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Reader Survey: What Interests You Most About the Can-Am Spyder?

7 Comments

• On 06.04.07 Shane wrote:

  It seems only fair that, as the author, I start this one off.

  My name is Shane and I am a motorcycle and technology buff. I’m interested in the Spyder becuae it is new, and cool, and different, but I also think it would be a good vehicle for family use. My wife has expressed an interest in riding motorcycles, but she is too short for most bikes. And since California only requires a driver’s license to operate a Spyder, my wife, her sister (recently of driving age) and friends and family can all enjoy much of the fun of motorcycling, without the risk.

• On 06.07.07 Smitty wrote:

  Been watching all the comments on the Spyder. As a Cdn we do know Bombarier along with so much they have produced.

  Fact is back in the mid-50s Bombardier wanted our SportShop in Banff National Park in Alberta B.C., to handle the line & even more so when I looked into the f/glass nose piece to say it looked like a European two stroke of around 175cc which it was.
  My partner being Swiss/French was enthused we would be into this line since I also brought in British Greeves comp irons—-thing is I turned it down as the track was far to narrow & short, not deep enough tread, a guttless powerplant & I had no intention of working on one way out in the bush & freezing my fingers FOR in the winter time I was a competitive Downhill & Giant Slalom skier while at the shop I sold ski or mountaineering equipment & did all the work on skies to even rebuilding broken skis.
  Needless to say my partner was in a rotten mood for the next week. Mind you the Warden Dept bought one & it was rather runny to see fresh snow on the practice hill & they had a problem making it up the gradual slope & if they were cought in by the toe-rope we had to help them get out of the stuck problem—-proof that I was correct on the first snowmobiles being sold in a sort of sample form—-meaning let the normal John Doe have the problems first.
  So it could be the same on the Spyder as well—we really do not know for first of the m/cs is often with bugs that engineers never thought of, to even problems in engineering that had to be corrected. Have you not had a bike that ended up with a recall for something to be replaced or corrected?

• On 06.07.07 Smitty wrote:

  Note: At my age & with my my fingers being sort of like “not one normal finger of either of my hands” I do tend to make typo errors as some fingers must come down like hammers of the thumbs so errors can occure AND tack on age for a spelling error can come up plus me not liking how I typed that sentince. Probelem is I cannot sport the error on the regular print-out & go back to make the one or several corrections, so guys & gals you will just have to bear with me for said errors.

• On 06.07.07 Shane wrote:

  Smitty,

  There is truth in what you say. Having test rode the Spyder myself, I can report that there were a few things that bothered me about it. I will go into more detail in later posts. What did impress me is that Can Am has asked and provided a form for feedback from the test riders. Given that they are taking months to introduce the Spyder, and giving plenty of us “John Does” the opportunity to test it, and just as importantly, report back on it, hopefully they will take the criticism to heart and adjust the producution models to address these issues.

• On 06.08.07 Brad wrote:

  I ve been interested in the Spyder since I saw it at a SkiDoo spring tour stop here in Munising,Michigan.I was so fired up I put down a deposit even before I rode it. I was almost puking from anxiety about purchasing something I didnt ride. Felt like a fool for 6 weeks till the day came when I finally tracked down a dealer in Green Bay WI area who had 2 demo Spyders. My qualms were settled. I loved it. The first ride my wife came with.The second I went by myself. I was exilerated to the core. All doubts melted away after the first ride. I m sold. I m 55 years old and have had motorcycles since I was 14. I m almost as excited about the Spyder as I was when I fired up my first bike,a `67 Kawasaki 120 Roadrunner.

  I received a confirmation letter from Can Am with a confirmation number on it. Now to wait not so patiently till “whenever” it gets delived to the dealer. My dealer is only getting 4 machines. I hope its here in time for the fall color tour!

• On 06.11.07 Smitty wrote:

  A short test ride by the firm or a test ride being no more then a short spin around from a dealer is so much different to the REAL test rides that I did for several m/c mags in where I clocked around a month on the bike, to servicing it & so much more. My Pros & Cons being the good & bad points were the first part the readers road.

  So in said time you really put the test to the bike. Remember doing a Honda CB350F & commented on how I felt the additional 50cc would make it a nicer bike, plus going from present 5 speeds to six speeds was a must on a smaller power plant along with my dislike for the ignition switch to be at the front of the fuel tank & just above the header pipes that could burn one’s hand. Also in a small bit I said my aim would be to have flat bars on the bikes, rear sets, stiffen up the front end, along with the rear.

  The next year they came out with the Honda CB400F with the most lovely four into one set of pipes, ignition switch was on top of the steering head, six speeds & some other changes. Obviously I was sort of obligated to buy one & did all the other things I mentioned including far, far more plus into a pointless ignition system, S&W rear shocks of my preference, beefed up the front forks, best of rubber at the time, & good set of rear sets. It turned out to not be such a fast bike, but all loved the way it handled.

• On 06.16.07 Pete wrote:

  I test rode the Spyder at the Laconia Bike Week in NH a couple days ago. UNBELIEVABLE! WHAT TRIP! I almost blacked out laughing so hard it was so fun to ride. They did a nice job with it.

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