jeff in ohio
Junior Member
rode A Can-Am Spyder today and loved it. Did not find the steering squirrly, scary, or twitchy like some say. I could weave back and forth in my lane with ease (and no fear) and it was easy to hold a straight line without thinking about it. The stability control is great - really lets you do stupid things without fear of pitching it off the road. Riding aggressivly with body english and good push on the bars rewards with a high fun factor. Pull your self forward and to the inside on turns with weight on the front, then get your upper body low with head above the hand grip and giver 'er a good push and LOTS of gas and it is a blast. I would lay into the throttle on turns at intersections and it would start to slide the rear before the computer would right the ship and get everything back in line and blast away. Ridden vey agressively, it was possible on hilly turns to lighten one of the front wheels, but once again, the computer would make it so you didn't kill yourself. Just an absolute blast to ride. The motor does need to be kept on the boil above 6,000 though. Cruising on the interstate on a trip really wouldn't be a problem, but the thing is really meant to be ridden hard on curvy roads. Even slow speed 90 degree turns (like at intersections) are fun because you can just lay in the throttle when turning and slide it a little before the computer kicks in and keeps things from getting out of control. I hammered thru turns with gravel that would put a motorcycle in a ditch.
Would it replace my motrocycle? NO - a motorcycle provides a complete different sensataion. But......If I lived somewhere where it didn't snow, I would use it in place of a car. It had storage in the front for loads of items. I'd love to try one in the wet. The fun factor would be way up there knowing you could still abuse it and the stability control is there to keep you from killing yourself.
I would still have a bike for *fun riding* and the occasional track day, but this Spyder thing would be great for every day use in place of a car. Sure you could slap all sorts of luggage and crap on a motorcycle to lug things with, but I that taking all that crap on a bike, especially a sportbike. The Spyder has that nice storage hatch in the front (enough for a large amount of groceries if you are dingle - almost enough for height of an airline rollerboard bag) and lets you get away with enough ham fisted stupid riding techniques that it would be just a blast for every day use instead of a car.
I have 3 cars and would consider selling one (my Scion xB) to have one of these in my garage. Showed a vid to my wife and she said "if we didn't have three cars". I think I could get her on it also. She has not ridden on a motorcycle since 1996, but she thought this thing looked fun.....
Would it replace my motrocycle? NO - a motorcycle provides a complete different sensataion. But......If I lived somewhere where it didn't snow, I would use it in place of a car. It had storage in the front for loads of items. I'd love to try one in the wet. The fun factor would be way up there knowing you could still abuse it and the stability control is there to keep you from killing yourself.
I would still have a bike for *fun riding* and the occasional track day, but this Spyder thing would be great for every day use in place of a car. Sure you could slap all sorts of luggage and crap on a motorcycle to lug things with, but I that taking all that crap on a bike, especially a sportbike. The Spyder has that nice storage hatch in the front (enough for a large amount of groceries if you are dingle - almost enough for height of an airline rollerboard bag) and lets you get away with enough ham fisted stupid riding techniques that it would be just a blast for every day use instead of a car.
I have 3 cars and would consider selling one (my Scion xB) to have one of these in my garage. Showed a vid to my wife and she said "if we didn't have three cars". I think I could get her on it also. She has not ridden on a motorcycle since 1996, but she thought this thing looked fun.....
