Can-Am Spyder
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Can-Am Spyder
I was at our local KTM shop today and they are also going to be selling the Can-Am Spyder. The had two demo Spyders on hand and I got a chance to sit on them and check them out. Tomorrow morning we have an appointment to test ride them. After we finish I will share my riding impressions.
Yer wanted by the police and my wife thinks your dead.
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DJ Downunder
- Honorary Lifer
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- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:26 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Well we got to ride or drive the spyder yesterday. It was an interesting experience. Would I get rid of my roadster for one, no way. Would I like to have one in the garage, absolutely? It has very responsive steering and corners like it is on rails. The wind protection was outstanding with no helmet buffeting and just enough air to keep you cool and let you know you were moving. As you got up to around 60 to 70 mph it got really smooth and had the feeling you could eat up a lot of miles. The most fun was watching other people’s faces as when they saw it. Kids were the best we came up on a couple of teenage boys that were trying really hard to be "cool" until they saw us on the spyders. Then they went crazy jumping up and down, pointing and smiling. The display of innocence and excitement was really fun to watch. My advice is give one a try if you get a chance they are really different and a lot of fun to ride. I got a couple of pictures and will try to post them but historically have had some technical difficulties.
Yer wanted by the police and my wife thinks your dead.
This is the link to the website I am having a little trouble (operator error) posting the pictures I took but will keep trying.
http://spyder.brp.com/
I couldn't get the pictures to post so here are the links.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
http://spyder.brp.com/
I couldn't get the pictures to post so here are the links.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7 ... ZsXLdi5aNy
Yer wanted by the police and my wife thinks your dead.
Thanks Herb. I was at my dealer today, BOY the K1200GT looks nice..... 
Last edited by OU812 on Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
RIDE TOO PRETEND, PRETEND TOO RIDE. 
89 Oldwing, 07 WR250R, 14 KX250F
89 Oldwing, 07 WR250R, 14 KX250F
Full Report
The Spyder was fun to ride. Very different but in exactly the way I expected. They told me in the beginning that it was more like riding an ATV (quad bike) than a motorcycle and I’d say that was dead on. I felt more side to side action from unevenness in the road. It reminded me of an airplane rocking side to side in short, quick bursts.
Power was good, and the clutch and shifting were just like a motorcycle. There was no front brake lever. I could see you flipping the thing over maybe. The pedal at your right foot worked the linked ABS brakes. It applied braking front and rear (and maybe side to side) based on sensors. Braking was plenty strong.
Seating position was quite similar to my bike if not a little more upright. Wind coverage was good. There was a gear indicator on the digital section of the dash, but I didn't notice a clock. It had analog gauges for speed and tach. There’s a trunk in the front and apparently some under seat storage.
I didn’t take any pictures of it even though I had my camera. When I got there the BRP tractor trailer was already there to pick them up and take them to the next dealer for more demo rides. I think the one I rode was just sitting out back the whole time but I didn’t see it until just before I got on it and my camera was back on the scooter. When I got back someone else got on it and left. The dealer was closing so I headed out. I regret not getting pictures.
It has a reverse. You pull a tab/lever on the handle bar and just downshift from first. I rode it around the parking lot for a bit before they lead me out on the road, a bike in front and a bike behind. It’s wide, you have to stay in the middle of the lane or that left tire will ride the centerline. You tend to oversteer at first and end up weaving a lot.
My ride was fun, and I was very comfortable the whole time. My opinion of Spyder is shaped by seeing it as a bike for my wife to ride. The advantages there are that it is stable, and has abs, and shifts just like a bike.
The disadvantages are that a new rider will not gain skills used in controlling a single track vehicle that leans. Also without a brake lever on the front a new rider will not gain that skill.
When I got on the Yamaha Morphous to head home it struck me (again) how easy and fun that little ride is. It may be the perfect entry level 2 wheeler. I doubt I'll be trading for a Spyder anytime soon. Give me a year or so and I'll re-evaluate.
They are coming back in July for more demo rides and I'll try to get my wife out there then to at least ride one around the parking lot.
$15K is not an unreasonable price for such a unique machine. The demo units are living a hard life. The yellow one was broken when they picked it up from another dealer and the clutch went out on it the day I did my ride. I rode a silver one with just over 2700 miles. When I was by there last Saturday there were two silver ones. I don't know where the other one went, didn't see it yesterday.
DSKYZD
Power was good, and the clutch and shifting were just like a motorcycle. There was no front brake lever. I could see you flipping the thing over maybe. The pedal at your right foot worked the linked ABS brakes. It applied braking front and rear (and maybe side to side) based on sensors. Braking was plenty strong.
Seating position was quite similar to my bike if not a little more upright. Wind coverage was good. There was a gear indicator on the digital section of the dash, but I didn't notice a clock. It had analog gauges for speed and tach. There’s a trunk in the front and apparently some under seat storage.
I didn’t take any pictures of it even though I had my camera. When I got there the BRP tractor trailer was already there to pick them up and take them to the next dealer for more demo rides. I think the one I rode was just sitting out back the whole time but I didn’t see it until just before I got on it and my camera was back on the scooter. When I got back someone else got on it and left. The dealer was closing so I headed out. I regret not getting pictures.
It has a reverse. You pull a tab/lever on the handle bar and just downshift from first. I rode it around the parking lot for a bit before they lead me out on the road, a bike in front and a bike behind. It’s wide, you have to stay in the middle of the lane or that left tire will ride the centerline. You tend to oversteer at first and end up weaving a lot.
My ride was fun, and I was very comfortable the whole time. My opinion of Spyder is shaped by seeing it as a bike for my wife to ride. The advantages there are that it is stable, and has abs, and shifts just like a bike.
The disadvantages are that a new rider will not gain skills used in controlling a single track vehicle that leans. Also without a brake lever on the front a new rider will not gain that skill.
When I got on the Yamaha Morphous to head home it struck me (again) how easy and fun that little ride is. It may be the perfect entry level 2 wheeler. I doubt I'll be trading for a Spyder anytime soon. Give me a year or so and I'll re-evaluate.
They are coming back in July for more demo rides and I'll try to get my wife out there then to at least ride one around the parking lot.
$15K is not an unreasonable price for such a unique machine. The demo units are living a hard life. The yellow one was broken when they picked it up from another dealer and the clutch went out on it the day I did my ride. I rode a silver one with just over 2700 miles. When I was by there last Saturday there were two silver ones. I don't know where the other one went, didn't see it yesterday.
DSKYZD
JOURNEY JUNKIE #187