Can-Am Spyder

[Rinkydink]

I did a search and all info was somewhat dated...

 

My brother has his eye on a demo Spyder at the local dealer. It is the bottom of the line RS model with full warranty and is priced very very nicely. Anyone have any long term experience on one of these machines? Comments good or bad? I don't really want to get into the 3 vs 2 wheel vs Mazda Miata debate as he already has 5 bikes of all different flavors and just wants something different. Oh, and I will probably get to ride it too a lot....

 

 

[Bud]

I test rode one. I came home with a big grin on my face and Nancy asked if I was buying one.

 

I will be in the running for my "old mans" bike when I can no longer ride on two wheels.

 

Fun

[Motodan]

Ride or is it "drive" the thing - a bunch - first, especially on a good "crowned" road. They do not handle like a bike or any other vehicle. My experience was unfavorable. Perhaps with a lot of miles one becomes accustomed to how they handle, but I found it not enjoyable...too much muscle to move around and not (no) leaning, which took away from the ride.

[cali_beemer]

I demo'd one but I have never logged alot of time on one. I am with motodan, I didnt prefer it. It got alot of looks and attention around town. It could hanlde well but in turns it fell like it would throw you off to the side. There is no lean of the bike, just what you can d with your body. Not enough to overcome the G-forces IMO. It basically felt more similar to my sea-doo waverunner than a motorcycle experience. It felt like it would be a challenge to control in an emergency manuever. I could easily see the spyder great for people intimidated by 2 wheels or someone with a disiabilty prohibiting or limiting the use of a two wheel cycle. Otherwise the engineering and motor were great. If I remeber right my right leg was scorched form the heat, my onlky mechanical complaint. They may have fixed it by now. A great attention getter in town that for certain. However, I wouldnt take it over a motorcycle.

[VinnyR11]

My friend has one,and he also has bikes. He loved it for a while and now thinks it's "OK". He still rides it when his knees act up.

 

I road it for a day and did not like it at all, but that's only one opinion. I also don't like snowmobiles/waverunners, and as mentioned by cali-beemer, the ride position/steering felt similar to me. I found it very difficult to get away from steering opposite to the way you want to turn, and hated the lack of lean. Others get the hang in 2 minutes.

 

I'm only guessing, but I think someone who has never ridden or is realtively new to bikes would enjoy a Spyder more.

[upflying]

I would guess someone with a disability would enjoy it. I hadn't considered the side forces "throwing" you off the saddle during turns.

The biggest issue for me is the inability to lane-split with it.

I might as well sit in comfort ina four-wheeler.

Another concern would be the insurance costs. Technically it's a motorcycle but different. That difference gets insurance actuaries uptight.

[NonComp]

I spoke briefly to David L. Hough (author of Proficient Motorcycling) about his last August at our local BeeCee Beemers rally in Nakusp (he did a talk on sidecars) and said he enjoys his - "they are a lot of fun". I should mention that he did not ride his Spyder to the rally, but rode his airhead/sidecar combo instead. For sidecar owners it is a step up because you don't have to worry about counterbalancing the sidecar.

 

He mentioned that, like standard trikes, the tricky part is debris avoidance on the road. It's tricky to straddle an obstacle with three wheel paths instead of 1 or 2.

 

I really like the look of the RT touring version and there is now an optional trailer. They are apparently a fair bit of work in the twisties if you want to ride in a spirited fashion.

[outpost22]

I believe it was Motorcycle Consumer News or Motorcyclist did a comparo of the Spyder and the Piaggio (SP?) . They much preferred the Piaggio as it handled a lot better. They said the Spyder handled "spooky" if I remember correctly while the Piaggio was very good.

 

See them here

[Motodan]

I believe it was Motorcycle Consumer News or Motorcyclist did a comparo of the Spyder and the Piaggio (SP?) . They much preferred the Piaggio as it handled a lot better. They said the Spyder handled "spooky" if I remember correctly while the Piaggio was very good.

 

See them here

 

"Spooky" is a good word. It made me think way too much about how to drive it, thereby taking the enjoyment out of the ride.

[Dave_C]

It seems to have all the disadvantages of a car(wide, heavy) combined with all the disadvantages of a motorcycle(no weather/crash protection, limited luggage space). Every time I see one I think, "is that person afraid to ride a motorcycle". Seems like it would be fun to rent for a day, though.

[ka5ysy]

Check out the T-Rex. More practical if you are into this kind of thing. There is one in our area, and it looks fun, plus gets a lot of looks at a stoplight.

 

http://www.campagnamotors.com/

[VinnyR11]

I believe it was Motorcycle Consumer News or Motorcyclist did a comparo of the Spyder and the Piaggio (SP?) . They much preferred the Piaggio as it handled a lot better. They said the Spyder handled "spooky" if I remember correctly while the Piaggio was very good.

 

See them here

 

"Spooky" is a good word. It made me think way too much about how to drive it, thereby taking the enjoyment out of the ride.

 

+1 That's a perfect description and also how I felt. I did not feel safe if I had to make an emergency maneuver.

[NonComp]

I think that all those comparisons (and a lot more) regarding handling, could also be applied to sidecar hacks. I tend to think about the Spyder as being a better sidecar rig, rather than a motorcycle per se.

[Alan D]

"He mentioned that, like standard trikes, the tricky part is debris avoidance on the road. It's tricky to straddle an obstacle with three wheel paths instead of 1 or 2."

 

Twice I have followed a Three wheeler about 50 miles on a club ride and my thoughts were what a lot of work avoiding pot holes etc. with three wheels to worry about.

[NonComp]

Maybe that's one reason why the tires on the Spyder are essentially car width rather than the flat profile motorcycle tires that are typically seen on hacks.

[upflying]

Not to mention the center wheel of a trike is always in the dirtiest, slipperiest, oiliest portion of the roadway.

The Spyder has automotive tires since it does not lean in turns like a motorcycle does.

Analogy of as street legal snowmobile (or are they called snowmachines?) is accurate.

[CoarsegoldKid]

I demo rode a few miles on an RT version with manual trans. Juanita was pillion. After being shown how to steer the thing in a one minute cone course we were set loose on the street. My words to the fellow getting feedback on the ride were "understeers a lot". Maybe it was the inertia forcing my body to the outside of the turn while the necessity of turning the tiller to the inside of the turn that made it feel weird. More saddle time on a closed course with an instructor could have made a difference. It seems like it should be fun and if someone is accustomed to a trike it might be just what the doctor ordered.

[Bill_Walker]

Analogy of as street legal snowmobile (or are they called snowmachines?) is accurate.

 

Exactly. After I demo'd one (and to the OP, make sure your brother tries one before buying), I came away thinking this was a summer toy for those who ride snowmobiles in the frozen north. Similar technique required, and you can get out on the road while there's still a little sand on the pavement without too much worry.

 

I saw the RT version at a dealer recently, and it struck as me looking like a snowmobile had been rear-ended by a K1200LT.

[jr4488]

We had three 08 Spyders in our rental pool for a year. All three bikes had constant mechanical and electrical problems. To make matters worse, the first 10,000 Spyders made have a steering defect that causes them to jerk into another lane at high speed. Google "Spyder recall" and you'll see what I mean.

 

Spare parts come from Canada and we'd wait up to 4 months for common engine parts...

 

jack

 

 

 

 

[MikeB]

I demo rode one of these a few years ago. I found the steering to be very heavy feeling, I didn't care for that. However, if I could have one for free, I think I would have a blast riding it here in Burney during the winter months when the roads are covered in ice and snow.