First Drive Review
The open-air experience of a motorcycle can be terrifically fun, but there's an obvious problem: motorcycles fall over, resulting in definite injury to the ego and possibly to the body. BRP, the company that makes Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Can-Am ATVs, and Sea-Doo watercraft, thinks it has a solution: a three-wheeler called the Can-Am Spyder.
Three-wheelers are not new. The British company Morgan got its start almost 100 years ago with a trike that drivers sat in and drove more or less like a car. The Spyder pilot, however, straddles a motorcycle-like seat and turns the two front wheels with handlebars. By the way, the Department of Transportation considers the Spyder a motorcycle, and in all states except California, Delaware, and North Carolina, you'll need a cycle license to ride it. In those other three, a car license will do.
The idea here is to bring the motorcycle experience to a vehicle that's much easier to operate. Motorcycles can be tricky to learn, as the control layout is different, and you have to shift your weight and lean into corners. Sure, plenty of folks figure it out—about 700,000 street bikes are sold every year—but the learning curve can be a barrier to entry.
The Spyder has several features that make it easy to ride. Whereas motorcycles typically have a hand lever for the front brake and a foot pedal for the rear, the Spyder's brakes are linked and actuated only by a right-foot pedal. And, very unusual for bikes, these are standard anti-lock brakes, and the Spyder also has a traction- and stability-control systems. Steering effort is light, thanks to electric assist, a vacuum booster lightens the clutch pull, and a reverse gear aids parking. If this sounds like "Motorcycling for Dummies," you're right. Although hard-core knee draggers may deride the Spyder as a cycle with training wheels, it's not really meant for them. It is, however, undeniably fun to ride.
