Details of Cars

Bombardier Spyder: the Can-Am three-wheeled roadster

BOMBARDIER

Yellow Can-Am Spyder
A Can-Am Spyder. Photograph: Oleg Yunakov (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo by Oleg Yunakov, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle built by Can-Am, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products. It has a single rear drive wheel and two steered wheels at the front, a layout similar to a modern snowmobile, on an ATV-like chassis. The maker calls it a roadster; technically it is a trike.

Bombardier Spyder at a glance

Can-Am Spyder key facts
Maker Can-Am, Bombardier Recreational Products
Type three-wheeled roadster
Layout two front wheels, one rear drive wheel
Launched February 2007
First sales about 2,500 by October 2007
Production 12,500 by May 2009; 100,000th in 2015
Models in 2020 Spyder F3, Spyder RT, Ryker
Transmission semi-automatic on all 2020 models; manual earlier
Brakes front and rear on one foot pedal, with ABS
Licence motorcycle in most US states
Storage front compartment, the “frunk”

History of the Bombardier Spyder

Origins

Silver Can-Am Spyder on a street in Montreal
A silver Can-Am Spyder in Montreal. Photograph: Jeangagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo by Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The idea for the Spyder came out of an internal design competition at Bombardier in 1996, for a road vehicle styled after a snowmobile. The first prototype was finished two years later.

Launch

The Spyder was shown to the public in North America on 20 February 2007, followed by a gradual roll-out; at first it was sold in some US states and four Canadian provinces. In Europe it was presented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14 June 2008 and went on sale in Germany in July 2008. By October 2007 about 2,500 had been sold, and by May 2009 12,500 had been built, 9,932 of them for the United States. About 21 per cent of buyers were women and 27 per cent had never owned a motorcycle.

Model range

Two gearbox types were offered at first: the SM5 with a five-speed manual and reverse, and the SE5 with a sequential electronic gearbox. The touring RT arrived in 2010 with more luggage space. The sporty RS and the sports-touring ST were discontinued in 2016. In 2019 Can-Am added the cheaper Ryker, and from 2020 all Spyders came with a semi-automatic transmission while Ryker models used a CVT. The 100,000th Spyder was handed over at Spyderfest in Springfield, Missouri, in 2015. BRP also built police versions, including the F3-P with emergency lights and siren.

Design and features

  • Two wheels in front: a snowmobile-like layout with a single driven rear wheel.
  • Rider aids: traction control, stability control and anti-lock brakes.
  • Easy controls: one foot pedal for both brakes, reverse gear and power steering.
  • Front storage: a compartment under the hood, called a frunk.
  • Licensing: registered as a motorcycle in most US states; a few states accept a car licence.

Bombardier Spyder versions

  • Spyder RS: sport model, discontinued in 2016.
  • Spyder ST: sports-touring model with removable saddlebags, discontinued in 2016.
  • Spyder F3: sport-cruiser with feet-forward seating.
  • Spyder RT: touring model with integrated saddlebags and top case.
  • Ryker: lower-cost line from 2019 with 600 or 900 cc engines.
  • F3-P: police version with lights, siren and quick-pursuit ignition.

Bombardier’s older vehicles are the Bombardier Snowcoach and the military Bombardier Iltis. More in the Bombardier collection.

Video: Top speed on Can-Am Spyder, 2 onboard

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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