Just rode the Can Am Spyder

[Taz]

And it was great fun!! Awesome even.

Video to follow Tonight or tomorrow.

Got to take my kids to rainbows end now.

[Taz]

I took the oportunity along with Cary to test ride the Can Am Spyder during BRP and JFK's recent Spyder experience demo tour on the 19/11/2010. I loved the Spyder . I would choose one of the RT models over a Goldwing for two up touring easily. The RS was a real hoot. These things are fun and practical!

Here's a vid of the test ride.

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[bsasuper]

Silly things, but recommended if you cant ride a motorcycle.

[ellipsis]

....followed about six through the twistys on the Governors bay road (Banks Peninsula) recently...on the Leadwing...they looked like fun...but i got fucked off following them...left them behind to look for something else of interest out there...

[Taz]

Silly things, but recommended if you cant ride a motorcycle.

Yeah I cant ride a motorcycle....

Don't let prejudices stop you from having a go on one.

[DMNTD]

Have ridden a couple of them and had a blast!
Got to say that it would be "an also bike" though

[Latte]

Any issue with the trike trying to tip "out" of the corner, footage looked like you'd have to hang on pretty tight.

[Taz]

You can lift the inside wheel a little then the electronics stop the lift and bring it nicely back down. This thing will also stop faster than anything behind you in an emergency situation so be warned :)

[White trash]

We've traded two cruisers on Spyders in the past week. More to come no doubt.

[Cary]

Silly things, but recommended if you cant ride a motorcycle.

I think i can ride a motorcycle fairly well and still found the Spyder a hoot.

Sure they are a different experence than a motorcycle but I wouldn't mind one in my garage.

Rather have a Spyder than a curiser or goldwing any day.

[The Pastor]

what a boring vid.

Bet they are still fun tho, only ever ridden a 200cc dirt trike thing - and that was fun doing wheelies and donuts on! awesome.

[Taz]

what a boring vid.



You're a boring guy aint ya? You really had to be there.....

[NZsarge]

Had a spin on one in the Hutt, interesting but too short of a ride to form a solid opinion on owning one, future consideration yes perhaps but not right now, As Dumpty said would be cool as an as well as machine I reckon.

[bsasuper]

2 wheels = motorcycle

3 wheels = trike or car

Id rather have a gokart in the shed than a trike

[Nasty]

What are they registered as ... a bike or a car ... I don't think you need a bike license for these? Cos that could be the swinger for some people .. cars are cheaper to register.

[White trash]

What are they registered as ... a bike or a car ... I don't think you need a bike license for these? Cos that could be the swinger for some people .. cars are cheaper to register.

Registered as a car but you can ride them on a car or a bike licence. The real beauty of them, is people that have wanted bikes but never felt like going through the licence hassels can get on an almost bike straight away and enjoy.

[Taz]

2 wheels = motorcycle

3 wheels = trike or car



Thanks for clearing that up. :lol:

[Taz]

You don't have to wear a helmet on the spyder either. Now cue all KB safety nazi's...

[White trash]

You don't have to wear a helmet on the spyder either. Now cue all KB safety nazi's...

Ummmm, you sure? Info I have says you do.

[Taz]

Ummmm, you sure? Info I have says you do.

That's what I was told by the BRP people. In Australia these have to be registered as a bike and riders have to hold a full bike license but here they a reg as a car and no helmet required even though I'd still wear one 99% of the time. Pleased to be proven wrong of course ;)

[insane1]

road one of these things on the 19th nov and had a blast ,handlings a bit diffrent you steer it like a car goes like a bat out of hell when you push it hard ,cost well the rs-s fully optioned is bout $36k and the rt tourer fully optioned is bout $48k if you want a challange riding something diffrent these are the best thing to come along for a while ,if you want to demo one of these contact jfk mcycles 38 cavendish drive manakau city aucks.

[insane1]

mods plse merge with other can -am post just seen another post on same subject.

[Ocean1]

Any issue with the trike trying to tip "out" of the corner, footage looked like you'd have to hang on pretty tight.

Physical failure mode on a bike is traction related, (lowside, highside). A Spyder has bulk surface contact area, it won't slide (easily) and it won't "tip" out of a corner. But yes, if you're not lined up with the CG you can be in trouble, and pulling on the bars to climb back "up" will make it turn harder...


This thing will also stop faster than anything behind you in an emergency situation so be warned :)

Yup, hardest braking vehicle I've ever owned.

[Hitcher]

You don't have to wear a helmet on the spyder either. Now cue all KB safety nazi's...

Cue all the truth Nazis as well (capitalised and without a redundant apostrophe). Not to mention the grammar Nazis...

[scumdog]

Cue all the truth Nazis as well (capitalised and without a redundant apostrophe). Not to mention the grammar Nazis...

Ah, that's the Hitcher we all like to see!!:woohoo:

[Taz]

Cue all the truth Nazis as well (capitalised and without a redundant apostrophe). Not to mention the grammar Nazis...

I thought you was dead? :innocent:

[Hitcher]

I thought you was dead?

Almost. Apparently I had a change of heart when the life support system was turned off.

[Ocean1]

Almost. Apparently I had a change of heart when the life support system was turned off.

Bordering on plagiarism. Mark Twain iirc.

[Hitcher]

Bordering on plagiarism. Mark Twain iirc.

I've always struggled with originality.

[Ocean1]

I've always struggled with originality.

Quite right. May no new thing arise.

[The Lone Rider]

The staff at the magazine all had a go on them recently; once on a Saturday in pouring rain and again on the Sunday on warm sunny day.

Article and photos will be in the next issue.

I was the only one who didn't like them.

Great engine though.

[Psychrn]

Ive had a Spyder Since Dec 21st 2010
I have had a Honda VT 750 c ( Shadow) for the last 18 months.

I went to Bat out of Hell to pick it up. I was told it was going to be a different riding experience and by the 1st Round about I nearly freaked out.
As the bike doesnt lean into corners you the rider has too. It appears quite exagerated at times.
Ive already done 2800 kms on it and thoroughly love it. I feel a lot safer on it. My Ulysses colleagues tell me that they noticed I look a lot more confident on it.
It has a 998 cc Rotax engine ( used in high end Aprillia bikes) so it has some grunt. Can leave 2 wheelers for dead at lights)
it has a 25 ltre tank. 95 octane is recommended. 300 km + is what I get out of it. some folk reckon they just manage 220km.
My mods on it:
1. 1 " Riseres on the Handle bars- more comfortasble riding position
2. Bigger windscreen
3. Hindle exhaust. 5 HP extra and more noise !!

Its got all the safety features you can imagine. ABS,VSS and sensors everywhere on it that take into consideration pillions etc.

Id like to contact other Spyder owners on this forum and be a resource for others about this bike

[jonbuoy]

I don´t really get them, you still get wet when it rains, you can´t really use it for carrying anything more than a bag of shopping, you can´t lane split, you can´t lean and you still have to find a decent size parking spot. For me it seems to be a bit like a jetski, might rent one for half a day but I wouldn´t want to own one. :wacko:

[scumdog]

I don´t really get them, you still get wet when it rains, you can´t really use it for carrying anything more than a bag of shopping, you can´t lane split, you can´t lean and you still have to find a decent size parking spot. For me it seems to be a bit like a jetski, might rent one for half a day but I wouldn´t want to own one. :wacko:

Slippery surfaces don't affect you the same as it does a bike

And you can get luggage kits that have way more capacity than a bike.

And you won't topple over 'cos you forgot to put your stand down - or your foot slips.

[Nasty]

Slippery surfaces don't affect you the same as it does a bike

And you can get luggage kits that have way more capacity than a bike.

And you won't topple over 'cos you forgot to put your stand down - or your foot slips.

Yup I took one for a test ride .. and bloody hell I loved it. He is right about it not leaning .. but it can take corners at a better speed than a bike ... and its just a great and comfortable ride :)

[R-Soul]

I am afraid I just dont get it. No leaning, no body positioning, no filtering ability.

The only thing going for it is its ability to pass cars quickly- effectively a (really) fast sports car without safety, or really comfortable seating. I think I would rather go for an Atom then.

I do, howver see a lot of potential for teh Yamaha Tesseract (when it comes out). 4 wheels, thin, bike like weight and power, leaning ability, high braking ability, high cornering ability, additional safety and no highsiding/lowsiding. But no roll cage.


http://listphobia.com/wp-content/uploads/yamaha-tessaract.jpg

I would give that serious consideration.

[imdying]

about this bikeYou mean this trike don't you? Bikes have two wheels.

[imdying]

I am afraid I just dont get it. No leaning, no body positioning, no filtering ability.And no balls required... getting it yet?

[Psychrn]

To ride the Spyder efficiently takes actually quite a lot of work.
As I mentioned in my last post the bike doesnt lean the rider has too. It feels like you are going to be thrown off the opposite side of the bike.
So on a left turn you move your body over to the left. If you are going faster you lean more.
Some of my fellow Ulyssians commented after our last ride how much work I had to do on the twisty bits.
It certainly has some grunt .

[Psychrn]

You mean this trike don't you? Bikes have two wheels.

Someone else used the term Brike also elsewhere

[Taz]

KB's come a long way since back in 2005 or 2006 I got infracted by Joni for answering a guys post about where he could get a trike made.

Her words were - This is kiwiBIKER not kiwi TRIKER!! and some shit about spank not liking trikes etc blah blah. She was a dick.

[James Deuce]

KB's come a long way since back in 2005 or 2006 I got infracted by Joni for answering a guys post about where he could get a trike made.

Her words were - This is kiwiBIKER not kiwi TRIKER!! and some shit about spank not liking trikes etc blah blah. She was a dick.

Nah. She's not.

I agree with the sentiment too. Trikes are neither fish nor fowl and have no advantages over bikes or cars and a lot of disadvantages. The Spyder is a symptom of a society going wrong, not a solution.

[Taz]

Nah. She's not.



Well she was that day. But then I've been a dick at times too :lol:

[White trash]

To ride the Spyder efficiently takes actually quite a lot of work.
As I mentioned in my last post the bike doesnt lean the rider has too. It feels like you are going to be thrown off the opposite side of the bike.
So on a left turn you move your body over to the left. If you are going faster you lean more.
Some of my fellow Ulyssians commented after our last ride how much work I had to do on the twisty bits.
It certainly has some grunt .

Interestingly, BRP are set to launch the next generation Spyders which DO lean like a bike. This'll be interesting.

[R-Soul]

To ride the Spyder efficiently takes actually quite a lot of work.
As I mentioned in my last post the bike doesnt lean the rider has too. It feels like you are going to be thrown off the opposite side of the bike.
So on a left turn you move your body over to the left. If you are going faster you lean more.
Some of my fellow Ulyssians commented after our last ride how much work I had to do on the twisty bits.
It certainly has some grunt .

It also doesnt use counter steering - it will steer like a car.

[Taz]

It also doesnt use counter steering - it will steer like a car.

More like a quad really.

[Ocean1]

More like a quad really.

Without the body roll.

I never reached the stage on mine where I felt I was aproaching the limits of lateral traction. I reckon even hanging off the inside like on a chair it would have spat me off the outside well before it let go.

One thing you absolutely must learn: Do not use the bars to hold yourself on.

[rickstv]

From the back it looks like a really flash rideon mower.

Nah, not for me.

[Big Dave]

Just because it isn't a motorcycle it doesn't mean it isn't fun. Just a different kind.