Posted February 15, 2007

Can-Am Spyder: Rides like an ATV, but built for the street

By James Holter

Although they have had some broad appeal overseas—mostly in the build of small, two-person fully enclosed automobiles—three-wheeled vehicles have never taken off in this continent. But Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) is betting that if the product is solid enough, that can all change.

And they're putting their money on the table with the all-new Can-Am Spyder.

The Spyder is a three-wheeled vehicle with two up front, one in the back. Although it doesn't lean through corners, it has an upright rider position and receives directional input via handlebars. BRP classifies it as a roadster.

The Spyder draws on the expertise BRP has built on the back of its numerous other product lines. BRP is the same company that makes Sea-Doo watercraft, Rotax engines, Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Evinrude outboard motors and Can-Am ATVs. The Can-Am brand, of course, is resurrected from the off-road motorcycle line that thrived in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Big deal, you're thinking. You've seen crazier concept vehicles. But the Spyder is not a concept. It's slated for full production.

BRP introduced the Spyder to the world press in San Diego last week. Journalists got about an hour of riding time down the Southern California coast. While that's not enough time to draw any hard conclusions about performance, I did get a general feel for the basic operation. And in basic terms, riding the Spyder feels like riding an ATV on the street—but a very smart and fast ATV.

The smart comes from something called the VSS, or Vehicle Stability System. Four computers—and one back-up—constantly monitor variables such as wheel speed, engine speed, even rider load, and adjust power and braking accordingly. The Spyder has anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control.

I could clearly feel the VSS while riding the Spyder on both the street and through an obstacle course set up by BRP. In my limited testing, the system did a good job allowing all three wheels to maintain traction. It stops on a dime. It resists lifting the inside wheel through sharp corners. And it modulates power to the rear wheel to keep it from braking loose when turning.

The fast comes from the 998cc Rotax V-twin engine that kicks out a claimed 106 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. Although we were never in a position to really push the engine, it felt strong the few times we were able to accelerate up to cruising speed. It has a five-speed manual transmission and low-maintenance belt drive. A mechanical reverse can be actuated via a hand control and the foot shifter when the Spyder is in first gear. (An optional electronic, push-button shift will be available soon.)

Although making any real statements about the Spyder's capabilities would require much more time behind the handlebars, it's clear that BRP has a finished, production-quality machine on their hands. Although technically and legally the models at the intro were classified as prototypes, they felt and looked like they were fresh off the production line. Making the Spyder work as a complete unit is certainly a force of considerable engineering effort.

One thing is still unclear about the Spyder, however. Although they have a target demographic, even BRP admits that they're not sure whether mostly car enthusiasts, ATV riders or motorcyclists will ultimately buy the Spyder.

They have a good excuse, though. There isn't a high-production vehicle like the Spyder available today for comparing notes.

But that doesn't mean that BRP didn't do their homework. The company burned a lot of midnight oil with focus groups, studies and low-scale riding tests as they inched toward the official rollout. They're also planning a test-ride tour that will cover most of North America. Because the vehicle is so new, BRP thinks they will sell most of their Spyders to customers who get to test ride it first. So if you're interested, keep an eye on spyder.brp.com to find out when the road show is coming to a city near you.

BRP starts shipping Spyders to dealers in September. The base model, which I rode, has an MSRP of $14,999. Another version with push-button, electronic shifting and an automatic clutch, will be available later, probably in 2008, and will have an MSRP of $16,499.

 

2008 Can-Am Spyder
Engine	998cc DOHC liquid-cooled Rotax V-twin with 4 valves per cylinder
Claimed horsepower	106 hp @ 8500 rpm
Claimed torque	77 lb-ft @ 6250 rpm
Carburetion	Multi-point EFI with 57 mm diameter throttle bodies
Compression ratio	10.8:1
Drivetrain	Sequential Manual 5-Speed manual transmission (optional electronic shift), belt final drive
Steering	Electrically assisted Dynamic Power Steering (DPS)
Front suspension	Double A-Arm with anti-roll bar 5.67 inches of travel with adjustable preload
Rear suspension	Swing-arm with monoshock, 5.71 inches of travel with adjustable preload
Tires	2 x 165/65-14 front, 225/50-15 rear @ 13-17 psi
Brakes	Foot-actuated, fully integrated hydraulic 3-wheel braking system
Seat height	29.0 inches
Wheelbase	68 inches
Overall length	105 inches
Ground clearance	4.5 inches
Overall width	59.3 inches
Front storage capacity	2,685 cubic inches
Fuel capacity	7.13 gallons
Dry weight	697 pounds
MSRP	$14,999 ($16,499 with optional electronic shift)

© 2007, All Terrain Vehicle Association