Three wheels and the open road: 2008 Can-Am Spyder Roadster

A motorcycle Renaissance has been occurring of late, partially driven by gasoline prices hovering near the 3.00 a gallon price point, and partially due to graying Baby Boomers with bucks to burn and a yearning for something hot and fast between their legs (insertsnicker here).

OK, whatever the reasons, sales are up for traditional two-wheel models, and now Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) out of Canada has added a third wheel to mix. In February, BRP revolutionized the power sports industry with the launch of the Can-AmTM SpyderTM roadster. The Spyder is a three-wheeled roadster, with two wheels in front and one in the rear, and can be described as part motorcycle, and part convertible sports car. It offers all of the open-air benefits of a motorcycle and many of the peace-of-mind features of a car, something not traditionally found in open-road riding.

While initially concepting an onroad vehicle more than five years ago, BRP wanted to stay strong to its core value and innovative spirit by designing a paradigm-shifting vehicle. The result is the Spyder - a roadster that makes a true statement and is like nothing anyone has seen before - with a Y-architecture providing unique proportions blended with flowing-edge design.

California Golf & Lifestyle publisher Mary Burroughs spent some serious saddle time in Spyder during the product's launch event in sunny San Diego.

“Fun to drive, oh yes,” enthused Burroughs, “and, this design is something to marvel at. As we drove down the highway, heads were turning at every corner to get a glimpse of the Spyder.” The Spyder powerplant is a Rotax® 990 V-Twin engine featuring dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder.

This same 106 horsepower engine is found in a number of reputable motorcycles. It comes with the choice of two transmission options, a sequential manual five-speed (SM5) and sequential electronic five-speed (SE5) transmission, both of which include a transmission based reverse. Other features include Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) and a Vehicle Stability System (VSS) engineered in conjunction with Bosch†, which features anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control. The Spyder is designed for powersport enthusiasts and motorcycle riders who consider themselves “weekend warriors” - those who enjoy touring and cruising the open road for fun, as a social activity and want to be seen and noticed. The riding experience resembles that of a sport-touring, touring or cruiser, but cannot be labeled in any of these categories because of its unique and different "rider-active" feel and style.

During this year, BRP will deploy the first phase of its go-to-market strategy: twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can- Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. In its second phase, BRP will expand its Can- Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, European and other countries, and expects to be fully present worldwide within three to four years. The base price will be $14,999..

The Spyder marks a big step forward in BRP's overall powersports portfolio. With Sea-Doo® PWC and sport boats on the water, Ski-Doo® and Lynx® snowmobiles on the snow, Can- AmTM ATV on the dirt and Evinrude® and Johnson® engines in the water, the Spyder roadster gives BRP an on-road presence that makes a true statement. For more information visit www.spyder. brp.com.