The featured image seen above is from Route 66. Also known as the Mother Road or Main Street of America, it was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. Popularised by songs and movies, Route 66 featured in The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck’s classic American novel. Mostly divided and renamed, some portions of the road have been communally designated a National Scenic Byway by the name “Historic Route 66”, returning the name to some maps.

We have ridden more motorcycles than we can keep count of (but we do). We have driven quite a few supercars as well, and we intend to drive more when the opportunities present themselves. We are motorcyclists, yes, but more than anything, we are motorheads. We’d ride/drive anything we can get our hands on till the time we can. It’s like Pokémon. So many out there, and we gotta catch ‘em all. And that is why sometimes, you get your hands on a rare one. This one is about our encounter with a rare one called Can-Am Spyder F3, which is er… a trike. While we are still figuring out if we rode the thing or drove it, we bring to you how it actually felt to be aboard one.

But first, what is Can-Am, and what is the Spyder? Can-Am is a motorcycle production division of a Canadian corporation known as BRP or Bombardier Recreational Products. Can-Am was born in 1971 under the direction of American Gary Robison, working with a team of Canadian and Californian development technicians. They started by building motocross and enduro motorcycles powered by engines from Rotax, an Austrian brand associated with a range of internal-combustion engines. Rotax is also owned by BRP.

The motorcycles manufactured by Can-Am were immensely successful as they won Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial, an off-road motorcycle competition. Then, in 1974, Can-Am became the first brand to sweep the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) 250cc motocross national championship. Among other things, the immense success of the motorcycles was attributed to the Rotax engines, which had a reputation for having high power outputs. An example could be the Can-Am MX3, which had a power output of 36 bhp while the closest competitor sat at 30 bhp!

The engines from Rotax, both four-stroke and two-stroke, are used in a variety of small land, sea, and airborne vehicles, and BRP found use for them in their own range of vehicles. A testament to the widespread popularity and use of these engines is that in 1998, Rotax outsold all other aero-engine manufacturers combined! And to put engines from a brand like that in motorcycles? It was bound to be a hit.

This photo was taken at the Goldwell Open Air Museum, which is described as a selection of sculptures and other works created by a group of Belgian artists. This open-air museum is not too far from another interesting place, the ‘Ghost Town’ of Rhyolite. A booming town in the olden days, it is deserted now and really makes you wonder about the uncertain future of all things.

But then, people change, priorities change. In this case, we do not know about the people, but BRP’s priorities shifted from recreational products towards the transit equipment industry. And post that, into aircraft manufacturing. And just like that, despite the fantastic run of Can-Am, the investments in the motorcycle division were reduced substantially. Before being lost in oblivion post-1988, the development and production of Can-Am motorcycles stayed with Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles of Lancashire, England.

Death Valley, a desert valley located in Eastern California, is one of the world’s hottest places. Furnace Creek in Death Valley is reported to have clocked 56.7 °C, the highest ambient air temperature ever
recorded at the surface of the Earth! In addition to that, at 86m below sea level, Death Valley’s Badwater Basin is the point of the lowest elevation in North America. Does not sound like a perfect place for a motorcyclist, but it does make for some stunning pictures. The alien-planet vibes are rarely found anywhere else on Earth. Probably the reason why it has been a movie-maker’s delight for so many years!

After a hiatus of around 18 years, BRP brought back Can-Am. The motorcycle division was reintroduced in 2006 with BRP’s all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). The following year, 2007, Can-Am brought out the Spyder, a 3-wheeled roadster meant for a whole lot of fun… as we recently found out. During our trip to the United States of America in the xBhp PowerTour 2019, we got to try out the Spyder F3. Rotax engine, a lot of power, beautiful power and torque curve, quirky (for the lack of a better word) characteristics and 3 wheels… let loose in and around Las Vegas, Nevada!

The life of a motorcyclist is a rough one. We are not encompassed in protective cages and sometimes we just have to fight the elements. With that comes the need for sturdy gadgets that can handle the rough stuff. Lenovo ThinkPad P1 undergoes stringent product testing and is a perfect blend of power and durability. The P1 is touted to have endured 12 military-grade requirements and more than 200 quality checks to ensure it runs in extreme conditions.

First things first, it is unique. Two wheels on the front, one on the rear and a handlebar. A quad-bike, but not quite there. A trike like the Niken, but not quite there. There are not a lot of vehicles quite like it. Mount the Can-Am, and you forget that it is a trike. Upright handlebars, forward-feet and a really comfy seat. It is like a really big cruiser but with 2 wheels on the front end. At first, one is very sceptical and very careful with it… we were. But as we spent more and more time with the Spyder F3, we learnt that it is a beautiful piece of machinery. Friendly, stable, and most importantly, powerful.

When one sits on the Spyder F3, it feels really spacious. It is more like you are sitting in it. It has anchors for bungee hooks, a lot of space for the passenger and some for cargo too. The seat height is low, but then, you won’t have your feet on the ground, both literally and figuratively. And if you have any doubts about not being able to fit and therefore sit properly, leave it to the UFit system by Can-Am. This system allows you to control the size and shape of the rider’s triangle with adjustable footpegs and a selection of handlebar sizes. The point being, the Spyder F3 can be moulded to fit a wide range of body types and riding postures. And there’s a trunk too… nothing to be proud of, but enough for some groceries!

The front has fairings of sorts, and it is there to deflect the wind from the rider, but the model without the windscreen will have some major implications on a windy day or a spirited ride. Ours, fortunately, was equipped with one. The Spyder F3 gets an all-digital instrument cluster with odometer and tach, as well as trip and hour meters, gear position indicator, temperature, fuel level, clock, and engine lights.

The chassis of the Spyder F3 is dubbed a surrounding-spar frame with a swingarm that resembles motorcycles, connected to the rear wheel and a car-style A-arm with anti-roll bars for the front wheels. The wheel size is 15”, and the two fronts are shod with 165/55 size tyres, and the rear is a massive 225/50 tyre. Suspension on both ends is courtesy of Sachs and offers ample travel to take care of neglected roads. Braking is handled by Brembo, 270mm discs on both the front wheels and a disc on the back. Both the brakes are unified with the foot-operated brake lever, and there’s ABS to keep you safe in hairy situations.

Coming to the engine, the Spyder F3 is powered by a Rotax 1330 ACE in-line 3 cylinder engine, which is liquid-cooled and possesses electronic fuel injection and electronic throttle control. It makes 105 Bhp of power and 130 Nm of torque, enough to keep you entertained should the opportunity present itself. But the power is kept in check with a Stability Control System and Traction Control System. Dynamic Power Steering is also present to make steering the Spyder F3 easier (we’ll tell you why it is such a valuable addition).

Fire the engine up, and the burble is almost ominous. We really liked the exhaust note on this thing. Slot in into… wait… it has no clutch and no gear lever! That is because the Spyder F3 has a 6-Speed Automatic transmission with reverse gear! So, you just twist the throttle and go. And it really goes when you want it to. The acceleration is brisk, and there’s a lot of torque and power available all across the rev range. It pulls effortlessly and keeps doing so till the time you simmer down. And you will because 105 bhp is no joke, and this is not your average motorcycle. We got a chance to have some fun with it, and it does not really disappoint. But then, after riding a 280 bhp monster, there aren’t a lot of things in this world that excite you as much!

The real fun and the underlying quirk are in the handling. It takes quite some time to get used to it. The lack of a clutch and a front brake lever makes it different from a motorcycle. The handlebar makes it different from a car. No counter-steering, no leaning and only a foot-operated brake pedal make it different from anything we usually ride or drive. Steering this thing takes effort, and that is where the Dynamic Power Steering comes in. It varies the strength of the steering correction based on input and vehicle speed, and since there’s no counter-steering to help you, one has to wrestle the bars around to turn it.

All this seems a bit glum, but once you get the hang of it, the Spyder F3 has a boatload of fun for you in-store. Take it up to the mountains or canyons or wherever you can find a few twisties to tackle, and boy, what a vehicle it is. It is quick, and the stability that comes standard with the delta-trike design is something you can rely on when the child inside takes over. Brakes are fantastic, and getting this thing to come to a halt is really, really easy. Even more so because of the two wheels at the front and the safety net of ABS. While leaning into curves and chaining corners together is something that is a part of every motorcyclist’s life, this is like a breath of fresh air.

So, what is a Spyder F3? It is fast, it is stable, it is safe, it gets a lot of attention, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Something different from your usual run-of-the-mill automobiles. It is something that you can really enjoy if you can let go of your cynical side for a bit. And more than anything, like Can-Am says, “It is different from a motorcycle, and it is different from a car. It is just… different.” And we wholeheartedly agree.