canam rt

[Snarley Bill]

i went by a motorsports dealer to look at the new canam rt touring model. they had a gray one there that really impressed me. linda and i sat on it on the show room floor and it really surprised us how comfortable it was, even with the rider foot pegs. we were there about 1/2 hour and was never aproached by a salesman. i really want to ride one. we went home and i priced one out on the canam website. it was right at $29,000 for the limited edition. i figured up one without all the goodies and it came out about $22,000. way out of my range, but i just have to get a ride on one. curiosity is killing me.

[bongobobny]

See, if you would have come to the International you could have ridden one...

[BuckShot]

Talk with MarCarl..He took one for an all day ride at the Internatonal

[M61A1MECH]

Yes talk to Carl, but do not let him touch it, because the muffler will fall off. :-)

[Guest scarylarry]

At first I thought they was ugly as he** but in time they grew on me, and with all that they come with and the safety features they might be the best 3 wheeler on the market..

 

I would not test ride one though, might have the itch for it if I do..

 

A friend of mine was more or less force on one if he wanted to ride since he could not hold his any longer and he told me it handle like a sports car...

 

Talking about luggage space, it is a dream come true for most women..

[Freebird]

I had considered one. Eileen loves them. She and I both think that they look really cool. I did take one out for about 3 hours at the International and it was all that I needed to change my mind. After about 1 1/2 hours, we stopped for lunch, if we had no stopped I think I would have just pulled over and shot myself. I had body parts hurting that I didn't even know existed.

 

In my opinion, they are just NOT designed for tall riders. My legs were bent in positions that I didn't even know I was still capable of. There was no way to stretch out. There are aftermarket highway pegs available but they only give you about 4 more inches. My knees hurt, my shoulders hurt, my hip hurt, heck, my entire body hurt.

 

After lunch, I let Eileen do the driving and I rode on the back. It was better there. She loved it but her inseam is about a mile shorter than mine.

 

And NO....she is not getting one.

 

I was told by a local dealer in Cleveland last year that Can-Am is aware of the problem for taller riders and are looking at design changes to make it better but that may have just been a dealer talking. I've heard nothing more about that.

[BIG TOM]

 

 

 

And NO....she is not getting one.

 

 

 

 

 

If you say so boss !!!!

[Kirby]

If you say so boss !!!!

 

 

My thoughts exactly!!

[alwrmcusn]

I test rode one last year at Alcoa Good Times in Knoxville. Talk about a different ride!! Still, I'm thinking that it will be at/near the top on my very short list for a next bike!

I do agree with the tall driver and the riding position. They for sure need to give some leg room and handlebar adjustment options.

[wrenchrob]

im afraid to try one cause I know exactly what would happen. I would be divorced and living in the garage with it!

[bongobobny]

We do need to mention though that the one both Marcarl and Freebird rode was not the R/T versoin but rather the standard Spyder which does have a different riding position! That being said, the R/T still has the legroom issue and that is the main reason I do not regret triking my RSV even though the R/T would have been a lot cheaper...

[friesman]

Talk to Big Bob aboiut space and comfort when he rode his Can Am to Cody Wy last year. This year he has a triked RSV when he went to Nelson

 

Brian

[BuckShot]

 

And NO....she is not getting one.

 

.

 

See went and got the Dog didn't she??????

 

And sence your feeling old and your knee's hurt, she could ride her own bike to make it easier for you to hold your bike up. Thats love.... Man Don, all she does is think about your happiness. You need to go buy her one.

[Freebird]

We do need to mention though that the one both Marcarl and Freebird rode was not the R/T versoin but rather the standard Spyder which does have a different riding position! That being said, the R/T still has the legroom issue and that is the main reason I do not regret triking my RSV even though the R/T would have been a lot cheaper...

 

 

That is not correct Bob. They were the R/T versions.

[Brenda H]

I was able to ride both at a demo day one of the local dealers had a couple years back. it was interesting to find that while I can ride the RT, I cannot ride the RS in stock configuration. It's near sport bike sitting position had my carpal affected hands going nuts before that ride was even half over. I have to lean even farther forward on the RS Spyder than I do on either of my Yams and the weight and pressure was more than the old hands wanted to deal with.

 

As for the RT, it IS on my short list as I'm figuring my next bike will have to be a trike in some form or another. The biggest, and just about only, problem I had with those was the sound effects given off by the bike's semi automatic tranny as it downshifted on it's own. If I had any 4wheeler making that kind of noise, it would be in the shop the next day! I'm hoping for a chance to drive one with the standard tranny in it to see how that handles. I'm also figuring that in about 5 years or so, there will some halfway reasonably priced used RT's out there as a $20k+ price tag is bit more than I want to pay unless I absolutely have to.

 

I test rode one last year at Alcoa Good Times in Knoxville. Talk about a different ride!! Still, I'm thinking that it will be at/near the top on my very short list for a next bike!

I do agree with the tall driver and the riding position. They for sure need to give some leg room and handlebar adjustment options.

[dacheedah]

I test rode one and took it back after twenty minutes, just didn't like it and my wife didn't think it was as comfey 4 her

[steamer]

If both driver and rider are on the large size, there isn't enough space between the two of you to fit a postage stamp. Not any space to install a drivers back rest. And Rockin Robin didn't much like playing the part. Much more room on the RSV.

[Snarley Bill]

i did notice that the handle bars were awful close. it looks like there is alot of room for driver floor boards unlike that of the wing. the big negative for me is the small engine. 990 cc',s come on. after having two bikes close to 1900 cc's it seems a little anemic. i saw a guy get on one, one time and it was a little sluggish looking. i can''t imagine 2 up, with a loaded trailer, and 990 cc's. it's got to be a pooch.

[bigbob]

i did notice that the handle bars were awful close. it looks like there is alot of room for driver floor boards unlike that of the wing. the big negative for me is the small engine. 990 cc',s come on. after having two bikes close to 1900 cc's it seems a little anemic. i saw a guy get on one, one time and it was a little sluggish looking. i can''t imagine 2 up, with a loaded trailer, and 990 cc's. it's got to be a pooch.

Another thing about that engine there is nobody home until it gets to around 5000-6000 R.P.M. Red line is at 9000 R.P.M. will go to 9500 R.P.M.

[bongobobny]

That is not correct Bob. They were the R/T versions.

Ok. I did not know that, wasn't aware that the silver one was an R/T, didn't know it came in silver...

[Brenda H]

The 990cc Rotax engine in the Spyders is a reworked version of the same engine Aprilia uses in it's sport bikes. And being a former Aprilia owner, I can tell you that in the Aprilia configuration, that engine is no wimp. It also has a rep as being just as bulletproof as the V4 in the RSV/RSTDs. I'd love to see what one particular friend of mine could do with the Spyder engine. Considering what I've seen him do with the Aprilia version, I just might be afraid to get on the darn thing!

 

i did notice that the handle bars were awful close. it looks like there is alot of room for driver floor boards unlike that of the wing. the big negative for me is the small engine. 990 cc',s come on. after having two bikes close to 1900 cc's it seems a little anemic. i saw a guy get on one, one time and it was a little sluggish looking. i can''t imagine 2 up, with a loaded trailer, and 990 cc's. it's got to be a pooch.

[midnightrider1300]

i went by a motorsports dealer to look at the new canam rt touring model. they had a gray one there that really impressed me. linda and i sat on it on the show room floor and it really surprised us how comfortable it was, even with the rider foot pegs. we were there about 1/2 hour and was never aproached by a salesman. i really want to ride one. we went home and i priced one out on the canam website. it was right at $29,000 for the limited edition. i figured up one without all the goodies and it came out about $22,000. way out of my range, but i just have to get a ride on one. curiosity is killing me.

 

we sell the limited edition for 26,899 and we have a demo for 25.899 (bout 300 miles) we ship ... lol if u are ever close by we allow demo rides..

[Marcarl]

We had fun. Didn't do no 20 min test ride ride, no sir, we went whole hog, all day, 9 to 4 and then I let Freebird ride a well broke in beast, didn't want him to experience any muffler failure or worse. He's probably right about the long legs thing, but then I don't have long legs. So now for the real comments, first the good.

I think the looks are cute.

The handle bars were positioned well.

It was OK for comfort, something Marca and I would have to get used to, same if we bought something else.

Plenty of power with about 400 to 450lbs live weight and no baggage or trailer. I would say it would handle a full load just fine, but you would have to crank the throttle a little higher. I ran about a max of 5000 rpm's, hey Marca was on-board and my head was already quite busy!

It's not as smooth as the V4, but then it a V-twin, so to be expected.

Brakes were good enough, but i ran out of dimes so I'm not sure if it would stop on one.

It has an easy reverse,,,, squeeze clutch, go to 1st, push button and drop below 1st, release clutch and the thing backs up!!!!!

 

The bad?

It corners totally different and that would take some time to get used to. I got the feeling that I was being encouraged to get off the left side on a right hand corner, so the lean effect of 2 wheels is gone.

It's really stable, especially when it's not moving, a plus for the missus. Stability on the road was good as well, it's just that we had to learn how to ride it,,, ya,, both passenger and rider have to learn it all over new, same as on 2 wheels,, only different, very different.

I don't like silver, but they do make different colors.

It could use more lights, but Bob has lots of those and I don't think he would miss any,, would he?

 

 

I would think that if we had one for a month or so, we could get quite used to it and maybe even love it,,,,, as it was, we took B2Dad's trike out later and found it much nicer, but then it didn't vibrate as much, and it sat more like what we were used to, but we had to get used to the cornering effect there as well.

 

We then got back on our trusty 1st gen, and we both said: WHAT WERE WE THINKING?????

Hey,,, when your used to a real bike there is just nooooooo comparison!!!!

 

Many thanks to Pioneer Motor-Sports for a day well spent and being so helpful .

 

In the end analysis, you are going to have to find out for yourself if you like it, but a 20 minute ride won't tell the story. If you like the concept, like the stability, and the luxury that is provided then buy one and let it grow on you,,,, many folks love them, but they did have to break new ground.

[spitfire9]

My wife likes them too, but I feel resistant. I just think they are butt ugly, take up too much garage space, and cost more than 2 nice used corvettes. Thanks for the tall rider info- I have more ammo now, hehe.

[Snarley Bill]

The 990cc Rotax engine in the Spyders is a reworked version of the same engine Aprilia uses in it's sport bikes. And being a former Aprilia owner, I can tell you that in the Aprilia configuration, that engine is no wimp. It also has a rep as being just as bulletproof as the V4 in the RSV/RSTDs. I'd love to see what one particular friend of mine could do with the Spyder engine. Considering what I've seen him do with the Aprilia version, I just might be afraid to get on the darn thing!

it is a good engine but one thing you must remember. with two people on board, a loaded trailer, and the double bike weight over what the aprilla weighs. your probably talking 4 times the weight of the aprilla. it still is only 990 cc's and is tuned for a very high rpm with limited torque. for a heavyweight set up. it's like putting an all out small block chevy in a dump truck. you have to run it wide open all the time to keep ahead of traffic. it's like i said in an earlier post. i saw a guy ream one out. i doubt if it would out run my focus by much.