Issue #237 It Is Not A Motorcycle | Spyder, Motorcycle, Have, Other, Most

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Issue #237 It Is Not A Motorcycle

Written by John Molony
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
In this issue we profile Bombardier Recreational Products’ new Spyder. (See, “Along Came a Spyder,” page 54.) Some of you might think it’s an odd product to review in this publication because it’s definitely not a motorcycle—neither by our consideration nor that of the manufacturer. It does however fall under the heading of “powersport product” and as it is a road legal vehicle it certainly exists in the same realm as most motorcycles. Moreover, in a few years, there might be thousands of them on the road and at events near you. BRP, better known for its lines of snowmobiles, ATVs and watercraft, decided that rather than going back to motorcycles—as in the days of the original Can-Am—it would instead take the three-wheel approach to road travel and in a way avoid the competition the company would have faced building motorcycles while simultaneously creating a new market. But our decision to review the Spyder may be controversial with some of our readers. Had we reviewed a traditional trike, such as one of Lehman’s products, nary an eye would be raised because all of Lehman’s vehicles and most other manufacturers’ trikes are built around motorcycle components. The same is true had we reviewed a motorcycle with a sidecar rig, even though it too adds another wheel and has virtually no facility for conventional leaning and handling. As noted in the article: there exists a number of other “conveyances” that are not motorcycles exactly but rather are vehicles that offer some of the joys of a motorcycle while compromising other aspects that we as motorcyclists feel are inherent to the riding experience. In some ways the Spyder does feel like a motorcycle while at other times there’s absolutely no doubt it is not. At the press launch event in California, the other vehicle most often mentioned in the same breath as the Spyder was the Piaggio MP3, simply because it too has two wheels at the front and one on the back. In reality though, it is as far from the Spyder as the Spyder is from being a motorcycle. As manufacturers move beyond traditional designs the boundaries between what is and what is not a motorcycle will be further blurred. Our editor was heavily criticized by CB readers for his stance on scooters and his suggestion that they have no place in a motorcycle magazine. It turns out plenty of Burgman riders were willing to take him up on the matter. Oddly though, it is KTM that may have muddied these waters the most with the introduction of its Crossbow concept vehicle. It’s a car, suggest many observers. That point can’t be argued—the Crossbow has four wheels, a steering wheel and the driver sits in it. However it weighs only 1,400-odd pounds, does zero to 60 in something less than 3.7 seconds and has no pretensions of ever having a roof or doors—or even the luggage capacity of a GSX-R 1000. If you like wind (rain, bugs and dirt) in your face and blistering performance, the Crossbow may fit the bill (a $50,000 plus bill mind you). It is far more than a Smart car with a Hayabusa motor (now there is a muddy idea, check out YouTube and you’ll see what I mean) but rather a KTM SuperMotard with an extra couple of wheels. Don’t worry we are sticking with motorcycles, but when something new comes along and lands among us with a flash, we will check it out. Note to KTM: if one of those Crossbows is in the vicinity, we will have our helmets and gloves ready. Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.