The Can-Am Spyder is a three-wheeled motorcycle made by Can-Am, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products. It has a single rear drive wheel and two front wheels for steering, a layout similar to a modern snowmobile, on an ATV-like chassis. The manufacturer calls it a roadster, but technically it is a trike.
Can-Am Spyder at a glance
| Type | three-wheeled motorcycle, called a roadster by the maker |
|---|---|
| Maker | Can-Am, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products |
| Layout | two steered front wheels, one driven rear wheel |
| Launched | February 2007 |
| Chassis | ATV-like |
| Brakes | front and rear brakes worked by the same foot pedal; anti-lock |
| Electronics | traction control and stability control |
| Transmission | manual and semi-automatic; from 2020 semi-automatic only, the Ryker with a CVT |
| Storage | a compartment under the front hood, the frunk, and optional rear helmet boxes |
| Sales | about 2,500 by October 2007; 12,500 built by May 2009; the 100,000th car in 2015 |
| Lines in 2020 | Spyder F3 (sport) and Spyder RT (touring); Ryker added in 2019 |
based on one source. The German Wikipedia page on Can-Am is a disambiguation page, so only the English article on the Spyder was used.
History of the Can-Am Spyder
Launch and sales
The Spyder was officially launched in February 2007. By October 2007 about 2,500 units had been sold, and by May 2009 12,500 Spyders had been manufactured, 9,932 of them sold in the United States. Roughly 21 per cent of sales went to women, and some 27 per cent of owners had never previously owned a motorcycle. In 2015, at the annual Spyderfest gathering in Springfield, Missouri, the 100,000th Spyder was delivered.
How it works
The vehicle uses an ATV-like chassis with two wheels in front for steering and one driven wheel at the back. It has traction and stability control and anti-lock brakes, and the front and rear brakes are both actuated by the same foot pedal. There is a reverse gear, power steering and an optional electric shift, clutchless transmission. All models have storage space under the hood at the front, which owners call the frunk, and top rear dual helmet boxes and other accessories are offered as well.
In most US states the Spyder is licensed as a motorcycle. In California, Delaware, Nevada and South Carolina only a regular driver’s licence is required, although helmet laws apply in California as they do for all motorcyclists.
F3, RT and Ryker
By 2020 the range had two Spyder models: the F3, primarily the sport model, and the RT, the touring model. In 2019 Can-Am added a lower-cost line named the Ryker, intended for a younger, entry-level audience. The Ryker is a bare-bones recreational version with feet-forward upright seating, the lowest ground-to-seat height and a smaller 600 or 900 cc engine; it comes in 600, 900, 900 Sport and 900 Rally trim packages. The Spyder F3 is a sport-cruising version with feet-forward seating and a low seat, offered as the base F3, F3-S, F3-S Special Series, F3-T and F3-Limited. The RT is the touring version with integrated saddlebags and a top case, in base RT and RT-Limited form; in 2021 BRP added the RT Sea to Sky as its top touring trim.
Transmissions and police versions
The Spyder was formerly built with both manual and semi-automatic transmissions. As of the 2020 model year all Spyder models have the semi-automatic unit and Ryker models a fully automatic continuously variable transmission. The manual follows the standard motorcycle layout, with a left-foot shifter and a left-hand clutch; the semi-automatic uses a paddle-shifter on the left grip and downshifts automatically as the vehicle slows, while upshifting is still done by the rider. Since 2015 BRP has also produced police versions: the Spyder F3-P adds emergency lighting, a siren and 12 V and USB outlets to the F3, along with a Quick Pursuit ignition system, and a patrol version of the RT is available too.
Design and features
- Two wheels in front: the Spyder steers with a pair of front wheels and drives through a single rear wheel, a layout similar to a modern snowmobile.
- Rider aids: traction control, stability control and anti-lock brakes are standard, and both brakes work from one foot pedal.
- Everyday equipment: a reverse gear, power steering and an optional clutchless electric shift.
- Storage: a front compartment under the hood, known as the frunk, plus optional dual helmet boxes at the rear.
Can-Am Spyder versions
- Spyder RS: the sports version, with styling and a seat position closer to a conventional sport bike; discontinued in 2016.
- Spyder ST: a sports-touring hybrid with an upright seat and removable saddlebags; discontinued in 2016.
- Spyder F3: the sport-cruising line, in F3, F3-S, F3-S Special Series, F3-T and F3-Limited trims.
- Spyder RT: the touring line with integrated saddlebags and a top case, in RT and RT-Limited trims, joined by the RT Sea to Sky in 2021.
- Ryker: the cheaper entry line from 2019, with 600 and 900 cc engines, a CVT and four trim packages.
- Spyder F3-P: the police version, with emergency lighting, a siren and a Quick Pursuit ignition.
The Spyder carries the same name as the Outlander and Renegade all-terrain vehicles and as the original Bombardier Can-Am motorcycles. More in the Can-Am collection.
Video: Road-Test & Review: 2014 Can-Am Spyder RS-S!
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Can-Am Spyder, English Wikipedia: launch, sales, technology, models, transmissions
