is changing as more manufacturers recognize that there is a whole customer base out here with money to spend. So what shall we spend our money on if we don’t want a plain ol’ cruiser?

Continue reading for my top 5 motorcycle picks that aren’t cruisers.

Can-Am’s Spyder F3-T and F3 Limited bridges the gap between the sport-tastic F3/F3-S and the tour-tacular RT lineup. Saddlebag storage comes stock across the board for some touring capacity right off the showroom floor with a short windshield for some weather protection to boot. Speaking of boots, the F3-T/Limited sports the same VW Beetle up-front trunk for even more dry storage/grocery-getting capacity. Power comes from a Rotax 1330 ACE triple that delivers 115 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque to put the “sport” in sport-tourer, and BRP provides all the electronic fandanglery you could possibly need to help keep everything under control.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder F3-T and F3-T Limited.

Can-Am, under the Bombardier Recreational Products banner, carries its premium touring trike into the 2018 model year with the Spyder RT and RT Limited models. It drops the RT-S from last year’s lineup, so it’s all up to the remaining two to cover all the long-distance bases. From what I can see so far, it looks like ’mission accomplie’ for the Canadian manufacturer. A 115-horsepower Rotax mill pushes the vehicle with room for rider, passenger and 41 gallons of storage split fore and aft. Weather protection and comfort-related features abound, and it’s plain to see that Can-Am looks to take on the two-wheeled touring ’status quo’ with the RT range. Can BRP pull out a win against traditional rides with its unusual configuration and sport-trike stigma? So far, so good; so what do you say we take a look at these two unusual creations that are creating their own niche. Market? We don’t need no stinkin’ market, we’ll make our own damn market. Right guys?

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder RT and RT Limited.

Let’s imagine Al Gore was right; Manbearpig and global warming are real and the EPA has declared unrestricted war on both. Extensive studies indicate that reindeer flatulence is a significant contributor to the worldwide greenhouse-gas totals, and the EPA used some its newly-acquired firepower to strike a blow against reindeer farts for the sake of mankind. As you can imagine, this leaves ol’ Kris Kringle in a bit of a pickle what with Christmas upon us, so what’s a guy to do?

Continue reading for our picks for Santa’s solution.

It might seem strange to us to see these funny, backward trikes, but they really aren’t anything new. In 1884, Edward Butler debuted plans for his Butler Petrol Cycle. It was a three-wheeled motorcycle — two front steering wheels and a single rear drive wheel — powered by a liquid-cooled, 600 cc flat-twin four-stroke engine.

Starting at $22,399, the Spyder ST-S is a far cry from Butler’s design — for starters, the Spyder ST-S has brakes, the Butler Petrol Cycle didn’t — but I’m sure he would be impressed with what Can-Am has done with his concept.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder ST-S.

The funny backwards trikes in Can-Am’s sport stable for 2016 include the Spyder RS and the RS-S. Featuring the Rotax high-torque engine and 12 gallons of cargo space, these performance-minded siblings are a blend of motorcycle and car technologies to bring you a fun ride that corners like it’s on rails. No, they don’t lean, so it’s not exactly like riding a motorcycle, but not everyone is looking for the same experience.

For stability, you can’t beat three wheels. (Okay, you can beat it with four, but let’s stay in the motorcycle world here.) For riders looking for an in the wind experience but without the worry of wrestling the weight of a two-wheeler, these Spyders are the bomb-diggity. Add a little sporty performance and you can turn funny into fun in a hurry.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder RS and RS-S.

Is it still a motorcycle — or a bike — when it has three wheels? Is it really worth an argument? I don’t think so. The touring stable at the Can-Am farm includes the Spyder RT, RT-S, and RT Limited for the 2017 model year. All the rides feature the Rotax high-torque engine and 41 gallons of cargo space. They are tourers, of course, so think of them as full dressers: saddlebags — each big enough for a full-face helmet — and top case, heated handgrips, big adjustable windscreen, and full passenger ensconcement with adjustable floorboards.

For someone new to the wind (usually I’d say “new to two wheels” but that doesn’t apply here), you have a very stable riding platform; and for experienced folks, you have a ride that is comfortable and it’s easy to adapt to the differences. It’s a heavier ride than you’re used to so you might feel like you really have to crank the throttle, but it’s really a nice, comfortable and relaxed ride.

Continue reading for my review of the Can-Am Spyder RT lineup.