Total Motorcycle Community Forums

hi all... saw the can am spyder website... looks cool, but how does it work? Is it like a bike? or an ATV? anyone ride one?


http://spyder.brp.com/en-US/See/Can-Am/ ... oom-RT.htm

-Z

I spoke with an owner recently. He said it's more like riding an ATV than a bike, but still better than a car.

He had one b/c his SigO wouldn't OK a bike, but would the trike. Go figure.

They have a touring model that I've been salivating over since I got my last copy of Rider magazine - it was on the back cover.

I've wanted one for a while, but I'd want to keep the motorcycle. Even selling my car and my bike I'd still need a loan to get one.

Then a practical concern... It doesn't get super mpg, either (forgivable, I know)

But it would be neat to say "yeah, its neat and it gets 100mpg"

It's definitely a lot like riding an ATV more than a motorcycle.
I rode one in Phoenix, and I wasn't very impressed by it. It didn't feel stable to me at all, in the straights it would take about a half a second to respond to steering inputs, and then it'd overreact. In the curves you had to LEAN on it or it wouldn't corner right and would try to go directly through the corner.
It does get about 35 MPG apparently, and it's powered by a Rotax 990 but it's geared more for torque than horsepower, first gear runs out at about 30 MPH

For those of you who rode a snowmobile before, it's just the same... It's not like riding a bike at all, at least for the techniques... You steer like an ATV, you lean to force it to turn further but the bike won't lean with you...

Useful for people who are scared of dropping bike because of injuries or from leg weakness or whatever... Useful too in the sense that you take more space on the road, less likely to get a car to push you around, and you are more visible...

But this is not a bike.

The Spyder is the answer to a question nobody asked, IMO. I'm still trying to figure out what purpose it serves.

so.... this makes me wonder, how do traditional 'trikes' handle?

I haven't ridden one yet, so I should reserve my judgement. However, leaning is the best part of riding a motorcycle, and single track agility is right up there as well.....

I'd be willing to try one out to be sure though

Gummiente wrote:The Spyder is the answer to a question nobody asked, IMO. I'm still trying to figure out what purpose it serves.

I suppose it would be an alternative to someone who wants to ride a bike but is handicapped, elderly, too short, too weak, too uncoordinated, too scared, too lazy or just wants something different. Also they may have friends or family that will not ride on the back of a two wheeler.

There definitely is a market, albeit a very limited one.

Don't forget expensive....