Going three-wheeling on a Can-Am Spyder

Can-Am Spyder

They say that "four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul," but what does three wheels move? I'm not sure I can answer that as philosophically but I can tell you this: Three wheels make you move yourself, a lot.

Thanks very much to David and Wade over at Colorado Sport Bike Rentals, I recently had the opportunity to take a Can-Am Spyder out for a day to get a feel for it and see what these fairly recent additions to the motorcycling world are all about. The Spyder, in case you've managed to miss this somehow, is a three-wheeler with two bike-sized tires up front and one car-sized tire in the rear.

Because the Spyder doesn't lean like a motorcycle, turning is similar to driving a car or a motorcycle with a sidecar, or a trike. That is to say, rather than countersteering and pushing on the left grip to go left, on a Spyder, to go left you pull in on the left grip and push out on the right.

At the same time you're doing this, the Spyder wants to throw you off to the outside of the turn, so it is necessary to brace yourself on the rear-set pegs and lean into the curve. The faster you take the turn, the more you need to lean. That's what I'm saying about "three wheels make you move yourself, a lot."

Out for a ride

My plan was to ride the Spyder around town a bit to get familiar with it and then take it up into the hills. Ultimately I intended to take it up over Loveland Pass, both to see how it handled the altitude and also because I figured I'd get some nice photos of it up there. Mother Nature persuaded me otherwise, however, so my first stop was home to get warmer clothes. Pulling in the driveway I met for the first time with a phenomenon I had anticipated: the SDF, or Spyder Delay Factor.

A note of explanation: My friend and fellow Examiner Dom Chang, who rides a Ural sidecar rig, speaks often of the UDF, or Ural Delay Factor, where people constantly come up to you to ask about the unusual machine you're riding. I assumed that in riding the Spyder I would encounter the same situation, and I was correct.

No sooner did I get stopped in my driveway when my neighbor came running over yelling "I've got to see that!" At other times during my ride numerous other people asked questions, including some folks who pulled up next to me at red lights. Everyone is interested in this peculiar vehicle. If you're looking to attract attention, you want a Spyder.

Make no mistake, riding the Spyder is very different from riding a two-wheeled motorcycle. It took some getting used to, and the first time I did the 270 degree turn of a freeway on-ramp I was fighting to keep it on the road. Until I got more accustomed to it I drove pretty slowly.

While I didn't go over Loveland Pass, I did go up in the hills, working my way through several small mountain towns popular with bikers. In each I would park and just sit, waiting for the questions. The most common question, by the way, is "Do you need a motorcycle license to ride one of those?"

Getting the hang of it

I did get better at steering and once I did it started being fun. I remember when I first started riding a motorcycle and for awhile it took all my attention all the time just to control the bike and feel safe. It was like that with the Spyder. But I do have my many years of motorcycle experience now so getting comfortable on the Spyder didn't take nearly as long.

Speaking of comfort, the seat was very comfortable. I rode for hours and never got uncomfortable. The seat is broad and well-padded. The bikini fairing doesn't do much, however. I'm a full fairing/windshield kind of guy, so if I had a Spyder I'd be interested in seeing what the aftermarket can provide in that way.
By the time I'd taken my turn through the hills I was feeling pretty competent, at least for a beginner, and coming down Clear Creek Canyon into Golden I wasn't even backing up traffic.

And I was able to relax and enjoy the ride more. I'm sure if I took this baby out for a second day I would get better at it and have a lot more fun than this first day. If you're considering buying a Spyder you would do well to rent one first to see what it's like. I have no idea about rental options elsewhere but I'm pretty sure the only place in Denver to rent one is Colorado Sport Bike Rentals.

Back at the shop the SDF set in again as other customers gathered around asking about the bike. And hearing me talk about taking tight curves, Wade assured us all that you can indeed carve those curves once you get some practice.

For me, it was an extremely interesting experience, and one I'm glad I had the opportunity to engage in. Right off the top I'd say I'm much more interested in sticking with two wheels, but I know there are people who have a lot of different reasons for going with three. For those people, the Spyder has a lot to offer.