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The Spyder I am writing about here is not related to the other kind of Spiders that crawl on the floor and the World Wide Web. The Spyder I am sharing about here is a three wheeled open-air vehicle that most people would call a motorcycle or a trike. The can-am is made by a Canadian company called BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products).  I have known them for years as a maker of  snowmobiles, jet skis, and commuter jet aircraft. If you asked someone to list a half-dozen motorcycle manufacturers, most would not think of BRP. I now see a very natural engineering similarity between all four of their product lines.
The 2005 Harley-Davidson trike has been a joy to ride over the past eight years and I had no plans to replace it. However, seeing the two front wheels of the can-am Spyder RT Limited on the highway caught my interest. After reading about the Spyder and taking a test drive, I became convinced. I have to admit that the trike was a gem with many special features and good care. After spending 10 days on eBay, the trike brought a price that I was quite satisfied with. During the first few weeks, my Spyder rides were not very ambitious as I learned how to ride it and take advantage of the many features. (If you are interested, here is a link to all the features and specifications).This past Saturday was my first opportunity to take a longer ride – 132 miles to the lake house.
There are quite a few stories in the motorcycle category of patrickWeb that I will cherish for a long time, but the Spyder is already creating memories — and many more to come. I decided to avoid the interstate and explore the many back roads from Connecticut to Westchester County to Putnam County, over the Bear Mountain Parkway, across the Hudson and Route 6 into Pennsylvania. The Spyder was comfortable and a joy to ride. The independent suspension of the two front wheels handles the curves very nicely. The cruise control holds the speed whether climbing or descending in the mountains. The 998cc Rotax V-twin engine — with liquid-cooling, electronic fuel injection, and electronic throttle — performed beautifully.  The Garmin GPS is well-positioned with a good-sized screen.  The iPod in the trunk with integrated access to all my playlists through the main console was enjoyable. One of the nicest features of the Spyder RT Limited is the four custom semi-rigid travel bags that fit nicely in the four “trunks” of the Spyder. The only missing thing is a rack to be able to take an extra suitcase or other items. For that, can-am offers a nice trailer. I am not ready for that. When we take a trip to Tanglewood for aBoston Symphony concert later this month, we will take what fits in the bags — an no more. And we will listen to Doo Wop music on the way! I’ll share more stories about the Spyder in the months ahead.