Any of you own or have experience with CanAm trikes?

[punkncat]

The wife and I have been looking at Can Am Riker/Spyder for the past several months. I have been watching pretty much any video I can find and side reading about users experience with them. It appears, by and large, that either you are totally in love with them, or not. The people on the various forums/pages are pretty clear about advice to get the Spyder.

I have ridden motorcycles a long time and completely understand the advice towards not only the larger motor, but the geared transmission. Even IF I go that way I would have to pony up for the electronic shift option. I can no longer operate a standard shifter for a motorbike. Pricing is such that either I could get one dolled out Spyder for both of us to ride, or could actually spend less money getting two of the Rikers with both dolled out some.
The biggest drawbacks I hear about on the Riker is that it's a single speed centrifugal clutch type drive to where the faster you go just relates to more motor drone. There is also a common complaint about the air filter covers rattling on both the Rikers and Spyders.

My understanding is that the engine on these is a basically unrepairable unit which you go in to have software updates done to the ignition/timing system to correct for wear until you can't. I have no real idea of what manner of mileage or hours that turns out to be.

Do any of you own one? Any of you have something like a snowmobile with the Rotax engine in it?

[William the Third]

I'm familiar with the Rotax v990 v-twin engine (from the Aprilia side) they originally used, but they appeared to stop using that engine after 2014. Rotax do (did?) have a reputation for building great engines, but I'm not familiar with their newer offerings.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Not being able to work on my own stuff would be a hard stop for me. I did not know this about them. I won’t even consider them if that’s the case. I sold my Campagna T-Rex about 5 years ago when my oldest was born and was considering one of these 3 wheeled options as a cheaper alternative. Probably just going to find a good deal on a Softail.

I have driven one of the original Spyders and it takes some getting use to not as fun as a true bike but it’s stable and something my wife could drive easily it’s a nice cruiser. Wish they were a lil more sporty. You sit on top so your center of gravity is high on the Spider instead of inside and low wrapped in a roll cage like the T Rex. Not leaning into turns is an odd feeling when you sit on top.

My T Rex was a bit more complicated then even a bike and it would take whatever you threw at it as long as you don’t hit the gas or the break while in a turn. It’s basically a foot operated manual bike clutch I had a ZX12R motor in mine. It was an amazing performer but it had to go when my wife stopped working to rase our two boys.

[William the Third]

Which engine did you have in the T-Rex?

[Chuck E Ducky]

Zx12R it made about 190whp and would do over a G in the turns. As long as you stayed off the gas or break. It was tuned a bit pipes power commander, race compound tires ,and I geared it to keep up with my GSXR 1000. I picked it up as a repo out of TX and it need a bunch of work to get it right. But I stole the thing drove it for 5+ years and flipped it for almost double what I payed for it.

[punkncat]

That is admittedly bad ass.

[Shaftski]

Most BRP off-road engines are coming out of mexico these days, not sure if this is where can-am on-road engines are assembled. The rotax 650 and 800 BMW used were great engines, but you were almost guaranteed to be doing a strip down and rebuild between 60-100K miles.

I haven't heard the same raves about more recent engine models.

[Chuck E Ducky]

Dose BRP use the same motors from the Renegade Quads? I got a ton of hard Hrs on my Renegade 1000 ATV I beat the hell out of it every year at the Hatfield and McCoy trails and I use the thing weekly to mow my lawn pulling 3 gang mowers. I service it regularly but I’m definitely testing the limits of what that motor can do. Mine is maybe 5 or 6 years old or so now.

[Shaftski]

BRP/Rotax/Can-am/Ski-doo/Sea-doo/Evinrude/Alumacraft are all same corporate umbrella.

They assemble motors all over the world, depending on the intended market. Honestly don't know where on-road motors are assembled, but if I had to guess they are similar to the renegade engines and are mexican origin today. I know they added another plant down there recently due to demand.

If you are always changing your oil after hard use, use the right octane fuel, and treat for ethanol (or better yet, ethanol-free gas) they run great for years. Ethanol/water and pre-detonation destroys those little pistons in no time. I see used kawasakis and polaris for sale all the time used with blown motors, honestly could not tell you last time I saw a can-am with a blown motor. Even if you do have an engine problem, the engine design is well known and easy to get serviced.

[gabe]

I was the service department manager as well as a BRP gold level certified tech for 3 years at the time the Spyder had come out. I don't have a lot of info about the current generation but the early ones were pretty rough to work on. The last one I had dealings with was the touring model Spyder in 2013.

The engines aren't really all that bad to work on and aren't some alien technology. They're just expensive to work on since BRP uses lots of proprietary tools and parts. The engines are buried in the frames so 90% of the work is to just get the engine out to try and get to things. That being said, they really are very reliable and not much goes wrong. Worst thing I saw was the ABS system computer going out and that was a lot of work to diagnose and then to get the computer module out. They are a very tech heavy machine with something like 7 computers all connected running various systems.

Overall I would avoid them if buying used/out of warranty. If you can get one new with a warranty for as long as you plan on owning you're good. Pretty much par for the course with any of the newer tech heavy vehicles. You're not going to be able to find an independent shop that can work on them and the dealers are $$$ for anything outside of basic servicing.

[punkncat]

Awesome insight, thank you.
The planned usage is to tool around on the country roads that we live among. No major road trips, no need to commute. Just looking for something fun to ride around on. The wife isn't comfortable with me on 2 wheels any more, and to be fair it concerns me from and age and tip over perspective anyway.

[gabe]

A neat trike that might be worth looking into is the Piaggo MP3 scooters. They're not a scooter per se with a big 400cc engine (I think they have a 650 too) but they have an articulating system that allows them to lean through turns.

To be sure I'd say if you're looking for a trike then the Spyders are a great buy. If you're buying used and just for fun shop the early GS models from 2009-2010. They were much less complex and far easier to work on. The manual shift models were my favorites as the traction control was less invasive so they were more fun. Plus the paddle shift is super finnicky and problematic.

So that's what I would search for. An 08-2010 manual shift model.