Life On 3 : BRP Can-Am Spyder RT Limited

So my phone buzzes really early one cold, dreary April morning…

It was my pals at EatSleepRide messaging me, with a very interesting proposition - they had a Can-Am Spyder kicking about and they wanted me to give it a go.

Now the Spyder is a strange beastie. It seems to have grown an extra wheel, and while you straddle it like a bike, it doesn’t lean. I’d seen some out-and-about, but never really considered riding one, since it fell out of my definition of what a motorcycle was.

But, seeing the grim aftermath of the late April ice storm, it dawned on me that an extra wheel might actually be an advantage on the dirty, salt-stained roads. I was jonesing to ride, with my trusty scoot still slumbering in storage and two words in the message leaped out at me: “It’s Heated”

The next weekend’s weather wasn’t as punishing as I picked up the Spyder. As I was given the grand tour I couldn’t help but notice that there weren’t any hand levers - one foot control took care of the braking on all three wheels and there wasn’t a clutch. It was going to be a different experience for sure.

After being introduced to the concept of a reverse gear (and the Vulcan death grip utilized to engage), I was rolling, dodging and dicing with the usual urban suspects - buses, bicycles, delivery trucks and cabs. Of course, I had to take it for a coffee run right away…

Smart Car that flicks like a go-kart. I would definitely have some fun here, especially once I got the chance to get it out of third gear.

Riding the Spyder feels like driving a Smart Car, but with more power. Lots more power, delivered by a six-speed 1330cc Rotax triple. As I twisted the grip at a light to get in front of traffic, the rear squealed, though wheelspin was tamed immediately as the traction control kicked in. Braking was just as efficient with ABS bringing you to a stop quickly and smoothly.

Interestingly, BRP opted to go with a semi-auto transmission. You have to shift up through the six gears, but downshifting is taken care of for you, unless you decide to override with a left-hand paddle. Downtown driving means never really getting out of first, making it as easy as my fully-auto scooter. Shifts are dead-easy and smooth, making for a more car-like experience that’s extremely noob-friendly.

At first, I was wary of how wide the machine was, taking my turns gingerly, but having the wheels up front made it easy to gauge. As I took my turns a little faster, I was re-introduced to the law of centrifugal force: if the bike wasn’t going to lean, I would have to in order not to be thrown the opposite direction.

Having to parallel park on the street, was a PITA. At least I could take advantage of the Spyder being plated as a motorcycle and the free parking that comes with it. As a photographer that has to haul quite a bit of gear, I made a note that the ample lockable storage – front trunk, solid side bags and big top box would come in handy for photo gigs.

I did just that the next morning. With my photography pal Georgette in tow, we headed out on the highway towards Famous Sam's in Stouffville for the CVMG breakfast vintage bike meet.

As I pulled in, I was met with quite a few WTF reactions, but the old-timers warmed up once I took the helmet off and they recognized me. Lots of genuine interest, with the boys queuing up to sit on “the contraption” with one caveat - “no incriminating pictures, please!”

The rest of the weekend was spent putting the Spyder through its paces. It cornered like it was on rails in the Rouge Valley twisties by the Toronto Zoo and provided a smooth ride on the broken and gravel roads in the area. It also was smooth and stable on the highways, barely breaking a 4000RPM sweat. Roll-on power up top was pretty good, without having to downshift for passes on the 401.

And it was comfy, with the two-step seat cradling your butt, and the heated grips, passenger grab rails and seats coming in handy for zero-degree morning jaunts.

The Spyder is a machine that attracts a lot of attention from passerby, with the biggest enthusiasm coming from non-riders. While some diehards claim that they will never, ever ride one, I was surprised by the number of waves I got, especially from the Harley crowd.

I was also surprised at how much fun I had on three wheels. It was a totally unique experience - not quite a bike and not quite a car. Wind-in hair feeling was much more fun than driving a convertible and I returned it wishing I had it longer. Never figured out the cruise control and the obnoxiously loud speakers in the time I had.

I would love to take it on a long road trip just for the comfort factor and yes, my special old guy yacht rock playlist would be blasting once I learned how to use the stereo.