Test Riding the Can-Am Spyder
Our customers are always telling me how much they like the Can-Am Spyder. So when I stopped into a large multi-line dealer recently, I decided to take a test ride on one (wish I’d gotten a selfie!).
The salesperson emphasized that riding the Spyder is NOT like riding a motorcycle (which, thanks to our customers, I already knew).
But I still thought: how different can it be? After all, just like any other motorcycle, there are quite a few ways you can be injured or killed than if you’re in a car LOL!
But… It isn’t like riding a motorcycle. At all.
With over 30 years riding on two wheels, I immediately felt what I can only describe as a “lack of oneness” with the Spyder.
A motorcycle moves with you, and you with it; you lean into turns, your hands and feet are both in play when you brake, and you feel the engine beneath you. In short: The bike is a part of you.
Not so with the Spyder. At least not for me, in that short test ride. The sensation I had in turns was that of being pulled (and holding on for dear life). The ‘jiggly’ feeling was reminiscent of my last snowmobile trip in Yellowstone! Another test rider referred to driving the Can-Am Spyder as “operating” it rather than “riding” it. Maybe he’s onto something.
Whether it’s the wisdom of age or my motorcycle crash a couple years ago, I really like the idea of three wheels (and with a brain overcome with other things, maybe the mental part of riding won’t seem so tiring). Perhaps if I could rent a Spyder for a day I’d come to feel more like I’m working with the machine rather than against it.
What do you think? Drop me a note at zoom@leadermotorcycle.com with your thoughts!
- Tracey Cramer