Three wheeler for the road

Is it a car, a motorbike or a trike?

The three-wheeler Can-Am Spyder roadster has elements of each, yet it's a whole new class of vehicle. It has just gone on sale in Australia at $26,990 and already there are 150 orders for the Canadian vehicle.

You will need an open motorcycle licence to ride one, but Rohan Slater, product manager for importers Bombardier Recreational Products Australia, hopes they can persuade state governments to comply with European and American standards, which allow riders to operate it on a car licence.

Unlike a motorcycle, the rider doesn't counter-steer the handlebars and the Spyder doesn't lean in corners. Unlike a trike, it doesn't have a single motorcycle front wheel and tyre.

Instead, the Spyder has two wheels up front and all three wheels are fitted with a special tyre like those on most cars.

Other car-like features include a foot brake that operates all wheels, a parking brake, reverse gear, progressive power steering, traction control, stability control with yaw and rollover sensors, anti-skid brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution. There is even a six-speed sequential transmission coming in October.

BRP Australia marketing manager Duncan Knight says their market is over-45s looking for a recreational vehicle — or “bike riders who might have had an accident ... on a bike and want something safer.” BRP Australia, which also imports jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and Johnson outboard motors, has 60 nationwide dealers, but only eight of these have been appointed to sell the Can-Am Spyder, one in each state and territory.

“The next lot of dealers we appoint will be more mainstream motorcycle dealers within the next 12 months,” Knight says. “We want to restrict dealer numbers to about Harley-Davidson levels to keep it fairly premium.”

The Spyder is powered by a liquid-cooled 79kW 998cc Austrian-built Rotax V-twin engine, which is used in the Aprilia 1000R sportsbike where it produces 110kW. Rotax also makes engines for BMW bikes and even the new Buell 1152R made by Harley-Davidson. Knight says the next generation of Spyder could be more sporty, with more horsepower.

“But that hasn't been confirmed yet. This isn't a sporty bike; it's a sports tourer,” he says.

Fuel economy from the fuel-injected, dual-cam engine is about 7.5 litres per 100km, which Knight says will give about a 350km touring range from the 27-litre tank.

The Spyder was shown last year at motorcycle expos around the country and passed Australian Design Rules in November, classified in a special new category for tricycles with two front wheels. “It didn't fit any existing category,” Knight says.

Slater says the company is still working on having the vehicle re-classified as a car-trike, rather than a motorcycle trike. ADR compliance requires a reduction of 3dB on the exhaust, the adjustment of the headlight angle for driving on the left side of the road and a reversing light.

Reverse gear operates off a button on the handlebar that reverses first gear and limits speed to 10km/h. There is a large 'boot' in the 44-litre nose section of the Spyder which will hold two full-face helmets and jackets.

Accessories include a top box, travel bags, cargo liner, passenger backrest, rear-seat cowl, sports exhaust and low and high windshields. After-market panniers have also been planned.

There is also a range of rider gear coming including protective clothing, such as leather jackets and special helmets with a pump-up liner that guarantees a comfortable and firm fit.

The Spyder sits on specially made Chinese Kenda tyres with low recommended pressures of 13-17psi for better ride. Knight says tyre wear is 20,000km-30,000km.

There are sensors in the rear seat to detect a pillion and change the spring settings.

The non-switchable Bosch vehicle stability system uses a range of sensors including yaw and rollover to keep all wheels on the ground and prevent sliding.

The instrument panel includes two large analogue dials for tacho and speedo with a digital screen in the middle with an array of readouts and diagnostics.

The Spyder was launched in the US in January by talk show host and motoring fan Jay Leno who has bought one. They were 1500 orders at launch.

Snapshot

Can-Am Spyder

Price: $26,990

Engine: BRP-Rotax 998cc V-twin, 79kW/104Nm

Transmission: 5-speed (plus reverse)

Economy: 7.5L/100km