Sport-Touring.Net - CAN-AM Spyder test ride Greenville, SC. May 8, 9 and10, 2009

Just returned home after the test rides. Went early and beat the crowd and rain... Heavy, heavy rain.

Rode the Semi-Auto 5 Speed Transmission as well as the manual (also a 5 speed).

First impressions;

Excellent quality of fit and finish. 'Specially for an On-Road Snowmobile. 'Appeal to almost everyone styling'. Lots of rubber on the road. I like the way they look. 4 colors avail...??? Black, Silver (yuck, standard of course), red and yellow.

When my butt actually hit the seat;

Wider than I expected. Doesn't lean as far as I expected for a 'tadpole' but still has a bit-o-lean angle in it (unlike trikes I have ridden). Where are the flippin' levers?? Surprised when I reached for the clutch lever and front brake even though I had noticed they are nonexistent on my walkaround. Although not high, or tall, you do sit higher than I would have thought. Better traffic visibility than I had expected. This is a good thing.

Starting;

Quite the little ritual. Do a little dance... You put your left foot in... You put your left foot out... Don't push the key in as you turn it to the right or you will engage the ejection seat (literally). Did you push "M"??? Actual action required!! Did you pull the safety warning placard tray out?? Fully out?? Did you reread that the vehicle you are operating is NOT a MOTORCYCYLE?? Did you push the tray back in?? All the way in?? (No, you don't really have to read the safety placard everytime... Or fitz with the tray thingy {a real item} before starting but it does make for better dramatic effect) Is it on?? What is wrong? What am I doing wrong?? Did you depress the linked foot brake before turning the key?? Or did you pull the imaginary front brake lever instead?? No... And 'Yes'... OK, time has expired, start sequence again. Turn key but don't push it in, push "M", depress foot brake pedal, hit starter. Is it on??

Engine;

Is it on?? Did it start this time?? 990 powerplant that is damn quiet... Too quiet. OK, that one has an accessory pipe on it. Nice throaty sound but still not loud. Coming home late in stealth mode should be no problem. Did I mention this thing is Quiet?

Transmission; (Semi-Auto)

Release parking brake and twist throttle... Auto shift from neutral to 1st with an audible and noticeable clunk and 'away we go'... Sorta'. Ya' gotta shift (using the paddleish sort of square shaped box under your left thumb) as you accelerate away. Notice I did not say 'rocket away' or 'accelerate away smoothly'... The large powerplant is 'adequate' for most I am sure but ya' ain't gonna' win any roll on or acceleration challenges except possibly with a fully loaded Harley bagger. Just too much safety/legal/law abiding/engineering 'stuff' built into it. Traction control. Stability control. Too much throttle control, too quick a turn/direction change control, No, you can't 'light 'em up' control, No, you can't make the rear end 'kick out' control... You get the picture. Kind of like a P-38, P-51, F4U Corsair or even a Cessna 150 using the 'fly by wire' system of a large (think 747) passenger airliner. Way, way removed from a the original but can still be hella fun...

(Manual, 5 speed tranny)

1 down, 4 up. Smooth and light clutch. More acceleration. 1st impression is 'better' than the Semi-Auto. However, with additional time in the saddle, most should be as comfortable with one as the other. A more sporty feel will probably favor the manual though...

The ride; (yeah, I do still wanna' ride it)

Started with the Semi-Auto transmission. More unnerving than I had expected. The operation of the SA had my mind preoccupied. The SA isn't like an automobile in that it requires the operator to manually shift up through the 5 gears available using the squarish box shaped 'paddle'. Down shifts occur either automatically while slowing (at 2400 rpm) or can be manually selected by pulling on the back of the square box paddle. Is it apparent and obvious that I do not like the shape of the paddle mechanism?? The clunky tranny shifts go away when you roll off then back on throttle during your clutchless box paddle shifting. I was/am a slow learner apparently 'cause it took me a bit to learn to shift smoothly... Was just holding throttle open and shifting... Dumb, dumb, dumb. I did learn, however, from my mistakes. Before transitioning to the manual my shifts became much, much smoother.

Stability is excellent. Stopped for a train and never put my feet down. 'Heeled' the parking brake and just sat there. No balance required. Try that with a Ully... Oh, wait. Never mind... 3 wheels... hehe. I do understand the allure of a trike, er, reverse trike to some.

Travelling along the roadway the width comes into play. If you ride left of the oil line (center of lane) the left tire is very close to crossing the center line... Probably is across the center a tad. Likewise riding to right of oil line will most likely result in the right front tire being on the fog line, on the shoulder or off road. Often not a problem but dropping off a shoulder can be very unsettling. Unusual to ride over potholes and other small obstacles rather than pass to the side of them and avoid them altogether. Still practice makes perfect... Or at least a lot better. This really isn't a motorcycle is it??

I found myself drifting side to side in the lane (unintentionally) due to 'setting up' for curves and turns. Very slight body/shoulder movements will cause you to drift as well. "Ride with your body relaxed and your arms loose" was the advise given and tested. Hey, no more drift. Don't set up for a turn on this anymore than you would in your auto. You don't need to lean into a turn or curve, just turn the bars. Into the turn please. Do not counter steer. Light steering (while moving) and small movements equal lots of steering input to the tires. Power assisted steering kicking in and out at slow speeds is nice but very noticeable.

A typical motorcyclist ought to be able to learn the nuances of this machine quickly. But that same person does need to spend time learning the vehicle and it's tendencies before Slaying the Dragon, Driving the Snake, Navigating Natchez Trace or Carving Canyons.

This 'practice time' can be a blast too, if our test ride was any indicator. What an attention getter. Even on a crappy, dreary, cloudy misty Friday morning. Lots and lots of pointing, waving and quizzical 'What the heck was that' looks... Smiles abound for rider and public alike.

Guys... girls are gonna' love these. They probably will feel safer and be much more agreeable or inclined to ride with you.

Girls, get some gear and go for a ride. Probably safer all around (my opinion) than a standard motorcycle...

The other applies too. If my really cute neighbor had one and asked me if I wanted to go for a ride I would ask 'Where we goin'? Then say 'Let me grab my helmet and gloves' (other gear also).

Overall impression... Odd starting procedures. Very quiet. Excellent Linked ABS Brakes via single right foot pedal quickly seemed natural. Motor neutered by too much high tech stuff. I had a blast once I adjusted to the SA. Manual required no such adjustment. Took me longer than expected to stop while using the front brake lever... it ain't there. Carefully work into higher speeds due to the different handling nature. Don't become a statistic... Practice. A little will go a long way. You will attract a lot of attention. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Love it. Cops will notice you too!! Deal with it... I hope lots of my buds get them so I can ride theirs. Wishing for the Greenville area to becomes a Mecca for Spyders and they appear everywhere. That way I can pick up a good used one in a few years at very reduced prices. Mean while at $16,200 (US) MSRP for a standard model I am not currently a viable customer but I would love one and they are fun.

Topic: CAN-AM Spyder test ride Greenville, SC. May 8, 9 and10, 2009 (Read 1751 times)