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Test ride on a Can Am Spyder

lkchris said:
A couple years ago I bought my first convertible, a Mercedes SLK. I was surprised that I felt really uncomfortable driving with the top down--I wanted to be wearing my helmet.

An SL, SLK, Z4, Boxster, etc., will NOT "cage" you. You can get a V12 SL or an AMG SL that will make your bike seem slow. You can own a first generation Boxster for $10K ... which is a way better choice than a CanAm.

Funny thing I heard recently and should post in this thread too about 3-wheelers: if there's something in the road, you are going to hit it. Think about it.
Click to expand...

Funny how you rag on a CanAm but then say a convertible CAR is a better choice. To many of us, no car is better. I've owned a couple convertibles. Yes, they can be more fun than a sedan or an SUV, but nothing like a two or three wheel motorcycle.

What do you think you're going to hit in the road? It's been a while since I saw a refrigerator in a lane of the interstate.! Oh wait, it was NEVER.

Most common things that I can imagine, if you just don't panic and just ride right over it, no harm. Especially if you do have the stability of a three wheeler.

And first generation Boxster is how old? You'll probably dump another 10 grand in it in the first five years of ownership. And it's still a CAR.
 
Funny how I think any 4-wheel vehicle is better than any 3-wheel vehicle.

Maybe it's because the former can do curves. As can motorcycles of course.

They outlawed 3-wheel ATVs, correct? (Yes I know the CanAm is more stable.)

Oh, imagine a pothole.

And, yes, I think it's more fun riding my bike than driving a car. Don't have any need to express hate for cars, however. It's not a macho competition.
 
They did outlaw the three wheel ATVs with the single wheel in the front. Very different vehicle dynamics than what we are talking about here.

The CanAm can also do curves pretty well.
 
I have a buddy who is an orthopedic surgeon. He once remarked that the Honda 3 wheelers made him a rich man.

I have a friend who recently switched from a Tenere to a Spyder. I still talk to him. He says the jury is still out.
 
lkchris said:
Funny thing I heard recently and should post in this thread too about 3-wheelers: if there's something in the road, you are going to hit it. Think about it.
Click to expand...

OMIGOD! Now THAT is funny. One, being "heard". Do you even ride a 3 wheeler? Two, for sidecarists... That is exactly why I consistently practice flying the chair, potential road hazards. Lets go look at all the threads of you two wheeled prima donnas w/ bent rims hitting a pothole or [insert debris].
As for spyders? What's the space between rear and front tires side to side?

112_0706_05l%2Bcan_am_spyder_roadster%2Bfront_view.jpg


Looks like a pretty wide space... Think about it...
 
Interesting thread... lots of opinions and some very strong. IMHO I think the Spyder is OK. As several others have said, it might be for me when I can't ride on 2 wheels. I ride Quads in the winter. I seriously enjoy them and you can avoid, turn, and go like a bat out of hell on them. That said, My first ride out I wound up in a ditch and later in the day I wound up with it on top of me. 55 years of counter steering is hard to break. I took a MSF ATV class and never looked back. I can transition between the two easily. I suspect the CanAm would be the same.

But what do I know, I ride a Scooter too...:laugh
 
xlarry said:
I saw a couch in the middle of a major freeway in the Dallas area! :whistle
Click to expand...

I saw and avoided an entire exhaust system in the left lane on I-405 in Seattle 9PM in the rain in November. How did I avoid it on a motorcycle? By watching the cars a half mile up ahead of me.
 
akbeemer said:
I have a buddy who is an orthopedic surgeon. He once remarked that the Honda 3 wheelers made him a rich man.

I have a friend who recently switched from a Tenere to a Spyder. I still talk to him. He says the jury is still out.
Click to expand...

I worked at a Honda dealer when the 3 wheeler 90 was introduced. One evening as only me and a salesman were left to put all the bikes inside. We took the 3 wheelers thru the dirt track next door a few rounds...and successfully flipped and cracked the rear fenders in both. Put them up and never said another word.
Had many friends that made visits to the ER on those models.

They were so different than a Spyder and certainly not the safest machine. The forward two wheels changed that dynamic.

A Spyder in the right hands can seriously carve curves. I followed two in New Mexico a few years back and couldn't believe the handling the riders exhibited.

Why all the haters of anything not the norm?
 
A few months ago 4 spyders pulled into H E L L S kitchen on the ortega hwy. 2 gals 2 guys all with Canada plates, they were out for a tour of the lower 48. Older couples all with big smiles, you could tell they were having a great time on their Spyders, that in my book is all that counts!!
 
Forgot about this earlier thread over in Sidecars/3 Wheelers...

Here is a good discussion w/ PMDave aka David Hough after he purchased a CanAm a few years ago. If there is any one person on this forum whose advice I'd listen to it's his.

Here is a link to that thread "Spydering".

Worth the read.
 
I reread the thread and it is interesting. I believe Dave did not keep the Spyder for very long. At a rally in 2012 he was asked why he sold it. In a very studied manner, Dave chose not to respond to the question with any specific reason.

In the thread there is a discussion about the unsuitability of the Spyder on dirt due to the traction control. I have a friend in Fairbanks who is exceptionally short. She bought a Spyder so she could ride the many dirt roads. To overcome the traction control she would put tape over the ABS sensors. She claimed it worked well. Perhaps BRP has come-up with a more elegant solution in the past three years.
 
akbeemer said:
At a rally in 2012 he was asked why he sold it. In a very studied manner, Dave chose not to respond to the question with any specific reason.
Click to expand...

I asked him about it as well here in Seattle after one of his safety talks at the local dealer... For the life of me I cannot recall the exact reason(s) so I won't mis-remember. :scratch
Perhaps he'll chime in if he's still around.
 
grafikfeat said:
OMIGOD! Now THAT is funny. One, being "heard". Do you even ride a 3 wheeler? Two, for sidecarists... That is exactly why I consistently practice flying the chair, potential road hazards. Lets go look at all the threads of you two wheeled prima donnas w/ bent rims hitting a pothole or [insert debris].
As for spyders? What's the space between rear and front tires side to side?

112_0706_05l%2Bcan_am_spyder_roadster%2Bfront_view.jpg


Looks like a pretty wide space... Think about it...
Click to expand...

Here's your dimension. these are for the 2012 RT touring model:
L x W x H 105 x 61.9 x 58 in. (2,667 x 1,572 x 1,473 mm)
Wheelbase 67.2 in. (1,708 mm)
Seat height 30.4 in. (772 mm)
Ground clearance 4.5 in. (115 mm)
Dry weight 929 lb. (421 kg)
Total storage capacity 41 US gal. (155 L)
Maximum vehicle load 525 lb. (240 kg)
Fuel capacity 6.6 US gal. (25 L)

Missing pot holes can be a challenge. it's actually MORE difficult than in a car/truck, as you have 3 distinct "lines of attack" that need to be addressed with a Spyder.
negotiating a dirt or gravel road can be even more bothersome. not a deal breaker by any means, but still something additional to contend with.
as to handling, and especially stability, of a Spyder vs earlier 3 wheelers- no freaking comparison. their computer systems will actually slow motor or apply brakes if it detects wheel(s) in the air. short of driving yourself off a cliff or into a tree/rock wall, these things are damn secure (once you get in tune with the "no counter-steering" aspect of them).

I just can't get past the no lean thing. at least for another decade or 3 (with any luck).
 
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