BRP are one of the world’s biggest players in the aero, aquatic and locomotive industry. Boarded a train on the new Perth to Mandurah Railway? Then you have already spent time on a Bombardier product. Likewise, if you have ridden a Seadoo PWC, been on an Evinrude E-Tec powered boat, a Skidoo snowmobile or been a passenger on a Qantas Dash-8 aircraft you have already had your carcass transported in some way by a BRP creation.

With well established products across all those aforementioned modes of transportation, and a growing off-road presence with the Can-Am ATV brand, the next logical market for the company was to enter the on-road market. But they wanted to do it in a new and innovative way.

Enter the Can-Am Spyder.

With a name like Spyder one would expect the Can-Am to have eight limbs but it makes do with only three. Two at the front and one at the rear, just like Piaggio’s ground breaking new MP3 scooters. However the two companies have executed their concepts in very different ways.

Piaggio’s innovative MP3 (Review Here) leans like a motorcycle, while the Can-Am Spyder is dedicated to keeping all three wheels perpendicular to the road surface. The MP3 feels like a motorcycle, whereas the Spyder feels more like a cross between an ATV or jet-ski and an open wheel sports car. An impression reinforced by the view of the sports car style double a-arm front suspension clearly visible from the Spyder cockpit. The actual riding technique is fairly similar to that used when riding an ATV.

In many countries riders can pilot a Spyder on a normal car licence. Disappointingly in Australia however the powers that be have deemed that a full motorcycle licence is required to ride the Spyder, seriously limiting the potential market for the innovative new machine. Something that Australian distributors are still working with authorities to try and overcome. Can-Am have not fitted the Spyder with a front brake lever to help with the overseas licensing as the more 'car-like controls' apparently helped their cause in that regard.

Unfortunately that means that all braking is controlled from a foot lever that is not placed in the most natural position. This means you physically need to move your foot onto the lever in a deliberate motion. This annoyed me. If I had a lever on the bar I could forget about my feet all together. Braking power is certainly not something that can be whined about though, if you really stomp on the lever hard enough to get the ABS working the stopping power is quite remarkable. I still think in an emergency situation however a brake lever on the bar would prove more effective, but maybe that's just the motorcyclist in me...

A range of electronic countermeasures ensure all three wheels remain on the deck and keeps the machine tracking true. When the Spyder’s electronic brain registers too much speed differential between the wheels, or too much yaw is felt through a variety of other sensors, engine power is reduced and a corresponding wheel is braked to help stabilise the machine. This is similar to the dynamic stability control systems fitted to many modern cars.

Spirited riding is best achieved by riding smoothly to keep the electronics from cutting the fun. However, through detailed scientific research, I found that the Spyder will actually allow the rear tyre to spin quite freely as long as all three wheels are pointing in roughly the same direction. While lurid smoking sideways drifts are not in the Spyder’s repertoire, it will lay long snaking darkies from the lights with the best of them. If in really tight terrain the rear tyre can also be lit up at will on the exit of corners once you get the machine straightened up for the exit. So, despite the electronics plenty of fun is still there to be had, you just have to know how to find it. Right click and select 'save target as' on this link (CAN-AM SPYDER VSS DEMONSTRATED) to start downloading a 51Mb Windows Movie demonstrating the stability system.

When attacking the best method seems to be firing into the corner and relying on the amazing braking power to pull you up before then using some muscle and body english to get the machine turned and then fire it out. At the other end of the spectrum if all out aggression is not your cup of tea then it is best to be smooth with your inputs and lines to avoid the stability systems being activated. The stability system is not foolproof however and a wheel can still be lifted and one journo managed to put one on its head. I am not sure whether that was from poor body positioning or brain fade.

Powering the Spyder is the well proven Rotax 990cc v-twin that first saw duty in Aprilia’s RSV Mille sportsbike. Mated to a five speed sequential gearbox with manual hand operated clutch and a selectable reverse the belt driven set-up is grunty and reasonably frugal. Its 27 litre fuel capacity is good for touring ranges of between 300 and 400km depending on how spirited the riding. If really getting up it for the rent the range could go as low as 250km but you would be having a very serious crack to get down to those sorts of numbers. Top speed is electronically limited around 180km/h.

The riding position is comfortable with weather protection equal to that afforded by most touring motorcycles.

A forward luggage compartment is capable of swallowing two helmets and displaces 44 litres in capacity. While this is more storage than offered by most small scooters it is no match for a maxi scooter or full dress touring motorcycle. I would have imagined that such a large machine would have offered more luggage capacity.

Can-Am offer a range of accessories to expand the machines touring credentials with top boxes and a pannier system on the way as right now the limited luggage capacity is the machine's major drawback in my opinion. No doubt a luxury version will make its way into the Spyder line-up at some stage with more storage, a stereo system, cruise control, a heated seat and grips upping the specification level closer to what is currently offered by the most well appointed touring motorcycles. There are no indications from Can-Am on exactly how long we will have to wait for more versions of the machine to arrive but you can guarantee they haven’t spent the best part of a decade developing the base platform to not capitalise on that design by producing various specifications of the machine. Perhaps we may even see a hybrid battery powered version of the Spyder at some stage...? And no doubt the aftermarket industry are already well on the way to releasing nitrous and turbo systems for the Spyder...

One thing the Spyder does have over some of its motorcycle opposition however is price. At $25990 the Spyder undercuts the premium touring offerings from Honda, Harley-Davidson and BMW by a fair margin. Its real fans however are likely to be people after a cut price open wheel sports car or an economical runabout capable of having a bit of fun on the side along with supercar rivalling acceleration. Riders that are infirm from a disability will love the secure footprint of the Spyder and any rev-head is sure to enjoy throwing one around along a twisty road.

PICTURES - IMAGE GALLERY OF THE CAN-AM SPYDER

PICTURES - WALLPAPER GALLERY OF THE CAN-AM SPYDER

VIDEO - CAN-AM SPYDER CONCEPT (Right click 'Save Target As' - 21Mb wmv)

VIDEO - CAN-AM SPYDER VSS DEMONSTRATED (Right click 'Save Target As' - 51Mb wmv)

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