I moved from a (two wheeled) 1150GS to a Can Am Spyder last year, primarily because my vintage legs are getting unreliable.
Heading for my first BMW rally driving the Spyder, I was wondering what sort of reception I would get from my BMW friends and associates. I was pleasantly surprised to get honest questions about the Spyder, rather than something less friendly.
I've also been curious about the reception to the Spyder from non-motorcyclists. First, they seem to have seen the Can Am commercials, so seeing a Spyder in person isn't a shock. It's obvious that they consider the Spyder to be something more like a sports car than a motorcycle, but with the relative adventure of an open vehicle.
I had been thinking about converting the GS to a sidecar rig, and spent a few hours sketching out the connectors and fittings needed. But I decided to try the Spyder instead, since it was available all in one piece--no assembly required.
I've not been attracted to the 1F 2R (one front wheel, two rear wheels) layout as sold currently by Harley-Davidson, or installed by trike frims such as Lehman. I much prefer the 2F 1R configuration, because it puts wheels where they need to be to resist rollover.
The Can Am Spyder was engineered at the BRP factory from the ground up, and includes ABS, power steering, stability control, reverse gear, and the option of either foot shift or "semi-auto" shifting via a thumb paddle switch.
If anyone is interested in discussing the Spyder, handling, the mods I've made, etc., feel free to ask questions.
pmdave
Heading for my first BMW rally driving the Spyder, I was wondering what sort of reception I would get from my BMW friends and associates. I was pleasantly surprised to get honest questions about the Spyder, rather than something less friendly.
I've also been curious about the reception to the Spyder from non-motorcyclists. First, they seem to have seen the Can Am commercials, so seeing a Spyder in person isn't a shock. It's obvious that they consider the Spyder to be something more like a sports car than a motorcycle, but with the relative adventure of an open vehicle.
I had been thinking about converting the GS to a sidecar rig, and spent a few hours sketching out the connectors and fittings needed. But I decided to try the Spyder instead, since it was available all in one piece--no assembly required.
I've not been attracted to the 1F 2R (one front wheel, two rear wheels) layout as sold currently by Harley-Davidson, or installed by trike frims such as Lehman. I much prefer the 2F 1R configuration, because it puts wheels where they need to be to resist rollover.
The Can Am Spyder was engineered at the BRP factory from the ground up, and includes ABS, power steering, stability control, reverse gear, and the option of either foot shift or "semi-auto" shifting via a thumb paddle switch.
If anyone is interested in discussing the Spyder, handling, the mods I've made, etc., feel free to ask questions.
pmdave