I had an opportunity to ride the Can-Am Spyder a few weeks ago and my thoughts afterwards were decidedly mixed. Coming from a motorcycling background, the strange interplay between the familiar (ergonomics, controls), and the foreign (direct steer as opposed to counter-steering, side force in turns), was disquieting to say the least. I found myself lapsing into motorcycle inspired habit, I put my feet down at stops, I obsessed over cancelling the turn-signals, and I habitually ran wide for not turning the bars far enough (on a motorcycle very little input is made to actually turn). Experienced in motorcycle crashing as well, I was also reluctant to put the safety controls to the test.
Over the course of the last few weeks I’ve let the experience sink in, and thought about the differences between a motorcycle and the Spyder, and the differences in operating the two, and the more I thought about it, the more I understood the Spyder, and the more I wanted to try it again, if only to confirm my new train of thought.
My chance came this last weekend, when another dealer in town was holding a test ride event. I rode my motorcycle down to the dealership; it seemed the best way to get my gear there, and to ensure the dealer knew he was dealing with someone at least familiar with the controls. I quickly signed the ubiquitous waiver and off on my test ride I went.
First impression, or should I say re-impression, was painful, literally. For some reason the width of the pegs and the seat cause my leg to cramp up when I first sit on the Spyder. It took standing a few seconds on the peg for my leg to relax enough to settle down onto the saddle. I suspect it is nothing more that being used to riding a very narrow bike, with the foot-pegs further back.
On the road I set about doing all the things I had thought would increase my enjoyment of the Spyder as compared to the last time I rode it. First, I nailed the brakes. It didn’t stop on a dime, as I have come to expect from my motorcycle, but it was fast for the Spyder’s size and weight, and I was satisfied. More importantly, I knew I could hammer the brake at will and not worry about high-siding.
Without even a conscious effort I refrained from putting my feet down this time. In fact, plenty of things came much more naturally this time. After one last blown corner, I settled into a habit of leaning off the seat to the inside of the corner, and once I was used to that, I hammered the gas through every turn. The Spyder was getting more and more fun by the second! The harder I pushed it, the harder it seemed to want me to go.
There was one unsettling feeling. The Spyder seemed to “float” as I rode it down the road. I can’t describe the experience any other way. But after a few miles the reason came to me; as the Spyder ran down the road and hit various bumps and dips and what-nots, the wheels and suspension would adjust, ever so slightly, and that was fed back through the handlebars. It was the most subtle thing, but being a motorcyclist, I am used to experiencing this feedback through a counter-steering and not a direct steering system. So every little adjustment was “backward” to me. It wasn’t enough to upset the ride, but until I understood it I was concerned with the stability of the Spyder at speed. Once I understood it, everything came together.
I got off the Spyder with a renewed interest and appreciation for it. All of the negatives from the first ride were wiped away. I have all the confidence in the world now in the Spyder and believe I have ridden the first wave of a new totally new revolution in sport vehicles. A Three Wheel Revolution.
Thanks for the Re-Review of your ride, I had a similar feeling on my first ride, but living in GA driving back down to FL for another ride was not available.
My pleasure Stonewolf. I’m extremely lucky in that I have two dealers within 15 minutes of the house, and they’ve both had test rides. My preferred local dealer is having another event in early September, and I hope to get in on a ride or two then as well. Until then, I’ll have to live vicariously through other people’s reports.
Interesting comments about your re-evaluation. I had mixed feelings about my initial ride, but your blown cornering was something I did, and had to quickly resolve the adjustment when I tried to countersteer. I almost think that a motorcycle safety class on riding this type of vehicle should be implemented because the riding characteristics are opposite of 2 wheels. In the end, I was still extremely happy with the experience, and waiting like many here for there spyders to come in. One last note, I had to wait for my Yamaha FJR 1300 for over a year, and many of the forums had nicknames for us..”waiters”