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Afternoon punters...well I finally did something Ive been wanting a crack at for a while..test riding. The aim being to do a comprehensive test ride and subsequent write up of the experience for you lot.
As with most things this review is my impression only...im not a professional....im just your average punter...so do your own homework if you find your interest piqued after reading my reports.
Now to kick of my innaugural test ride...I went outside my comfort zone of sportbikes...and decided on this little machine
2009 Can-Am Spyder Roadster
Now this little number had me interested from the get go. Its sexy to look at and not your average cruiser.....Its been designed for a young market which I think they have done a great job with ..but nor have they negated the older market either. After a very helpful rundown on the operation of the Spyder of I went.
Starting Out:
Initial feedback was it was very comfortable and lighter than expected in the steering. It does have steering assist..not quite power steering...but you certainly notice it working in light traffic. I found the visibility very good...and due to the size, the cagers also take notice which is a nice change. The good thing for its size it doesnt feel big when riding it.
The Gearbox:
I chose to take the sequential manual 5 speed Spyder as opposed to the auto version as I really wanted to know how it pulls under power and what it feels like to pull it through the gearbox near redline, which was very nice I must admit. Its very smooth in the gearbox and the clutch feels nice and light.
The Brakes:
One thing I did have to get use to was the foot-actuated brake. No hand brake on this at all...so make sure you drill that into your brain before going riding and wanting to grab a handful. The brakes are awesome and I put it through 3 hard emergency brakes...from 100kms to full stop in 20m. The brakes are a fully intergrated hydraulic 3 wheel braking system which works like a charm to pull this up in that distance, and with ABS. It has a park brake you can apply with ease when parked up located behind the left foot peg.
The Suspension:
Worked a dream. I purposley made myself aim for pot holes and bumps (things I try to avoid on my roady) and it absorbed it all with out a complaint or any feedback to me. No bump unsettled the feel of riding, a very nice change indeed.
The engine:
Now for power you have at your disposal a 990 v-twin BRP-Rotax sitting under your bum that humms away rather quietly. It puts out 106hp( taken from manufacturers STATS mind you so could be a little less). Whilst it wont ever break any land speed records...it does the job nicely once again. It sat at 120km's very comfortably(all on a private road of course)without sounding like it was trying.
Handling:
Now as for handling under hard cornering, this is probably the one place where I found I had to ''muscle'' it around a bit. Lets face it you arent buying this to race so its not been designed to handle like its on rails. Having said this however it has VSS (Vehicle Stability System) which I felt did come into play and kept the front wheels nicely grounded. There is no counter steering the Spyder...it feels very much like a front wheel drive car going around corners..the steering does lighten up and you find that even if you twitch a little bit...the front will respond, and for me this was a little tricky to get use to. Like a quad bike you do have to weight the pegs to get around the corner, which was a little hard seeings the whole bike just sat flat. No swaying or rolling what-so-everso the VSS is very valuable.
Comfort Factor:
No engine heat to bother you and your pillion which a lot of the new sportsbikes fail in today . In looking at the side cowling on the Spyder they have cleverly designed its sides to distribute the engine heat to the ground. Being WA and riding this bike you wont have to worry about sweating your arse of and neither would your pillion
Ergonomicas:
The trike is a great head turning cruiser..Id recommend it for anyone really...from the learner lady just starting out on her R class to the seasoned vet wanting something a little more funky than a harley immatation, and with the added bonus of good brakes. Id say its very pillion friendly...great ergonomics and vision for the pillion with a neat little back rest for extra comfort. The Spyder has fantastic storage in the nose and has optional side storage bags that can be fitted. You can also have a towball added to the Spyder, making it a great option for that all around Oz trek adventure for you and the Mrs. Which this bike and you would do comfortably.
The Spyder also feature a very user friendly control panel with both a digital and analogue speedo, a tacho, temp guage and huzzah!! a fuel guage!! plus the obligitory trip counter.
To access the front boot or the fuel cap you simply depress the key and turn either left or right making it very easy to access both these features..making loading up and fuelling up easy to do.
So for me I give the 2009 Can-Am Spyder roadster a thumbs-up and a 4/5 star rating.
If you would like to know where I picked the Spyder up from pm me. Im not going to promote any bike shops in my test rides.
Pleas let me know if there is anything Ive missed out in my review, this will be the first of many every month..or more. Also if there is a particular brand of bike you would like to hear more about also let me know.
Originally Posted by Red_is_Best 
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