Wow! I was lucky enough to be involved during the development of the new Can-Am Spyder Roadster and had the chance to ride a prototype about a year and a half ago but I wasn't totally prepared for how much progress has been made on the product and how impressive it is. What's it like to ride the Spyder? It's really very similar to what you'd expect if you were riding an ATV or a snowmobile on the pavement. The suspension works very well and does a great job soaking up big bumps in the road. The Spyder is powered by a 160hp V-twin Rotax engine, which has been tuned for lots of bottom end. The Spyder isn't sportbike fast but it has a powerband that really feels like a blend of a sport bike and a big V-twin, which really makes it quite useful for "normal" riding. Riding around San Diego, the first thing that you notice is that you can really enjoy the scenery and the ride more than on a bike because the vehicle takes less effort to ride, there is obviously really less time spent making sure you don't fall over. For those folks that truly love the leaning experience of riding a bike, Spyder won't fit that bill. For those people who would really enjoy the open air experience of riding without having to balance a motorcycle, Spyder will be great fun.

When you consider the serous amount of Bosch electronics that the Spyder is equipped with, I think it's safe to say that the Spyder will be the most technically advanced powersports vehicle ever built. The Vehicle Stabilization System includes traction control, anti-lock brakes, and a stability control system. The bottom line is that if the rider does anything too aggressive in the way of control inputs with throttle or steering, the ECU will adjust accordingly. We had a chance to ride in the rain in San Diego during the dealer meeting which was quite instructive on how different the roadster is from a normal motorcycle. In spite of lots of water, there was never a feeling that the Spyder was going to do anything that would be dangerous. Pin the throttle, mash the brakes, or even steer abruptly and the ECU effieciently controls the engine or brakes to keep things under control. Mindy's Volvo uses similar technology to keep itself out of the ditch and has been very impressive this winter. It's really quite interesting to see that technology applied to a powersports vehicle.

We are expecting a couple of units in late 2007 and then will have a bigger allocation in early 2008. The 2007 units are already spoken for but we are currently taking deposits on the 2008 units. Want to learn more? Check out www.opentheroad.com or give us a call!

Thanks,
Donavon